Crash Holly
| Mike Lockwood | |
|---|---|
| File:Crash Holly.jpg | |
| Born | August 25, 1971 Anaheim, California |
| Died | November 6, 2003 Navarre, Florida |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Johnny Pearson Erin O'Grady The Green Ghost Crash Holly Crash Mad Mikey |
| Billed height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) |
| Billed weight | 234 lb (106 kg) |
| Trained by | Jerry Monti Michael Modest Ric Thompson |
| Debut | 1989 |
Michael John Lockwood (August 25, 1971 – November 6, 2003) was a professional wrestler born in Anaheim, California. He was best known as Crash Holly, the storyline cousin of Hardcore Holly in the World Wrestling Federation.
Early career
Lockwood made his wrestling debut in 1989 and competed in Bay Area Wrestling until 1994. He used the alias Johnny Pearson during his stay. In 1996, Lockwood moved to All Pro Wrestling (APW), where he became "The Leprechaun" Erin O'Grady. Lockwood became known especially for his matches with Vic Grimes.
After viewing a tape of a match between O'Grady and Michael Modest, Extreme Championship Wrestling employee Taz contacted Lockwood about joining ECW. Prior to entering the World Wrestling Federation, he competed in Monterrey under a mask and using the alias The Green Ghost.
World Wrestling Federation
Lockwood (now using the ring name Crash Holly) entered the WWF as the cousin of Hardcore Holly, whom he slightly resembled. He made his TV debut on the August 16, 1999 episode of RAW is War. The relationship between the cousins was strained, with the grizzled Hardcore Holly frequently threatening Lockwood. He was moderately successful, with his most notable achievement being his victory over Test for the WWF Hardcore Championship on the February 22, 2000 episode of SmackDown! Lockwood decreed that he must defend the championship twenty four hours a day, seven days a week ("24/7"). This meant that the title was permanently contested, not just in the course of sanctioned matches, and could thus change hands anywhere as long as a referee was present to administer the three count. Lockwood was frequently attacked by other wrestlers while in unlikely locations, including an airport, a funhouse, a circus and even in his hotel room. While Lockwood was often pinned, he normally immediately regained the title from his opponent. In total, he would win the title 22 times thus earning him the title "The Houdini Of Hardcore" (even though Raven won the title 5 more times than Crash did). Lockwood also held the WWF European Championship, WWF Light Heavyweight Championship and the WWF Tag Team Championship (with Hardcore Holly).
In late 2000, Holly's onscreen "cousin" Molly Holly was introduced. In 2001, the Holly Cousins began a feud with The Dudley Boyz. In the course of this feud, Molly Holly began a relationship with Spike Dudley, leading to internal disputes within each family, as well as a Romeo & Juliet-style feud between the six of them.
When the WWF was renamed World Wrestling Entertainment and then divided into two "brands", Lockwood was initially drafted to the RAW roster, where he had little success. Hardcore Holly was drafted to SmackDown! Lockwood later jumped ship to SmackDown! in the midst of a match with Jeff Hardy, shortly after Eric Bischoff, having been informed that a RAW wrestler would leave RAW to reunite with a sibling on SmackDown! that night, ordered a beatdown on Jeff (who he thought was leaving RAW to be with his brother Matt Hardy). In the weeks following Lockwood's jump to SmackDown!, Hardcore Holly suffered a serious injury at the hands of Brock Lesnar from which he took over a year to recover. The "Holly reunion" storyline was quickly scrapped and Lockwood was left with nothing to do until mid-2003.
Later on SmackDown!, Lockwood (now referred to simply as Crash) joined Matt Hardy and Shannon Moore as part of the "Mattitude Followers" stable (as Moore's supposed apprentice, Crash was also referred to by Hardy as a "Moore-on") but failed to recreate his earlier success, and was released by the WWE in July 2003. Lockwood later joined TNA and was renamed Mad Mikey, as well as joining some of his friends at Pro Wrestling Iron, an offshoot of APW, in Hayward, California.
Death
On November 6, 2003, at wrestler Steven Richards' house, Lockwood died from choking on his vomit . Lockwood was 32 years old. [1] It is believed Lockwood overdosed on over 90 pills of Carisoprodol after an empty bottle was discovered by police authorties.
After Lockwood's death, Steven Richards would wear shorts with a similar design to the ones Lockwood wore as "Crash", as a tribute to his friend.
Finishing and Signature moves
- Crash DDT (Snap DDT)
- Crash Attack (Springboard bulldog)
- Crash Landing / Bottom Feeder (Belly-to-back inverted mat slam)
- Crash Course (Kryptonite Krunch)
- Tornado DDT
- Bulldog
- Hop Splash (Diving splash)
- Irishcanrana (Hurricanrana)
- Standing dropkick
- Various roll-ups
- Victory roll
Championships and accomplishments
- WWF/E Hardcore Championship (22 times)
- WWF European Championship (1 time)
- WWF Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- WWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Hardcore Holly (1)
- Third Cruiserweight Triple Crown
- One of only three men (the others being Jeff Hardy and Christian) to win the WWE's three defunct modern era championships, which are the WWF Hardcore Championship, the WWF European Championship and the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship
- APW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- IWA Hardcore Championship (1 time)
- IWA Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Mid Eastern Wrestling Federation
- MEWF Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)
- Power Pro Wrestling
- PPW Tag Team Championship (1 time)
- PPW Young Guns Championship (1 time)