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There are many things in a wrestler's personal life that fans would be surprised to find out, especially when it comes to personal relationships with other fellow wrestlers. When it pertains to family relationships, fans wouldn't guess what bonds certain wrestlers would have with each other. This specifically relates to the former ECW alumni Mike Awesome. For those who don't know, Mike Awesome, or Michael Alfanso, is the cousin of former wrestler Michael Bollea, the nephew of Hulk Hogan.

Related: 10 Things Fans Should Know About Mike Awesome

Mike Awesome Was An ECW Champion

Mike Awesome was an interesting character, as many thought he could've gone a lot further than he did in the business. Someone like him had the build of a professional wrestler, something that almost every wrestling promoter wants for their talent regarding marketability, and he had many years of wrestling experience under his belt. It made sense for him to go further than he did, as some say he could've been a successful main-event level superstar.

Mike Awesome Taz

Despite this, Mike Awesome still racked up an impressive career, as he became a respected name in ECW throughout the 1990s. As someone who held the ECW World Heavyweight Championship on two occasions, Mike Awesome was the type of wrestler that many people had their sights on. It would be interesting to see how he would have panned out in bigger promotions than ECW.

Mike Awesome v Masato Tanaka ECW One Night Stand 2005 Cropped

Eventually, Mike Awesome did sign with prominent wrestling organizations like WWE and WCW during the late 1990s and early 2000s, as many in the business saw the oozing potential that Mike Awesome exhibited. However, regardless of whatever potential he may have had, it's been speculated over the years that the real-life relations between him and Hulk Hogan contributed to his shortcomings in WCW.

Related: If Mike Awesome Were In His Prime Today, He'd Be Wrestling's Top Star

Mike Awesome Was The Cousin Of WCW's Horace Hogan

It may be surprising for some, but Mike Awesome and Hulk Hogan are actually blood-related. Specifically, Mike Awesome is the cousin of retired wrestler Michael Bollea, or better known for his wrestling name, Horace Hogan. As Michael Bollea is the nephew of Hulk Hogan, that's where the family connection between Mike Awesome and Hulk Hogan stem.

Mike Awesom And Horace Hogan

For those who may not be familiar with Michael Bollea, he was in the wrestling industry for over a decade, as the Hogan name for his character benefited his career. Much like Mike Awesome, Michael Bollea wrestled for many organizations, including a three-year run with WCW. In fact, Michael Bollea was the one who helped entice Mike Awesome to get into wrestling and get him signed to WCW in the late 1990s. They also worked together when both were wrestling for the Japanese promotion of Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling during the early 1990s.

Mike Awesome's Relationship With Hulk Hogan Caused Controversy

Being related to the Hogan family must've had its perks for not only Mike Awesome but also Michael Bollea. There's no denying that Hulk Hogan is considered by many to be the biggest wrestling star that ever lived, and due to his name value, whoever associated with him had a better chance of getting over in the business. Because of this, it's hard to believe that being in the Hogan family may have cost Mike Awesome's career in a prominent organization like WCW, much like it did to Michael Bollea.

Mike Awesome celebrating with a WCW title.

After the incident that took place at the Bash at the Beach 2000 PPV between Vince Russo and Hulk Hogan, Micheal Bollea left WCW. It may have also affected Mike Awesome's WCW run in the process. It's something that Mike Awesome alleged regarding his poor booking in WCW. In an interview with High Spots, Mike Awesome alleged that because of his family relationship with Hulk Hogan, the heat between Vince Russo and Hulk Hogan resulted in him getting cast in outrageous gimmicks in WCW.

Whether or not Mike Awesome got the short end of the stick because of his family relationship, it's a shame that someone of his talents did not get utilized to his fullest potential. Regardless, Mike Awesome's legacy will live on forever in the business.