5. Mike Awesome Was Unjustified In Signing With WCW As The ECW World Heavyweight Champion
Being the World Champion of a globally-recognized pro wrestling promotion is not exactly the best time to consider signing with another, competing national pro wrestling promotion. However, in April 2000, Awesome left ECW suddenly, and appeared on WCW Monday Nitro, attacking Kevin Nash in his debut. Of course, but a week later, there was Awesome back in ECW in the ring at a house show losing the ECW Championship to the then-WWF signed Tazz. It was an ultimate burial, the kind of move in pro wrestling that's reserved for the worst of the worst at doing business. However, in interviews after the closure of ECW, ex-ECW wrestler and friend of the now deceased Awesome, Lance Storm has stated that Awesome was justified in leaving ECW because he was owed back monies and rightfully took the stance that he refused to be champion of the promotion if the money he was owed for appearances was not paid in full prior to him continuing his relationship with the company. So yes, while losing to Tazz was petty terrible, Awesome being unpaid was likely much worse.
Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.
