Mike Awesome (1965-2007)

[GhΩst]

From the Wrestling Observer

Mike Alfonso, better known as Mike Awesome, was found dead on Saturday evening in the Tampa area according to those close to the family. He was 42.

Friends were coming to his home in Tampa to pick him up and go out Saturday night at about 10:30 p.m. and he never answered the door and found him hanging in the home. It is believed the death was due to suicide pending results of the autopsy.

Mike Awesome was one of the top foreign stars in FMW in Japan, who as a high-flying big man was made ECW champion on two occasions in 1999 and 2000. As champion, he signed with WCW, creating a situation that many feel ended up killing the title as Tazz from WWF was brought back to ECW to win the title, yet at the same time the title was jobbed in WWF.

He worked for a few months with WWF after the collapse of WCW, as well as with All Japan, but had not wrestled in some time. He was working as a realtor at Coldwell Banker at the time of his death.

Another wrestler who had died young. It is a shame that the toll this business takes on some is so high. What do you guys think?

 

[X]

Breaking News: Mike Awesome Found Dead
02/19/2007 by Ryan Clark

Former ECW world champion Mike Awesome, 42, has passed away. His real name was Mike Alfonso.

According to reports, Awesome was found dead on Saturday morning in the Tampa Area. Friends were coming to his home in Tampa to pick him up and go out Saturday night at about 10:30 p.m. and he never answered the door and found him hanging in the home. It is believed the death was due to suicide pending results of the autopsy.

In addition to working in the U.S., he also worked for FMW in Japan. He will probably be most remembered as the ECW champion that signed with WCW when he still held the title.

Tazz was brought in by WWE to take the title from him, as he jumped to WCW. Awesome announced his retirement from wrestling in early 2006.

This truly is sad news to wrestling fans. I was always a fan of Mike Awesome in his ECW days, he was such a badass with such raw power who could always deliver a good match. His feud with Masato Tanaka produced some of the best wrestling matchs of the last decade IMO. Now I never approved of what Awesome did after he left ECW for WCW, making ECW sue them so he couldn't trash the ECW world title like the WCW had to the WWE Womens title, but his merit as a worker cannot be denied.

My condolences to his family.

 

[X]

More On The Passing Of Mike Awesome
02/19/2007 by Ryan Clark

Mike Awesome had been working as a realtor at Coldwell Banker in the Tampa area at the time of his death.

WWE has posted an article about Awesome's passing. WWE is saddened by news of the passing of Mike Alfonso, better known to wrestling fans as Mike Awesome. He was 42. Mike Awesome's first major exposure came overseas, where he became one of the Japan's top stars. Awesome would eventually become a star and champion in America while wrestling for Extreme Championship Wrestling. Following his successful run in ECW, Awesome spent time working in WCW and later WWE before retiring to his native Tampa, Florida. While in ECW, Awesome was a two-time World Champion and Tag Team Champion. His matches with Masato Tanaka, including a show-stealer at One Night Stand in 2005 were among the most memorable in ECW history.

As noted earlier, friends coming to pick him up from his Tampa home discovered his body Saturday night at about 10:30 pm. He was found hanging, and is believed a suicide.

Jesus man, he killed himself? I hope it didn't have anything to to with the fact that all of his old fans hated him when he jumped ship to WCW.

 

[wrestling247]

well this guy must have been really messed up in the head to off himself, its a shame to i really liked mike awsomes matches especially when he was against masato tanaka.

 

[JoshK1985]

Mike Awesome is one of the greatest big men of all time.. At 6'6 292lbs he was very agile for a big man and did some nice stuff combing power wrestling, ariel maneuvers, and hardcore into all one style. It is ashame that most people will remember this great wrestler for turing his back on ECW and then being given thoes God awful gimmicks in WCW such as That 70's Guy and The Fat Chick Thriller......RIP MIKE AWESOME

 

[Low_Ki]

Unfortunately, I was not blessed to have seen Mike Awsomes old ECW days and his fights with Tanaka. But what I was blessed with was to be able to see ECW One Night Stand 2005 and possibly the stand out match of that entire PPV. You will be missed, Rest In Peace.

 

[Catlmutln187]

I saw most of Awsomes stuff in Japan, absolutly incredible. Awsome was one of the most solid big men in the buissness, he could do suicide dives,he could do frog splashes and all sorts of powerbombs.
RIP Mike Awsome & Thank you for providing us with such great entertainment while putting your own body on the line.

Also, this is a weird little sidenote but This is exactly a month after Bam Bam Bigelow died, didnt these two feud in WCW ? Strange little coincidence....

 

[PlatynumX420]

i think it's sad another wrestler died prematurely even if it was a suicide. R.i.p. Mike Awesome.

 

[Retribution]

Shame. I liked him. Too bad Vince treated him like crap.

 

[WhiteWolf85]

I think its a bit crazy how more and more wrestlers are dying because it has just been a month since bam bam has died and now mike awesome who will be next to go ?????????

 

[mtg712]

i put mike awesome higher than any other big man wrestler in terms of ability.
i was fortunate to have seen a few ecw matches he had and ill say ive always been a fan of his work. its sad wwe never gave him a chance. we all know how big of a loss his death is but the WWE will never know.

 

[desimandem]

rest in peace

your match at one nite stand 05 entertained me

:'(

 

[ExtremeIronChef]

Best big man ever. Period.

R.I.P. Mike, and thank you for everything.

 

[Loki]

Mike Awesome kicked ass............for such a big guy the stuff he did was amazing.........truly one of the best big men ever

Very sad to hear of his passing............condolences tohis family and friends

 

[Kasey]

^Word, Chef. I hear you loud and clear on that one. I still remember my first PPV I actually caught him wrestling on. I think it was in 1999 or thereabouts and it was a defense against Masato (I think it was the first defense he made in that program they worked). I was floored and watched the match three times consecutively back to back to back. Just when you thought they weren't going to outdo a previous spot...they did. EVERY TIME. I was so taken aback at the insanity of what I was watching, that I forgot it was fake and marked out just like I did as a youngster, and this was the first match in a while that made me do that at the time. If there was ever a talent I think was underappreciated and undeniably underutilized, it would probably be Awesome. This sucks.

 

[The Bad Guy]

I remember the first ECW match I ever saw was a classic between Mike Awesome and Masato Tanaka, and I couldn't believe what I had just saw!
I was immediatly an ECW fan and had loads of repect for the athleticism of the big man!
I also agree, Mike, your match at One Night Stand was awesome as well!
R.I.P Mike

 

[sledge450]

RIP Mike, politics aside, he was a fantastic wrestler period, and summed up completely the old ecw, its a shame he couldnt get a break elsewhere after he left, as im sure as hell the new ecw could do with a guy like him now.

I wonder what joey styles will have to say on this? I hope he just keeps his mouth shut tbh, as i know there is a lot of heat between the 2

 

[Downward Spiral]

Just another sad loss to the wrestling industry I guess. Terrible news to hear, especially about the apparent suicide. I saw some of his matches in ECW and he was a good wrestler. Very sadenning though and I am sure he will be remembered somehow on this weeks WWE programming. RIP.

 

[ExtremeRage81]

Before I say anything, I think I speak for all of us when I say our deepest condolences to the family.


On to my opinion, Mike Awesome will be truly missed as he was, maybe not the biggest factor but still one regardless, a factor of what made ECW so great back then. His matches with Masato Tanaka were nothing short of epic. And yes, One Night Stand '05 definitely had Tanaka vs Awesome as beyond the shadow of a doubt the show stopper of the entire PPV. Set aside the fact that WCW buried him with crap gimmicks, lack of push, and the way he left ECW and what he almost was going to do on Nitro, you can't deny his skills and for that alone, he will be missed greatly by wrestling fans of all kinds from both Japan and of course the loyal fans of the true ECW.


That being said, I should say this because this is after the tragic loss of The Beast from the East Bam Bam Bigelow. What the hell do they do to these guys? I know this has been going on for years but my god, all these guys dying at such a young age. Given, late 30s to mid 40s is anything but young but you get the point. Guys like Bobby Duncam Jr. Hot Stuff Eddie Gilbert, Eddie Guerrero, Big Dick Dudley, Pit Bull #2, Owen Hart, Bam Bam Bigelow, Davey Boy Smith, Louie Spicolli, Chris Candido, The Public Enemy, Terry Gordy, and now Mike Awesome. Whatever the reason for it, they end up dying in some way because of this business. Recall the interview with Roddy Piper on Real Sports. He got choked up about what he referred to as "What they do to these kids.." and Vinny Mac takes no responsibility for those that died and worked for him at one time or another. That to me, is all the makings of a soulless, inhumane, uncaring sadist. If the decision was in my hands, I'll tell you all something right here and now. I love wrestling. I love the entertainment and competition given by it. But as much as I love it, it's not worth the cost of the lives of these guys to die at a younger age then they ought to. To work these guys literally to death, whether drug related or suicide or who knows what, is simply unforgivable.


All I can say is how many more have to die before pro wrestlers dying at an earlier age then they ought to at long last stops. Because I'm telling you right now, that is one list that is getting way too long.

 

[Kain27]

Yes indeed prolly the best big man in the business. I never really seen much of him in ECW but i did catch alot of him in his run in WCW and he put on a hell of a show. His match at ONS 05 was indeed the best match of the night its too bad he had to die.

R.I.P Mike

 

[wrestling247]

i was watching ECW ONS from two years ago and i came to the Awsome Tanaka Match and i found this that was kinda disturbing, durring the match joey styles is shooting on how awsome sucks and how he should die. When mike awesome did a suicide dive off the rops mick foley called it, then joey stlyes added this little tidbit "Its a shame he did not succede" I find it ironic that a little less then two years from that payper view mike Awesome did succede in commiting suicide. It goes to show how you never know whats around the corner in life.

 

[Dominus]

i was watching ECW ONS from two years ago and i came to the Awsome Tanaka Match and i found this that was kinda disturbing, durring the match joey styles is shooting on how awsome sucks and how he should die. When mike awesome did a suicide dive off the rops mick foley called it, then joey stlyes added this little tidbit "Its a shame he did not succede" I find it ironic that a little less then two years from that payper view mike Awesome did succede in commiting suicide. It goes to show how you never know whats around the corner in life.

WOW, I remember how harsh Joey was on Awesome, but I vaguely remember that remark. Thanks for bring that up. I wonder how Joey (really) feels now? I know he didn't like how Mike left ECW originally, and I'm sure he didn't wish him to die, but those remarks are uncanny.
It's a shame he didn't have any future in WWE or the new ECW. His match vs Tanaka at ONS'05 was one of the best matches I have ever seen!! I wonder if they'll air an "In Rememberence of" splash screen at the start of ECW tonight, because there was no mention on Raw last night.

So many wrestlers have died since in the last 10 years! Although this was a suicide, it still is tragic. Pillman was the first one I remember the most, then the numbers has just climbed since then!

In fact here is a complete list of Wrestling deaths since Pillmans, the one's in Bold represent the more well known:

[B]Mike Awesome.[/B]   	42 	February 17, 2007 	Suicide (Hanging) 	
[B]Bam Bam Bigelow.[/B] 	45 	January 19, 2007 	Unknown 	
Cowboy Lang. 		             January ??, 2007 		
"The Spoiler" . 	66 	December 16, 2006 	Leukemia/Heart Attack 	
Tiger Conway Sr.. 	74 	November 13, 2006 		
Sputnik Monroe. 	  	November 3, 2006 		
Hurricane Ramirez. 	80 	October 31, 2006 		
Kintaro Oki. 	            77 	October 26, 2006 		
Joey Maggs. 	          37 	October 15, 2006 		
Dale Edwards. 	          58 	October ??, 2006 		
Antonio Pena.          	  57 	October 5, 2006    Massive Heart Attack 	
Keith Eric. 	            48 	September 30, 2006 		
Rick Gibson. 	           53 	September 15, 2006 		click
Karl Von Stroheim. 	78 	August 13, 2006 	Heart Attack 	
Donald Lortie. 		           August 5, 2006 		
Billy Firehawk. 	     40 	July 17, 2006 	Diabetes 	click
[B]Bob Orton Sr.[/B].             76 	July 16, 2006 	Heart Attack 	
Tiger Kahn. 	            3? 	June 26, 2006 	Unknown 	
"Crazy" Luke Graham. 	66 	June 23, 2006 	Suspected Heart Failure 	
[B]"Earthquake"[/B]  	            42 	June 7, 2006 	Bladder Cancer 	
Calvin "Prince". 	    74 	June 1, 2006 		
Apache Bull Ramos. 	71 ? 	May 27, 2006 	Shoulder Infection 	
Cowboy Bob Yuma. 	55 	May 23, 2006 	Lung Disease 	
Sam Steamboat.    	71 	May 2, 2006 	Alzheimers & Diabetes 	
Kay Noble. 	          67 	April 27, 2006 	Stomach Cancer 	
Victor Quinones. 	46 	April 2, 2006 		
Johnny Grunge.    	39 	February 16, 2006 		
Jackie "Mr. TV" Pallo 	80 	February 14, 2006 		
Emory Hale. 		           January 29, 2006 	Kidney Problems 	
El Texano. 	         47 	January 15, 2006 	Respiratory Failure 	
Ricky Romero. 		          January 15, 2006 	Diabetes 	click
Edmund Arenas. 	      60 	December 28, 2005 	Lung Failure 	
[B]Eddie Guerrero.[/B] 	38 	November 13, 2005 	Heart Failure 	OWW
Reggie Lisowski. 	79 	October 22, 2005 		OWW
Sweet Stevie Lee. 		October 12, 2005 	Brain Aneurysm 	
Legs Langevin       	91 	October 8, 2005 		
Gene Stanlee 		          September 23, 2005 		
Czaya Bob Nandor     80 	August 30, 2005 		
Sailor White          	56 	August 25, 2005 	Heart Failure 	
Chri$ Ca$h            	23 	August 18, 2005 	Motorcycle Accident 	
Chris Tolos 	          75 	August 12, 2005 		
[B]Lord Alfred Hayes[/B] 	77 	July 21, 2005 	Series of Strokes 	
Miguel Perez Sr. 	68 	July 16, 2005 	Heart Attack 	
Shin'ya Hashimoto 	40 	July 11, 2005 	Brain Hemorrhage 	
Rod Trongard 	         72 	June 17, 2005 	Liver Cancer 	
Dan Quirk (Spider) 	22 	May 28, 2005 	Wrestling Accident 	
[B]Chris Candido[/B]        	33 	April 28, 2005 	Infection/Blot Clot 	OWW
George Culkin          	78 	February 26, 2005 		
Tony Lanza 	        84 	January 20, 2005 		
Pistol Pez Whatley 		January 18, 2005 		
Dandy Jack Donovan 	76 	November 27, 2004 	Construction Accident 
Marianna (Komlos) 	35 	September 26, 2004 	Breast Cancer 	
[B]Big Bossman [/B]	          42 	September 22, 2004 	Heart Attack 	
Enrique Llanes 		        September 18, 2004 		
Jim Barnett 	           80    September 17, 2004 	Cancer 	
Dr. Wagner Sr.    		September 12, 2004 	Heart Attack 	
Pat Roach 	            	    July 17, 2004 		
Sandor Kovacs 	         83 	June 30, 2004 	Complications from Alzheimers. 	
Victor the Bodyguard 		June 20, 2004 	Heart Attack after Match. 	
Fred Mitchell 	            91 	June 9, 2004 		
Kurt Von Brawner 		June 4, 2004 		
James Dudley 	           93 	June 1, 2004 		
Pepper Gomez 	          77 	May 6, 2004 		
The Great Goliath 	  69 	April 12, 2004 	Heart Failure 	
Stephan DeLeon          34 	April 6, 2004 	Motorcycle Accident 	
"Dr. Destruction"          34 	April 4, 2004 	In-ring Incident 	
[B]Hercules Hernandez[/B] 	45 	March 6, 2004 	Heart Attack 	
Hard Boiled Haggerty 	78 	January 28, 2004 		
Alan Carnill 	               42 	January 25, 2004 	Car Accident 	
[B]Jack Tunney[/B] 	           68 	January 24, 2004 		
Danny Fargo 	           44 	December 27, 2003 	Cancer 	
Mike Lozansky 	           35 	December 18, 2003 		
Jerry Tuite (Malice) 	   36 	December 6, 2003 	Acute Heart Attack 	
Larry Latham 		               November 29, 2003 	In Ring 	
Dick Hutton 	             80 	November 24, 2003 	Age 	click
[B]Crash Holly[/B] 	             32 	November 6, 2003 	Choked on Vomit 	
Floyd Creatchman 	 46 	October 25, 2003 	Crohn's Disease 	
[B]Hawk[/B] 	                      46 	October 19, 2003 	Unknown 	
[B]Stu Hart[/B] 	              88 	October 16, 2003 	Age 	
Boris Volkoff	              76 	October 15, 2003 	Heart Disease 	
[B]Pitbull #2 	[/B]               36 	September 24, 2003 	Overdose 	
[B]Freddy Blassie[/B]              85 	June 2, 2003 		
Kurt Von Poppenheim 	89 	May 1, 2003 		
[B]Elizabeth[/B] 	              42 	May 1, 2003 	Overdose 	OWW
Jackie Nichols 	             92 	April 22, 2003 		
Ray Mendoza 	           73 	April 17, 2003 		
Sailor Art Thomas 	   79 	March 20, 2003 	Cancer 	
Hiromichi "Kodo" Fuyuki   42 	March 19, 2003 	Liver Cancer 	
Tony Altimore 	            74    February 18, 2003 	Heart Attack 	
Michiaki Yoshimura         72 	February 16, 2003 		
[B]Curt Hennig [/B]	   44 	February 10, 2003 	Cocaine Poisoning 	
[B]The Original Sheik[/B] 	    79 	January 17, 2003 	Natural Causes 	
"Mr Wrestling"               68 	November 30, 2002 	Heart Attack 	
Thunder Sugiyama 	 62 	November 22, 2002 		
Edward "Moose" Cholak 	72 	October 31, 2002 	Stroke and Pneumonia 	
[B]Rocco Rock[/B] 	            49 	September 21, 2002 	Heart Attack 	
Don Owen 	           90 	August 1, 2002 	Age 	
[B]Davey Boy Smith[/B] 	 39 	May 18, 2002 	Heart Attack 	
[B]Big Dick Dudley[/B] 	     34 	May 16, 2002 	Kidney Failure 	
Shoichi Arai 	               36 	May 16, 2002 	Suicide 	
George Gordienko 	   74 	  May 2002 	Cancer 	
Mary Gagne 	                	May 7, 2002 		
Randy Anderson 	           41 	May 7, 2002 	Cancer 	
[B]Lou Thesz[/B] 	              86 	April 28, 2002 	Natural 	click
[B]Wahoo McDaniel[/B]	           63 	April 19, 2002 		
Dino Casanova 	            35 	March 1, 2002 		
Swede Hansen 	           68 	February 20, 2002 	Alzheimers / Diabetes 	
Nelson Royal 	              70 	February 4, 2002 	Heart Attack 	
Ed Whalan 	              74 	December 4, 2001 		
Helen Hart 	               76 	November 4, 2001 	Post Stroke 	
[B]Chris Adams[/B] 	              46 	October 7, 2001 	Shot 	
[B]Terry Gordy[/B] 	              40 	July 16, 2001 		
Tex McKenzie 	            72? 	May 31, 2001 	AbdominalAorticAneurysm 	
Johnny Valentine 	     72 	April 23, 2001 	Natural 	
[B]Yokozuna[/B] 	               38 	October 23, 2000 	Heart Attack 
Klondike Bill 	                  68 	October 3, 2000 		
Gordon Solie 	               71 	July 27, 2000 	Natural 	
[B]Bobby Duncum Jr.[/B] 	    34 	January 27, 2000 	Unknown Causes 	
Gary Albright 	               34 	January 7, 2000 	Accident 
Hiro Matsuda 	               62 	November 27, 1999 	Cancer 	
Tony Rumble 	              43 	November 14, 1999 	Heart Attack 	
[B]Gorilla Monsoon[/B] 	      62 	October 6, 1999 	Natural Causes 	
Brian Hildebrand 	      37 	September 8, 1999 	Stomach Cancer 
[B]Owen Hart[/B] 	              34 	May 23, 1999 	Accident 	
[B]Rick Rude[/B]                      41 	April 20, 1999 	Heart Attack
[B]Renegade[/B] 	              33 	February 23, 1999 	Suicide 	
'Giant' Baba              	61 	February 1, 1999 	Cancer 	
[B]Giant Haystacks[/B]             52       December 1998 	Cancer 	
[B]Louie Spicolli[/B]          	27 	February 15 1998 	Overdose 	
[B]Bobo Brazil [/B]            	74 	Janurary 20, 1998 	Series of Strokes 	
Big Daddy                      67 	December 2, 1997 	Heart Attack 	
[B]Brian Pillman[/B]           	35 	October 5, 1997 	Heart Attack

There are atleast 30+ notable wrestling related deaths on this list (sorry If I didn't bold someone, I almost missed Eddie!). We are averaging more then 3 major deaths per year since 1997!

 

[RVDgurl]

RIP Mike Awesome.....

 

[ocelot4]

man this is terrible. i always thought mike awesome was a beast. it always said he was semi retired and i was hoping he was going to come back soon. i read on lance storms website that at ECW ONS 2005 that awesome was happy and was happy with his family. he has a wife and daughter. its sad that this was a wrestler died, but it is worse that he is a man with a wife and kids that now have no father or husband. RIP Mike "Awesome" Alphonso

Sincere condolensces to his family

 

[X]

Jesus that list was far too long Dominus, I had no idea Mr. Pefect's death was from cocaine or that Pitbull #2 OD'd. Both of Public Enemy is dead, Big Bossman's gone, jesus this is getting ridiculious.

Further more, WHEN THE HELL DID CRASH HOLLY DIE?! I DON'T REMEMBER THAT BEING ANYWHERE ON THE NEWS! This is crazy man, did anyone else hear about this I had no idea!

EDIT: I just read up on his death and jesus that's insane, he took like 90 pills and killed himself, thats unbelievable I had no idea!