Mike Awesome The Wrestler

Copyright (c) 2010 Davide Botticelli

Travel back in time with me to the year 1965. This was the year Michael Lee Alfonso better known as Mike Awesome. He has worked with ECW, WCW, World Wrestling Entertainemnt/Federation, Frontier Martial-Arts wrestling (FMW), Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW), and a few others. His Aunt married Hulk Hogan's brother. As a result Mike grew up around Michael Ballea (Horace Hogan). Awesome began training from Pro Wrestling Federation (PWF) run by Steve Keirn. He made his first television debut on WCW as a masked Jobber named The Pro.

Travel with me now to September 1990 when Mike wrestled for the Japanese wrestling promotion FMA were he used the name The Gladiator. He would win there Independent World Heavyweight Championship, there World Brass Knuckles and the tag version of it. He also won the world street fight 6-man tag title ones with Hisakatsu Oya, and his cousin Horace Hogan.

Extreme Championship Wrestling

Awesome first joined Extreme Championship Wrestling in 1993 with the name "Awesome" Mike Awesome. This first run was a short one. In 1998 Awesome began his second run with the promotion. His had a feud with Masato Tanaka. On an episode of Hardcore TV, he lost to Tanaka. After the match Awesome did the Awesome Bomb to him from inside the ring into a table set up outside of the ring. His last match for Extreme Championship Wrestling in his second rune he lost to Tanaka again. In 1999 Awesome started his third run in Extreme Championship Wrestling. At the Anarchy Rulz event he shocked everyone by winning the Extreme Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship from Taz and his rival Masato Tanaka. Also in Extreme Championship Wrestling he won the tag titles with Raven.

World Championship Wrestling

Lance Storm a friend of Mike's went to World Championship Wrestling after refusing to stay with Extreme Championship Wrestling because of unpaid wages. When Mike joined World Championship Wrestling he was still Extreme Championship Wrestling champion. World Championship Wrestling had some of its security team accompany Awesome to an Extreme Championship Wrestling show where he lost the title to Tazz who was working with WWF. When he joined World Championship Wrestling he joined a faction called the New Blood. He helped Billy Kidman during Kidman's feud with Hulk Hogan. Awesome had an on and off feud with Kevin Nash. In May of 2000 Awesome gained the "Career Killer" gimmick after he tossed Kanyon of the top of the first cage of the triple cage onto the entrance ramp.

World Championship Wrestling wanted to tweak his gimmick so they made him like a Heavyset women thus starting the "fat chick thriller" at this time he was feuding with Scott Steiner and Lance Storm for the World Championship Wrestling United states Championship.

Another gimmick World Championship Wrestling had Mike do was a 70's era one were they had him dress up in outfits from the 70's during the "that 70's guy" gimmick he had a small feud with Vampiro. Also during that gimmick he had a one on two handicap match with ICP.

In 2001 he went to have the "Canadian Killer" gimmick were he teamed up with Lance Storm and Elix Skipper in a faction called Team Canada. With Team Canada he feuded with the Filthy Animals. At one point he was set to have a Hair Vs Hair match with Kidman but Kidman got hurt before the match and was replaced by Konnan. Awesome lost this match and gave the Filthy Animal's the right to cut off his Mullet. In his time with World Championship Wrestling he won the Tag titles from Chuck Palumbo and Sean O'haire.

World Championship Wrestling/Extreme Championship Wrestling The Invasion

In 2001 Awesome made his WWF debut during the Invasion story line. When he first debut with the WWF he won the Hardcore championship from Rhyno after Rhyno retained it against Test. A few weeks later he lost the title to Jeff Hardy on Smackdown. At the Invasion Pay Per View Mike awesome teamed up with Lance Storm to face Edge and Christian. Awesome and Storm Lost this match. WWF Invasion was also Mike's first WWF PPV appearance. In 2002 he started jobbing to people like Mark Henry and Funaki on Velocity. He was released from the now named WWE on September 27, 2002

Independent Circuit

After his release from the WWE he did work for TNA for a real short time. He also worked for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) were he used the name The Gladiator. When he worked for MLW he won the MLW World Heavyweight Championship from Satoshi Kojima. He lost the title ten minutes later to Steve Corino.

Extreme Championship Wrestling One Night Stand 2005

Mike Awesome would return to Extreme Championship Wrestling for one night at the reunion Pay Per View Extreme Championship Wrestling One Night Stand. At this Event he would have a match against his biggest rival Masato Tanaka. During this match Joey Styles who was doing commentary was saying all sorts of disrespectful comments about Mike because of how he left Extreme Championship Wrestling in 2000. At the start of the match the fans were also booing him but by the end of the match they were cheering for him. Also by the end of the match the fans were chanting this match rules and gave both Awesome and Tanaka a standing ovation. Mike Awesome was the winner of this match.

In February of 2006 Mike announced he was retiring. Mike was married and had one son and one daughter.

On February 17,2007 A friend of Mikes found him dead at his Tampa home. He was 42. Awesome's death was suicide by hanging.

On my behalf I would like to say Rest In Piece Mike Awesome.