Joined: Tue Mar 07, 2006 8:14 pm Posts: 15317 Location: Concord, NC Gender: Male
i was suprised that it hasn't been posted here yet, but Mike Awesome died the 17th. (i just happened to find out today)
word around the campfire is that some people were coming over to his house to pick him up to go out and go somewhere and they found him hanging with a rope around his neck.
although he never really made it big in wwf/e or wcw (remember "that 70's guy"?), he had a decent ecw career and some of his matches with masato tanaka are legendary...
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Last edited by PeopleMyAge on Wed Feb 21, 2007 10:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
some of this matches with masato tanaka are legendary...
that's what I remember of him. some ridiculous chair shots in those matches.
_________________ “You’re good kids, stay together. Trust each other and be good teammates to one another. I believe there is a championship in this room.”
-Ernie Accorsi in his final address to the NY Giants locker room before retiring as GM in January of 2007
some of this matches with masato tanaka are legendary...
that's what I remember of him. some ridiculous chair shots in those matches.
I remember him powerbombing Tanaka over the top rope, onto a table that was outside the ring. Tanakalowe back went through the table and his head bounced off the floor as it slipped under the fence. It looked like it hurt.
"why does everyone keep stealing my bus?!"
that guy was the quintessential wrestler. mullet, had the word 'awesome' in his name...
_________________ i was dreaming through the howzlife yawning car black when she told me "mad and meaningless as ever" and a song came on my radio like a cemetery rhyme for a million crying corpses in their tragedy of respectable existence
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 11:30 pm Posts: 7110 Location: the Zoo.
His best work was in FMW, no question. He could fly better than almost any guy his size. Really, really versatile.
Also, he brought the ECW belt to WCW with him like a douche. It proved nothing and fucked over the fans more than it could have ever affected Heyman, so he was an asshole. Sucks that he's dead, but he did some asshole things in his career.
Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 4:47 pm Posts: 3677 Location: Newfoundland Gender: Male
inadvertent imitation wrote:
His best work was in FMW, no question. He could fly better than almost any guy his size. Really, really versatile.
Also, he brought the ECW belt to WCW with him like a douche. It proved nothing and fucked over the fans more than it could have ever affected Heyman, so he was an asshole. Sucks that he's dead, but he did some asshole things in his career.
Agreed on the FMW point.
However, he got a really bad, undeserved rap on the ECW/WCW issue. Here's what Lance Storm had to say:
Quote:
Mike got a lot of heat for the way he left ECW, but a lot of that was unjustified. The true story is that Mike was owed a significant amount of money from ECW and he refused to sign his contract until he received all money due him. After repeatedly not receiving money promised him Mike accepted an offer from WCW that offered his family financial security. I’m not sure there is anyone in the business that would have done differently.
Also, I was watching his match against Tanaka from the ECW One Night Stand 2005 PPV yesterday (I've been watching quite a few of his old Tanaka matches since news broke) and I couldn't help but notice this commentary from Joey Styles:
Quote:
Awesome with a suicide dive! Too bad he didn't really take his own life with that move..."
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 11:30 pm Posts: 7110 Location: the Zoo.
ThumbingMyWayToNFLD wrote:
inadvertent imitation wrote:
His best work was in FMW, no question. He could fly better than almost any guy his size. Really, really versatile.
Also, he brought the ECW belt to WCW with him like a douche. It proved nothing and fucked over the fans more than it could have ever affected Heyman, so he was an asshole. Sucks that he's dead, but he did some asshole things in his career.
Agreed on the FMW point.
However, he got a really bad, undeserved rap on the ECW/WCW issue. Here's what Lance Storm had to say:
Quote:
Mike got a lot of heat for the way he left ECW, but a lot of that was unjustified. The true story is that Mike was owed a significant amount of money from ECW and he refused to sign his contract until he received all money due him. After repeatedly not receiving money promised him Mike accepted an offer from WCW that offered his family financial security. I’m not sure there is anyone in the business that would have done differently.
Also, I was watching his match against Tanaka from the ECW One Night Stand 2005 PPV yesterday (I've been watching quite a few of his old Tanaka matches since news broke) and I couldn't help but notice this commentary from Joey Styles:
Quote:
Awesome with a suicide dive! Too bad he didn't really take his own life with that move..."
I bet Styles regrets that call, now.
Firstly, I have to emphasize that I was never, ever keen on him holding the ECW title. At the time I thought it was ludicrous because there were so many people more deserving of it (IMO), who had been with the company and worked their asses off for probably next to nothing (read: Dreamer, RVD (who had the TV Title, making it arguably equal in prestige to that of the World and certainly didn't need the World belt to get over but I digress), Storm, Credible). Retrospectively, it wasn't a poor choice to put the belt on him, because he was over with his fans throughout his tenures with the company, but it just seemed insane at the time, because he was someone that the fans didn't care about to that extent. Much like Morishima winning the ROH title last week, but that's another story.
Secondly, I don't care about him leaving ECW at all. He definitely had the right to, and was smart to do so financially. It's why Stevie Richards and Raven left in 97, why Sandman left in 99, why Taz left in 99, etc. etc. Heyman owed a lot of people money, I understand that. He agreed to job the title to someone of Heyman's choosing before leaving.
Then he left with the fucking belt and was planning on going on WCW television with it until he was temporarily ordered--by a court--not to do so.
That wouldn't have meant shit for WCW, but it would have been devastating to ECW. Classless move. He's a douchebag, just like Jeff Jarrett's a douchebag for (among other things), threatening to take the WWF IC belt to WCW with him.
Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 4:47 pm Posts: 3677 Location: Newfoundland Gender: Male
inadvertent imitation wrote:
ThumbingMyWayToNFLD wrote:
inadvertent imitation wrote:
His best work was in FMW, no question. He could fly better than almost any guy his size. Really, really versatile.
Also, he brought the ECW belt to WCW with him like a douche. It proved nothing and fucked over the fans more than it could have ever affected Heyman, so he was an asshole. Sucks that he's dead, but he did some asshole things in his career.
Agreed on the FMW point.
However, he got a really bad, undeserved rap on the ECW/WCW issue. Here's what Lance Storm had to say:
Quote:
Mike got a lot of heat for the way he left ECW, but a lot of that was unjustified. The true story is that Mike was owed a significant amount of money from ECW and he refused to sign his contract until he received all money due him. After repeatedly not receiving money promised him Mike accepted an offer from WCW that offered his family financial security. I’m not sure there is anyone in the business that would have done differently.
Also, I was watching his match against Tanaka from the ECW One Night Stand 2005 PPV yesterday (I've been watching quite a few of his old Tanaka matches since news broke) and I couldn't help but notice this commentary from Joey Styles:
Quote:
Awesome with a suicide dive! Too bad he didn't really take his own life with that move..."
I bet Styles regrets that call, now.
Firstly, I have to emphasize that I was never, ever keen on him holding the ECW title. At the time I thought it was ludicrous because there were so many people more deserving of it (IMO), who had been with the company and worked their asses off for probably next to nothing (read: Dreamer, RVD (who had the TV Title, making it arguably equal in prestige to that of the World and certainly didn't need the World belt to get over but I digress), Storm, Credible). Retrospectively, it wasn't a poor choice to put the belt on him, because he was over with his fans throughout his tenures with the company, but it just seemed insane at the time, because he was someone that the fans didn't care about to that extent. Much like Morishima winning the ROH title last week, but that's another story.
Secondly, I don't care about him leaving ECW at all. He definitely had the right to, and was smart to do so financially. It's why Stevie Richards and Raven left in 97, why Sandman left in 99, why Taz left in 99, etc. etc. Heyman owed a lot of people money, I understand that. He agreed to job the title to someone of Heyman's choosing before leaving.
Then he left with the fucking belt and was planning on going on WCW television with it until he was temporarily ordered--by a court--not to do so.
That wouldn't have meant shit for WCW, but it would have been devastating to ECW. Classless move. He's a douchebag, just like Jeff Jarrett's a douchebag for (among other things), threatening to take the WWF IC belt to WCW with him.
I can certainly understand your point, but I think that what Awesome did and what he was planning to do was a result of frustration, similar to Flair leaving WCW with the belt in '91. Mike wasn't being paid and he was tired of the excuses. I think that he felt betrayed and he really wanted to stick it to them.
In hindsight, maybe dealing with the backlash and hatred that came from his ECW departure is part of what caused his suicide. That's what really upsets me about this tragedy; so many wrestlers have died by accident (drugs, namely), but to feel so hopeless that taking his life was the only way out really breaks my heart. I think the only other wrestlers to do this were Chris, Mike and Kerry von Erich, The Renegade and Bobby Duncam Jr.
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 11:30 pm Posts: 7110 Location: the Zoo.
mowbs wrote:
Pro wrestling shouldn't be discussed this way, guys
Cute.
It's not different than talking about professional sports or actors and directors in movies. Move along.
ThumbingMyWayToNFLD wrote:
I can certainly understand your point, but I think that what Awesome did and what he was planning to do was a result of frustration, similar to Flair leaving WCW with the belt in '91. Mike wasn't being paid and he was tired of the excuses. I think that he felt betrayed and he really wanted to stick it to them.
In hindsight, maybe dealing with the backlash and hatred that came from his ECW departure is part of what caused his suicide. That's what really upsets me about this tragedy; so many wrestlers have died by accident (drugs, namely), but to feel so hopeless that taking his life was the only way out really breaks my heart. I think the only other wrestlers to do this were Chris, Mike and Kerry von Erich, The Renegade and Bobby Duncam Jr.
Yeah, Ric was a douche for that, too.
I'm sure it played a role. But, honestly, his career was over anyway. By the time he got to the E, he was up there in age, and they clearly weren't going to do anything but job him out to get their developing guys over. But, you're right, I can imagine it really damaged his credibility and trust among promoters.
Lance Storm wrote a new commentary about him, which you may have already read, basically talking about how Mike was a huge help to him (actually even taught him how to blade on Storm's first trip to Japan) and treated him like a friend, rather than competition as is common in the industry.
Joined: Tue Mar 07, 2006 8:14 pm Posts: 15317 Location: Concord, NC Gender: Male
ThumbingMyWayToNFLD wrote:
inadvertent imitation wrote:
ThumbingMyWayToNFLD wrote:
inadvertent imitation wrote:
His best work was in FMW, no question. He could fly better than almost any guy his size. Really, really versatile.
Also, he brought the ECW belt to WCW with him like a douche. It proved nothing and fucked over the fans more than it could have ever affected Heyman, so he was an asshole. Sucks that he's dead, but he did some asshole things in his career.
Agreed on the FMW point.
However, he got a really bad, undeserved rap on the ECW/WCW issue. Here's what Lance Storm had to say:
Quote:
Mike got a lot of heat for the way he left ECW, but a lot of that was unjustified. The true story is that Mike was owed a significant amount of money from ECW and he refused to sign his contract until he received all money due him. After repeatedly not receiving money promised him Mike accepted an offer from WCW that offered his family financial security. I’m not sure there is anyone in the business that would have done differently.
Also, I was watching his match against Tanaka from the ECW One Night Stand 2005 PPV yesterday (I've been watching quite a few of his old Tanaka matches since news broke) and I couldn't help but notice this commentary from Joey Styles:
Quote:
Awesome with a suicide dive! Too bad he didn't really take his own life with that move..."
I bet Styles regrets that call, now.
Firstly, I have to emphasize that I was never, ever keen on him holding the ECW title. At the time I thought it was ludicrous because there were so many people more deserving of it (IMO), who had been with the company and worked their asses off for probably next to nothing (read: Dreamer, RVD (who had the TV Title, making it arguably equal in prestige to that of the World and certainly didn't need the World belt to get over but I digress), Storm, Credible). Retrospectively, it wasn't a poor choice to put the belt on him, because he was over with his fans throughout his tenures with the company, but it just seemed insane at the time, because he was someone that the fans didn't care about to that extent. Much like Morishima winning the ROH title last week, but that's another story.
Secondly, I don't care about him leaving ECW at all. He definitely had the right to, and was smart to do so financially. It's why Stevie Richards and Raven left in 97, why Sandman left in 99, why Taz left in 99, etc. etc. Heyman owed a lot of people money, I understand that. He agreed to job the title to someone of Heyman's choosing before leaving.
Then he left with the fucking belt and was planning on going on WCW television with it until he was temporarily ordered--by a court--not to do so.
That wouldn't have meant shit for WCW, but it would have been devastating to ECW. Classless move. He's a douchebag, just like Jeff Jarrett's a douchebag for (among other things), threatening to take the WWF IC belt to WCW with him.
I can certainly understand your point, but I think that what Awesome did and what he was planning to do was a result of frustration, similar to Flair leaving WCW with the belt in '91. Mike wasn't being paid and he was tired of the excuses. I think that he felt betrayed and he really wanted to stick it to them.
In hindsight, maybe dealing with the backlash and hatred that came from his ECW departure is part of what caused his suicide. That's what really upsets me about this tragedy; so many wrestlers have died by accident (drugs, namely), but to feel so hopeless that taking his life was the only way out really breaks my heart. I think the only other wrestlers to do this were Chris, Mike and Kerry von Erich, The Renegade and Bobby Duncam Jr.
i thought bobby duncam jr. had OD'd...he didn't take his own life
_________________ 255 characters are nowhere near enough
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 11:30 pm Posts: 7110 Location: the Zoo.
PeopleMyAge wrote:
inadvertent imitation wrote:
PeopleMyAge wrote:
i thought bobby duncam jr. had OD'd...he didn't take his own life
Duncum did OD, but that's not to say it wasn't intentional.
well okay, but is there any evidence to suggest that he would want to do so? i mean you could make a case for anyone killing themselves really...
Oh, no. I agree. I haven't heard anything about him killing himself that I recall, but I also didn't care enough to look intop it more. So I assumed there might have been more to the story than I ever found out about.
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