Mike Awesome
NAME: 'Awesome' Mike Awesome ///
REAL NAME: Mike Alphonso ///
AKA: The Gladiator///
PRO DEBUT: 1989///
HOMETOWN: Tampa, FL///
SIGNATURE MOVES: Awesome Bomb, Running Dive to the floor///
ORGANIZATIONS COMPETED IN: Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling (FMW), All Japan Pro Wrestling, ECW, Memphis
MAJOR TITLES HELD: 2 Time World Brass Knuckles Tag Team Champion (FMW), World Street Fight Six-Man Tag Team Champion, Independent World Heavyweight Title
BEST OPPONENT: Masato Tanaka
After years of establishing himself and developing a cult following in Japan's FMW promotion, Mike Awesome made a big impact on the American wrestling scene on September 19, 1999. Competing in the main event of ECW's Anarchy Rulz PPV from Chicago, Mike Awesome captured the ECW Heavyweight title, outlasting Tazz and Masato Tanaka in a three way dance.
For Awesome, the victory was a vindication of sorts. He's long been ingnored by promoters in the U.S. In need of a new champion with credibility to replace the departing Taz, Heyman handpicked Awesome for the role of ECW World Champion.
Heyman, an astute follower of international wrestling, had been following Awesome's career in the Far East, first brought Awesome to ECW on February 5, 1994 when he wrestled J.T. Smith. Although Awesome had other matches with Sabu that year, the match with Smith will long be remembered for Awesome over the top rope dive onto Smith, nearly snapping his back into two over the guardrail. It was one of the most memorable high spots of the year.
Awesome has competed primarily in Japan's FMW promotion under the name G The Gladiator. He has been engaged in a longstanding feud with Masato Tanaka. The two have had some bitter brawls, taking the level of Japanese garbage wrestling to new heights.
This is actually Awesome's second world title reign. On December 11, 1996, Awesome defeated Wing Kanemura for the FMW Indepependent World title, holding it nine months before dropping it to arch rival Masato Tanaka.
The two brought their feud to the shores of the U.S., facing each other at ECW's Heat Wave '98 PPV. The two put on a spectacular match as Tanaka executed an Awesome Bomb on Awesome (dropping your opponent in a power bomb down to the floor through a table) before scoring the pin.
Awesome had been touring with the All Japan Pro Wrestling office. There, Awesome was no longer a headliner, and was stuck in mid-card status.
Now a WWE superstar,he is going to prove how Awesome he can be and get some title gold around his waist!
