Mike Shaw

Professional wrestling career

Canadian territories (1980–1989)

Mike Shaw started wrestling in 1980 in Vancouver's NWA All-Star Wrestling using the ring name Klondike Mike. In 1981, he wrestled in the WWF as Mike Smith, in a losing effort against former world champion Pedro Morales on All Star Wrestling. In 1982, Shaw began wrestling under his real name for Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling in Calgary, Alberta. In 1984, he worked for All Japan and Montreal. A year later he worked in the Maritimes. Also in 1984, he connected with wrestler The Great Gama "Singh" and was bestowed the ring name of Makhan Singh, forming the stable "Karachi Vice" with Gama and Gary Albright as Vokhan Singh and managed by Judah Rosenbloom and following the rebirth of Stampede Wrestling in 1985, by Abu Wizal and feuded with the likes of Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith, Bret Hart, and Chris Benoit. From 1986 to 1988 he won the Stampede Wrestling North American Heavyweight Championship three times defeating Owen Hart and losing the title back to Hart. He dropped the title the final time to Don Muraco on December 9, 1988. On December 30, 1988, he and Vokhan Singh defeated The British Bulldogs for the Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Championship. They dropped the titles to Chris Benoit and Biff Wellington on April 8, 1989. After the loss Shaw left Calgary.

World Championship Wrestling (1989–1991)

Stampede Wrestling closed in December 1989 and just prior to the closure, he received the opportunity to join World Championship Wrestling as Norman the Lunatic. According to Jim Ross, who was at the time a lead commentator for WCW, he was the one who contacted Stampede Wrestling head Stu Hart and recommended for Shaw to join WCW. He was managed by Theodore Long, who led him around with a giant key. This key was symbolic of Long's potential to recommit Norman to the insane asylum he came from if he did not follow orders. Norman carried a teddy bear with him. Norman eventually broke away from Long, and turned face (being renamed Norman the Maniac). He feuded with Kevin Sullivan, and even received title shots against NWA World champion Ric Flair. He later adopted a trucker gimmick as Trucker Norm, ostensibly in memory of his late father, a long-haul truck driver. Shaw then wrestled in Memphis' USWA as Jed Grundy.

Global Wrestling Federation (1991)

In 1991, Shaw wrestled in the Global Wrestling Federation under his "Makhan Singh" gimmick, where he joined The Cartel with Cactus Jack, Rip Rogers, and Scott Anthony.

Mexico (1991–1992)

Shaw wrestled in Mexico in the early 90s as Aaron Grundy, the supposed brother of Solomon Grundy, in EMLL and on the Mexican independent scene. Solomon Grundy was an established wrestler in the promotion and in Mexico.

World Wrestling Federation (1993–1994)

In April 1993, Shaw briefly wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as (alternately) The Friar and Friar Ferguson, a "mad monk". The WWF received negative feedback from the Catholic Church of New York, so they dropped the character.{{cite web|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715005653/http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingBios/shaw_mike.html|archive-date=July 15, 2012|title=SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Makhan Singh

Independent circuit (1994–1999)

After leaving WWF, Shaw kept the Bastion Booger gimmick. He wrestled in the independent circuit in Michigan and Canada for Border City Wrestling. He feuded with Typhoon in 1995 in indy American promotions losing all the matches to Typhoon. On December 15, 1995, he returned to Calgary as Makhan Singh defeating the Gothic Warrior at the Stu Hart 50th Anniversary Show. On May 4, 1997, he lost to Doink the Clown at Outaia Pro Wrestling in Arnprior, Ontario. Later that summer, he worked for Renegade Wrestling Alliance based in Hamilton, also worked in Burlington and Oakville, Ontario. Shaw retired from wrestling in 1999.

Return to independent circuit (2006)

Shaw worked for various independent promotions in 2006 during his final years while operating a wrestling school in his hometown of Skandia, Michigan.

Return to WWE (2007)

On December 10, 2007, during the WWE Raw 15th anniversary special, he returned as Bastion Booger in the opening segment, in which Triple H jokingly suggested that Big Dick Johnson (another character whose unsightly physical appearance had been used by WWE for comic effect) was Booger's son. Jakks Pacific added Bastion Booger to the Classic Superstars line, series 25 in 2009.

Personal life and death

Shaw was married and had two children.

Shaw died of a pulmonary embolism on September 11, 2010. He was 53 years old. He is survived by his wife Kelly and their two children, son Joshua and daughter Amanda.

Championships and accomplishments

• NWA All-Star Wrestling
  • NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (2 times) – with Danny O (1) and Dean Ho (1)
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • Ranked No. 403 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003
• Continental Wrestling Association
  • CWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Scott Steiner
• Stampede Wrestling
  • Stampede International Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Vulkan Singh (1) and Jerry Morrow (1)
  • Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
• World Wrestling Federation
  • Slammy Award (1 time)
    • Most Likely To See Jenny Craig (1994)
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • Most Embarrassing Wrestler (1993)
  • Worst Worked Match of the Year (1993) with Bam Bam Bigelow and The Headshrinkers vs. The Bushwhackers and Men on a Mission at Survivor Series

References

References

1. (September 12, 2010). "Mike Shaw". Online World of Wrestling.
2. (2009). "WWE Encyclopedia". [[Dorling Kindersley.
3. Grilling JR with Jim Ross. (2024). "Jim Ross: "Hulk Hogan winning the WWF title right after Bret Hart at WrestleMania was frustrating"". YouTube.
4. (2003). "Wrestlecrap – the very worst of pro wrestling". ECW Press.
5. (January 16, 2023). "WWF SUPERSTARS (1986-97) 1993".
6. Zimmerman, Christopher. "Monday Night Raw: January 3, 1994". The Other Arena.
7. Zimmerman, Christopher. "Monday Night Raw: January 10, 1994". The Other Arena.
8. "Professional Wrestling Schools".
9. Keller, Wade. (December 10, 2007). "Keller's WWE Raw Report 12/10: Ongoing review of 15th Anniversary episode". Pro Wrestling Torch.
10. Oliver, Greg. (April 21, 2015). "SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Makhan Singh". [[Canoe.ca.
11. (September 12, 2010). "Multi-gimmicked Mike Shaw – Norman, Makhan Singh, Bastion Booger – dead at 53". SLAM! WRESTLING.
12. Oliver, Greg. (September 12, 2010). "Multi-gimmicked Mike Shaw - Norman, Makhan Singh, Bastion Booger - dead at 53".