Michael Majalahti

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Majalahti
Birth name Michael Majalahti[1]
Ring name(s) Michael Wildside[2]
Natural[2]
StarBuck[1]
Billed height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[3][4]
Billed weight 102 kg (225 lb)[3][4]
Born (1973-04-24) April 24, 1973[2]
Timmins, Ontario, Canada[1]
Resides Espoo, Finland[3]
Trained by Lance Storm[3]
Karl Moffat[3]
Debut January 7, 1994[3]
Website starbuck.fi

Michael Majalahti[1] (born April 24, 1973)[2] is a Canadian-Finnish professional wrestler, singer and artist, better known by the stage name "The Canadian Rebel" StarBuck. His bands include Stoner Kings, Overnight Sensation and Crossfyre. Majalahti also works as a play-by-play commentator for the Finnish broadcasts of WWE programming on Eurosport.[5]

A pioneer in Finnish professional wrestling and the head trainer of his home promotion, Fight Club Finland (FCF), Majalahti has trained talent all across the Nordic countries and has won several championships across Europe. In 2010, Majalahti became a main eventer in Japanese promotion Smash, leading FCF's invasion of the promotion and feuding with the promotion's public face, Tajiri, for the Finnish Heavyweight Championship.[6] Having worked several main events and scoring major victories over Japanese legends, he finished with a win–loss record of 15–5 in the promotion.[6][7][8] In October 2011, StarBuck defeated Tajiri in the finals of a tournament to become the first ever Smash Champion.[9] Afterwards, StarBuck continued working in Tajiri's new Wrestling New Classic (WNC) promotion.

Early life

Majalahti was born to Finnish parents in Timmins, Ontario, Canada on April 24, 1973.[1][2] Growing up as a fan of professional wrestling, Majalahti moved to Calgary in 1992 to pursue art college, before he started working for local wrestling promotion Rocky Mountain Pro Wrestling as a ring announcer and play-by-play commentator.[1] Majalahti became friends with future WWE wrestlers Edge, Christian, Chris Jericho and Lance Storm, who, after seeing the potential in him, agreed to become his trainer.[1]

Professional wrestling career

Europe

Majalahti, adopting the ring name StarBuck, made his professional wrestling debut on January 7, 1994, facing his trainer Lance Storm.[1] In 1996, Majalahti moved to Finland due to Canada's economic recession and quickly made himself a name on the Nordic professional wrestling scene, becoming a pioneer of professional wrestling in Finland, working and training talent for the first Finnish professional wrestling promotion, Valhalla Pro Wrestling, which went bankrupt in 2004. VPW was followed by Pro Wrestling Finlandia, which was in 2006 replaced by Fight Club Finland (FCF).[1] Throughout his years in the business, Majalahti has wrestled in countries such as Egypt, United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, United States, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Italy, France, among others,[1][3] and has had a hand in training wrestling talent all across Scandinavia since 2003.[2] Wrestling on the European independent circuit, he has won the Italian Heavyweight Championship (IWS), the Italian Intercontinental Championship (IWS), the Finnish Wrestling Championship (PWF and FCF), the British Wrestling Alliance Catchweight Championship (BWA), the TopCatch European Heavyweight Championship (TopCatch/VDB), and the European Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (WS).[1]

Smash

StarBuck after a match.

StarBuck made his debut for Yoshihiro Tajiri's new Smash promotion on May 29, 2010, at Smash.3, appearing in a video to start an invasion storyline involving wrestlers from Fight Club Finland.[10] After several more videos and a match, where FCF wrestler Valentine lost the Finnish Heavyweight Championship to Tajiri, StarBuck announced that he was going come to Japan in person to reclaim his promotion's title.[11] StarBuck made his Smash wrestling debut on July 24 at Smash.5, squashing Hajime Ohara, winning the match by pinning him with one finger after a spike piledriver, finally achieving his dream of working in Japan in the process.[1][12] Later that same day on Smash.6, StarBuck defeated Tajiri in the main event in similar manner to regain the Finnish Heavyweight Championship, his fourth time winning the title.[13] After the match, Hajime Ohara turned on Tajiri and joined StarBuck's group of FCF wrestlers.[14] After successfully defending the title against Akira on September 24 at Smash.8, StarBuck lost the Finnish Heavyweight Championship back to Tajiri on November 22 at Smash.10, after which he was attacked by the debuting Austrian wrestler Michael Kovac, who announced his intention of taking over Smash.[15][16] On January 29, 2011, at Smash.12, Kovac defeated StarBuck in a grudge match and used the momentum to capture the Finnish Heavyweight Championship from Tajiri later that same day on Smash.13.[17][18] Meanwhile, StarBuck went on a win streak, scoring pinfall victories over Super Crazy,[19] Tajiri on two more occasions,[20][21] Takao Ōmori,[22] Yoshiaki Yago,[23] Leatherface[24] and Shinya Ishikawa.[25]

After Tajiri agreed to let an FCF representative participate in the tournament to determine the first ever Smash Champion, StarBuck won an eight man tournament in FCF in July to the second round of the Smash Championship tournament.[26] StarBuck returned to Japan on August 11 at Smash.20, defeating Genichiro Tenryu, who had upset Michael Kovac in his opening round match, to advance to the semifinals of the tournament.[27] On September 8 at Smash.21, StarBuck defeated the Mexican Veneno in the semifinals to set up a grudge match with Tajiri in the finals of the tournament.[28] On October 28 at Smash.22, StarBuck defeated Tajiri with his signature spike piledriver to become the first ever Smash Champion.[29] After the match, both competitors were attacked by the returning Michael Kovac, who had previously in the event revealed former WWE wrestler Dave Finlay as his new associate and now revealed that he was coming to Smash for the Smash Championship, before he was chased out of the ring by Hajime Ohara and Akira. The event seemingly brought StarBuck and Tajiri together to fight a common enemy, with StarBuck declaring war on Finlay, his first challenger for the Smash Championship.[30][31] On November 23, StarBuck represented Smash in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), when he teamed with Tajiri and Akira to defeat BUSHI, Keiji Mutoh and Shuji Kondo in a six man tag team match, pinning BUSHI for the win.[32] The following day at Smash.23, StarBuck lost the Smash Championship to Finlay in his third defense (the first two having taken place in Finland and Norway).[33] StarBuck returned to Smash on February 19, 2012, at Smash.25, teaming with Jessica Love and Hajime Ohara in a six person tag team match, where they were defeated by the Pro Wrestling Zero1 trio of Ikuto Hidaka, Masato Tanaka and Shinjiro Otani.[34] On March 14 at Smash.Final, StarBuck competed in Smash's final match, before the promotion closed its doors, where he and Ohara were defeated by Akira and Tajiri.[35]

Wrestling New Classic

On July 15, 2012, StarBuck made his debut for Smash's follow-up promotion Wrestling New Classic (WNC) in Korakuen Hall, teaming with Hajime Ohara in a tag team match, where they were defeated by Naomichi Marufuji and Tajiri, with Marufuji pinning Ohara, who was still without wins in WNC.[36] Following the match, StarBuck attacked Ohara, hit him with a spike piledriver and then walked out on him. In a backstage interview, StarBuck officially ended his partnership with Ohara, deeming him a loser, and announced a new partnership with Akira, who had turned on Tajiri and the WNC Seikigun the previous month.[37] The two were also joined by Syuri, with all three feeling disgruntled by the supposed changes that had taken place since the transition from Smash.[38] The following day in Osaka, StarBuck main evented his first WNC event, defeating Hajime Ohara.[39] StarBuck, Akira and Syuri wrestled their first match as a unit on August 2, defeating Hajime Ohara, Kana and Tajiri in a six person tag team main event.[40] The trio continued their winning ways during the following two days by first defeating the trio of Kana, Tajiri and Yusuke Kodama in a main event in Osaka and then the trio of Hanzo, Kana and Seiki in a semi-main event in Hiroshima.[41][42] StarBuck returned to singles action on August 6, losing to Tajiri in the main event.[43] On August 30, StarBuck, Akira and Syuri main evented another WNC event in Korakuen Hall, defeating Mikey Whipwreck, Kana and Tajiri in a Barbed Wire Board Deathmatch.[44][45] StarBuck, Akira and Syuri also won a rematch the following day in Osaka.[46] In the second rematch on September 1, Whipwreck pinned StarBuck for the win, ending the villainous trio's win streak in the process.[47] On October 24, StarBuck, Akira and Syuri named their stable "Synapse".[48] Two days later, StarBuck entered the WNC Championship tournament, but was defeated in his first round match by Hajime Ohara, following interference from his Kabushiki gaisha DQN stablemates Jiro Kuroshio and Nagisa Nozaki.[49]

StarBuck returned to WNC on March 31, 2013, when he teamed with Akira and Syuri in a six-person tag team main event during an afternoon show, where they were defeated by Ekaterina Bonnie, Emil Sitoci and Ivan Markov.[50] Later that same day, during an evening show, StarBuck defeated Koji Doi in a singles match.[51] After two months away from Japan, StarBuck returned to WNC on May 24 in a six-person tag team main event, where he, Akira and Syuri defeated WNC Champion Osamu Nishimura, WNC Women's Champion Lin Byron and Tajiri.[52] The following day, StarBuck and Akira were defeated in a main event tag team match by The Bodyguard and Zeus.[53]

Other endeavours

Majalahti has coached several Finnish rock and metal vocalists and bands in better English, both in regards to lyrics and pronunciation/enunciation. Known acts that Majalahti has worked with in some capacity are Sonata Arctica (Unia album), Stratovarius (Stratovarius album), Lordi (The Arockalypse and The Monsterican Dream albums), Celesty (Vendetta album), The Souls (The Grand Confusion), Widescreen Mode (The Hanging Man album), Godsplague (Evilution and Triumph albums), Thunderstone (Tools of Destruction album), Timo Kotipelto (Coldness and Serenity albums), in addition to others. Majalahti has also created the characters of children's heavy metal band Hevisaurus, and has illustrated the band's album covers.

Majalahti is a licensed FAF gym instructor, serving as a freelance personal trainer and coach in Finland. He also works as a freelance graphic artist and illustrator, and has been known to do perform translation work from Finnish to English for several companies.

Discography

Albums with Hallowed
  • 2000: End of the Age (EP)
  • 2002: Fear and Pain (EP)
Albums with Stoner Kings
  • 2002: Brimstone Blues
  • 2005: Fuck the World
  • 2007: Damnation's Own (single)
Albums with Klaatuu
  • 2008: Altars of Doom (EP)
Albums with Angel of Sodom
  • 2013: Divine Retribution
Albums with Crossfyre
  • 2010: Southbound
  • 2013: Iron Horse
Albums with Overnight Sensation
  • 2013: Life's a Bitch

In wrestling

  • Finishing moves
    • Attitude Adjustment / Spike piledriver[3][4]
    • Superkick[3]
  • Signature moves
    • Fist drop[3]
    • Russian legsweep[3]
    • Sitout double underhook powerbomb[2]
    • Slingshot suplex[3]

Championships and accomplishments

  • British Wrestling Alliance
    • BWA Catchweight Championship (1 time)
  • European Professional Wrestling
    • European Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) – with Mikey Whiplash
  • EuroStars
    • European Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[55]
  • Fight Club Finland
    • Finnish Heavyweight Championship (4 times)[55]
  • Italian Wrestling Superstars
    • Italian Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[3]
    • Italian Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
  • TopCatch
    • TopCatch Europameisterschaft Championship (1 time)[55]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 Van Der Griend, Blaine (2009-03-03). "Finland's wrestling star a Canadian Rebel". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 "Cagematch profile". Cagematch. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 "Fight Club Finland profile". Fight Club Finland. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Wrestling New Classic profile". Wrestling New Classic (in Japanese). Retrieved 2013-05-25. 
  5. ↑ "Pro Wrestlingia joka maanantai Eurosportilla". Eurosport (in Finnish). 2009-03-15. Retrieved 2011-09-29. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "2010 Smash results". Purolove. Retrieved 2011-05-05. 
  7. ↑ "2011 Smash results". Purolove. Retrieved 2011-05-05. 
  8. ↑ "2012 Smash results". Purolove. Retrieved 2012-04-02. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "10・28『Smash.22』全試合結果". Smash (in Japanese). 2011-10-28. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  10. ↑ "『Smash.3』Tajiri大会総括コメント". Smash (in Japanese). 2010-05-29. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  11. ↑ "『Smash.4』Tajiri大会総括コメント". Smash (in Japanese). 2010-06-25. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  12. ↑ "『Smash.5』試合結果（セミファイナル）". Smash (in Japanese). July 24, 2010. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  13. ↑ "『Smash.6』試合結果（メインイベント）". Smash (in Japanese). July 24, 2010. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  14. ↑ "「何か形をハッキリと見せて欲しい」Tajiri、大原はじめの造反について言及！". Smash (in Japanese). 2010-07-26. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  15. ↑ "『Smash.8』試合結果（メインイベント）". Smash (in Japanese). 2010-09-25. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  16. ↑ "『Smash.10』試合結果（メインイベント）". Smash (in Japanese). 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  17. ↑ "『Smash.12』試合結果（セミファイナル）". Smash (in Japanese). 2011-01-29. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  18. ↑ "『Smash.13』試合結果（メインイベント）". Smash (in Japanese). 2011-01-29. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  19. ↑ "『Smash.13』試合結果（セミファイナル）". Smash (in Japanese). 2011-01-29. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  20. ↑ "『Smash Live in Osaka』試合結果（メインイベント）". Smash (in Japanese). 2011-02-01. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  21. ↑ "『Smash Live in Nagoya』試合結果（メインイベント）". Smash (in Japanese). 2011-05-01. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  22. ↑ "『Smash.14』試合結果（セミファイナル）". Smash (in Japanese). 2011-02-15. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  23. ↑ "『Smash.15』試合結果（第5試合）". Smash (in Japanese). 2011-03-31. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  24. ↑ "『Smash.16』試合結果（第4試合）". Smash (in Japanese). 2011-04-30. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  25. ↑ "『Smash.17』試合結果（第5試合）". Smash (in Japanese). 2011-05-03. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 "FCF代表スターバックが天龍と8・11『Smash.20』トーナメント2回戦で激突へ！". Smash (in Japanese). 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  27. ↑ "『Smash.20』試合結果（メインイベント）". Smash (in Japanese). 2011-08-11. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  28. ↑ "『Smash.21』試合結果（セミファイナル）". Smash (in Japanese). 2011-09-08. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  29. ↑ "『Smash.22』試合結果（メインイベント）". Smash (in Japanese). 2011-10-28. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  30. ↑ "Tajiri初代王者ならず、"恐怖の大王"降臨に戦々恐々=ＳＭＡＳＨ". Sports Navi (in Japanese). Yahoo!. 2011-10-28. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  31. ↑ "初代王者スターバックがフィンレーに宣戦布告！". Smash (in Japanese). 2011-10-28. Retrieved 2011-10-28. 
  32. ↑ "2011世界最強タッグ決定リーグ戦". All Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved 2011-12-05. 
  33. ↑ "『Smash.23』試合レポート（メインイベント）". Smash (in Japanese). 2011-11-25. Retrieved 2011-12-14. 
  34. ↑ "2・19『Smash.25』全試合結果". Smash (in Japanese). 2012-02-19. Retrieved 2012-02-19. 
  35. ↑ "3・14『Smash.Final』全試合結果". Smash (in Japanese). 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2012-03-14. 
  36. ↑ "7・15後楽園ホール大会 全試合結果". Wrestling New Classic (in Japanese). 2012-07-15. Retrieved 2012-07-15. 
  37. ↑ "第1試合：タッグマッチ 60分1本勝負". Wrestling New Classic (in Japanese). 2012-07-16. Retrieved 2012-07-16. 
  38. ↑ "Akira、スターバック、朱里、渦中の3人が密会!?". Wrestling New Classic (in Japanese). 2012-07-16. Retrieved 2012-07-16. 
  39. ↑ "7・16大阪世界館大会 全試合結果". Wrestling New Classic (in Japanese). 2012-07-17. Retrieved 2012-07-17. 
  40. ↑ "今度は大原がまさかの造反！ 8・2新宿Face大会 全試合結果". Wrestling New Classic (in Japanese). 2012-08-02. Retrieved 2012-08-02. 
  41. ↑ "Akiraの挑発に華名が有刺鉄線マッチを決意！ 8・3大阪世界館大会 全試合結果". Wrestling New Classic (in Japanese). 2012-08-03. Retrieved 2012-08-03. 
  42. ↑ "Tajiriが秘策でレザー退治成功！ 8・4広島産業会館大会 全試合結果". Wrestling New Classic (in Japanese). 2012-08-04. Retrieved 2012-08-04. 
  43. ↑ "Tajiri、スターバックに劇勝！ 8・6博多スターレーン大会 全試合結果". Wrestling New Classic (in Japanese). 2012-08-07. Retrieved 2012-08-06. 
  44. ↑ "8・30後楽園ホール大会 全試合結果". Wrestling New Classic (in Japanese). 2012-08-30. Retrieved 2012-08-30. 
  45. ↑ "有刺鉄線ボードデスマッチ3連戦、まずは反体制が本隊に勝利！野崎は真琴に圧勝！大原は2人の師匠に暴挙！". Battle News (in Japanese). 2012-08-30. Retrieved 2012-08-30. 
  46. ↑ "8・31大阪ムーブ・オンアリーナ大会 全試合結果". Wrestling New Classic (in Japanese). 2012-08-31. Retrieved 2012-08-31. 
  47. ↑ "WNC軍、一矢報いる！ 9・1豊橋 名豊ビル大会 全試合結果". Wrestling New Classic (in Japanese). 2012-09-01. Retrieved 2012-09-01. 
  48. ↑ "シナプスの３選手、ＷＮＣ王座トーナメントに向け「一流の格」を見せつけるか？！". Wrestling New Classic (in Japanese). 2012-10-24. Retrieved 2012-10-24. 
  49. ↑ "10・26 後楽園ホール大会 全試合結果&Tajiri総括". Wrestling New Classic (in Japanese). 2012-10-27. Retrieved 2012-10-27. 
  50. ↑ "2013-03-31 WNC新宿Face大会　昼の部". Wrestling New Classic (in Japanese). 2013-03-31. Archived from the original on 2013-03-31. Retrieved 2013-03-31. 
  51. ↑ "2013-03-31 WNC新宿Face大会　夜の部". Wrestling New Classic (in Japanese). 2013-03-31. Archived from the original on 2013-03-31. Retrieved 2013-03-31. 
  52. ↑ "2013-05-24 WNC新宿Face大会　試合結果". Wrestling New Classic (in Japanese). 2013-05-24. Archived from the original on 2013-05-25. Retrieved 2013-05-25. 
  53. ↑ "2013-05-25 WNC大阪大会　試合結果". Wrestling New Classic (in Japanese). 2013-05-25. Archived from the original on 2013-05-25. Retrieved 2013-05-25. 
  54. ↑ Tajiri, Yoshihiro (2013-02-13). "きょうもyoutubeには、Akiraと朱里とスターバックによるチームSynapseの曲が" (in Japanese). Twitter. Retrieved 2013-04-13. 
  55. ↑ 55.0 55.1 55.2 "Cagematch title listing". Cagematch. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.