Cody Michaels

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Cody Michaels
Ring name(s) Cody Michaels
Born Pittsburgh, PA.
Resides Pittsburgh, PA.
Billed from Pittsburgh, PA
Trained by Dominic DeNucci
Debut 1986

Cody Michaels (real name Mark Keenan) has an extensive background in professional wrestling both as an in-ring performer and also behind the scenes as a booker, promoter, and creator.[1]

Early career

He was trained by Dominic DeNucci in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, alongside friends Mick Foley, Shane Douglas and Mark Curtis (Brian Hildebrand). He played college football prior to entering the ring. Douglas and Michaels were former college roommates.

Career

Michaels has worked in-ring beginning in 1986 for promotions such as United States Wrestling Association (USWA), World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), and American Wrestling Association (AWA). He is credited with developing and expanding the ECW territory and fan base with the development of many major cities in the East, such as Pittsburgh and Cleveland. ECW also ran its most productive pay-per-view in Pittsburgh, November to Remember, under the guidance of Michaels and Douglas, which drew a live audience estimated at close to 5000 and a live gate of $100,000.00, both records for the promotion at the time. Michaels was also a driving force and partner in ECW's 2005 reunion tour known as Hardcore Homecoming, which drew a record crowd in Philadelphia and was a best seller in the DVD market.

Cody developed and promoted a benefit in 1999, Curtis Goes Home, for friend Brian Hildebrand, aka Mark Curtis (WCW referee), who was battling end stage stomach cancer at the time. It brought together the major companies at the time, WWE, WCW, ECW, in support for Hildebrand. The major stars that worked and provided support that night included Mick Foley, Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Shane Douglas, Bruno Sammartino, Dominic DeNucci, Terry Taylor, D'Lo Brown, Al Snow, Hugh Morris, Les Thatcher, Billy Kidman, Chris Candido, and many others.

During his in ring career, his various tag team partners included Jeff Jarrett (USWA Tag Team Champions),[2] Shane Douglas, Mick Foley, Jerry Lynn, Superstar Bill Dundee, and Dominic DeNucci himself. His most notable opponents included Steve Austin, Eddie Gilbert, Mick Foley, The Iron Sheik, and Shane Douglas. He previously worked in a Tag Team known as The Heartbreakers, with Dick Flanagan, in the late 1980s that was managed by "Captain" Lou Albano for a time.

Injury

He was seriously injured in a match against John Tatum at The Sportatorium in Dallas, Texas, in March 1991. He sustained a broken neck which eventually led to the end of his in-ring career.

2006 to Current

Cody continued his involvement in the industry as an Associate Producer, booker, writer, and creative team member in Viacom/MTV's Wrestling Society X. Wrestling Society X (WSX) was a short-lived professional wrestling-based television series produced in 2006, and airing in 2006-2007, by Big Vision Entertainment for MTV. The weekly television series formerly aired on MTV, MTV2, MTV Tr3s, and over a dozen other MTV outlets throughout the world. Cody was a producer of the UCFC MMA live event, Rumble on the Rivers in June 2009 at the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. That event was the first ever MMA live event in Pittsburgh since the state approved MMA in Pennsylvania. Michaels has also worked as a producer for various XPW productions including the "Cold Day in Hell" national DVD release and is listed on the advisory board for Masked Republic, which is the first integrated live event, merchandising and media organization in the United States specializing in the emerging growth market of lucha libre (Mexican wrestling).

He has also worked as a producer/agent for the Urban Wrestling Federation live events and national PPV releases in 2011. Michaels continues to write and develop content for various entertainment production companies in the United States. Michaels is one of the owners/producers/bookers, along with Shane Douglas, Kevin Kleinrock, Steve ONeill, and Mike ONeill, for Extreme Reunion and Extreme Rising promotions. The promotion initially focused on an ECW reunion show in Philadelphia, which was a sold out event, drawing over 2000 fans, at the National Guard Armory. The promotion continued to run live events in Philadelphia, New York City, and Pittsburgh through 2012-2013. Cody can be seen in the 2013 documentary Barbed Wire City, which is a DVD released documentary about the history of Extreme Championship Wrestling, some of the wrestlers, and it's fan base through the years. Michaels performed the role of "Troy" in Pro Wrestlers versus Zombies, a 2013 film by Cody Knotts and also starring Roddy Piper, Shane Douglas, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Matt Hardy, and Kurt Angle.

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

  • Steel City Wrestling
    • SCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[3]
  • Other titles
    • ASWA Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.mr-perfect.com/news/igoe_remembers.html Mr Perfect
  2. ↑ http://wrestling.johnny-o.net/bios/?id=1210&sortby=2 Johnny O
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 
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