Mantaur

**Michael Robert Halac** (May 14, 1968 – July 11, 2023) was an American professional wrestler known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name **Mantaur**, and briefly as **Tank**.

## Professional wrestling career

In 1991, as "Bruiser Mastino", Halac traveled to Germany to work for the Catch Wrestling Association. He debuted on November 11, facing Rambo for the World Heavyweight Championship. He remained with the promotion until late 1994, when he returned to the United States to perform for the World Wrestling Federation.

Halac wrestled his first two matches as "Bruiser Mastino" defeating Nikolai Volkoff on August 25 and 26, 1994, at house shows. A few months later on the January 7, 1995, episode of *Superstars of Wrestling* (taped on December 10, 1994), Halac debuted in the World Wrestling Federation as "Mantaur", defeating Walter Slow.

The Mantaur character was that of a Minotaur who charged, trampled and mooed at opponents. Soon after debuting, he acquired Jim Cornette as his manager. Mantaur then began a small winning streak, defeating a series of jobbers. He came close to beating then-Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon, but lost the match by disqualification due to interference by Jeff Jarrett, who was involved in a feud with Ramon at that time.

Mantaur made his first PPV appearance at the 1995 Royal Rumble, where he competed in the Royal Rumble match and lasted nine minutes before being eliminated by Lex Luger.

Mantaur was defeated by Bret Hart during a taping of Wrestling Challenge in Moline, Illinois, on April 26, 1995. Mantaur entered the 1995 King of the Ring tournament but was pinned by Bob "Spark Plug" Holly in a qualifying match. In his final televised WWF match, he lost to Bam Bam Bigelow as part of a push to enhance the popularity of Bigelow as a babyface. Halac made his last WWF appearance as a lumberjack in a lumberjack match between Sycho Sid and Diesel at In Your House 2.

After leaving the WWF, Halac returned to his "Bruiser Mastino" ring name and joined Extreme Championship Wrestling. He debuted there on December 1, 1995, with a victory over The Dark Ninja. Eight days later, he lost to Hack Meyers at December to Dismember. A few weeks after that, he lost to 911. At Holiday Hell, Mastino defeated El Puerto Ricano in his final match for the promotion, in which he was jeered with "Mantaur" chants from the always-vocal ECW audience. Halac then briefly returned to the Catch Wrestling Association as "Terminator Mastino".

In April 1996, Halac returned to the WWF as Goldust's unnamed bodyguard. He appeared with Goldust at In Your House 7 in his corner for his match against the Ultimate Warrior. After Goldust lost, Halac attacked Ultimate Warrior but was overpowered and body slammed.

Halac then worked in the United States Wrestling Association as "Tank", a masked member of The Truth Commission. He won the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship, his first and only wrestling title, on March 15, 1997, after defeating then-champion Jerry Lawler. He lost the belt back to Lawler in a rematch seven days later. Later that spring, Tank was involved in a controversy surrounding the World Tag Team Championship.

While The Interrogator and Recon (Tank's teammates in The Truth Commission) held the title, Tank substituted for The Interrogator in one match and his team lost the title to Nick Dinsmore and Flash Flanagan. The title change was declared invalid, however, as Tank was not one of the official holders of the World Tag Team Title. He returned to the WWF in June 1997 with the Truth Commission as he fought as Tank. He was on two *Shotgun Saturday Night* episodes for 6 tag matches until his release later that summer. Halac wrestled a dark match for World Championship Wrestling's *Monday Nitro*, defeating Damián 666 on September 22, 1997, in his only appearance for the company.

Halac returned to the CWA in September 1998, again as "Bruiser Mastino". He wrestled three matches for NWA Germany later that year, winning the first against Franz Schumann on September 22, losing the second to Ulf Herman September 23, and losing the third to Shumann on December 2. He also competed in the European Wrestling Promotion (EWP), defeating Christian Eckstein on November 25. Halac returned to the EWP on May 18, 2001, winning a triple threat match against Eric Schwarz and Martin Nolte. The next day, he defeated Big Tiger Steele and retired from wrestling.

Halac returned to wrestling on June 3, 2005, in Germany for one night only for Riotgas Wrestling Alliance. He won a battle royal and later that night fought his cousin Cannonball Grizzly for the RWA International title which Grizzly won.

In June 2009, Halac and P. N. News promoted an independent tour entitled "Beach Brawl 09" with two shows at Fun Plex in Omaha, Nebraska and concluding in Hartington. On the first show of the tour, Halac (as Brusier Mastino) teamed with News (as Cannonball Grizzly) as Big O Incorporated in a winning effort against Matt Morgan & Homicide. In May 2015, as "The Turkish Terror" Madd Mustafa, he won the American Heritage Wrestling Heavyweight Championship at their inaugural event in Adel, Iowa.

In July 2016, Halac was named part of a class action lawsuit filed against WWE which alleged that wrestlers incurred traumatic brain injuries during their tenure and that the company concealed the risks of injury. The suit was litigated by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who has been involved in a number of other lawsuits against WWE. The case was dismissed by US District Judge Vanessa Lynne Bryant in September 2018.

In September 2016, Halac returned to Germany for European Wrestling Promotion where he teamed with Thunder against P. N. News and Christian Eckstein in a no contest. On November 28, 2018, Mantaur was an inaugural inductee into the Omaha Pro Wrestling Hall Of Fame at the PWP Live "Wrestlerama" event at The Waiting Room Lounge in Omaha. On April 6, 2019, he wrestled as Mantaur at GCW's Joey Janela's Spring Break 3 Part 2 in a Clusterfuck Battle Royal in Jersey City, New Jersey. He was eliminated by Canadian wrestler Cecil Nyx.

## Death

On July 11, 2023, Halac died in his sleep at the age of 55. He had been open about his struggle with type 2 diabetes.