Mikel Scicluna
Mikel Scicluna | |
---|---|
Born | July 29, 1929[1] Balzan, Malta[1][2] |
Died | March 20, 2010[3] (aged 80) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Cause of death | Pancreatic cancer[4] |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Mike Valentino[1] Baron Mikel Scicluna[1] |
Billed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[5] |
Billed weight | 256 lb (116 kg)[5] |
Billed from | Isle of Malta[1] |
Debut | 1953[1] |
Retired | 1983[1] |
Mikel Scicluna (July 29, 1929 – March 20, 2010) was a Maltese professional wrestler who gained his fame during the 1960s and 1970s.[6] He reached the peak of his success in WWWF where he was 2-time tag-team champion, having held the United States Tag Team championship once and the WWE World Tag Team Championship once.
Professional wrestling career
Scicluna started wrestling during the 1950s,[7] and used the name Mike Valentino early in his career. Scicluna worked primarily in Canada until 1965, when he ventured to the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), now known as WWE, using his most famous moniker "Baron" Mikel Scicluna.[1]
Scicluna was famous for entering the ring with a royal blue cape over his shoulders, indicating that he was of Maltese royal descent. Scicluna was also known for being a master of the "foreign object", mainly utilizing a roll of coins to bash opponents out of sight of the referee.[1] He enjoyed success as a tag team wrestler, winning the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship with Smasher Sloan on September 22, 1966, in Washington, D.C. (though they eventually lost the belts in the same city to Spiros Arion and Antonio Pugliese), then the WWWF World Tag Team Championship with King Curtis Iaukea on February 1, 1972, in Philadelphia.[8][9]
In singles competition, Scicluna defeated Spiros Arion for Australia's IWA World Championship on June 15, 1968, and would challenge Bruno Sammartino and Pedro Morales for the WWWF Championship from time to time. One of his biggest career wins was pinning Waldo Von Erich in six minutes at Madison Square Garden, prior to two Garden title matches with Sammartino. In the first match at MSG against Sammartino he was disqualified; Sammartino scored the pin in a rematch. Scicluna went on to lose a series of matches to Spiros Arion.[1] In June 1976, Scicluna found himself part of history, as the opponent for Gorilla Monsoon on the night Monsoon engaged in an impromptu tussle with boxing great Muhammad Ali. Scicluna was wrestling Monsoon in a televised match and was sent over the top rope to the floor after receiving a Manchurian Chop. Scicluna waved off his opponent and walked off, taking a countout loss. From there, Ali entered the ring from the audience and tried to jab at Monsoon. Monsoon responded by dropping Ali with an airplane spin. This angle was a part of the buildup toward Ali's infamous boxer vs. wrestler match with Antonio Inoki later in the month.[1]
Scicluna retired from active competition in 1983.[1] He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 1996.[1]
Personal life
He was the son of Vincenzo Scicluna and Maria (née Catania) who were married in Mosta, Malta, on 27 August 1927. He was named after his paternal grandfather Michele Scicluna. In retirement, he lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[1] He also worked as a driver for the New York Times.[2] He had a wife, Gloria, and one son.[2] Scicluna died March 20, 2010, from pancreatic cancer.[2]
Championships and accomplishments
- NWA San Francisco
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (3 times) - with Gene Dubuque
- World Championship Wrestling
- IWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[1]
- IWA World Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Ciclón Negro
- World Wide Wrestling Federation
- WWF Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)[1]
- WWWF United States Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Smasher Sloan[8]
- WWWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with King Curtis Iaukea[9]
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Most Washed Up Wrestler (1980)
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Solomon, Brian (2006). WWE Legends. Pocket Books. pp. 227–230. ISBN 978-0-7434-9033-7.
- ^ a b c d Oliver, Greg (March 22, 2010). "Saying goodbye to Baron Mikel Scicluna". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved 2010-03-27.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "One of WWWF's longest lasting stars passes away after long battle with cancer", Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online, March 21, 2010
- ^ "Baron Mikel Scicluna, Pro Wrestling Villain, Dies at 80". The New York Times. 24 March 2010.
- ^ a b Shields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009). WWE Encyclopedia. Dorling Kindersley. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
- ^ Obituary New York Times, March 25, 2010; page A29.
- ^ Baron Mikel Scicluna. Record Book. (Retrieved on January 31, 2009.)
- ^ a b Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "WWWF United States Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. p. 18. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ a b Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "WWF World Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. p. 17. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
External links
- Mikel Scicluna on WWE.com
- Mikel Scicluna's profile at Cagematch.net
- v
- t
- e
- Ray Eckert and Hard Boiled Haggerty
- Ben Sharpe and Mike Sharpe
- Ray Eckert and Frederick von Schacht
- Frederick von Schacht and Tom Rice
- Sándor Szabó and Primo Carnera
- Sándor Szabó and Ron Etchison
- Leo Nomellini and Hombre Montana
- Ray Eckert and Fred Atkins
- Leo Nomellini and Enrique Torres
- Leo Nomellini and Rocky Brown
- Gene Kiniski and Lord James Blears
- Enrique Torres and Johnny Barend
- Gene Kiniski and Lord James Blears
- Ronnie Etchison and Ray Stern
- Gene Kiniski and Lord James Blears
- Rikidōzan and Koukichi Endo
- Enrique Torres and Bobo Brazil
- Bill Miller and Ed Miller
- Enrique Torres and Ronnie Etchison
- Emil Dusek and Ernie Dusek
- Baillargeon Brothers (Adrien Baillargeon and Paul Baillargeon)
- Ben Sharpe and Lord James Blears
- Leo Nomellini and Enrique Torres
- Ramon Torres and Tex McKenzie
- Omaya Kato and Karl von Schober
- Ramon Torres and Ciclon Anaya
- Hans Hermann and Art Neilson
- Ramon Torres and Dick Warren
- Hombre Montana and Tiny Mills
- Ramon Torres and Dick Warren
- Gene Dubuque and Mike Valentino
- Ronnie Etchison and "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers
- Gene Dubuque and Fritz von Goehring
- Ronnie Etchison and Johnny Barend
- Ben Sharpe and Red Hangman
- Ramon Torres and Great Lothario
- Enrique Torres and Rip Miller
- Alberto Torres and Ron Etchison
- Man Mountain Campbell and Mr. Kleen
- Enrique Torres and Reggie Parks
- Joe Brunetti and Guy Brunetti
- Kinji Shibuya and Mitsu Arakawa
- Wilbur Snyder and Nick Bockwinkel
- Art Nielsen and Stan Nielsen
- Pepper Gomez and Jose Lothario
- Ray Stevens and Dan Manoukian
- The Destroyer and Billy Red Lyons
- Blond Bombers (Ray Stevens and Pat Patterson)
- Ciclon Negro and The Mongolian Stomper
- Pepper Gomez and Pedro Morales
- Kinji Shibuya and Great Sasaki
- Kinji Shibuya and Masa Saito
- Peter Maivia and Pepper Gomez
- Ray Stevens and Peter Maivia
- Pat Patterson and Billy Graham
- Rocky Johnson and Pepper Gomez
- Lars Anderson and Paul DeMarco
- Pat Patterson and Rocky Johnson
- Kinji Shibuya and Great Mephisto
- Interns (Intern #1 and Intern #2)
- Von Brauners (Kurt Von Brauner and Karl Von Brauner)
- Pat Patterson and Peter Maivia
- Invaders (Invader #1 and Invader #2)
- Pat Patterson and Moondog Mayne
- Pat Patterson and Pedro Morales
- Don Muraco and Invader #1
- Pat Patterson and Tony Garea
- The Royal Kangaroos (Jonathan Boyd and Norman Frederick Charles III)
- Jimmy Valiant and Johnny Valiant
- Pat Patterson and Pepper Gomez
- Bob Roop and Alexis Smirnoff
- Pepper Gomez and Al Madril
- Von Steigers (Kurt Von Steiger and Karl Von Steiger)
- Ray Stevens and Moondog Mayne
- Black Gordman and Goliath
- Dean Ho and Moondog Mayne
- Dean Ho and Ron Starr
- Ed Wiskoski and Buddy Rose
- Ron Starr and Enrique Vera
- Ed Wiskoski and Roddy Piper