William C. Welch (December 18, 1977) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name The Messiah.
Professional wrestling career
Welch's professional career began on November 11, 1996, after being trained at the Slam U. Wrestling Gym in Sun Valley, Los Angeles, California. He worked for the school's parent company, the Slammers Wrestling Federation for a time, losing his first professional match there to El Sprito. In the Slammers Wrestling Federation, he worked under the name Iron Mike Ehrhardt.
Other media
Welch, as The Messiah, appeared in the video game Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes the Neighborhood.
Personal life
Welch married Renell Madison on October 14, 2006.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Fall From Grace (Inverted Death Valley driver)
- Signature moves
- Carlito's Way (Military press dropped into a cutter) – named in tribute to his trainer Carlito Montana
- Cross Factor (Sitout facebuster, sometimes from the top rope)
- Diving crossbody
- DDT
- Dropkick
- Figure four leglock
- Godsmack (Spinning fireman's carry stunner)
- Holy Roller (Running somersault senton off of the ring apron onto a standing opponent)
- Snap suplex
- Side slam
- Springboard into either a leg drop or a moonsault
- Entrance themes
- "Jesus Christ Superstar" by Laibach
- "Falling Away from Me" by Korn
- "Messiah" by Fear Factory
- "Prayer" by Disturbed
Championships and accomplishments
- Insane Wrestling Federation
- IWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Adam Flash
- Millennium Pro Wrestling
- MPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Florida
- NWA Florida King of the Deathmatch Championship (1 time)
- Pacific Championship Wrestling
- PCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him #241 in the of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 2003
- River City Wrestling
- RCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Scott McKenzie