Mike Morgan Jr: Always Remembered
Tomorrow is going to be a rough day for all those associated with American Championship Entertainment, as it’s going to be the third annual “A Hero’s Celebration” event in honor of Mikey Viruet, better known in wrestling circles as Mike Morgan Jr.
For me, I was blessed enough to be one of the select few that actually got to know Mikey on a personal level. The kid was a very special individual.
The first time I ever laid eyes on Mikey was during my beginning of attempting to make it in pro wrestling. The day was September 1, 2007; “the Night of 3somes”. Ed and Tom Scanlon, Dan Murdoch, and I were meeting the entire roster and staff for the first time. Mikey wasn’t officially staff at that time; but being the owner’s son, he was as close to staff as you could get.
Mikey was 14 years old, but even then, there was a passion of life inside of him. He was a gentle soul and an absolute sweetheart. The more and more I got to know him, the more I got to see his warmth as an individual. He treated everyone with respect and honor, which is as great a trait to have.
Over the years, Mikey took over doing camera on ACE shows and got involved with editing behind the scenes. In particular, Mikey handled the editing of the entire St. Valentine’s Day Massacre event for DVD, which was regarded as pound-for-pound the best ACE show ever. Seeing the pride he had in doing that showcased his ability to be a world class editor.
Slowly but surely, Mikey then moved on to filming and directing backstage interviews for all the talent in the locker room. An intensely creative individual, Mikey was able to help find the good in every wrestler that walked into the room and find a promo in them. I can honestly say, especially in this generation, Mikey was the last of a dying breed. He saw what these little segments meant to a wrestling promotion and the events as a whole.
Finally, in 2013, Mikey officially became a performer for the company. It wasn’t long before Mikey was corrupted by “the Devil’s Outlaw” Stockade and joined the New Age Wrecking Crew. It was weird. Although Mikey would rile up the crowd and use his muscle to intimidate people, I COULDN’T HATE HIM. Even as the problem child on air, I really had a tough time separating fiction and reality. That kid was legitimately a lovable person and, on commentary, I couldn’t say anything about his evil side with having a big smile on my face.
By “Crossroads X” on November 1, 2014, Mikey lost his percentage of ownership back to his father in a 6 man tag team match. Mikey was gone, but he would be back in a big way throughout 2015. One of the funniest things about this day was when I heard his dad say that “The kid was stiff with his punches,” which made me laugh, even to this day. I didn’t know Mikey had it in him.
Sadly, that was also the last day I saw him. I’ll never forget it. Mikey was finishing loading the ring truck with all the ACE accessories outside the Jose Marti Freshman Academy. My girlfriend and I were preparing to leave. Before we left, Haley gave the kid a big hug, and I shook his hand and told him to “Be safe.”
Weeks later, the kid was taken from us far too soon on December 4, 2014. Mikey saved his brother and his sister and fought valiantly for as long as he could. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of him. Every time I enter the Morgan Jr Arena, I see his face on the picture frame and I smile. I think of the joy he brought to everyone’s life and the passion he brought out of his.
Although the memories he made in wrestling are endless, I choose to remember the personal ones he made on my life.
I remember when Kenny, Mikey, and I would go to John’s a block away from 725 Sip Street and they would try to help me speak Spanish so I could talk to the girl behind the counter. (It was pre-Haley, I swear.)
I remember the joke Mikey and I pulled on Haley before his performance in West Side Story, where we never informed Haley that Morgan really wasn’t his last name and the people holding our tickets had ZERO clue on who she was asking for.
I remember the passion Mikey had when he was preparing to edit Will and Mary’s wedding video and how Denise told me he stayed up late most nights watching videos on how other people edited theirs.
Most of all, I remember September 1, 2007, when I met Mikey Viruet for the first time. He was a special individual. He will forever be remembered as such for the rest of my days.
I hope you guys come tomorrow night to Wallington, NJ at the Morgan Jr Arena for the third annual “A Hero’s Celebration”. I hope you come to enjoy the entire card top to bottom. Most of all, I hope you celebrate the life of Mikey with us.
I miss you, kid.
Jon Harder jon@thejonharder.com http://hardwayhq.com
