Content
Esteban Awesome Biography
Personal
| Real Name: | Taz Callahan |
| Nicknames: | Senor Awesome |
| Hometown: | Buffalo, New York |
| Birthday: | August 27th, 1985 |
| Height: | 6'4 |
| Weight: | 228 lbs |
History
| Biography: | Odds are that most wrestling fans know who Esteban Awesome is. They just didn't know it was him. Spending the better part of the last decade traveling North America with some of the top independent wrestling promotions, Senor Awesome has grown a cult-like following for his relentless pursuit of the ultimate spot and entertaining thousands each and every night. All the while, his true identity was unknown to his fans. Taz Callahan was born and grew up in Western New York playing sports year round, chasing girls, and, of course, getting into fights with neighbor kids. He played basketball and football well enough to earn a scholarship to Syracuse University, where he dazzled the nation as a reserve with the 2003 National Champion men’s basketball team. He also set Big East records for a freshman in receptions, yards, touchdowns, punt return yards, and overall yardage. He was the first freshman to be named First Team All Big East in history at Syracuse and many considered him one of the country’s youngest prospects at receiver. With everything set in place for a bright and brilliant future, Callahan seemed to be poised for greatness. Deep down, though, he had his eyes set on gold �" Olympic gold �" and, without much hesitation, withdrew from school and moved to Vancouver in January of 2004 to pursue a medal in freestyle skiing. He would be hunted down from basketball scouts, football scouts, baseball scouts, and many others looking simply to exploit his national publicity. Callahan would turn them away, some politely while others might not receive the same courtesy, and claimed he was “just along for the ride.” This Is also where his life crossed path with wrestling and, subsequently, with Esteban Awesome. Spending his days on the mountain, Taz had to get by and no better the job for a professional ski bum than to bartend. One summer, some coworkers introduced Taz to the wonder that is professional wrestling. He found it captivating, fun, and, most of all, thought it looked easy enough that he could do it. Flying through the air, picking up and slamming a man on his back, and pulling on someone's limb until they gave in made Taz feel alive and free, much like he did while on skis. It made him feel awesome. Taz made his next move in 2006, qualifying for the Winter Olympics in Torino. He would pack no medals to bring home, though, as his best finish was fourth, which also happened to be on a controversial score that made it seem he was not being judged fairly. Taz had an outburst at the judges, which was caught on camera, and resulted in him being banned from 2010 Olympic competition. Callahan swore he would return better than ever in 2014, moved to Crested Butte, Colorado, and became a quasi-recluse, only leaving his home to hit the trails on the mountains. He would come out of nowhere and win competitions, like a wizard or a ghost. To say Callahan was not seen or heard from would be a lie, though that is what many worked very hard to make things appear. Around town, at local saloons and establishments, many thought they saw Callahan. The man would tell them his name was ‘Esteban Awesome.’ He was wild, friendly, social, and everything it seemed Callahan was not. He would tell them he was a ‘wrestler’ and, soon enough, Esteban Awesome was working with an independent wrestling company that made stops throughout the Northwest mountain states. There would be weeks, maybe even months, that Callahan was not seen or heard from but Esteban Awesome was seen leaving some bar with seven ladies and a seeing-eye dog. Over the next handful of years, Awesome spent as much time in the ring as Callahan once did on skis. He earned local praise for community wrestling events because of his popularity throughout the snowsport community and his ability to play a crowd acting as Esteban Awesome. Sports Illustrated ran a small piece on the dual life of the former up-and-coming trick skiier Taz Callahan in late 2011. This was where Taz told the world he was no longer on task to earn gold at the Olympics, but in the ring. The story earned national attention, calling for SI to publish two separate follow up pieces on the industry and business of wrestling from a newcomer’s prospective, and an investigative piece on the questionable scoring of the 2006 judgings. Millions have chimed in via social media, television commentary, editorials, blogs, and so on. Many have voiced their support for Callahan. He has not acknowledged them though. He has come out, as Esteban Awesome, and told media outlets that Taz Callahan “appreciates the support but won’t need it. Focus on the future.” Most people have a good understanding of what is going on, of who Awesome really is, but the momentum the young wrestler is building makes it hard to deny that, whoever he is, he’s in a better place. Many have been skeptical to see if Awesome is a legit wrestling prospect or just a publicity stunt. Either way, Awesome was approached in late 2012 by a group of sponsors - much like in skiing - that wanted to capitalize on his popularity and help him reach the top rung of the wrestling ladder. They managed to get him a shot at competing at the top of the sport �" United Toughness Alliance �" and another chance to make his mark on the sports world. |
| Other Feds: | none to date |
| Other Fed Titles: | |
| Other Fed Awards: |
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