Mike Sharpe
Encyclopedia
Michael "Mike" Sharpe is a Canadian
professional wrestler
better known as Iron Mike Sharpe.
. He grew up in California
, but moved with his father back to Canada
as a teenager. In high school, he dabbled in boxing and weightlifting before choosing to follow in his father's footsteps.
Dewey Robertson
trained him for the ring at age 25 and shortly thereafter Sharpe made his mark wrestling for promotions around Canada such as Gene Kiniski
's NWA All Star Wrestling
. He became a two-time NWA Canadian Tag Team Champion, partnering first with Moose Morowski and later with Salvatore Bellomo
, and also won the Pacific Coast Heavyweight title. His career picked up steam after moving to Louisiana, where he became a fan favorite and won two different Mid-South Wrestling belts - Louisiana champion (two times) and the Mississippi title (also two times) along with a Brass Knucks title in 1979.
In January 1983, Sharpe entered the World Wrestling Federation
and would become a regular of its programming throughout the mid-1980s and early 1990s. He was announced and self-proclaimed as "Canada's Greatest Athlete" (a nickname taken from Kiniski) and was further distinguished by his near-constant yelling and grunting throughout a match, as well as a mysterious black brace on his right forearm, supposedly protecting an injury but more widely believed to contain a foreign object. Initially in his WWF career he was managed by Captain Lou Albano
and received a sizeable push
, regularly defeating jobbers
after smashing them with said forearm. This culminated on April 30, 1983 with a match against world heavyweight champion Bob Backlund
at the Philadelphia Spectrum
, but Sharpe was defeated and would never reach such main event heights again. In fact, Sharpe would never hold a single title for the promotion, and would become largely relegated to the mid-card of house show
s and being regularly used as a jobber himself to rising stars of the then-WWF in television tapings. New England area fans were less impressed with Sharpe than those in the South, and reports from the era say 'WIMP!' was a common insult flung his way.
Despite the derision, Sharpe had a few more memorable moments over his WWF career. He appeared on Piper's Pit
in 1984, provided the opposition in Ivan Putski
's 1987 comeback match at Madison Square Garden
, and pinned Boris Zhukov
to reach the second round of the 1988 King Of The Ring
tournament. And though he wrestled as a heel
in the WWF, Sharpe was also the tag team partner of none other than Hulk Hogan
during a tour of Japan against stars of New Japan Pro Wrestling
in early 1984 (Hogan was heel in Japan). In what may be his last televised match, Sharpe was defeated by the short-lived Man Mountain Rock
on May 15, 1995.
For some time after his retirement Sharpe had made his living teaching aspiring wrestlers at 'Mike Sharpe's School of Pro-Wrestling' located in Brick, New Jersey and later Asbury Park, New Jersey
(the school has since closed down). Among the better known of his proteges are Mike Bucci
(b.k.a. Nova and Simon Dean), Chris Ford
(a.k.a. Crowbar and Devon Storm) and the Haas brothers, Charlie
and Russ
.
Sharpe is described in at least three books by former wrestling personalities (Tom "Dynamite Kid" Billington
, Hulk Hogan
and Gary Michael Cappetta
) as having shown characteristics of obsessive-compulsive disorder
, as evidenced by a preoccupation with cleanliness that caused him to spend hours washing his hands or showering at arenas and meticulously folding and re-folding his clothing. According to Cappetta, Sharpe's behavior earned him the nickname "Mr. Clean" among his co-workers.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
better known as Iron Mike Sharpe.
Career
Sharpe comes from a family legacy of wrestling, as his father and uncle were a successful tag team in the 1950s, recognized as champions from San Francisco to JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He grew up in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, but moved with his father back to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
as a teenager. In high school, he dabbled in boxing and weightlifting before choosing to follow in his father's footsteps.
Dewey Robertson
Dewey Robertson
Byron James John "Dewey" Robertson was a professional wrestler, known best for his ring name The Missing Link....
trained him for the ring at age 25 and shortly thereafter Sharpe made his mark wrestling for promotions around Canada such as Gene Kiniski
Gene Kiniski
Eugene Nicholas "Gene" Kiniski was a Canadian professional wrestler and the father of wrestlers Nick Kiniski and Kelly Kiniski. "Canada's Greatest Athlete" as he billed himself for promotional purposes was born outside of Edmonton, Alberta...
's NWA All Star Wrestling
NWA All Star Wrestling
NWA All Star Wrestling is a former Canadian professional wrestling promotion, based in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Early History:Although other wrestling promotions existed in Vancouver prior to the early 1960s , All Star became the...
. He became a two-time NWA Canadian Tag Team Champion, partnering first with Moose Morowski and later with Salvatore Bellomo
Salvatore Bellomo
Salvatore Bellomo is a retired Belgian-Italian professional wrestler with a career spanning more than three decades.-Career:...
, and also won the Pacific Coast Heavyweight title. His career picked up steam after moving to Louisiana, where he became a fan favorite and won two different Mid-South Wrestling belts - Louisiana champion (two times) and the Mississippi title (also two times) along with a Brass Knucks title in 1979.
In January 1983, Sharpe entered the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
and would become a regular of its programming throughout the mid-1980s and early 1990s. He was announced and self-proclaimed as "Canada's Greatest Athlete" (a nickname taken from Kiniski) and was further distinguished by his near-constant yelling and grunting throughout a match, as well as a mysterious black brace on his right forearm, supposedly protecting an injury but more widely believed to contain a foreign object. Initially in his WWF career he was managed by Captain Lou Albano
Lou Albano
Louis Vincent "Captain Lou" Albano was an Italian-American professional wrestler, manager and actor. He was active as a professional wrestler from 1953 until 1969, then he became a manager, until 1995....
and received a sizeable push
Push (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a push is an attempt by the booker to make the wrestler win more matches and become more popular or more reviled with the fans depending on whether they are a heel or a face...
, regularly defeating jobbers
Job (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling slang, the term job describes a losing performance in a wrestling match. It is derived from the euphemism "doing one's job", which was employed to protect kayfabe. As professional wrestling is scripted, inevitably a wrestler will be required to lose to an opponent.The term...
after smashing them with said forearm. This culminated on April 30, 1983 with a match against world heavyweight champion Bob Backlund
Bob Backlund
Robert Lee "Bob" Backlund is an American professional wrestler with an in ring career that spanned over 30 years. Over that time, he went on to become a two-time WWWF/WWF Champion...
at the Philadelphia Spectrum
Wachovia Spectrum
The Spectrum, formerly known as the CoreStates Spectrum , First Union Spectrum , and Wachovia Spectrum was an indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, but Sharpe was defeated and would never reach such main event heights again. In fact, Sharpe would never hold a single title for the promotion, and would become largely relegated to the mid-card of house show
House show
A house show is a professional wrestling show run by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive during televised events, as well as test reactions to matches, wrestlers, and...
s and being regularly used as a jobber himself to rising stars of the then-WWF in television tapings. New England area fans were less impressed with Sharpe than those in the South, and reports from the era say 'WIMP!' was a common insult flung his way.
Despite the derision, Sharpe had a few more memorable moments over his WWF career. He appeared on Piper's Pit
Piper's Pit
Piper's Pit was an interview segment featuring Roddy Piper which was a mainstay of WWF/WWE television from 1984 to 1987, and then returned briefly in 1989. Also, Piper hosted similar segments while wrestling for other promotions in 2003 - 2011....
in 1984, provided the opposition in Ivan Putski
Ivan Putski
Józef Bednarski , is a Polish former professional wrestler and bodybuilder. He is known by the ring name Ivan Putski and was given the nicknames "The Polish Hammer" and "Polish Power"....
's 1987 comeback match at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, and pinned Boris Zhukov
Jim Barrell
James Kirk Harrell is an American professional wrestler best known as Boris Zhukov in his time with the World Wrestling Federation.-Professional wrestling career:...
to reach the second round of the 1988 King Of The Ring
King of the Ring
King of the Ring is a professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held by WWE. The tournament was held annually from 1985 to 2002, with the exception of 1990 and 1992, and from 1993 to 2002 the tournament was produced as a pay-per-view event....
tournament. And though he wrestled as a heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
in the WWF, Sharpe was also the tag team partner of none other than Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
during a tour of Japan against stars of New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
in early 1984 (Hogan was heel in Japan). In what may be his last televised match, Sharpe was defeated by the short-lived Man Mountain Rock
Maxx Payne
Darryl Peterson is an American musician, actor and professional wrestler who wrestled in World Championship Wrestling as Maxx Payne and in the World Wrestling Federation as Man Mountain Rock.-Career:...
on May 15, 1995.
For some time after his retirement Sharpe had made his living teaching aspiring wrestlers at 'Mike Sharpe's School of Pro-Wrestling' located in Brick, New Jersey and later Asbury Park, New Jersey
Asbury Park, New Jersey
Asbury Park is a city in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, located on the Jersey Shore and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 16,116. The city is known for its rich musical history, including its association with...
(the school has since closed down). Among the better known of his proteges are Mike Bucci
Mike Bucci
Michael "Mike" Bucci is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. Bucci is probably best known for his appearances in Extreme Championship Wrestling as Nova, Super Nova, and "Hollywood" Nova and World Wrestling Entertainment as Simon Dean...
(b.k.a. Nova and Simon Dean), Chris Ford
Devon Storm
Christopher "Chris" Ford is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Crowbar, where he was a one time Hardcore Champion, a one time World Tag Team Champion with David Flair and a one time Cruiserweight Champion, which he...
(a.k.a. Crowbar and Devon Storm) and the Haas brothers, Charlie
Charlie Haas
Charles "Charlie" Doyle Haas II is an American professional wrestler and former collegiate amateur wrestler. He competes on the independent circuit, and is signed to Ring of Honor , where he is one-half of the reigning ROH World Tag Team Champions with Shelton Benjamin...
and Russ
Russ Haas
Thomas Russell "Russ" Haas was a professional wrestler. He is best known for his work alongside his brother Charlie in Memphis Championship Wrestling and Jersey All Pro Wrestling....
.
Sharpe is described in at least three books by former wrestling personalities (Tom "Dynamite Kid" Billington
Dynamite Kid
Thomas Wilton Billington , best known by the ring name Dynamite Kid, is a retired British professional wrestler who competed in the World Wrestling Federation, Stampede Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling in the mid- to late-1980s...
, Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
and Gary Michael Cappetta
Gary Michael Cappetta
Gary Michael Cappetta is an American professional wrestling ring announcer, author, voice over artist, screenwriter and stage performer...
) as having shown characteristics of obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive–compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry, by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety, or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions...
, as evidenced by a preoccupation with cleanliness that caused him to spend hours washing his hands or showering at arenas and meticulously folding and re-folding his clothing. According to Cappetta, Sharpe's behavior earned him the nickname "Mr. Clean" among his co-workers.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Running forearm smash
- Signature moves
- Bear hug
- Piledriver
- Nicknames
- "Iron" Mike Sharpe
- "Canada's Greatest Athlete"
Championships and accomplishments
- Five Star Wrestling
- FSW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with I.C. Glory
- Mid-South Wrestling AssociationUniversal Wrestling FederationThe name Universal Wrestling Federation may refer to:*Universal Wrestling Federation , an American professional wrestling promotion owned by Bill Watts...
- Mid-South Louisiana ChampionshipMid-South Louisiana ChampionshipThe Mid-South Louisiana Heavyweight Championship was a secondary professional wrestling championship that was used and defended from 1964 though 1983. Initially, the championship originated in the NWA affiliated Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling. During this time, it was referred to as the NWA Gulf...
(2 times) - Mid-South Mississippi Championship (2 times)
- NWA All-Star Wrestling
- NWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship (Vancouver version)NWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship (Vancouver version)The Vancouver version of the NWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship was defended as the top singles title in Vancouver-based Big Time Wrestling and its successor, NWA All Star Wrestling, from 1959 until sometime after the last champion, Gene Kiniski, won the title in 1963-External links:*...
(1 time) - NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)The Vancouver version of the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship was established in 1962 as the top tag team title in NWA All-Star Wrestling. The title held that status until late summer 1985, when the title was renamed the UWA Tag Team Championship upon All-Star Wrestling's departure as a member of...
(1 time) - with Salvatore Martino - NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship (Vancouver version)NWA Pacific Coast (Vancouver) Heavyweight ChampionshipThe Vancouver version of the NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship was the major singles title in two National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated Vancouver territories...
(1 time) - NWA World Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)NWA World Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)The Vancouver, British Columbia version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1966 to 1967, and was the top tag team title in Vancouver-based NWA All Star Wrestling during that period.-History:-External links:* *...
(1 time) - with Ben Sharpe
- NWA Los AngelesNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA International Television Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Zebra Kid
- NWA ChicagoNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Chicago version)NWA World Tag Team Championship (Chicago version)The Chicago, Illinois version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1953 until 1960, when the Chicago promotion became part of the American Wrestling Association.-Title history:...
(1 time) - with Ben Sharpe
- NWA Mid-AmericaNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA Mid-America Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Mid-America Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title defended in the US states of Tennessee and Alabama.The title began in 1957 and lasted first 1980 when it was first abandoned when Jerry Jarrett took over the Mid-American titles from Nick Gulas...
(1 time)
- NWA San FranciscoNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco version) (3 times)
- NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (3 times) - with Ben Sharpe
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version)NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version)The San Francisco, California version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1950 until 1961, and then from 1968 until 1979.-Title history:...
(18 times) - with Ben Sharpe
- NWA Tri-StateNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA Tri-State Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time)
- Professional Organization of Wrestling
- POW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Southwest Sports, Inc.World Class Championship WrestlingWorld Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
- NWA Texas Tag Team ChampionshipWCWA Texas Tag Team ChampionshipThe WCWA Texas Tag Team Championship was the secondary tag team championship in World Class Championship Wrestling, originally known as the NWA Texas Tag-Team title until 1981 where they were abandoned. The titles were brought back in 1987 as the WCWA Texas Tag-Team titles but once the WCWA joined...
(1 time) - with Ben Sharpe
- Stampede WrestlingStampede WrestlingStampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
- NWA International Tag Team Championship (Calgary version) (1 time) - with Jim Wright
- World Wide Wrestling AllianceWorld Wide Wrestling AllianceThe World Wide Wrestling Alliance , formerly known as NWA Ohio, is a defunct American professional wrestling promotion. However, NWA Ohio Owner & Promoter Dave Nelson's claim of owership of the WWWA name is disputed.-History:...
- WWWA Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
- World Wrestling Association (Los Angeles)
- WWA International Television Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Zebra Kid