Mike Hallick
Encyclopedia
Michael "Mike" Hallick is a retired American
professional wrestler
, best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation
under the ring name
Mantaur.
to work for the Catch Wrestling Association
. He debuted on November 11, in a losing effort against Rambo
for the World Heavyweight Championship
. He remained with the promotion until late 1994, when he returned to the United States
to perform for the World Wrestling Federation.
, Hallick debuted in the World Wrestling Federation as Mantaur, defeating Walter Snow. The Mantaur character was that of a Minotaur
-like character, and Hallick would perform antics such as charging, trampling, mauling, and mooing at opponents. Soon after debuting, he acquired Jim Cornette
as his manager
.
Mantaur then began a small winning streak, defeating a series of jobbers, including boxer Leroy Howard and karate instructor Gary Scott. He came close to defeating then-Intercontinental Champion
Razor Ramon
, but lost the match by disqualification due to interference by Jeff Jarrett
, who was involved in a feud
with Ramon at that time. Mantaur made his first and only pay-per-view appearance at the 1995 Royal Rumble
, where he competed in the Royal Rumble match and lasted almost 10 minutes before being eliminated by Lex Luger
.
Mantaur entered the 1995 King of the Ring
tournament but was pinned by Bob "Spark Plug" Holly
in a qualifying match. In his final televised WWF match, he lost to Bam Bam Bigelow as part of a push to enhance the popularity of Bigelow as a babyface
. Hallick made his last WWF appearance as a lumberjack in a lumberjack match between Sycho Sid
and Diesel
at In Your House 2
.
. He debuted there on December 1, 1995 with a victory over The Dark Ninja
. Eight days later, he lost to Hack Meyers
at December to Dismember
. A few weeks after that, he lost to 911. At Holiday Hell, Mastino defeated El Puerto Ricano
in his final match for the promotion, in which he was jeered with "Mantaur" chants from the always-vocal ECW audience. Hallick then briefly returned to the Catch Wrestling Association
as Terminator Mastino.
in his corner for his match against the Ultimate Warrior
. After Goldust lost, Hallick attacked Warrior but was overpowered and subsequently body slammed.
as Tank, a member of The Truth Commission
. He won the Unified World Heavyweight Championship
, his first and only wrestling title, on March 15, 1997 after defeating then-champion Jerry Lawler
. He lost the belt back to Lawler in a rematch seven days later. Later that spring, Tank was involved in a controversy surrounding the World Tag Team Championship. While The Interrogator
and Recon
(Tank's teammates in The Truth Commission) held the title, Tank substituted for Interrogator in one match and his team lost the title to Nick Dinsmore
and Flash Flanagan. The title change was declared invalid, however, as Tank was not one of the official holders of the World Tag Team Title.
Cannonball Grizzly
. He left the promotion before the end of the year. Hallick then took a hiatus before returning to the ring on May 27, 2000 for Independent Wrestling World, as the victorious "one" in a four-on-one handicap match. He wrestled three matches for NWA Germany
later that year, winning the first against Franz Schumann on September 22, losing the second to Ulf Herman
September 23, and losing the third to Shumann on December 2. He also competed in the European Wresting Promotion (EWP), defeating Christian Eckstein on November 25. Hallick returned to the EWP on May 18, 2001, winning a triple threat match against Eric Schwarz and Martin Nolte. The next day, he defeated Big Tiger Steele. After another hiatus, Hallick returned to Germany to compete for the Riotgas Wrestling Alliance on June 3, 2005, winning a battle royal
. That same day, he lost to his cousin, Cannonball Grizzly
, in a match for the vacant International Championship. This turned out to be his last professional wrestling match.
in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska
.
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...
, best known for his stint in 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...
under the 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:...
Mantaur.
Catch Wrestling Association (1991–1994)
In 1991, under the ring name Bruiser Mastino, Hallick traveled to GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to work for the Catch Wrestling Association
Catch Wrestling Association
The Catch Wrestling Association was a professional wrestling organization based in Austria and Germany and was founded in 1973. It was formerly run by famous AWA champion Otto Wanz. The CWA featured a traditional brand of mat wrestling mixed with various “Strong Man” competitions...
. He debuted on November 11, in a losing effort against Rambo
Luc Poirier
Luc Poirier is a semi-retired Canadian professional wrestler, better known under the name Rambo.-Career:Poirier was trained by Edouard Carpentier and Gino Brito and debuted in 1982. In the early 1980s, he joined the Montreal-based International Wrestling Association as the hooded "Masked Marvel"...
for the World Heavyweight Championship
CWA World Heavyweight Championship
The CWA World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the German professional wrestling promotion the Catch Wrestling Association....
. He remained with the promotion until late 1994, when he returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to perform for the World Wrestling Federation.
World Wrestling Federation (1995)
On the January 7, 1995 episode of Superstars of WrestlingWWF Superstars of Wrestling
WWF Superstars of Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It debuted on September 6, 1986...
, Hallick debuted in the World Wrestling Federation as Mantaur, defeating Walter Snow. The Mantaur character was that of a Minotaur
Minotaur
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
-like character, and Hallick would perform antics such as charging, trampling, mauling, and mooing at opponents. Soon after debuting, he acquired Jim Cornette
Jim Cornette
James Mark "Jim" Cornette is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation and from 1991 to 1995, was the owner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling...
as his manager
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
.
Mantaur then began a small winning streak, defeating a series of jobbers, including boxer Leroy Howard and karate instructor Gary Scott. He came close to defeating then-Intercontinental Champion
WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
Razor Ramon
Scott Hall
Scott Hall is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation in the early and mid 1990s under the ring name Razor Ramon, as well as for his period in the mid 1990s and early 2000s with World Championship Wrestling under his real name...
, but lost the match by disqualification due to interference by Jeff Jarrett
Jeff Jarrett
Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett is an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , an organization he co-founded along with his father and in which he holds some stock but not total control...
, who was involved in a feud
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with Ramon at that time. Mantaur made his first and only pay-per-view appearance at the 1995 Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (1995)
Royal Rumble was the eighth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 22, 1995, in the USF Sun Dome located in Tampa, Florida. The event featured five matches based on scripted storylines and the results...
, where he competed in the Royal Rumble match and lasted almost 10 minutes before being eliminated by Lex Luger
Lex Luger
Lawrence Wendell "Larry" Pfohl , better known by his ring name Lex Luger, is an American former professional wrestler and football player currently working with WWE on their wellness policy...
.
Mantaur entered the 1995 King of the Ring
King of the Ring (1995)
King of the Ring was the third annual King of the Ring professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on June 25, 1995 at the CoreStates Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
tournament but was pinned by Bob "Spark Plug" Holly
Bob Holly
Robert "Bob" Howard better known by his ring name Bob "Hardcore" Holly, is a American professional wrestler. He is best known for his 15-year stint with World Wrestling Entertainment ....
in a qualifying match. In his final televised WWF match, he lost to Bam Bam Bigelow as part of a push to enhance the popularity of Bigelow as a babyface
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
. Hallick made his last WWF appearance as a lumberjack in a lumberjack match between Sycho Sid
Sid Eudy
Sidney Raymond "Sid" Eudy is an American professional wrestler, best known as Sid Vicious in World Championship Wrestling, and as Sid Justice and Sycho Sid in the World Wrestling Federation...
and Diesel
Kevin Nash
Kevin Scott Nash is an American professional wrestler and actor. As of 2011, Nash is signed to a five year contract with WWE under their WWE Legends program and appears as part of their Raw brand roster...
at In Your House 2
In Your House 2: The Lumberjacks
In Your House 2: The Lumberjacks was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It was the second pay-per-view of the In Your House series. It took place on July 23, 1995 at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.Seven professional...
.
Extreme Championship Wrestling and return to the CWA (1995–1996)
After leaving the WWF, Hallick returned to his Bruiser Mastino ring name and joined Extreme Championship WrestlingExtreme 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...
. He debuted there on December 1, 1995 with a victory over The Dark Ninja
Rockin' Rebel
Chuck Williams is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Rockin' Rebel. He is best known for his appearances on the U.S...
. Eight days later, he lost to Hack Meyers
Hack Meyers
Donald Haviland is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Hack Meyers. A mainstay in Florida independent promotions during the 1990s, he is best known for his time in Extreme Championship Wrestling from 1993 to 1996.-Career:Haviland made his wrestling debut as Bronco...
at December to Dismember
December to Dismember (1995)
December to Dismember was a professional wrestling event that took place on December 9, 1995 at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
. A few weeks after that, he lost to 911. At Holiday Hell, Mastino defeated El Puerto Ricano
Pablo Marquez
Pablo Márquez is a professional wrestler who has competed for various promotions such as the World Wrestling Council, International Wrestling Association, and Michinoku Pro out of Japan. Marquez is probably most famous for his brief stint in the World Wrestling Federation in 1998 as Babu...
in his final match for the promotion, in which he was jeered with "Mantaur" chants from the always-vocal ECW audience. Hallick then briefly returned to the Catch Wrestling Association
Catch Wrestling Association
The Catch Wrestling Association was a professional wrestling organization based in Austria and Germany and was founded in 1973. It was formerly run by famous AWA champion Otto Wanz. The CWA featured a traditional brand of mat wrestling mixed with various “Strong Man” competitions...
as Terminator Mastino.
Return to the WWF (1996)
In 1996, Hallick returned to the WWF playing the role of Goldust's unnamed bodyguard. He appeared with Goldust at In Your House 7In Your House 7: Good Friends, Better Enemies
In Your House 7: Good Friends, Better Enemies was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation that took place on April 28, 1996 and emanated from the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska....
in his corner for his match against the Ultimate Warrior
Warrior (wrestler)
Also see Warrior .Warrior is an American retired professional wrestler who notably performed under the ring names The Ultimate Warrior and Warrior...
. After Goldust lost, Hallick attacked Warrior but was overpowered and subsequently body slammed.
United States Wrestling Association (1997)
Hallick then worked in the United States Wrestling AssociationUnited States Wrestling Association
The United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded by former CWA owner Jerry Jarrett.-Foundation:...
as Tank, a member of The Truth Commission
The Truth Commission
The Truth Commission was a professional wrestling heel stable in the World Wrestling Federation and the United States Wrestling Association. Their gimmick was that they were a paramilitary group from South Africa, a take on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.The Truth Commission debuted in the...
. He won the Unified World Heavyweight Championship
USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship
The USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship formed in 1988, which consisted of the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship from World Class Championship Wrestling and the AWA World Heavyweight Championship from the American Wrestling...
, his first and only wrestling title, on March 15, 1997 after defeating then-champion Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
. He lost the belt back to Lawler in a rematch seven days later. Later that spring, Tank was involved in a controversy surrounding the World Tag Team Championship. While The Interrogator
Robert Maillet
Robert Maillet is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He is known for his tenure in the World Wrestling Federation, as a member of the Truth Commission and the Oddities, wrestling under the name Kurrgan....
and Recon
Barry Buchanan
Barry Buchanan is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances as Bull Buchanan and B-2 in the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment.-National Championship Wrestling :...
(Tank's teammates in The Truth Commission) held the title, Tank substituted for Interrogator in one match and his team lost the title to Nick Dinsmore
Nick Dinsmore
Nicholas "Nick" Dinsmore , better known by his ring names Eugene and U-Gene, is an American professional wrestler...
and Flash Flanagan. The title change was declared invalid, however, as Tank was not one of the official holders of the World Tag Team Title.
Return to the CWA and the independent circuit (1998, 2000–2001, 2005)
Hallick returned to the CWA in September 1998, again as Bruiser Mastino, where he formed a tag team with his cousinCousin
In kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares one or more common ancestors. The term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's immediate family where there is a more specific term . The term "blood relative" can be used synonymously and establishes the existence of...
Cannonball Grizzly
Paul Neu
Paul Neu is an American professional wrestler. He is perhaps best known under the ring name PN News and for his stints in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling...
. He left the promotion before the end of the year. Hallick then took a hiatus before returning to the ring on May 27, 2000 for Independent Wrestling World, as the victorious "one" in a four-on-one handicap match. He wrestled three matches for NWA Germany
National Wrestling Alliance
The 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...
later that year, winning the first against Franz Schumann on September 22, losing the second to Ulf Herman
Ulf Herman
Ulf Nadrowski is a German professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ulf Herman. He is best known for his appearances in Extreme Championship Wrestling between 1998-1999 where he would join with the Full Blooded Italians faction...
September 23, and losing the third to Shumann on December 2. He also competed in the European Wresting Promotion (EWP), defeating Christian Eckstein on November 25. Hallick returned to the EWP on May 18, 2001, winning a triple threat match against Eric Schwarz and Martin Nolte. The next day, he defeated Big Tiger Steele. After another hiatus, Hallick returned to Germany to compete for the Riotgas Wrestling Alliance on June 3, 2005, winning a battle royal
Battle royal
Battle royal traditionally refers to a fight involving three or more combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing. In recent times the term has been used in a more general sense to refer to any fight involving large numbers of people that are not organized into factions...
. That same day, he lost to his cousin, Cannonball Grizzly
Paul Neu
Paul Neu is an American professional wrestler. He is perhaps best known under the ring name PN News and for his stints in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling...
, in a match for the vacant International Championship. This turned out to be his last professional wrestling match.
Retirement
After his stint in the USWA, Hallick booked small wrestling shows for a brief time, in addition to wrestling, before retiring altogether, and beginning work as a repo manRepossession
Repossession is generally used to refer to a financial institution taking back an object that was either used as collateral or rented or leased in a transaction. Repossession is a "self-help" type of action in which the party having right of ownership of the property in question takes the property...
in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Body avalanche (Independent circuitIndependent circuitIn professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
) / Stampede (WWFWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld 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...
)
- Body avalanche (Independent circuit
- Signature moves
- Falling powerslam
- Side belly to belly suplex
- ManagerManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- Jim CornetteJim CornetteJames Mark "Jim" Cornette is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation and from 1991 to 1995, was the owner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling...
- Jim Cornette
- 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...
- "James Brown Is Dead" by L.A. StyleL.A. StyleL.A. Style was a Dutch electronic dance music duo, founded and produced by radio host Wessel van Diepen, who also created Nakatomi and the very successful Vengaboys, also produced by Fonny de Wulf, Michiel van der Kuiy [aka Denzil Slamming] & FX.The group was fronted by Rapper/Singer/Songwriter &...
(CWA)
- "James Brown Is Dead" by L.A. Style
Championships and accomplishments
- 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 #235 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1995
- United States Wrestling AssociationUnited States Wrestling AssociationThe United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded by former CWA owner Jerry Jarrett.-Foundation:...
- USWA Unified World Heavyweight ChampionshipUSWA Unified World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship formed in 1988, which consisted of the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship from World Class Championship Wrestling and the AWA World Heavyweight Championship from the American Wrestling...
(1 time)
- USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship