As time continues to slip away into the mist within a business that is rapidly ever changing, few talents stay clearly defined well after they’re gone. Next year (2027) will mark twenty years without the living war machine that was Mike Awesome. Before his death, Awesome set himself apart over the course of about a decade, roaming from place to place leaving piles of tables, titles, and bodies in his wake. During these prime years, Mike Awesome displayed his unique version of raw power and violent devastation across the globe, one destructive Awesome Bomb, and one definitive victory at a time.
You’ve heard a few stories and probably seen a few matches from Mike Awesome’s nearly twenty year career.
That said, I wanted to cover the main decade of destruction, his peak active years from 1995 until Awesome’s final year in the ring in 2005. With ten wins to help define ten years, prepare to get a more rounded understanding of what Mike Awesome really was bringing to the table at the top of his game… raw power, freakish agility, and a destructive thirst for violence!
1995 – A Star on the Rise
Mike Awesome really hit his main event stride in 1995. During the first half of the year, Mike Awesome (known as The Gladiator) was an integral part of Mr. Pogo’s stable alongside former members of the W*ING roster. During this time, Awesome proved he could hold his own against stars like Atsushi Onita, Masato Tanaka, Mr. Gannosuke, Hayabusa, and other mainstay babyfaces in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling. After Onita’s ‘retirement’ and departure from FMW, Hayabusa would be moved to the very forefront and a new style of wrestling would be prioritized by the company. With Hayabusa at the helm, FMW would shift away from Onita’s deathmatch promotional image, moving toward a fresher, younger, and more athletic presentation. Hayabusa’s main villain during the FMW relaunch? None other than the walking war machine, The Gladiator… who was a perfect fit for this new direction.
The wars with Hayabusa would round out the year for The Gladiator, firmly establishing him as a bonafide main eventer. He was able to capture the FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Championship, his very first world championship, during the finals of the FMW Grand Slam Tournament on September 26th, 1995. This win would stand as a testament to the beginning of his decade of destruction.
1996 – Standing on the Shoulders of Legends
By mid-to-late 1996, following a successful single and tag run during the first half of the year, The Gladiator found himself in the midst of a new stable that had emerged in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling. This new group of guys would be led by the legendary and infamous foreigner, Terry Funk. The Funk Masters of Wrestling (anagramed F.M.W.) claimed that they were the real stars of FMW, not guys like Hayabusa. They claimed that they were the last ties to Onita and what FMW really was… dangerous, hardcore, and full of hear. All things that Funk said were far from this new company vision headed by Hayabusa.
On September 24th, FMW returned to Korakuen Hall for the end of the FMW Flashover 1996 tour. In the main event, The Funk Masters of Wrestling (Terry Funk & The Gladiator) were pitted against their bitter enemies, Hayabusa and Masato Tanaka… in a hardcore, hard-hitting street fight! This win, standing alongside a legend like Terry Funk, would not go unnoticed stateside, either…
1997 – A Defining Battle Begins to Boil
The Funk Masters of Wrestling were all over cards in 1996 and 1997. However, early on in 1997, a defining feud would reveal itself properly. After one singles battle back in 1995 and several tag team matches since against each other, The Gladiator and Masato Tanaka would properly kick-off their iconic singles feud in 1997. First, it would happen in FMW. In Tokyo, Japan.
On February 18th, during the FMW Cluster Battle 1997 tour, Korakuen Hall would again be the stage set for The Gladiator to do battle. This time, it would be a double-title match, where both his FMW Independent and Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Championships would be on the line! This win at the beginning of singles rivalry that would span years, continents, and companies would help define Mike Awesome’s career.
1998 – Stacking Bodies
1998 would be a banner year for Mike Awesome. With his talent in high demand, he would become a regular on Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and even All Japan Pro Wrestling cards throughout the year. Atsushi Onita would return again, this time as a heel of sorts, forming the ZEN stable with The Gladiator amongst its ranks. Just as Awesome did battle alongside more legends in Japan, his star was really beginning to shine in the United States. Paul Heyman of ECW was famous for bringing great feuds to America, with the fabled battles between The Gladiator and Masato Tanaka being next on his spotlight list.
However, just weeks before Awesome would meet Masato Tanaka at ECW Heatwave 1998 pay-per-view, he’d add to his list of casualties in FMW. In a semi-main event match inside Korakuen Hall for FMW’s King Of Fight II pay-per-view, Mike Awesome would inflict major damage on the die-hard babyface, Yukihiro Kanemura. Following a back-and-forth encounter, a Kamikaze Awesome Bomb off the top would end up breaking the collar bone of his opponent and subsequently securing another win for The Gladiator. With another body stacked, Awesome’s path of destruction only widened. e
1999 – Champion of the Extreme
For most of 1999, Mike Awesome was forced to watch the pro wrestling world from the sidelines. In September of 1998, Awesome suffered a devastating injury, tearing his ACL and requiring reconstructive surgery. This kept Awesome out of action for nearly a full year, stalling his momentum in America greatly. In August of 1999, Awesome would have a tune-up tour with AJPW in preparation for a surprise return to an ECW ring in September.
After appearing at ringside during the ECW World Heavyweight Championship match between Taz and Masato Tanaka at the ECW Anarchy Rulez 1999 pay-per-view, Mike Awesome was invited into the ring by Taz, turning the match into an impromptu three-way dance! On this night, September 19th, Mike Awesome would capture his first World Championship in the United States, beating both Taz and Masato Tanaka to claim the ECW World Heavyweight Championship!
(MATCH FROM 14:41 – 36:36 IN VIDEO BELOW)
2000 – Total Destruction
Mike Awesome would run roughshod over Extreme Championship Wrestling as ECW World Heavyweight Champion for the better part of eight months between September 1999 and April of 2000. Dozens would challenge and dozens would fall to the Kamikaze Awesome Bomb off the top rope. Finally, Mike Awesome was a truly made-man in the United States. For the first few months of 2000, there was one commandment in ECW: Thou shall not f*** with Mike Awesome!
Perhaps, it was little Spike Dudley who had to learn this lesson the hardest. In a modern David-versus-Goliath matchup, Mike Awesome set out to make an example of Dudley, who continuously showed no fear of the big, bad, walking war machine. The match would be held on January 9th, for the ECW Guilty As Charged 2000 pay-per-view event. Halfway through his decade of destruction, Mike Awesome showed that he was still red hot on this cold winter night.
(MATCH FROM 1:05:08 – 1:23:44 IN VIDEO BELOW)
2001 – A Change of Scenery
Following a career high in 1999 and early 2000 in ECW, Mike Awesome was humbled a bit with a very disappointing year in World Championship Wrestling from mid 2000 to mid 2001. Debuting with an attack on Kevin Nash as the acknowledged holder of the ECW World Heavyweight Championship on WCW Nitro was about as big a moment as Awesome could hope for. However, the follow up and his remaining run there would be muddied with silly gimmicks and poor booking. With the closure of WCW, came a new chance at American Stardom on a grander stage with the World Wrestling Federation.
Mike Awesome would debut for the WWF in June of 2001, as part of the WCW contingent in the Alliance stable. On the June 25th episode of Monday Night RAW from Madison Square Garden, Awesome would emerge from the shadows backstage following a WWF Hardcore Championship match between Rhyno and Test. He’d shockingly capture the same championship moments later after hitting Rhyno with one of the nastiest Awesome Bombs of all time!
2002 – A Return to Form
After WWF not being a proper fit for Mike Awesome, he shifted his focus on returning to proper form… and getting back to Japan, as soon as possible. His first stop was in All Japan Pro Wrestling around the time for the 2002 edition of AJPW’s Real World Tag League. Awesome would find a partner in the Major League Wrestling rookie, PJ Friedman. Friedman had tagged with Steve Williams in the past, so AJPW paired up the two big foreigners for this tour as dark horses in the tournament.
This time would serve as a good tune-up for Awesome’s return to the country where his first break occurred. Though Awesome & Friedman would not win the tournament in 2002, their victories in and around these tournament matches would be emphatic. On the night of the tournament finals, dated December 6th, Awesome and his partner would be in one last featured tag match on the card. This overwhelming win made another clear statement, The Gladiator is back.
(MATCH FROM 48:10 – 58:50 IN VIDEO BELOW)
2003 – World Champion Again
Mike Awesome would bounce between All Japan Pro Wrestling and Major League Wrestling for most of 2003. Out of the ashes of ECW, came MLW. MLW offered that similar, grizzled feel of the defunct promotion, also mixing in a crop of hungry talent both young and established. As his footing was retained in Japan, MLW would shape out be a perfect place for Mike Awesome to continue his path to the top in America following his WWE run.
After beating fellow ECW alumni, Jerry Lynn, to become the number-one contender for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship in December of 2002, Awesome would be set for a lengthy tour for AJPW. Back in the states and ready to go, it was time for his shot at the title in Major League Wrestling. On June 20th, Mike Awesome would meet and defeat Satoshi Kojima for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship… and after a hard-fought battle, Awesome would be World Champion in the United States once more!
(MATCH FROM 24:23 – 38:59 At LINK BELOW)
GIF is clickable below. MLW does not allow videos to be directly embedded.
2004 – Destruction Comes to the Next Generation
Bookings in Japan stayed consistent for the walking war machine in 2004. Awesome would hit several spots in Japan, including HUSTLE, AJPW, ZERO-ONE, and Pro Wrestling NOAH. Stateside, he’d slow his bookings to keep calendar open for Japanese tours, but places like MLW and Jersey All Pro Wrestling would see the big man a time or two this year.
One of his more unique bookings saw him tagging with long-time monster, Vader, against a team of young breakouts on the American independent scene, Samoa Joe and Dan Maff. Awesome had had singles matches with both men before, yet this was a chance for all the stars to align in one match… a battle of the titans! Further proving that Awesome still ruled and Vader was still one of the baddest big men to ever do it, the veteran team walked away with the win on this hot night, June 5th, for JAPW’s When Worlds Collide event. Next generation be damned!
2005 – Destruction Comes Full Circle
This would be the final year of in-ring action for Mike Awesome, but he would go out with a bang. After wrapping up tours in February and March with Pro Wrestling NOAH, once again the WWE would come knocking. This time, a first-time-ever, WWE-produced ECW pay-per-view was presented to Awesome… with a battle with familiar foe suggested just one last time.
Mike Awesome would finally settle his decade-long feud with Masato Tanaka on June 12th, at WWE/ECW’s One Night Stand pay-per-view event inside the Hammerstein Ballroom. After about a ten-minute brawl, Mike Awesome beat his most noted rival with an impressive final showing of his unique brand of ringside destruction. His first match back in the United States after almost exactly one year proved to be one for the ages. Awesome announced his retirement from the ring following this last, decisive and celebrated win.
(MATCH FROM 00:32 – 10:47 IN VIDEO BELOW)
Though his moments and matches tend to speak for themselves, Mike Awesome is still supremely underrated.
Whether this is due to the bulk of his work being done in Japan, or because he never really called one place ‘home’ in pro wrestling long enough to establish residency, Mike Awesome deserves more recognition. As a consummate professional, an independent thinker, and someone willing to put their body on the line for their craft, Awesome truly built a legacy that is one-of-one.
One destructive Awesome Bomb, one definitive victory at a time.
In memory of
Mike Awesome / The Gladiator
Michael Alfonso
1965 – 2007