Actors - Konnan

	Actors - Konnan

Charles Ashenoff (sometimes seen Hispanicized as Carlos Ashenoff), better known by his ring name, Konnan, is a Cuban American professional wrestler of Puerto Rican extraction.

Konnan is very well-known in Mexico for his appearances with the Asistencia Asesoría y Administración, and has in the past been described as "the Mexican Hulk Hogan", reflecting his mainstream popularity. In addition, he also wrestled for major American promotions, including the World Wrestling Federation, Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling and, currently, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.

Career

Early life

Ashenoff was born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, but his family moved to the United States of America when he was still young. He had a troubled childhood in Miami, Florida in which he was expelled from several schools, and he later served time in prison after joining a street gang. After his incarceration was over, Ashenoff served in the United States Navy for four years. While in the Navy, he trained as a boxer, and became the Californian Middleweight Amateur Boxing Champion in 1982 and 1983.

He later moved to San Diego, California and became a bodybuilder. While living in San Diego, Ashenoff met a wrestling promoter, John Roberts, who encouraged him to train as a wrestler. Ashenoff travelled to Tijuana in Mexico and trained under several veteran luchadores alongside Psicosis, Rey Mysterio, Jr., Halloween and Damián 666. He debuted on January 6, 1987 after eight months training under a mask as El Centurión ("The Centurion"). He was paid the modest sum of $200 MXP ($19.13 USD / €16.03 EUR) for his first match.

Ashenoff wrestled on the independent circuit before joining the Universal Wrestling Alliance, where he first began using the name Konnan. He later left the UWA, feeling that he was being held back, and joined the Empresa Mexicana de la Lucha Libre, where he was pushed into the main event. He lost his mask in 1991 to Perro Aguayo in a mask versus hair match after the referee took the side of Aguayo. After the match, a young boy who was introduced as Konnan's brother entered the ring crying and handed Konnan his mask back, generating considerable bonhomie towards Konnan from the sympathetic crowd (in lucha libre, losing one's mask is a major, career shaping event).

Asistencia Asesoría y Administración

In 1992, with the EMLL plagued by corruption and the wrestlers' union fraught with embezzlement, Konnan, along with several other EMLL wrestlers, joined Antonio Peña's upstart Asistencia Asesoría y Administración, where he feuded with Cien Caras. Following interference from Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Konnan lost a two out of three falls retirement match by count-out to Caras at TripleMania on April 30, 1993 in front of 48,000 fans in Mexico City, setting the all-time attendance record for a Mexican wrestling event. Konnan did not comply with the stipulations of the match, and returned to defeat Roberts in a hair versus hair match at TripleMania II on May 27, 1994 in Tijuana.

Later in 1994, Konnan betrayed his tag team partner, Perro Aguayo, and formed a heel stable known as Los Gringos Locos with Eddie Guerrero, Art Barr and Madonna's Boyfriend. Aguayo gained his revenge on Konnan by defeating him in the first, and, to date, only, AAA pay-per-view, When Worlds Collide, in a steel cage match in Los Angeles, California on November 6, 1994. By this point, Konnan was among the most prominent wrestlers in Mexico, and had achieved a significant degree of crossover popularity, and was often featured on Mexican television. He eventually became the AAA booker.

Konnan defeated Killer on February 2, 1996 in Queretaro to become the first ever AAA Heavyweight Champion. He vacated the title after leaving AAA in October 1996 to form his own promotion, Promo Azteca, and the title remained inactive until 2004. Konnan's Mexican wrestling career was hampered in the late-1990s by his American wrestling commitments. He made a return to the Mexican wrestling circuit in the 2000s after a six year absence, selling-out arenas in Mexico City and Guadalajara.

World Wrestling Federation

Konnan spent several months in the World Wrestling Federation as Max Moon. The Moon character, created by Konnan based on a gimmick he had seen in Japan, was that of a cyborg, and Konnan wore an outfit (purchased by the WWF at the cost of $13,000) bedecked with circuitry, along with a pyrotechnic gun on his arm during his approach to the ring. Konnan left the WWF following a disagreement with WWF owner Vince McMahon, believing that he was being discriminated against. The Max Moon gimmick was subsequently given to Paul Diamond.

Extreme Championship Wrestling

After meeting Extreme Championship Wrestling booker Paul Heyman while on a wrestling tour of Singapore, Konnan joined ECW in 1995, and feuded with The Sandman. He appeared at November To Remember 1995 on November 18, squashing Jason, and wrestled at an event co-promoted by ECW and the AAA in Chicago, Illinois.

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