For the former National Basketball Association (NBA) player, see Mike Sanders (basketball)Michael Anthony Sanders is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.Sanders was selected by the Kansas City Kings with the 74th overall pick of the 1982 NBA Draft...
.
Michael Edwin Neil Sanders (born July 20, 1969) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stand-up comedian and former
professional wrestlerProfessional 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...
. Sanders is best known for his time in
WCWWorld Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
as
"Above Average" Mike Sanders.
Early life
Prior to entering professional wrestling, Sanders served four years in the
United States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. He also worked for his father's
tow truckA tow truck is a vehicle used to transport motor vehicles to another location , or to recover vehicles which are no longer on a drivable surface.Towing services are generally provided by an emergency road service operator...
business.
World Championship Wrestling (1998–2001)
Sanders trained at the
WCW Power PlantThe WCW Power Plant was a professional wrestling school located in Atlanta, Georgia and owned and operated by World Championship Wrestling. The Power Plant, which was developed from a school operated by Jody Hamilton, was in operation throughout the 1990s...
before debuting in
World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
in 1998. He finally made his official debut as "Above Average" Mike Sanders on the July 19, 2000 edition of
ThunderWCW Thunder was a professional wrestling show produced by World Championship Wrestling which aired on TBS from January 8, 1998 to March 21, 2001...
where he defeated
CrowbarChristopher "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...
.
On the following week's
Thunder, Sanders helped form the
Natural Born ThrillersThe Natural Born Thrillers was a professional wrestling stable in World Championship Wrestling in 2000. The name is a play on the 1994 film Natural Born Killers.-History:...
with
Chuck PalumboCharles "Chuck" Palumbo is an American professional wrestler, currently working for Nu-Wrestling Evolution . Palumbo is best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment...
,
Shawn StasiakDr. Shawn Emile Stipich, DC, is an American chiropractor and former professional wrestler. He is best known under the ring name Shawn Stasiak and for his stints with World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment, where he is a fifteen time Hardcore Champion, and World Championship Wrestling, where he...
,
Sean O'HaireSean Christopher Haire is an American mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Sean O'Haire.-World Championship Wrestling:...
,
Mark JindrakMark Robert Jindrak is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
, and
RenoRichard "Rick" Cornell is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint in World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Reno, where he was a one time Hardcore Champion.-Before wrestling:...
by attacking the
Filthy AnimalsThe Filthy Animals was a professional wrestling faction in World Championship Wrestling from 1999 until 2001.-Concept:The Filthy Animals was a group conceived after Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara were hired by WCW. The plan for the stable was to be WCW's version of the World Wrestling Federation's...
. Sanders would serve as the faction's cocky, arrogant mouthpiece.
On September 27, he was put in charge by
Vince RussoVincent James "Vince" Russo is an American creative writer and author, well known for his work in the professional wrestling industry. He is notable for his tenure with World Wrestling Federation, World Championship Wrestling and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
and went on to win the WCW Cruiserweight Championship on the October 2 edition of
Monday NitroWCW Monday Nitro was a weekly professional wrestling telecast produced by World Championship Wrestling, created by Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff. The show aired Monday nights on TNT, going head-to-head with the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw from September 4, 1995 to March 26, 2001...
. He would eventually lose the Cruiserweight title to
Chavo Guerrero Jr.Salvador "Chavo" Guerrero IV also known as Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero, Jr., is a third generation Mexican-American professional wrestler and member of the famed Guerrero wrestling family who was well known for working with World Wrestling Entertainment and World Championship Wrestling...
on the December 6 edition of
Thunder.
At Halloween Havoc, Sanders defeated
Ernest "The Cat" MillerErnest Clifford Miller is an American actor and former professional wrestler who worked for World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment better known by his ring name, Ernest "The Cat" Miller....
by countout in the 3rd round of a
kickboxingKickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
match to become the new
onscreenIn professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
WCW Commissioner. As Commissioner, Sanders abused his power to the advantage of the Thrillers. However, Ernest Miller became Commissioner again after he defeated Sanders at WCW Sin on January 14, 2001.
From here Sanders became a protege to WCW's onscreen CEO
Ric FlairRichard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
. Sanders also continued his alliance with Reno and working with the Natural Born Thrillers until the group's dissolution in February 2001, after Johnny The Bull reformed the Mamalukes with Big Vito and members
Shawn StasiakDr. Shawn Emile Stipich, DC, is an American chiropractor and former professional wrestler. He is best known under the ring name Shawn Stasiak and for his stints with World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment, where he is a fifteen time Hardcore Champion, and World Championship Wrestling, where he...
and
Mark JindrakMark Robert Jindrak is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
began feuding with
Sean O'HaireSean Christopher Haire is an American mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Sean O'Haire.-World Championship Wrestling:...
and
Chuck PalumboCharles "Chuck" Palumbo is an American professional wrestler, currently working for Nu-Wrestling Evolution . Palumbo is best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment...
over the WCW Tag Team Championship.
Sanders continued wrestling random singles matches until the March 14 episode of
Thunder, where he formed a short lived
tag teamTag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
with
Disco InfernoDisco Inferno is a song by The Trammps.Disco Inferno can also refer to:* Disco Inferno , a 1976 disco album recorded by The Trammps featuring the song* Disco Inferno , a band formed in the late 1980s...
. In their first match together, they were defeated by Hugh Morrus and
KonnanCarlos Santiago Espada Moises , also known as Charles Ashenoff and better known by his ring name, Konnan, is a Cuban professional wrestler and rapper of Puerto Rican descent...
. Sanders' last WCW appearance was on the March 19 edition of
Nitro when and tried assisting Disco in his match against
Jason JettJason Broyles is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint in Extreme Championship Wrestling under the ring name EZ Money...
only for Disco to lose. In late March 2001, the World Wrestling Federation bought out WCW.
World Wrestling Federation (2001–2002)
When WCW was purchased by the
World Wrestling FederationWorld 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...
, Sanders' contract was acquired as part of the deal. However, he only wrestled one dark match on August 6, 2001 before
Monday Night RawWWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
. This was a losing effort to
RenoRichard "Rick" Cornell is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint in World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Reno, where he was a one time Hardcore Champion.-Before wrestling:...
, a fellow member of The Alliance. Sanders was then sent to the
Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
based
Heartland Wrestling AssociationThe Heartland Wrestling Association is a Midwestern independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cincinnati, Ohio. A former developmental territory for both World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation during the 1990s, it was listed as one of the top independent...
, then a WWF developmental territory. There he was a member of Team WCW along with Johnny The Bull, Reno,
Mark JindrakMark Robert Jindrak is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
,
Jason JettJason Broyles is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint in Extreme Championship Wrestling under the ring name EZ Money...
, Lash LaRoux,
Shannon MooreShannon Moore is an American professional wrestler, who is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . He is best known for his work with World Championship Wrestling between 1999 and 2001 and with World Wrestling Entertainment for several years in the 2000s.Moore befriended Matt and Jeff Hardy...
,
Evan KaragiasEvan Karagias is an American professional wrestler and actor. he is a 3 time WSL World Heavyweight Champion-Biography:Karagias's father's family are of Greek origin...
, Kwee Wee,
Elix SkipperElix Skipper is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling, where he was a one-time Cruiserweight Champion and a one-time Cruiserweight Tag Team Champion, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a four-time NWA World Tag Team...
and Jamie Knoble.
Sanders later formed a tag team with
Lance CadeLance Kurtis McNaught was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment where he performed under the ring names Garrison Cade and Lance Cade....
. On February 13, 2002, the duo captured the Tag Team titles by defeating
Val VenisSean Allen Morley is a Canadian professional wrestler better known by his ring name Val Venis, during his time with World Wrestling Federation, later known as World Wrestling Entertainment...
and
Steve BradleySteven Richard Bisson was an American professional wrestler who had competed on North American independent promotions throughout the 1990s including East Coast Wrestling Association, IWA Puerto Rico and the National Wrestling Alliance as well as spending over three years in World Wrestling...
, but the belts were vacated the following week, and Lance Cade and Steve Bradley became the new champions.
In March 2002, Sanders became head
Booker of HWA. Sanders' last bout under his WWF - recently renamed WWE - contract was a dark match before
Raw on June 24, 2002, where he and Jason Sugarman defeated B.J. Payne and Steve Bradley.
Sanders was released from the company on July 19, 2002, along with Jason Jett, Race Steele, Steve Bradley, and Jason Sugarman.
Independent circuit, TNA, and Ring of Glory (2002–present)
Sanders was hired by the
World Wrestling All-StarsThe World Wrestling All-Stars was a professional wrestling promotion founded by Australian concert promoter Andrew McManus in 2001. The promotion was operated by McManus' International Touring Company. WWA was one of several promotions to come into existence shortly after the closings of Extreme...
promotionA professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
on November 28, 2002 and toured
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
as the onscreen commissioner of the promotion.
In January 2003 he joined
Total Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
. He was released in August 2003.
In 2004, Sanders started wrestling for
Georgia Championship WrestlingGeorgia Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta, U.S., superstation WTBS. Though based in Atlanta, the company also ran live wrestling shows throughout its geographic "territory" of Georgia Georgia...
and Universal Championship Wrestling.
Sanders still wrestles occasionally but has not been working a regular schedule. Sanders returned to the ring on February 20, 2005 in
Vince RussoVincent James "Vince" Russo is an American creative writer and author, well known for his work in the professional wrestling industry. He is notable for his tenure with World Wrestling Federation, World Championship Wrestling and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
's Ring of Glory where he and
Disco InfernoGlenn Gilbertti is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling as Disco Inferno. He is also a former road agent for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....
defeated Adam Jacobs and Johnny Swinger.
Sanders' most recent wrestling appearances have been with the Wrestling Alliance of the Rockies (WAR) promotion based out of
Salt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
. On January 22, 2011, he was slated to appear in WAR's Operation Outlaw featuring the
New Age OutlawsThe New Age Outlaws, later known as the James Gang and the Voodoo Kin Mafia, were a professional wrestling tag team in World Wrestling Federation, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , Jersey All Pro Wrestling, and Maryland Championship Wrestling consisting of B.G...
.
Comedy career
After competing for WCW, WWF, and TNA among numerous independent promotions, Sanders retired from professional wrestling and did his first open mic at the
Punchline Comedy ClubThe Punchline is a comedy club first opened in 1982 in Sandy Springs, Georgia.The venue seats 270 people and presents shows five or more nights per week...
in
Sandy Springs, GeorgiaSandy Springs is a city in north Georgia, United States. It is a northern suburb of Atlanta. With a 2010 population of 93,853, Sandy Springs is the sixth-largest city in the state and the second-largest city in Metro Atlanta. Sandy Springs is located in north Fulton County, Georgia, just south of...
. After just a few months in the business, Sanders got his first paying gig at the Orlando Improv, where he is now a regular.
Sanders has performed with such comedians as
Tommy DavidsonTommy Davidson is an American comedian, film and television actor.Born in Washington, D.C., Davidson was adopted when he was 2-years-old. He was a child of an interracial adoption, with his parents being Caucasian and he being African-American. He attended high school at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High...
, Mark Lundholm, Diana Jordan, Craig Robinson, Vinnie Coppola, and many others. He currently performs at clubs and corporate events and gives
motivational speechA motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
es.
Personal life
Sanders and his ex-wife DeLana have two children, son Kenny and daughter Alexis. Mike and his second wife Mandy were married in 2004, have two dogs and reside in Atlanta, GA.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- 3.0 (Inverted headlock backbreaker)
- Signature moves
- End Result (Hammerlock shoulder jawbreaker)
- Kneeling inverted sharpshooter
The Sharpshooter, originally named Sasori-gatame, Scorpion Hold in English, is a professional wrestling submission hold. The move is also known by several other names: cloverleaf leg-lace Boston crab, standing reverse figure-four leglock, and, the most commonly known alternative, Scorpion Deathlock...
- Military press slam
- Pumphandle suplex
- Standing moonsault off of the ring apron onto a standing opponent outside of the ring
- Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s
Championships and accomplishments
- Big Time Wrestling (California)
- BTW United States Championship (1 time)
- Heartland Wrestling Association
The Heartland Wrestling Association is a Midwestern independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cincinnati, Ohio. A former developmental territory for both World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation during the 1990s, it was listed as one of the top independent...
- HWA Tag Team Championship
The HWA Tag Team Championship is the tag team titles contested for in the Heartland Wrestling Association. It was established in 1996 when the Head Bangers became the first champions.-Title history:...
(1 time) – with Lance CadeLance Kurtis McNaught was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment where he performed under the ring names Garrison Cade and Lance Cade....
- Southern Championship Wrestling
- SCW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Universal Championship Wrestling
- UCW American Jr. Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
- WCW Cruiserweight Championship
The World Wrestling Entertainment Cruiserweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and was originally a World Championship Wrestling title. It was challenged by cruiserweights at a maximum weight of 215 lbs...
(1 time)
External links