William Welch
Encyclopedia
William C. Welch is an American
professional wrestler
, better known by his ring name
The Messiah.
. He worked for the school's parent company, the Slammers Wrestling Federation for a time, losing his first professional match there to El Sprito. In the Slammers Wrestling Federation, he worked under the name Iron Mike Ehrhardt.
, and debuted for the promotion as The Messiah, with his character being that of a holy man
. The Messiah soon rose up the card and eventually became a main eventer while wrestling against Extreme Championship Wrestling
alumni such as Sabu, Chris Candido
and New Jack
. The Messiah cemented his spot as one of XPW's main wrestlers when he won both the World Heavyweight
and the King of the Deathmatch Championship
s to become the company's first and only double champion.
on January 12, 2002 at their Answering The Challenge show at the famous ECW Arena, by accepting the open challenge of then-World Heavyweight Champion
Justice Pain
. Later that year at their first Tournament of Death
, only thirty days after being assaulted in his home by two assailants. Despite not being a part of the tournament, Messiah entered himself into it by defeating then-Iron Man Champion
Adam Flash
in the first round before losing to Nick Mondo
in the semi-finals. Messiah soon went on to win the company's World Heavyweight Championship
from Justice Pain
in a match that also involved Nick Mondo and Adam Flash's Iron Man title, which Flash lost to Mondo. The Messiah would go on to win the World Heavyweight title two more times, including having a near year-long reign that lasted from March 6, 2004 to February 5, 2005, the longest reign in the championship's history. He also won the Iron Man Championship on one occasion, before he began appearing only sporadically at CZW shows, and ultimately left the promotion in December 2006.
and a returning Nick Gage
in a triple threat match for Ruckus' World Heavyweight Championship, but was unsuccessful in winning the title after Gage pinned Messiah. After this, Welch remained inactive from wrestling for over a year before returning on July 25, 2009 to wrestle a match for the Alternative Wrestling Show, which he lost to Johnny Goodtime.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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 by his ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
The Messiah.
Professional wrestling career
Welch's professional career began on November 11, 1996, after being trained at the Slam U. Wrestling Gym in Sun Valley, Los Angeles, CaliforniaSun Valley, Los Angeles, California
Sun Valley is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California, about 15 miles away from Downtown Los Angeles....
. He worked for the school's parent company, the Slammers Wrestling Federation for a time, losing his first professional match there to El Sprito. In the Slammers Wrestling Federation, he worked under the name Iron Mike Ehrhardt.
Xtreme Pro Wrestling
Welch eventually joined Xtreme Pro WrestlingXtreme Pro Wrestling
Xtreme Pro Wrestling is an independent professional wrestling promotion formerly owned by Extreme Associates CEO and director Rob Zicari, who appeared on shows under the name Rob Black. Zicari appeared on-camera as owner alongside his wife Lizzy Borden. The promotion focuses on hardcore wrestling,...
, and debuted for the promotion as The Messiah, with his character being that of a holy man
Holy man
Holy man can refer to:*a person, usually an ascetic, who is exceptionally pious or religious .*"Holy Man", an instrumental by Dennis Wilson, recorded during the Pacific Ocean Blue sessions that was abandoned before a vocal track was recorded...
. The Messiah soon rose up the card and eventually became a main eventer while wrestling against Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
alumni such as Sabu, Chris Candido
Chris Candido
Christopher Raul Candito was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Chris Candido...
and New Jack
New Jack
Jerome Young is an American professional wrestler, better known by his stage name New Jack in ECW.He is known for his willingness to take dangerous bumps and his stiff hardcore wrestling style, often taking high risks and "shooting" on opponents, though he is only known to shoot on opponents who...
. The Messiah cemented his spot as one of XPW's main wrestlers when he won both the World Heavyweight
XPW World Heavyweight Championship
The XPW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Xtreme Pro Wrestling promotion.XPW's first World Champion was crowned in a Battle Royal match that saw Damien Steele and John Kronus as the last two remaining wrestlers compete in a single fall...
and the King of the Deathmatch Championship
XPW King of the Deathmatch Championship
The XPW King of the Deathmatch Championship was one of Xtreme Pro Wrestling's championships. Originally, the championship existed as a trophy that was at stake in the first-ever Baptized in Blood event, which featured a Japanese-style 8-Man King of the Deathmatch tournament.The XPW King of the...
s to become the company's first and only double champion.
Combat Zone Wrestling
After leaving XPW, Welch, using his Messiah ring name and character, made his debut in Combat Zone WrestlingCombat Zone Wrestling
Combat Zone Wrestling is a independent wrestling promotion. In 1999, John Zandig and four of his students, Ric Blade, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain began to run backyard wrestling shows in New Jersey and Delaware, showcasing a brand of hardcore wrestling dubbed as "ultraviolence"...
on January 12, 2002 at their Answering The Challenge show at the famous ECW Arena, by accepting the open challenge of then-World Heavyweight Champion
CZW World Heavyweight Championship
The CZW World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned and copyrighted by the professional wrestling promotion Combat Zone Wrestling . It was created and debuted on March 27, 1999 at CZW's The Staple Gun event.The championship is generally contested...
Justice Pain
Justice Pain
Christopher Wilson is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Justice Pain. Pain is best known for his time in Combat Zone Wrestling, as well as Xtreme Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Unplugged...
. Later that year at their first Tournament of Death
CZW Tournament of Death
The Tournament of Death is an annual professional wrestling tournament organised by Combat Zone Wrestling since 2002, during which a number of wrestlers compete in various deathmatches in a single-elimination tournament which is similar to World Wrestling Entertainment's King of the Ring tournament...
, only thirty days after being assaulted in his home by two assailants. Despite not being a part of the tournament, Messiah entered himself into it by defeating then-Iron Man Champion
CZW Iron Man Championship
The CZW Iron Man Championship was a professional wrestling title in the Philadelphia-based promotion Combat Zone Wrestling . It was established in 1999 at CZW's first show, Opening Night with Derek Domino as the first champion. Despite the name, the Iron Man title is not exclusively defended in...
Adam Flash
Adam Flash
Douglas Adam Becker in York, Pennsylvania is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Adam Flash. Over his career, he has worked for various independent promotions, including Maryland Championship Wrestling, Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South, and Combat Zone...
in the first round before losing to Nick Mondo
Nick Mondo
Matthew "Matt" Burns better known by his ring name "Sick" Nick Mondo is a retired American professional wrestler. Burns is best known for his appearances with Combat Zone Wrestling...
in the semi-finals. Messiah soon went on to win the company's World Heavyweight Championship
CZW World Heavyweight Championship
The CZW World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned and copyrighted by the professional wrestling promotion Combat Zone Wrestling . It was created and debuted on March 27, 1999 at CZW's The Staple Gun event.The championship is generally contested...
from Justice Pain
Justice Pain
Christopher Wilson is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Justice Pain. Pain is best known for his time in Combat Zone Wrestling, as well as Xtreme Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Unplugged...
in a match that also involved Nick Mondo and Adam Flash's Iron Man title, which Flash lost to Mondo. The Messiah would go on to win the World Heavyweight title two more times, including having a near year-long reign that lasted from March 6, 2004 to February 5, 2005, the longest reign in the championship's history. He also won the Iron Man Championship on one occasion, before he began appearing only sporadically at CZW shows, and ultimately left the promotion in December 2006.
Hiatus
On December 8, 2007, Messiah returned to CZW for one night only at their biggest event of the year, Cage of Death IX. He faced RuckusClaude Marrow
Claude Marrow is an American independent professional wrestler better known by his ring name Ruckus. Marrow current performs in Combat Zone Wrestling, Ring of Honor, Maryland Championship Wrestling, Chikara and Jersey All Pro Wrestling...
and a returning Nick Gage
Nick Gage
Nicholas W. "Nick" Wilson is a hardcore professional wrestler best known from Combat Zone Wrestling. Along with being the first-ever CZW World Heavyweight Champion, he has wrestled at nearly every CZW show and has competed in more CZW matches than anyone...
in a triple threat match for Ruckus' World Heavyweight Championship, but was unsuccessful in winning the title after Gage pinned Messiah. After this, Welch remained inactive from wrestling for over a year before returning on July 25, 2009 to wrestle a match for the Alternative Wrestling Show, which he lost to Johnny Goodtime.
Other media
Welch, as The Messiah, appeared in the video game Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes the NeighborhoodBackyard Wrestling 2: There Goes The Neighborhood
Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes the Neighborhood is the second installment in the Backyard Wrestling series and was released on Xbox and PlayStation 2. The licensed soundtrack includes music by Andrew W.K., Kool Keith, the Insane Clown Posse, Bad Brains, Body Count, Six and Violence, Mudvayne and...
.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Fall From Grace (Inverted Death Valley driver)
- Signature moves
- Carlito's Way (Military press dropped into a cutterCutter (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a cutter is a common term that refers to the three-quarter facelock bulldog maneuver. The move is also described as an inverted neckbreaker, though it is not one, it only bears an inverted style to it...
) – named in tribute to his trainer Carlito Montana - Cross Factor (Sitout facebuster, sometimes from the top rope)
- Diving crossbody
- DDTDDT (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling a DDT is any move in which the wrestler has the opponent in a front facelock, and falls down or backwards to drive the opponent's head into the mat...
- DropkickDropkickA dropkick is an attacking maneuver in professional wrestling. It is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with the soles of both feet; this sees the wrestler twist as he or she jumps so that when the feet connect with the opponent one foot is raised higher than...
- Figure four leglock
- Godsmack (Spinning fireman's carry stunner)
- Holy Roller (Running somersault senton off of the ring apron onto a standing opponent)
- Snap suplex
- Side slam
- Springboard into either a leg drop or a moonsault
- Carlito's Way (Military press dropped into a cutter
- Entrance themesMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "Jesus Christ SuperstarJesus Christ SuperstarJesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971...
" by LaibachLaibach (band)Laibach is a Slovenian avant-garde music group associated with industrial, martial, and neo-classical musical styles. Laibach formed June 1, 1980 in Trbovlje, Slovenia . Laibach represents the music wing of the Neue Slowenische Kunst art collective, of which it was a founding member in 1984... - "Falling Away from MeFalling Away From Me"Falling Away from Me" is a song by American nu metal band Korn. It was released as the first single from their fourth album Issues, where it appeared in an episode of Comedy Central's animated series, South Park, entitled "Korn's Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery"...
" by KornKornKorn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,... - "Messiah" by Fear FactoryFear FactoryFear Factory is an American industrial metal band. Formed in 1989, they have released seven full-length albums and a number of singles and remixes. Over the course of their career they have evolved from a succession of styles, as well as steadily pioneered a combination of the styles death metal,...
- "PrayerPrayer (song)"Prayer" is a song released on August 14, 2002 by American rock band Disturbed as the first single from their second album, Believe. It was inspired by the death of vocalist David Draiman's grandfather as well as various circumstances after the September 11 attacks, and is about a conversation...
" by Disturbed
- "Jesus Christ Superstar
Championships and accomplishments
- Combat Zone WrestlingCombat Zone WrestlingCombat Zone Wrestling is a independent wrestling promotion. In 1999, John Zandig and four of his students, Ric Blade, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain began to run backyard wrestling shows in New Jersey and Delaware, showcasing a brand of hardcore wrestling dubbed as "ultraviolence"...
- CZW Iron Man ChampionshipCZW Iron Man ChampionshipThe CZW Iron Man Championship was a professional wrestling title in the Philadelphia-based promotion Combat Zone Wrestling . It was established in 1999 at CZW's first show, Opening Night with Derek Domino as the first champion. Despite the name, the Iron Man title is not exclusively defended in...
(1 time) - CZW World Heavyweight ChampionshipCZW World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe CZW World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned and copyrighted by the professional wrestling promotion Combat Zone Wrestling . It was created and debuted on March 27, 1999 at CZW's The Staple Gun event.The championship is generally contested...
(3 times)
- CZW Iron Man Championship
- Insane Wrestling Federation
- IWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Adam FlashAdam FlashDouglas Adam Becker in York, Pennsylvania is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Adam Flash. Over his career, he has worked for various independent promotions, including Maryland Championship Wrestling, Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South, and Combat Zone...
- IWF Tri-State Champion (1 time)
- IWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Adam Flash
- Millennium Pro Wrestling
- MPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Florida
- NWA Florida King of the Deathmatch Championship (1 time)
- Pacific Championship Wrestling
- PCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him #241 in the of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 2003
- River City Wrestling
- RCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Scott McKenzie
- Xtreme Pro WrestlingXtreme Pro WrestlingXtreme Pro Wrestling is an independent professional wrestling promotion formerly owned by Extreme Associates CEO and director Rob Zicari, who appeared on shows under the name Rob Black. Zicari appeared on-camera as owner alongside his wife Lizzy Borden. The promotion focuses on hardcore wrestling,...
- XPW King of the Deathmatch ChampionshipXPW King of the Deathmatch ChampionshipThe XPW King of the Deathmatch Championship was one of Xtreme Pro Wrestling's championships. Originally, the championship existed as a trophy that was at stake in the first-ever Baptized in Blood event, which featured a Japanese-style 8-Man King of the Deathmatch tournament.The XPW King of the...
(1 time) - XPW World Heavyweight ChampionshipXPW World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe XPW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Xtreme Pro Wrestling promotion.XPW's first World Champion was crowned in a Battle Royal match that saw Damien Steele and John Kronus as the last two remaining wrestlers compete in a single fall...
(1 time)
- XPW King of the Deathmatch Championship