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Post by JokerFC on Jul 19, 2023 17:14:00 GMT -5
turned down WCW and went to Vince instead in 2000. Vince was going to come knocking for Awesome...its known he was interested and likely would have done well. he was Vinces type and the guy could work too. Instead (like Public Enemy in late 95) chose the big $$$ of WCW & went south.
Man what could have been. I think Awesome would have been huge in WWF. WCW totally done a number on the guy......
thoughts?
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Post by The Brain on Jul 19, 2023 17:29:41 GMT -5
With the way he treated Vader, I have my doubts Vince wouldve gave Mike a chance to shine. I can see em with some kind of corny gimmick. Maybe not WCW bad but still
Mike was indeed Awesome though. Shame he never got to go farther. That dive he did in ECW to JT Smith man oh man. Still amazing how JT didnt have a broken back. Still a sight nearly 30 yrs later
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Post by JokerFC on Jul 19, 2023 19:37:09 GMT -5
With the way he treated Vader, I have my doubts Vince wouldve gave Mike a chance to shine. I can see em with some kind of corny gimmick. Maybe not WCW bad but still Mike was indeed Awesome though. Shame he never got to go farther. That dive he did in ECW to JT Smith man oh man. Still amazing how JT didnt have a broken back. Still a sight nearly 30 yrs later I think Vader and Awesome are fairly different man for lots of reasons. Awesome didn't have weight, injury, HBK or Orndorff issues sitting on his chest like an anvil. Even Cornette admits at times Vader didn't help himself with his weight. Also I think Vince was fairer to ECW guys than WCW personnel. He was feeding Heyman cash....He looked after the Dudley's but admittedly not Taz. But Taz came in with guys scoffing at his size, had Angle cry to Vince about him then got an injury. I think Awesome would have done ok. |
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Post by The Brain on Jul 19, 2023 19:42:58 GMT -5
With the way he treated Vader, I have my doubts Vince wouldve gave Mike a chance to shine. I can see em with some kind of corny gimmick. Maybe not WCW bad but still Mike was indeed Awesome though. Shame he never got to go farther. That dive he did in ECW to JT Smith man oh man. Still amazing how JT didnt have a broken back. Still a sight nearly 30 yrs later I think Vader and Awesome are fairly different man for lots of reasons. Awesome didn't have weight, injury, HBK or Orndorff issues sitting on his chest like an anvil. Even Cornette admits at times Vader didn't help himself with his weight. Also I think Vince was fairer to ECW guys than WCW personnel. He was feeding Heyman cash....He looked after the Dudley's but admittedly not Taz. But Taz came in with guys scoffing at his size, had Angle cry to Vince about him then got an injury. I think Awesome would have done ok. He mightve got a run with the IC belt but no way World Title. Not with Rock/Trips at the top Vince did like the big guys but IDK man I just got a feeling he wouldve went the way Taz did. A hot start that would fizzle out quickly |
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Post by The Brain on Jul 19, 2023 19:47:28 GMT -5
I did like how he got the Hardcore belt during his first appearance in 01 during the Invasion angle but man did he go nowhere after that. Pretty much a jobber for his brief stint during that time
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Post by hbkjason on Jul 19, 2023 23:40:25 GMT -5
Would have been "awesome" to see, but with the way the top of the card was then, I do not see him being more than a mid card guy, not that there is anything wrong with that. He would have had amazing people to work with at that time like Jericho and Benoit.
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Post by jason88cubs on Jul 20, 2023 9:08:40 GMT -5
I don't think WWF big guys would have liked Awesome's style
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Post by bWo on Jul 20, 2023 9:38:26 GMT -5
I did like how he got the Hardcore belt during his first appearance in 01 during the Invasion angle but man did he go nowhere after that. Pretty much a jobber for his brief stint during that time I thought he broke Rhyno's spine with the powerbomb on the ladder. |
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Post by bWo on Jul 20, 2023 9:44:51 GMT -5
I don't think WWF big guys would have liked Awesome's style Agreed. He wasn't going to have any top guys volunteering to be powerbombed over the top rope through a table to the floor. I always thought when ECW officially "invaded" they should have dumped the Hardcore Title and brought out the ECW World Title and proclaimed it as the only hardcore belt that matters. |
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Post by hbkbigdaddycool on Jul 20, 2023 12:44:26 GMT -5
I think it's more of a shame we never got to see Mike Awesome vs. RVD in a Title vs. Title match at Living Dangerously 2000!!
RVD breaking his ankle at the worst possible time and then Mike leaves in April... that showdown that RVD and Awesome had on ECW on TNN from the ECW Arena was deafening even from watching it from home on TV.
When RVD's music hit, and the fans went crazy, and Mike just stood in that ring not phased... man, I gotta watch that again! It's been like 23 years since it happened too.
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Post by ASR (therockisback) on Jul 20, 2023 18:43:15 GMT -5
He would have been a good IC Champ tbh
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Hem-Ridge
Superstar
Joined on: Nov 18, 2011 13:27:06 GMT -5
Posts: 640
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Post by Hem-Ridge on Jul 21, 2023 7:50:47 GMT -5
He was a good worker, he definitely needed a manager, because his promos weren't the best.
The stuff they had him do in WCW pretty much killed his career in terms of potential.
There's a lot of good what if discussions, this guy's another interesting one.
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Post by Scott! on Jul 21, 2023 12:13:46 GMT -5
Big what if, I think the way some of the guys that were big stars in WCW/ECW were treated like jobbers in the WWF "Invasion" angle so really hard to judge how it could have went a year earlier.
I think Mike Awesome is one of the best "Big guys" ever so I'd love to have seen him have a proper run in WWF/E.
We won't talk about his WCW run and gimmick.
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TheXtremisT
Main Eventer
10 Year Member
This is the way
Joined on: May 3, 2008 8:03:15 GMT -5
Posts: 3,951
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Post by TheXtremisT on Jul 23, 2023 2:06:52 GMT -5
With the emphasis back then on guys being able to cut promos and talk, I honestly think he would have been pushed strong for like a month or two before Vince gets bored of him and he drops down to Intercontinental level and then the European title and booked in silly angles.
Which is stupid to think, because Heyman was the master at booking people to their potential and hiding their inadequacies, yet so many that came to the WWF were wasted to try to present them in the "WWF/WWE way".
Had he came in and kicked ass (like he did for a month in WCW), said little and let his actions do the talking, and pair him with a manager if needed.... He could have been Intercontinental level for sure.
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Post by Back to the Codyverse on Jul 23, 2023 10:35:21 GMT -5
Mike Awesome was truly awesome. I loved that guy as a kid
Shame how it all works out sometimes
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Post by Evil Abed on Jul 23, 2023 10:41:57 GMT -5
I think we would have been promoted heavily in the beginning but would have fizzled pretty quickly. I see him going down the same path as Tazz upon his debut.
As some others said, I don't think he fit the WWF style mold at the time. All jokes aside, probably had just a much a chance at ending up in Right to Censor as he did being promoted in the main event scene.
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Post by charabro on Jul 23, 2023 10:43:12 GMT -5
One of the most underrated big guys, such an agile wrestler, really doubt Vince would’ve booked him any differently than WCW tho since his style didn’t look the safest in the eyes of someone like that ..
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Post by Its Tiffy Time on Jul 23, 2023 11:05:09 GMT -5
I will never understand the hate he got for leaving ECW for WCW, Dude wasnt getting paid.
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Post by K5 on Jul 23, 2023 11:07:43 GMT -5
he would have gotten the O’Haire treatment
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Post by cordless2016 on Jul 24, 2023 22:44:20 GMT -5
I’m an Awesome fan but I don’t think he goes further than the IC Title had he jumped to the WWF in 2000 (that’s his ceiling IMO, not even sure he’d have won the IC Title). He benefitted being a “big fish in a small pond” while in ECW, but there was simply just too much talent in the WWF at the time for him to shine.
I could see him having some entertaining hoss fights with Kane, and some bangers in the hardcore division.
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