Cody Michaels
| Cody Michaels | |
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Cody Michaels USWA 1990
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| Birth name | Mark Keenan |
| Born | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Residence | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Billed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Billed weight | 242 lb (110 kg) |
| Billed from | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Trained by | Dominic DeNucci |
| Debut | 1986 |
| Retired | 1991 |
Mark Keenan, better known by his ring name Cody Michaels, is an American professional wrestler who after a serious injury has worked behind the scenes as a booker and promoter.
Wrestling
Michaels was trained by Dominic DeNucci in Pittsburgh, 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.
Beginning in 1986, Michaels wrestled for United States Wrestling Association (USWA), World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), and American Wrestling Association (AWA). During his in-ring career, his tag team partners included Jeff Jarrett (USWA Tag Team Champions),[1] 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.
Michaels is credited[citation needed] with developing and expanding the ECW territory and fan base with the development of major cities such as Pittsburgh and Cleveland.
In March 1991 Michaels was seriously injured in a match against John Tatum at The Sportatorium in Dallas, Texas. He sustained a broken neck which eventually led to the end of his in-ring career.
Subsequent career
Cody developed and promoted a benefit in 1999,[2] 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 wrestling companies in support for Hildebrand. He would also make a one-night return to the ring that night against Hugh Morrus.
Michaels 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 original owners/producers/bookers (along with Shane Douglas, Kevin Kleinrock, Steve O'Neill, and Mike O'Neill) of Extreme Reunion, later known as Extreme Rising. The promotion initially focused on an ECW reunion show in Philadelphia, which was a sold out event, drawing over 2000 fans at the Philadelphia National Guard Armory, and continued to run live events in New York City, Philadelphia, 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 its fan base through the years. Cody performed the role of "Troy" in Pro Wrestlers versus Zombies, a 2013 film by Cody Knotts, also featuring wrestling personalities Roddy Piper, Shane Douglas, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Matt Hardy, and Kurt Angle.
Championships
- American States Wrestling Association
- ASWA Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[3]
- Steel City Wrestling
- SCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[3]
