Mike Awesome Passes Away

Double C

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.

from wwe.com

God this is hard to believe. Yet another wrestling death so soon after Bam Bam Bigelow. Awesomes work in ECW was brilliant and WWE definitely missed the boat with him.
R.I.P. Mike

Jonny Arson

Suicide apparently

Fantastic wrestler, and you're right about WWE using him poorly

RIP

Stalfos

another young death. something has to be done about this.
RIP Mike awesome
he was a great wrestler.

Vince135792003

From the observer site:

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.

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.

Very sad.


Just on a side note that may or may not be relevant, Christopher Nowinski just wrote a book linking head trauma (concussions etc...) to suicide. Heres an article on it:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/18/sports/football/18waters.html?ex=1326776400&en=92b6c7938365593e&ei=5088

b0bsquish

aww man this sucks, Mike Awesome was the reason I started watching wrestling again (yes the late days of wcw started my back on watching wrestling)
RIP

fatal

damn........
I didnt follow his run in WCW but I did find him entertaining in WWE,yet WWE didnt use him half as good as they could have.I thought that his match at ONS was definitley one of the top ones of the evening.
Its a shame!!!Even though it is said that he died from apparent suicide,it is still something that we have become all too familiar with-wrestlers dying early......its sad:(

Rip mike!!!!!
I REALLY hope that I wont be saying rip to another wrestler anytime soon.I only said RIP to BAM BAM a few weeks ago and now this!?!?!?

Fozzy

Awh man, I just read. Real sad, he was a real cool guy. It's getting all too familiar though

Mr.Nice Guy

F*cking hell this has shocked me. Another great big man wrestler gone. Such a shame that he took his own life too.

His matches with Tanaka were great and it's nice that WWE gave recognition to his match at the first One Night Stand as those two did steal the show.

Two wrestlers dead and we're only in February. I also hope we don't hear any more deaths announced for a very long time.

RIP Mike.

RebelRockChick

Very sad news. Shocked when I saw the headline, can't believe it!

RIP Mike!

Brow

Yeah, RIP Mike Awesome. Fantastic worker, a true powerhouse and agile for his size. I hope they do some tribute to him on ECW or something.

Fozzy

I was just thinking, Mike Awesome was in the last ever true ECW match, and what a match it was

nacho libre

Apparently, he worked that match with Tanaka with a blown-out knee.
I feel sad for his mates having to find him like that.
RIP

chopperbyrne

I don't even remember him being a part of the invasion angle but I did see pretty much all of his WCW stint as "The Career Killer" Mike Awesome.

He put on some good matches and was great on the mic.

It's a sad loss.

RIP

Fozzy

He was the first person involved in the Invasion angle. Came into Madison Square Garden on Raw and won the Hardcore title, I remember watching it and thinkin how deadly it was at the time

fatal

Fozzy wrote:

He was the first person involved in the Invasion angle. Came into Madison Square Garden on Raw and won the Hardcore title, I remember watching it and thinkin how deadly it was at the time

that was the week before KOTR wasnt it?
I think it was sean o haire and chuck palumbo that showed up on the smackdown after that raw.
I remember that the hardcore title was the first title won by the WCW/ECW alliance but forgot who it was

Brow

I semi remember that. the fight went backstage and he came from no where and powerbombed someone (jeff Hardy?) on a ladder to win the title. Real unexpected when I saw it was Awesome but psyched. Shame he wasnt pushed a bit more.

fatal

Brow wrote:

I semi remember that. the fight went backstage and he came from no where and powerbombed someoneon a ladder to win the title. Real unexpected when I saw it was Awesome but psyched. Shame he wasnt pushed a bit more.

yea its all starting to come back to me....thats essentially what happened.....