The
Messiah
PROFILE
- ALIAS: The Messiah
- PAST ALIASES: The Blunatic (XPW),
"Iron" Mike Earnheardt (a face persona)
(various indy promotions)
- CURRENT RESIDENCE: California
(since 6/99)
- STYLE: Aerial, Death Match,
High-Risk Bumptaking, Scientific/Technical
- TRAINING: at the "Slam
U" training school, located at the Slammers
Wrestling Gym in Sun Valley, CA
(head trainers: Ed Ferrera [who'd get a job as writing
for both the WWF (now WWE) and WCW; he also won the WCW
Cruiserweight Title as "Oklahoma"] & Hombre
De'Oro [Hombro would later become XPW's Carlito Montana])
- PROMOTIONS: Combat Zone Wrestling
(CZW), SWF (Slammers Wrestling Federation), Xtreme
Professional Wrestling (XPW)
- TITLES HELD: CZW World Heavyweight
Title (1), XPW King of the Deathmatch Title (2), XPW
World Heavyewight Title (1)
- FACE/HEEL/NEUTRAL?: Face (in early
days as "Iron" Mike Earnheardt); Heel (CZW/XPW)
- GREATEST RIVALS: "White
Trash" Johnny Webb (XPW), Sabu (XPW) Supreme (XPW)
- PAST ALLIES: XPW: The Black Army
(mainly associated and teamed with members like
"White Trash" Johnny Webb, Rob Black, Steve
Rizzono, & "Vicious" Vic Grimes)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS/HISTORY
Childhood:
- When he was in 5th grade, Messiah (not yet Messiah, but I
couldn't find his real name, so I guess I call him that
for this whole career history) was lucky enough to have
his dad bring him, along with his brother and sister, WWF
show at the L.A. Sports Arena. The show was during the
Hulk Hogan/Randy Savage feud, but one match in particular
on the card sticked out: Bret "The Hitman" Hart
vs. Mr. Perfect (Curt Hennig). Messiah, on that match:
"I was blown away at what these guys were doing.
They were going hold-for-hold, and move-for-move. It was
unbelievable. After watching that match, I knew I wanted
to become a pro wrestler."...In high school, Messiah
ran cross country and track, both of which he still
loves...
Training:
- After graduating high school, Messiah went straight to
Sun Valley, CA's "Slam U" training school,
located at the Slammers Wrestling Gym, to begin his
wrestling training. He was trained mainly by Hombre
De'Oro, who would end up becoming XPW's "Carlito
Montana," but also would sometimes work with Ed
Ferrera, who would get jobs writing for both the WWF (now
WWE) and WCW, where he'd win the Cruiserweight Title as
"Oklahoma"...Wrestled on the indy circuit for
awhile as "Iron" Mike Earnheardt, but found
little success...
Entering XPW:
- After his training, moved from California to Georgia,
where he stayed from about 8 months, before moving back
to California in 6/99...In his CA house, a commercial
advertising XPW aired during a WWF RAW is WAR broadcast.
The next day, he talked to Hombre De'Oro (XPW's Carlito
Montana) and discussed XPW. Hombre told him that several
former-Slammers guys were in XPW (including Dynamite D,
Homeless Jimmy, "White Trash" Johnny Webb),
something that caused Messiah to have a sudden urge to
get involved in the business again, especially in XPW, if
it was possibly. So, Messiah bought a ticket to an XPW
show, stayed after, and began talking to current-XPW'er
Dynamite D about entering the promotion. D encouraged
him, so Messiah (who also had a contact in his trainer,
now known as Carlito Montana, in XPW), talked to
management and eventually was hired...He made his XPW
debut on 11/20/00 in Ventura, CA, when, under the alias
of "The Blunatic," Messiah lost via pinfall to
Nicole Bass...11/27/99 (Reseda, CA): The Blunatic &
Felony lose a handicap match to Nicole Bass. In the
match, he took several of Bass' chokeslams...The
"Blunatic" gimmick wasn't getting along too
well, so it was time for a change...
The Birth of the "Messiah" Gimmick:
- As "Iron" Mike Earnheardt (in various indy
promotions; in the indies, he also occasionally wrestled
as "The Blunatic"), Messiah had always been a
face (good guy), but upon entering XPW, the promotion's
owner, Rob Black, told him that he would play a heel (bad
guy). Messiah was thrilled. Black originally wanted to
put him in a tag team, but Messiah convinced him not to.
After several bad ideas, Black thought up a character for
Messiah. He'd be called "Jesus" and have a
God-like persona. Messiah, a real-life Christian, said no
and gave the creative team two options: he'd either be
called "The Savior" or "The Messiah."
On 12/18/99, the decision was made, and the bookers told
him that he'd be called, "The Messiah."...
The Messiah's Beginning in XPW:
- Messiah made his debut on the same day that he received
his knew alias. The show occurred on 12/18/99 in
Hollywood, CA, and it, among other matches, featured Big
Dick Dudley's XPW World Heavyweight Title win over
"The Real Deal," Damien Steele. The card also
saw The Messiah persona debut in XPW by losing to his
real-life trainer, Carlito Montana...In his second XPW
match (under the persona), Messiah wrestled the
promotion's best pure wrestler: Dynamite D (now
"D"). The match occurred on 1/29/00 in
Hollywood, CA, and although Messiah beat the 10+ year
veteran, the story was the performance by the two. Many
called it, and still call it, XPW's greatest pure
wrestling match ever. The finish came when Messiah lifted
D onto his shoulders in a fireman's carry. He heard a
fans' voice scream, "Louie," referring to the
late Louie Spicolli, as most were expecting Messiah to
hit a Spicolli Driver (DVD [Death Valley Driver]).
However, he surprised many when instead of hurling
Messiah over onto the mat in a DVD, he twirled around and
dropped D with a stunner. The Messiah had introduced XPW
fans to "The Godsmack." Almost all of the fans
popped for the move, and after that, the pinfall was
academic: 1-2-3...
Messiah becomes a Priemere Hardcore Superstar in XPW:
- Fans were impressed with the D/Messiah match, but very
few took the God-like persona seriously - until the
first-ever XPW King of the Deathmatch Tournament
(2/25/00-2/26/00). A single - elimination tournament
featuring deathmatches would be held to crown XPW's
first-ever King of the Deathmatch Champion. On 2/25, the
first day of "My Bloody Valentine" was held in
Ventura, CA. Messiah pinned "White Trash"
Johnny Webb...The next day (2/26/00; Hollywood, CA), the
tournament began, and in the first-round, Messiah faced
"White Trash" Johnny Webb in a
"Barbed-Wire Ladder & Thumbtacks Match."
Webb was eventually sent off the top-rope and onto a pile
of tacks soiling the ring mat, courtesy of Messiah's
Top-Rope Sunset-Flip Powerbomb. Messiah followed with a
crossbody block onto the tacks for the pin. Afterwards,
he scoop slammed Webb onto the tacks. Toad Splash
(Frogsplash) off the top and sandwiched Messiah onto a
bed of tacks. LK2000's
Wrestling rated the match **. In the semifinals,
Messiah faced XPW's hardcore icon, Supreme, a man who he
would have perhaps ECW's greatest feud ever later that
year and into 2001. They would battle in a "Beds of
Barbed-Wire, Thumbtacks & Nails Match." After an
extremely gory match, Supreme hit a mega Mekka Toad
Splash (Frogsplash) off the top and sandwiched Messiah
onto a bed of tacks. Afterwards, Johnny Webb runs in and
canes Messiah LK2000's
Wrestling rated the match ***...3/24/00 (Bakersfield,
CA): Messiah pins Johnny Webb...3/25/00 (Hollywood, CA):
Johnny Webb pins Messiah...4/16/00 (L.A., CA): Johnny
Webb pins Messiah...4/28/00 (Ventura, CA): Johnny Webb
pins Messiah...On 4/29/00 (L.A., CA), XPW held a
single-elimination tournament to determine their
first-ever World Heavyweight Champion.
Misc. Hobbies:
- "On the weekends, my friends and I take out their
boats and we go up Castaic Lake and go wakeboarding.
There, we drink beer, listen to really bad 80's rock, and
wake board. There's something really peaceful about the
water right at sunset. At that moment, I think about all
the people in my life. I say a quiet payer, and just
thank God for allowing myself to be part of this
moment."
INTERESTING FACTS:
- Around the time he entered CZW, Messiah began to learn
how to "wakeboard" (?).
- While not a religious extremist, Messiah is a fairly
religious man, and practices Christianity.