Saturday, April 12, 2008

Mike Awesome, part 2


Awesome continued to be a major factor in ECW early in 2000, including teaming with Raven to beat Tanaka and Tommy Dreamer for the ECW World Tag Team Championship. He also gained a new manager, Judge Jeff Jones.

In April of 2000, Awesome shocked the wrestling world again, this time by making a surprise appearance on WCW Monday Nitro -- aiding the New Blood by attacking Kevin Nash -- while still reigning as ECW World Champion[. Awesome's friend Lance Storm has said that he had refused to sign a new contract with ECW until Paul Heyman paid him overdue wages.[6] Due to concern over legal issues WCW refrained from having Awesome appear on their television shows with the ECW belt. Eventually, a compromise was reached which resulted in one of the more bizarre moments in professional wrestling history. Awesome (a WCW employee and ECW champion) appeared at an ECW event, accompanied by WCW's head of security, where he lost the title to Tazz (a World Wrestling Federation employee), who lost it a week later to Tommy Dreamer (a full time ECW wrestler).

Now with WCW, Awesome continued to be a major factor with the New Blood for the next month, teaming with Billy Kidman occasionally to aide him in his feud with Hulk Hogan. Awesome also engaged in an on-and-off feud with Kevin Nash, as well as feuding with Kanyon. During 2000, his gimmick was tweaked, with him becoming infatuated with heavyset women and calling himself ""The Fat Chick Thriller" Mike Awesome"". Awesome later changed his gimmick and became "That '70s Guy" Mike Awesome (a reference to the hit TV series, That '70s Show), dressing in various 1970s inspired outfits and hosting the "Lava Lamp Lounge" interview segment. At one point, he was even given a bus painted in the style of the one featured on The Partridge Family to drive into arenas for his entrance. During this time, he had a feud with Vampiro, which created many brawls between Awesome & Vampiro's allies in the Insane Clown Posse. At one point, Awesome battled Shaggy 2 Dope & Violent J in a Handicap match, which led to Awesome Powerbombing 2 Dope on top of his van (who then slid off, injuring himself). In May of 2000, Awesome was involved in a memorable moment during which he threw Chris Kanyon off the top of the first level of a triple cage onto the entrance ramp.

technorati tags: pro wrestling news, pro wrestling, wrestling rumors, professional wrestling, ecw, wcw, wwf

Popular Posts