"The
Natural One"Michael Modest
Birthdate:
July 19, 1971
Height:
5' 10"
Weight:
236 lbs.
Hometown:
Richmond, CA
Finishing
Move:
The Gori Buster
Wrestling Inspirations:
Ray Stevens, Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Terry Taylor,
Kevin Sullivan
Comments: For contemporary
indy legend, Mike Modest, wrestling has always been
a natural fit. Born the son of a jockey who took his
family on the road wherever the racing circuit took
him, the later lifestyle transition to a mat career
for this Bay Area native seemed totally natural. An
outgoing kid, (“I had to be to make friends..we
moved around so much”), he soon took a great liking
to the wrestling world when his uncle made it a tradition
to watch the old San Francisco circuit and early WWF
matches with his nephew. “I remember my favorite
guy originally was Moon Dog Mayne,” he says with
a chuckle now. “We’d sit there watching and
I’d try copying his moves by slamming my uncle
with pillows or hitting him with chairs.”
Eventually an accomplished high school grappler; Mike
didn’t really consider a pro career for himself,
though, opting instead for studying acting and even
majoring in it in college; and met Bay Area longtime
worker Jerry Monti; One introduction led to another
and by the early 90s he was not only training with Monti,
but soon moving into a new school and the new APW fed
run by wrestler Rick Thompson and Roland Alexander;
working there as an assistant instructor.
While his slowly building career continued for nearly
a decade, along with a few WWF tryouts along the way,
it wasn’t until film documentary producer Barry
Blaustein featured him in the critically acclaimed “Beyond
the Mat” that his modern day efforts really started
to take off. Now part of the contingent that challenged
our own UPW top talent, Modest says he is very happy
to be also be an active part now of the Southland’s
best promotion, finding his Ultimate Pro experiences
exceptionally outstanding thus far.
“Now that I have shown I am one of the best Northern
California wrestlers around, my hope is to continue
to be an active competitor in your great fed as well.”
And with key victories chalked up already against some
of So Cal’s best and brightest, what might seem
to some a rather immodest claim of future UPW star potential
is now beginning to ring like the tolling bell of unquestioned
certainty!
