TSC Evaluation #29: Mike Awesome

[luckyse7enz]

Always felt like he was the blueprint for :brawk:

I just remember randomly tuning in and being by what he was doing to Spike Dudley. It was probably one of the first times I felt that I was watching a wrestler (outside of New Jack) that really didn't care about his opponent's health and was dominant in a way that made you go every time.

Dude was powerbombing cats over the top rope through tables on the floor and from the top rope through tables in the ring, then splashing them from the top. His name was indy as hell, but dope to me.

Wish we'd have been able to see him against a young Brock. Match would've been

 

[Playaz Eyez]

Will give him a 6 based on what could have been instead of what he actually did. He was booked to look completely dominant in ECW, and I believed every bit of it. I guess he was ok at best on the mic. I couldn't tell you any memorable promos at all. As "The Career Killer" in WCW and winning the Hardcore title in his first night to kick off Invasion he was legit, but the rest of his tenure in both companies was underwhelming. Fat Chick Thriller That 70's Guybesides joining Team Canada and Awesome Bombing the Insane Clown Posse off a bus, I don't remember anything else in WCW....well, him Awesome Bombing dudes in general was great. Besides his dope spotfest with Tanaka at WWECW One Night Stand (Joey Styles on commentary), his WWE run was very mediocre. I mostly just remember this weak match on Velocity after he came back from his bad knee injury vs Bull Buchanan. He could tell he was a shell of himself athletically. Just his life and career in general ended the way it did. Minus the mullet, he looked legit, and was a highly athletic big man. Seeing him Awesome Splashing and Awesome Bombing dudes was incredible. Seems like a lot of potential there that wasn't maximized.

 

[KFBF]

Think Mike could have been an all-time given what he was capable of in the ring at his size. He had the unfortunate luck of being related to Horace Hogan, Vince Russo, and ECW dying days Paul Heyman.

I was listening to the Lapsed Fan and they were covering Living Dangerously and talked about Awesome a bit. I knew he had died but I always thought it was drug related but hearing he hung himself made it all the more sad.

Hearing RVD, likely stoned out of his mind, talk about someone in his household hanging themself growing up and then rattling off a list of wrestlers he was close to that also hung themselves was rough.

I think there's a lot about the current product (AEW and WWE) that I'll never come around to, but hopefully a byproduct of these changes is fewer guys killing themselves..