Mike Awesome Dead
What a sad story. Yet another guy in wrestling who died way too young. Awesome was one of the last Americans to make his name in Japan first, before the market there collapsed to where unknown Americans couldn't get enough to make a living. He was a guy with limitations, but who could do a lot of things unique for a guy of his size. Paul Heyman booked him really well in ECW and he was a real player there. He could have meant something in WCW as well I think were it not for being saddled with two of the worst gimmicks in wrestling history back to back. I always thought he received more criticism and hatred than he deserved for leaving ECW. He did what he did to help support himself. He wasn't always getting paid. ECW went out of business a relatively short time after he left. I don't think he should have tried to leave with the title because of the damage that could have done to the company, but for the most part he was just a guy doing what he could for his career. And he was really painted as the villain for it. He got treated poorly in WWE as well, and it's too bad because in interviews I heard with him he seemed like a nice guy. Frequently on the internet people attack others with incredible hatred because the medium allows for easier dehumanization. I'm not saying that sort of stuff necessarily played a role in this story, but I wish people would keep it in mind when going after someone like a Joanie Laurer.
posted by Todd Martin at 12:55 PM
4 Comments:
Having only seen a couple of Mike Awesome's ECW matches, it is safe to say that he is a better worker than the vast majority of the wrestlers currently employed by WWE. It's a shame he never really got a chance in that company. In retrospect, it's surprising that TNA never picked him up, as I think he actually could have been successful there.
What a sad ending to a once promising career. All you have to do is watch one of his matches in ECW (especially any Tanaka matches) and you just have to wonder how this guy didn't become one of the top stars in wrestling. Not too many men had his power and agility and power.
Yet another sad ending for a former professional wrestler.
I'm Japanese FMW fan.
It's unbelieveable...
Sad Loss.
There is a lot of people, including myself who thought Awesome could did an amazing job but just did not have enough personality to work WWE. The fact that WCW put him in roles where he would have to use the microphone constantly is another check on a list 1,000 pages long.
Awesome did screw over ECW, he made a poor business decision. You never want to see someone forced to take their own life. Death is an occurence, an event in ones life that is unavoidable and non-negotiable. Suicide is a disease that has infiltrated our social structure and threatens the life of any person who suffers. It's more than sad to see the pro wrestlers die off the way that they do. I just wish they would not all be grouped together like each story is one and the same.
Here's to hoping WWE remembers Mike Awesome on tomorrow night's ECW show.
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