Shawn Stasiak sent 1Wrestling.com the following comments on the death of his friend Mike Awesome
I met Mike in the parking lot at a Tampa Gold’s gym at the end of 1999/beginning of 2000. I was in between wrestling jobs at the time and right away we connected and he talkd about getting me into the original ECW promotion. A few months had passed and before you knew it, we were both hired by WCW in April of that year. In fact, we both made our WCW debuts the same night in Denver. From that point on we clicked and became traveling buddies. We traveled all over the world together. We spent a lot of time with one another both on the road and off when we were back home in Tampa. I became very close to his kids Casey and Carissa as well as his wife Delissa and both of their immediate families. We would spend Christmas and Thanksgiving together. I lost both of my parents and never had any blood siblings so in essence you could say that I really have not had my own family for years. The Alfonso family took me in as their own and I accepted as I love them. They were my family. Mike was a brother to me. He was a really great friend. He was there for me when I had two separate knee injuries, when I needed a place to stay, when I wanted something to eat from his refrigerator, his house was my house, and ultimately he was a friend that would listen to me when I needed a sounding board. He was a true friend that was always there for me. He was such a great support to have in my life and I am going to miss him greatly. I was really proud of Mike that he wanted to pursue something other than just wrestling. He got into real estate and started to do really good with it. I encouraged him when ever I would talk to him about his new life path that he was on. He also supported and encouraged me to finish up my Chiropractic pursuit as I graduated last August and am now a Doctor of Chiropractic. He and his Father were the ones who hooked up a car trailer to the Penske truck I drove from Tampa to Dallas in the very beginning of my new path to become a Chiropractor. They were the last people I saw in my side mirror as I drove off to pursue my new life.
Mike was so funny to listen to. I used to get a kick at just sitting in the car or at the dinner table with him just listening to him go off about anything. He was so animated and expressive but funny to the point that it would bring tears to my eyes from laughing so hard. What made it even funnier is that he was serious. He was a very unique and special person.
There are only two people in the wrestling business that I can honestly say are like my brothers and that is Rob Van Dam and Mike Awesome. Now I only have one. I have other people I consider friends and lots of aquaintences but not to closeness I feel with those two. I have developed a strong spiritual relationship with our creator which has in essence allowed me to have an incredible spiritual relationship with my deceased folks. It is truly amazing, and it is real as real gets. I may write a book one day to reveal some of the specific stories, experiences, and what most people would chalk up as coincidences. There are no coincidences.
I love Mike Awesome (Alfonso) and I miss him so much already. But I know that our time is limited here on this planet at least in this physical form one way or the other and I realize it is the spirit and energy that truly makes ones existence. I have all the faith in the world that I will feel Mike’s presence, spirit, and energy as I continue my journey on this physical realm. I know I will have a life long spiritual connection and relationship with Mike as long as I am here on this earth. But I plan to be here for a while as I have great things to accomplish before my time is up here on this planet. I know that one of my main missions here is to change the lives for the better of as many people as I can come into contact with physically, mentally, and spiritually. I just wish Mike would have come to me for some help as I was always here for him and always would have been.
