10 ECW Stars Who Died Too Young
7. Mike Awesome
Mike Awesome more than lived up to his braggadocios surname during his time in ECW. After making his name in Japanese hardcore cult outfit FMW (Frontier Martial Arts - don't ask), he turned up in Paul Heyman's promotion in 1998 and blew everyone away with his breathtaking series of matches opposite the talented Masato Tanaka (also of FMW fame).
But, a little backtracking is in order, because this was not the first time that Awesome had graced ECW rings. He'd first appeared for them back in 1993, when it was still known as NWA Eastern Championship Wrestling and gained a degree of notoriety at ECW's 1994 event 'The Night the Line Was Crossed' after he almost broke the back of J.T. Smith with a nasty-looking over-the-top-rope dive.
He was a different, more polished performer when he came back in 1998 and after impressing all of the right people in the Tanaka matches, he was given two runs as ECW Champion when he returned once again in September 1999.
Unfortunately for ECW, Awesome was poached by WCW soon after while he was still recognised as their champion. This turned the close-knit locker room against Awesome, whom they felt had not only sold out but also disrespected them and the business by going to a rival promotion while he was their champ.
The threat of legal action meant that WCW didn't dare show the ECW Title on television, but Awesome still needed to drop the belt, so he was drafted back in for a one-shot deal where he lost the belt to Tazz on a house show. This was most definitely a 'get changed, wrestle and get the f**k out of there' type deal.
Awesome's WCW and WWE careers were plagued by backstage politics and bad booking decisions and some truly woeful gimmicks (The Fat Chick Thriller, anyone?), but he did manage to save some face at the 2005 One Night Stand PPV, though, when he and Tanaka once again tore the house down, to the point where even ECW antagonists like JBL had to stand up and applaud their efforts.
The real-life Michaels Alfonso suffered a catalogue of injuries over the years, including some nasty ones to his knees, and decided to retire from the grap game in 2006. Sadly, on February 17, 2007 Awesome's friends found him hanging inside his Tampa home. He had committed suicide, aged 42.
It was rumoured that he became depressed when he learned that his high school sweetheart, whom he married in 1991, was planning to leave him.