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1[[quoteright:193:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mikebucciasnova_9484.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:193:Nova, the man who ''[[Memes/ProfessionalWrestling INVENTED]]'' TV Tropes!]]
3
4Michael Bucci, (born June 5, 1972 in Tom's River, UsefulNotes/NewJersey), is an American retired [[ProfessionalWrestling professional wrestler]] best known for his work in Wrestling/{{ECW}} from 1996-2001 as Super Nova and, later, as Nova. He started out with a {{Superhero}} gimmick, but shed it in late 1998-early 1999 after his tag team partner Wrestling/TheBlueMeanie left for Wrestling/{{WWE}}. He made his [=PPV=] in-ring debut at ''ECW [=Wrestlepalooza=] 98,'' teaming with the Meanie in a win over the Full-Blooded Italians (Tracy Smothers and Wrestling/LittleGuidoMaritato, w[=/=]Tommy Rich). After ECW died, he bounced around the indies for a year before arriving in WWE's developmental promotion Ohio Valley Wrestling. On May 15, 2002, he defeated [[Wrestling/JohnCena The Prototype (John Cena)]] for the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ky/ovw/ovw-h.html OVW Heavyweight Title]]. He also held the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ky/ovw/ovw-t.html OVW Southern Tag Team Titles]] with [[Wrestling/DamienSandow Aaron Stevens]]. He also had a run as the booker for OVW. He got called up to ''[[Wrestling/{{WWERaw}} Raw]]'' in mid-2004 under a new [[TheGimmick gimmick]] of an [[WrestlingDoesntPay evil informercial fitness guru]] named Simon Dean. He mostly [[{{Jobber}} jobbed]] a lot in this gimmick, including being the first TV victim for both [[Wrestling/{{Boogeyman}} the Boogeyman]] AND for Wrestling/BobbyLashley. He later had an offscreen run as the head of WWE's developmental program in OVW, which, he claims, soured him on the business.
5
6Not to be confused with ''Film/{{Supernova}}'' or the various possible examples for {{Nova}}.
7----
8!! "Nova Invented Tropes!":
9* EightiesHair: Wore a mullet early on as Super Nova.
10* AffectionateParody: At ''ECW The Doctor Is In,'' August 3, 1996, JT Smith opened the show by introducing "Music/{{KISS}}!" "Rock And Roll All Nite" played as Wrestling/StevieRichards (as "Stevie Stanley"), the Blue Meanie ("Meanie Simmons"), Nova ("Nova Frehley") and Donn E. Allen ("Donn E. Criss") came out to the ring. They played fake guitars, with Meanie spitting red mist instead of fake blood, and did the Fargo Strut until the Sandman, who was feuding with Wrestling/{{Raven}} at the time and would be challenging him for the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-h.html ECW World Heavyweight Title]] later that night, ran in and caned all four guys, singing "I wanna cane your ass all night, and party every day!"
11* AlterEgoActing: Switched back to Hollywood Nova for a BWO reunion at ''ECW One Night Stand 2005'' and for their subsequent issues with Wrestling/JohnBradshawLayfield and the [=Mexicools=], with WWE, at least, making no effort to acknowledge the two gimmicks as the same person. However, when Wrestling/BallsMahoney and Axl Rotten hit Nova with double chair shots at ''One Night Stand'', Wrestling/JoeyStyles said, "That was more painful than having to be Simon Dean on national TV. ''({{Beat}})'' Yeah, I'm fired, I know. Lasted a night."
12* ArchEnemy: As a member of Raven's Nest, Wrestling/TommyDreamer and [[Wrestling/JimFullington the Sandman]]. As solo or with the Blue Meanie, the FBI (Smothers/Guido/Tommy Rich, etc.) and the team of Danny Doring and Roadkill.
13* AscendedExtra: Did some TV jobs under his own name for WWE in 1993.
14** Also, his original role in Raven's Nest was as basically a lackey to the Blue Meanie, who was under Stevie Richards who was under Raven. Ironically, when Meanie and him went as an inependent team, Nova would act as a superhero and Meanie as his BumblingSidekick.
15* BadassCape: As Super Nova. He was a {{Superhero}}, what else would you expect?
16* BashBrothers
17** With the Blue Meanie, Stevie Richards, Chris Chetti, [[Wrestling/CarleneMoore Jazz]] in ECW. Among them, Meanie was the most consistent, followed close by Chetti.
18** With Frankie Kazarian and [[Wrestling/DamienSandow Aaron The Idol Stevens]] in OVW.
19* BigDamnHeroes: On the September 9 (taped August 29), 1998 episode of ''ECW Hardcore TV'', Tommy Dreamer was in a gauntlet match against Lance Wright's[[note]]Former host of the "Hype Central" segments who had become part of the pro-WWF side in 1997-1998 before that feud faded out[[/note]] stable of "Dastardly" Danny Doring, Jack Victory, "The Canadian Tiger" Mike Lozansky and the Equalizer[[note]]Not the same guy who had been Wrestling/KevinSullivan's [[{{Kayfabe}} dyslexic]] [[UnrelatedBrothers "brother"]] Dave Sullivan in Wrestling/{{WCW}}.[[/note]], with the intention of getting revenge for Wrestling/NewJack, who Victory had put out of action with a ripped groin. Dreamer was fighting against all four guys as best he could until it became obvious that he was outnumbered. With Dreamer down, Doring got on the mic and talked about how he's the best looking guy in the locker room, the most hardcore and the best dancer, and decided to prove it by dancing, with his theme, Music/SoulCoughing's "Super Bon Bon" playing. Then "Let Me Clear My Throat" by DJ Kool hit, and Super Nova ran out with a STOP sign followed by the Blue Meanie with a garbage can full of weapons. Wrestling/JoeyStyles called them, "Blue Jack and [=Novastafa=]!" Meanie and Nova emptied out the weapons, which included a tennis racket, a chair, a '''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica shield''' and more. Dreamer [[FinishingMove DDT'd]] Victory on the shield, and found among the weapons a '''bowling ball bag'''. He placed the shield on Victory's groin and dropped the bowling ball bag ''there'' for the pin. After the match, Meanie and Nova dragged Wright into the ring and set him up in the corner with his legs spread. Dreamer then debuted the bowling ball to the groin spot that Wrestling/AlSnow would later use in WWE, with Joey saying, "[=Steerike!=]" Dreamer's music, Music/AliceInChains' "Man in the Box" as he, Meanie and Nova did New Jack's [[UsefulNotes/MalcolmX "X" sign]], before "Let Me Clear My Throat" came back on and Dreamer, after a brief moment of reluctance, danced in the ring alongside Meanie and Nova.
20* UsefulNotes/{{California}}: Billed from the Silicon Valley in ECW.
21* ChestInsignia: Check the page photo.
22* ChurchOfHappyology: The trio of Simon Dean and the Gymini were referred to at times as the "Church of [=Simonology=]." Simon Dean himself was billed from [=Clearwater=], UsefulNotes/{{Florida}}, where the real organization has its headquarters.
23* CombinationAttack:
24** With the Blue Meanie, their tag team finisher was the Blue Light Special, in which Meanie lifted the opponent in a wheelbarrow for a DDT by Nova. Also, among their abundant team moves, they occasionally used a devastating combination of Meaniesault by Meanie and frog splash by Nova.
25** With Chris Chetti, they would use the Tidal Wave, a double diving elbow drop from the same turnbuckle, or alternatively a old school combination of diving leg drop and diving splash.
26** With Frankie Kazarian, they used the Spanish fly. They also had the EZ Splash, a version of the mentioned Tidal Wave.
27* ADayInTheLimelight: His trio with the Gymini was pushed as a genuinely powerful stable, even taking out Wrestling/LondonAndKendrick on their first matches, but after a time, the twins disappeared and Dean was left again as a ButtMonkey.
28* {{Expy}}: The Simon Dean gimmick drew comparisons to the [=Bodydonnas=]', ([[Wrestling/ChrisCandido Skip]] and [[Wrestling/TammyLynnSytch Sunny]]), evil fitness trainer gimmick.
29* FacialMarkings: He used to have star-shaped blue facepaint over his eye as Super Nova.
30* FinishingMove:
31** As Super Nova, the Novacaine (Reverse STO, aka Wrestling/{{Kanyon}}'s "Flatliner" or Wrestling/{{Edge|Wrestler}}'s "The Downward Spiral"), the [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Kryptonite Krunch]]. In the independent circuit, he also used a head and arm moonsault slam.
32** As Simon Dean, Simonizer ([[Wrestling/DragonGate Masato Yoshino]]'s "Lightning Spiral") and the STF. In OVW, he used the Curb Stomp, which was pulling back on his opponent's arms in a surfboard position followed by stomping on his head.
33* GondorCallsForAid: With Wrestling/TheOneManGang beating up on partner Chris Chetti during their match with the FBI (Tracy Smothers and Little Guido Maritato, w[=/=]Tommy Rich) on the December 10 (taped December 5), 1998 ''ECW Hardcore TV'', Nova ran to the back and returned with "The Innovator of Violence" Tommy Dreamer! Dreamer actually managed to slam the One Man Gang on his ''first try''. The FBI still won the match, but the thought was there.
34* GroinAttack: His [[ThingOMatic Sledge-O-Matic]], a release powerbomb followed by an elbow to his opponent's groin.
35* HoistByHisOwnPetard:
36** During his match with [[Wrestling/NickDinsmore Eugene]] on the "Wrestling/EddieGuerrero Tribute" episode of ''Raw,'' November 14, 2005, he was pulling on his power bands in the corner when they backfired and catapulted him face-first into the turnbuckles, leading to Eugene hitting a [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson Rock Bottom]] for the pin.
37** He gave Batista a sample of his Simon system products to show how well they worked. Unfortunately, Batista was his opponent for the night.
38* {{Hypocrite}}: Wrestling/JoeyStyles suggested that Dean was this for riding his "Dean Machine" scooter to the ring for the above match.
39-->"It's disgusting, he's a fitness guru. Walk the 25 feet to the ring."
40* IfItTastesBadItMustBeGoodForYou: His Simon Dean branded protein bars that his character shilled and challenged people to eat were apparently very unappetizing in Kayfabe.
41* {{Jerkass}}: The original Simon Dean vignettes had him insulting people [[YouAreFat because they were fat]], and recommending that they use his "Simon System" products.
42* LoserLeavesTown: Defeated the [[FaceHeelTurn heel-turned]] Chris Chetti in one of these.
43* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: The Simon Dean gimmick was based partly on RealLife fitness guru Jack [=LaLanne=].
44* OneHitKill: As Joey Styles said during the Meanie/Nova-FBI match at ''[=WrestlePalooza=] 98'':
45-->"[=Novacaine=], one hit, you feel nothing."
46* PowerStable: Wrestling/RavensNest and Blue World Order.
47* ProductPlacement: InUniverse, as Simon Dean was introduced as one of ''Raw'''s new sponsors.
48* RealMenWearPink: He wore purple and, who was supposedly using his Simon system, Maven wore pink and also purple.
49* ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: Was a booker for OVW.
50* {{Superhero}}: His original gimmick.
51* SuperTeam: His late team with Blue Meanie echoed the old pulp superheroes from UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks. Considering that, their enmity with the Italian mafia team F.B.I. was natural.
52* TagTeam:
53** With the Blue Meanie
54** The Evolution, with Frankie Kazarian.
55** Adrenaline, with Chris Cage (Christopher "Caylen Croft" Pavone, [[OneSteveLimit not to be confused with]] [[Wrestling/{{Christian}} a more famous wrestler with a similar name.]])
56** Heroes of Hardcore, with the Hardcore Kidd (Aaron "Jesus" Aguilera) in Ultimate Pro Wrestling in California.
57** Jersey Shore Crew, with [[Wrestling/DamienSandow Aaron "The Idol" Stevens]].
58** As Simon Dean, he teamed with Maven.
59*** TagTeamTwins: Also as Simon Dean, he managed the Gymini (Jesse and Jake, better known as the Shane Twins, Mike and Todd).
60* TakeThat: Was [[Wrestling/HulkHogan "Hollywood" Nova]] as a member of the [[Wrestling/NewWorldOrder Blue World Order]], with Meanie as [[Wrestling/ScottHall "Da Blue Guy"]] and Richards as [[Wrestling/KevinNash "Big Stevie Cool"]].
61* TomHanksSyndrome: InUniverse: After Meanie left for WWE, cut a promo where he was in a bathroom standing over a sink wiping off his facepaint while looking into a mirror and saying, "I think it's time that I start taking myself a little more seriously."
62* TournamentArc: Came into the finals and won the 2002 Russ Haas memorial cup held by Phoenix Championship Wrestling, with [[Wrestling/TheWorldsGreatestTagTeam Charlie Haas]] as his partner, fittingly enough. [[Wrestling/{{Umaga}} Jamal]] was the one who did most of the work with Charlie prior though.
63* {{Tuckerization}}: The name "Simon Dean" was based on Wrestling/DeanMalenko, whose real name is Dean Simon.
64* UrExample:
65** He was famous by his high-angle senton bomb long before Wrestling/JeffHardy popularized it.
66** The wrestling superhero gimmick, later taken by Wrestling/GregoryHelms, was also first seen in Super Nova.
67** Many wrestling moves, according to Nova himself.
68* WellIntentionedExtremist: Simon Dean may not like you, but he believes in you!
69* WrestlingDoesntPay: As Simon Dean, the wrestling {{Infomercial}} fitness guru. He later teamed up with Maven, who is a wrestling infomercial salesmen in real life.
70* WrestlingFamily: His twin brother Don competed in New Jersey as "Big 80's" Donnie B.

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