Changes: Mike Rotunda

Revision as of 19:51, 15 June 2007

Lawrence Michael (Mike) Rotunda (born March 30, 1958), also known as Captain Mike Rotundo and Irwin R. Schyster, is a former American professional wrestler. He is currently a Producer for WWE.

Career

After graduating from Syracuse University, Rotunda began wrestling in 1981 as a fan favorite in Florida Championship Wrestling. He often teamed with his real life brother-in-law, Barry Windham.

World Wrestling Federation (1984-1987)

Rotunda and Windham joined the World Wrestling Federation as The US Express in 1984. They won the WWF World Tag Team Championships twice, first winning them from Dick Murdoch and Adrian Adonis in January 1985. The US Express' most notable feud was with The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff, who they lost the tag titles to at WrestleMania 1. The US Express regained the belts in June 1985, but lost them two months later to Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine. Windham left the WWF soon after, and Rotunda was teamed with "Golden Boy" Dan Spivey as "The American Express," who had limited success in 1986.

World Wrestling Federation (1991-1995)

In the WWF, Rotunda became Irwin R. Schyster (I.R.S.) and he is perhaps best known for this role. Irwin R Schyster was a heel "tax-man" gimmick (he was portrayed as a former IRS tax collector from Washington, D.C.) who harassed all of the faces and fans, urging them to pay their taxes. However, he was a sound technician in the ring - this would later see him form the team of "Money Inc." with Ted DiBiase and together the two men won the WWF World Tag Team Championships a further three times. Money Inc.'s first title reign was at the expense of The Road Warriors (by this time using their umbrella name "The Legion of Doom" in their WWF stint), making Rotunda the only tag team wrestler to defeat the Warriors twice for the World tag team belts. As "I.R.S.," Rotunda's biggest singles feud was with Razor Ramon. He also engaged in feuds with Tatanka, who he accused of failing to pay a gift tax on a sacred headdress, and the Undertaker, who was offended at the claim that many Americans saw death as a means to escape their taxpaying responsibilities. Rotunda was briefly part of DiBiase's "Million Dollar Corporation" before leaving the WWF for World Championship Wrestling.

World Championship Wrestling (1995-2000)

Once in WCW, he played a character similar to I.R.S. known as V.K. Wallstreet (a play on Vincent Kennedy McMahon; the "V.K." was later dropped and he became known as Mister Wallstreet.) but failed to recapture his earlier success. He joined the nWo briefly at the request of DiBiase after defeating Mike Enos on the 12/09/96 edition of Nitro, and wrestled in All Japan Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling as a member of "nWo Japan". He was soon kicked out of the group, but still declared himself to be "anti-WCW", participating as a jobber on WCW Saturday Night. In 1999 he reformed the Varsity Club with Kevin Sullivan, but it never reached the level of its prior success, partly due to nagging injuries on Rotunda's part, and was disbanded in early 2000.

Later career

Rotunda continued to wrestle primarily in Japan throughout the 1990s until he retired to run a security company with his wife (Blackjack Mulligan's daughter) in 2004.

Rotunda was rehired by WWE as a producer in 2006, and has made appearances as a face gimmick of Irwin R. Schyster. Rotunda made a brief appearance on the 11th June edition of WWE Monday Night Raw, thanking WWE chairman Vince McMahon for making he the wrestler he is.

Wrestling facts

Finishing and signature moves

The Hellicopter Spin Mike used this finishing move to great fanfare while wrestling in Florida during the 1980s. He would get a guy across his shoulders and spin around really fast, finishing with a body slam. It was the precursor to the Stock Market Spin.
Stock Market Crash (Falling slam)
Write-Off (Jumping lariat)
Tax Penalty (STF)
Stock Market Stretch (Abdominal stretch)
Stock Market Spiral (Airplane spin)
Stock Market Suplex (Fallaway slam)

Managers

Championships and accomplishments

Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Barry Windham (3) and Mike Davis (1)

Maple Leaf Wrestling
- NWA Canadian Television Championship (1 time)

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) (1 time) - with Steve Williams
- NWA World Television Championship (3 times)

Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him # 164 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003.
- PWI ranked him # 48 of the 100 best tag teams during the PWI Years with Barry Windham in 2003.
- PWI ranked him # 61 of the 100 best tag teams during the PWI Years with Ted DiBiase in 2003.

World Wrestling Federation
- WWF World Tag Team Championship (5 times) - with Barry Windham (2) and Ted DiBiase (3)

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 |weight=248 lb (116 kg)
 |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|3|30}}
+|death_place =
 |death_date =
 |birth_place = [[Syracuse, New York]]