The Messiah (wrestler)

For other people named William Welch, see William Welch (disambiguation).

William Welch
Born	December 18, 1977 Detroit, Michigan
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Iron Mike Ehrhardt The Blunatic The Messiah
Billed height	6 ft (183 cm)
Billed weight	220 lb (100 kg)
Trained by	Carlito Montana Slam U Training School

William Welch (born December 18, 1977 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name The Messiah. Welch has been romantically linked to Jeanette Dollar in the past.[1][2] He is currently married to Rennell Madison-Welch.[3]

Career

Welch's professional career began modestly after being trained at the Slam U Wrestling Gym in Sun Valley, 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 Erhardt.

Recognition came for Welch after he joined Xtreme Pro Wrestling. Working his way up the card with his new gimmick, Messiah, he eventually became a main eventer who wrestled with well known former Extreme Championship Wrestling stars like Sabu, Chris Candido and New Jack.

While XPW folded, Messiah continued to compete in the CZW promotion. Messiah has also competed in IWA Mid-South, Pro Pain Pro Wrestling (3PW), as well as other promotions. He has competed in Italy twice, as well as been in a world wide video game. (Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes The Neighborhood for Xbox and PlayStation 2) He has held the CZW Heavyweight Title three times; having a nearly one-year long run with the belt from March 6, 2004 to February 5, 2005. After losing the CZW Heavyweight Title to Ruckus in February of 2005, The Messiah slowly faded away from CZW.

In April 2007, Messiah officially left CZW and returned as a regular member of Pro Wrestling Unplugged, feuding with Adam Flash.

Finishing and signature moves

• Fall From Grace (Inverted Death Valley driver)
• Godsmack (Elevated Cutter)
• Carlito's Way (Airplane spin into a stunner, named after his trainer Carlito Montana)
• Cross Factor (Sitout facebuster)
• Super Cross Factor (Top rope sitout facebuster)
• Armdrag into an armbar
• Belly to belly suplex into the turnbuckle
• Elevated boston crab with knee to back
• Facewash
• Figure four leglock
• Headscissors into a DDT
• Leg lariat
• Lionsault
• Spinning side slam
• Sugar hold
• Suicide senton
• Sunset flip powerbomb
• Various powerslams

Championships and accomplishments

• Combat Zone Wrestling

• CZW Heavyweight Championship (1)

Won from Justice Pain on May 11 2002 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Lost to Justice Pain on June 8 2002 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

• CZW Iron Man Championship (1)

Won from Adam Flash on October 12 2002 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Lost to Nick Mondo on February 8 2003 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

• CZW World Heavyweight Championship (2)

Won from Justice Pain on December 14 2002 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Lost to John Zandig on October 25 2003 in Pistoia, Italy

• CZW World Heavyweight Championship (3)

Won from John Zandig on March 6 2004 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Lost to Ruckus on February 5 2005 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

• NWA Florida

• NWA Florida King of the Deathmatch Championship (1)

Defeated Madman Pondo, Prime Evil and Chaos on November 30 2002 in Pinellas Park, Florida, USA (first and final champion)

• Insane Wrestling Federation

• IWF Tag Team Champion (1)

with Adam Flash

Defeated The Lynch Mob on June 27th 2003 in Hamtramck, Michigan USA

Lost to Corporal Robinson & "The Dangerous One" The DBA on September 26th 2003 in

Hamtramck, Michigan USA

• Millennium Pro Wrestling

• MPW Heavyweight Championship (1)

Defeated Tech IX, Samo Joe, B-Boy, Frankie Kazarian, & Super Dragon in a Gauntlet Tag Match on March 23 2002 in West Hills, California, USA (final champion)

• Pacific Championship Wrestling

• PCW Heavyweight Championship (1)

Defeated B-Boy on January 25 2003 in City of Industry, California, USA

Stripped on March 2 2004 for being unable to defend

• River City Wrestling

• RCW Tag Team Championship (1)

with Scott McKenzie (known as The Country of Caucasian Knights or C.o.C.K)

Defeated The Texas Treats on January 27 2007 in San Antonio, Texas, USA

• Xtreme Pro Wrestling

• XPW King of the Deathmatch Championship (1)

Won from Supreme on November 11 2000 in Reseda, California, USA

Stripped after being fired from XPW on August 25 2001 in Los Angeles, California, USA

• XPW World Heavyweight Championship (1)

Defeated New Jack (who was not the champion) on May 26 2001 in Los Angeles, California, USA

Stripped after being fired from XPW on August 25 2001 in Los Angeles, California, USA

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated

• PWI ranked him # 241 in the 2001 PWI 500

Personal life

On August 1, 2002, he was attacked by two unknown assailants in his home, who subsequently cut off his right thumb. Welch's former promoter, Rob Black was named as a suspect on an episode of America's Most Wanted about the incident. Since the episode's airing, nobody has been accused or arrested by police in connection to the attack and the case remains unsolved.[4]

Welch was good friends with Gary Yap of EPIC Pro Wrestling and Welch ended up moving in[5] and living with Yap and Renell (Yap's girlfriend and also a part-time on-screen character in EPIC under the alias, "Hailey"). Eventually, Rennell broke up with Yap and she married Welch, her current husband.[6][7]