Mike Davis (wrestler)

Michael Davis
Ring name(s)	"Maniac" Mike Davis[1] Michael Worhington III[1] The Viper (GWF)[1] Aries[1]
Billed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)[1]
Billed weight	235 lb (107 kg; 16.8 st)[1]
Born	November 2, 1956(1956-11-02)[1] Greenville, South Carolina, United States
Died	December 26, 2001(2001-12-26) (aged 45)[1] Granbury, Texas
Billed from	Tampa, Florida[1]
Trained by	Lars Anderson[1] Vince Castelli[1]
Debut	1977[1]

Michael Davis (November 2, 1956 – December 25, 2001) was an American professional wrestler best known as one half of the tag team Rock 'n' Roll RPMs with Tommy Lane which lasted several years.^[1] The RPM's were one of the most well-known heel tag teams throughout the southern United States in promotions such as World Class Championship Wrestling. Mike Davis was also a member of Kevin Sullivan's faction known as the Army of Darkness.^[1]

Career

Mike Davis got his start in Eddie Graham's Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF) promotion.^[1] He was a member of Kevin Sullivan's faction known as the Army of Darkness.^[1]

Davis started the Rock 'n' Roll RPMs tag team with Tommy Lane in World Class promotion, which at the time was still affiliated with the NWA.^[1] They were known for their bright colored tights and hanging bandanas. The Rock 'n' Roll RPMs were glorified for their finishing move "The Spandex Splits". The move was later outlawed due to extensive neck injuries. They had feuds with several teams, including another "Rock 'n' Roll" tag team known as the Rock 'n' Roll Express. The RPMs feuded with The Fantastics over the WCWA Tag Team Championship, however they were unable to win the championship. The RPMs also competed in the CWA in Memphis, where they won two AWA Southern Tag Team titles. Teaming with Cactus Jack, the Rock-n-Roll RPMs lost a match against Hector, Chavo, and Mando Guerrero at the only AWA pay-per-view SuperClash III.^[1]

After the demise of World Class, Davis and Lane moved on to World Championship Wrestling, where they were used as jobbers. Davis later entered the Global Wrestling Federation, where in 1992, he claimed to have returned to Earth with a "Moon Rock" after he made a bungee jump following a "Bungee" match between Chaz Taylor and Steven Dane outside the Dallas Sportatorium.

Mike Davis formed another tag team with his brother Tom Davis known as the Dirty Davis Brothers.^[1]

Davis died on December 25, 2001 from a massive heart attack in Granbury, Texas, at the age of 45.^[1] He was the third World Class wrestler to die in six months (following the untimely deaths of Terry Gordy and Chris Adams in July and October respectively).

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Abdominal stretch^[2]

• Signature moves
  • Back body drop^[2]
  • Elbow drop^[2][3]
  • Knee lift^[3]
  • Short-arm clothesline^[3]
  • Vertical suplex^[3]

• With Tommy Lane
  • The Spandex Splits (Back body drop (Davis) transitioned into a powerbomb (Lane) / neckbreaker (Davis) combination)^[2][3]

• Managers
  • Downtown Bruno^[3][4]
  • Fallen Angel^[1]

• Nicknames
  • "Maniac" Mike Davis^[1]

Championships and accomplishments

• Big D Wrestling

• Big D Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Terry Simms^[5]

• Championship Wrestling from Florida
  • NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Florida version) (1 time) – with Mike Rotunda^[1]

• Continental Wrestling Association / Championship Wrestling Association
  • AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (5 times) – with Tommy Lane^[1]
  • CWA Tag Team Championship (1 times) – with Mike Davis^[1]

• Continental Wrestling Federation
  • CWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Masahiro Chono^[1]

• Georgia Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Georgia Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[1]

• Global Wrestling Federation
  • GWF Television Championship (1 time)^[1]

• USA Wrestling
  • USA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Tommy Lane^[5]

• World Wrestling Council
  • WWC World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Tommy Lane^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac} "Mike Davis profile". Online World of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/m/mike-davis.html. Retrieved 2009-08-31. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "Badd Company /w DDP vs Rock 'n' Roll RPMs". American Wrestling Association. AWA. 1988.
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f} "AWA report". 411mania. http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/tv_reports/74301. Retrieved 2009-08-31. 
4. ^ "Bruno Lauer's profile". Online World of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/h/harvey-wippleman.html. Retrieved 2009-08-31. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2000). Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 

External links

Professional wrestling portal

• Profile at Online World of Wrestling
• Deceased Superstars - Mike Davis

Persondata
Name	Davis, Mike
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	November 2, 1956
Place of birth	Greenville, South Carolina, United States
Date of death	December 26, 2001
Place of death	Granbury, Texas