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John Michael Watson (born June 4, 1973) is a semi-retired American {{Professional Wrestl|ing}}er and trainer from Buffalo, [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkState NY]] best known for his work in Wrestling/{{ECW}} as '''Mikey Whipwreck.''' He started his career in 1994 as part of the ring crew before being noticed by Wrestling/PaulHeyman. Due to his small stature (5'9, 187 lbs.), he looked like someone who would never make it, and, according to Wrestling/MickFoley's autobiography ''Have a Nice Day,'' his trainer, Sonny Blaze, refused to take Watson's money and trained him for free ''because'' he thought he would never make it. Paul named him "Mikey Whipwreck" and gave him an [=Underdog=] gimmick/character, with Mikey getting clobbered in his first several matches. To everyone's shock, he defeated Pitbull #1 for his first of two [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-tv.html NWA ECW Television/ECW World Television Titles]]. Whereas most wrestlers would sound confident on the mic, especially after having won their first title, Mikey came off as ''terrified.'' He would go on to replace Wrestling/TerryFunk as [[Wrestling/MickFoley Cactus Jack]]'s tag team partner on August 27th when they defeated [[Wrestling/{{TPE}} the Public Enemy]] for the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-t.html NWA ECW Tag Team Titles]], which would shortly after be renamed the ECW World Tag Team Titles, as that was the same night that Wrestling/ShaneDouglas won the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/nwa/world/nwa-h.html NWA World Heavyweight Title]] and threw it down and declared himself to be the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-h.html ECW World Heavyweight Champion]]. Mikey would eventually go on to defeat [[Wrestling/JimFullington the Sandman]] for the ECW World Heavyweight Title in October 1995, [[Wrestling/TooColdScorpio 2 Cold Scorpio]] for the TV AND Tag Team Titles in December at ''ECW Holiday Hell'' and he and Wrestling/YoshihiroTajiri would hold the ECW World Tag Team Titles for one day in August 2000. He also had a brief run in Wrestling/{{WCW}} in mid-1999 and would go on to compete for several independent promotions primarily in the Northeast/New England area. While in ECW, he and [[Wrestling/{{Tazz}} Taz]] were the main trainers at ECW's House of Hardcore wrestling school. Post-ECW, among the wrestlers he helped train were Wrestling/ZackRyder, Wrestling/JayLethal, and the Spanish Announce Team (Jose and Joel Maximo and the Amazing Red.) In 1994 he won the ''[[Wrestling/TheWrestlingObserverNewsletter Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]'''s "Rookie of the Year" Award.

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!! "[=Tropersnapper=]":

* AffectionateParody[=/=]ShoutOut: Once during a promo with Cactus Jack, he wore a T-shirt with a picture of Barney Rubble on a motorcycle with the slogan "[[WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones Rubble]] [[Film/RebelWithoutACause Without A Cause!]]"
* ArchEnemy: The Sandman, the Public Enemy, Jason, Justin Credible, the FBI, Wrestling/{{Sabu}} (in Wrestling/{{MLW}})
* BashBrothers: Paul Lauria, Cactus Jack, Wrestling/HackMeyers, Wrestling/TommyDreamer, [[Wrestling/TheDudleyBoys Little Spike Dudley]], Yoshihiro Tajiri, Wrestling/ChristopherDaniels, Wrestling/JerryLynn.
* BerserkButton: Once during a promo in MLW, [[Wrestling/JamesMitchell the Sinister Minister]] was talking while Mikey was playing with a big rubber dinosaur when Los Maximos walked into the room. Mikey's reaction even left ''the Sinister Minister'' [[EvenEvilHasStandards a little surprised and unnerved]].
-->'''MIKEY''': "How many times have I told you, in the name of all that is decent and holy, never to interrupt me during happy time?"
* TheCameo: At ''[[Wrestling/ImpactWrestling TNA]] #82'', The Gathering (Wrestling/CMPunk and Julio Dinero) (w/Father James Mitchell [the Sinister Minister]) d. Mikey and the Sandman.
* DistractedByTheSexy: The October 16 (taped October 10), 1998 episode of ''ECW Hardcore TV'' featured a match between Wrestling/ChrisCandido (w[=/=]Wrestling/TammyLynnSytch) vs. Jerry Lynn. Before the match, Mikey walked down to the ring to confront Lynn, as they had been rivals at the time. However, he saw Tammy, and, at least momentarily, lost his focus, though Candido covered up her cleavage, saying, "Oh wow are you hot, you're even hotter in person than you are on TV."
* {{Expy}}: Paul Heyman created the Mikey character as one of "The Wrestling School Dropout" Jim Mulkey from Tony Rumble's ICW/IWCCW promotion in New England in the early 1990s.
** Mikey later gained one himself in Colin Delaney in WWECW.
* FinishingMove: Frankenmikey, Whippersnapper (Stunner)
** While teaming with Tajiri, they would use a double-team brainbuster.
* FragileSpeedster: Early on, and running was ''all'' he was good at, not being able to get ''any'' offensive maneuvers. He got better with experience.
* GondorCallsForAid: Enlisted Wrestling/{{Sabu}} as a partner for a match against Wrestling/TheEliminators in 1996.
* HeelFaceTurn: He was responsible for training most of Special K and lead, and assisted them in battle. He also ended up turning on the group for, well, ''[[DrugsAreBad becoming Special K.]]''
* ImprovFu: Joke wrestler Mikey Whipwreck stumbled into winning, all the way to the World Championship.
* LaughingMad: After he joined forces with the Sinister Minister
* TheMentor: After ECW closed, he went into semi-retirement and began training new wrestlers. His students include Wrestling/JayLethal, Wrestling/ZackRyder, and Trent Baretta, among others.
* PlayingWithFire: Once on ''ECW on TNN'', he lit a ringside table on fire while laughing insanely about it.
** He also tried using it against Sabu in MLW in 2003, but Bill Alfonso doused it with water.
* PowerStable:
** (in Wrestling/RingOfHonor): Special K
** (in USA Pro) [[Wrestling/{{Raven}} Raven's Flock]]
** (in New York Wrestling Connection): The Black Circle, Order of the Black
* RedBaron: "The Unholy Altar Boy"
%%* TheRival: Jerry Lynn
* TagTeam: The Young Dragons, with Paul Lauria
* TookALevelInBadass: '''BIG TIME.''' Started when he and Cactus Jack defeated [[Wrestling/{{TPE}} the Public Enemy]] for the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-t.html ECW World Tag Team Titles]], and reached its pinnacle when he defeated the Sandman for the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ecw/ecw-h.html ECW World Heavyweight Title]] on the October 18, 1995 show. He even defeated '''[[Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin STEVE AUSTIN]]''' at ''ECW November to Remember 95'', their biggest show of the year.