Mike Redmond

Mike Redmond

"The Original Superstar"

"Iron Man"

Hall Of Fame

From: United States

Debut: UW1 (1960)

Last Appearance: UW18 (1977)

Appearances: 18

Stage 2 Attempts: 12

Stage 3 Attempts: 7

Stage 4 Attempts: 1

First Place Finishes: 2

Mike Redmond was clearly a frontrunner from the start, missing out on a First Place Finish in UW1 by a few feet as he failed to transition to the third Rope on Stage 3's Rope Junction. He went into UW2 with a good amount of hype as he was one of only 3 Stage 3 finalists in the debut tournement.

UW 2 saw a very determined Redmond blow through the first stage, and though he timed out on the final obstacle of Stage 2, he netted the best result of the tournament.

UW 3 marked a disappointing run for Redmond, failing at the end of Stage 1, running out of time as he climbed the final rope.

With the intangible title of "Star" still wide open for claiming, Redmond would return to Stage 3 in UW4, once again going out on the Rope Junction.

UW5 was the first tournament that Redmond trained for, and despite his stock falling below that of other competitors such as Caleb Clay, Drago Akulov, and John Jackson, Redmond claimed his second First Place Finish, being one of two to make it to the Final Stage.

Redmond returned to Stage 3 in UW6, though he failed early on the new Propeller Bars, the worst result of any who attempted the stage.

By UW7, Redmond was the face of the tournament, appearing in many promotional advertisements leading up to the event. Despite this, he missed out on Stage 3, timing out on the Wall Lift.

Redmond would fail to bounce back in UW8, failing Stage 1 for the second time as he once again timed out on the Rope Climb.

Redmond would slip into a drought, failing to reach the second stage again until UW12, where he went out on the Spider Walk on Stage 2.

By the time UW13 approached, Redmond had been mostly forgotten as competitors such as Yuujin Aizawa, Sam Arlington, Steve McCloud, and Drago Akulov excelled during his 6 year slump. Despite this, Redmond returned to the third stage, tying for third place.

He continued his comeback in UW14, Failing the Cliffhanger for the second time in a row, though UW15 would see him trip up on the first stage yet again, failing the Jump Hang.

In UW16, he would return to Stage 2, but would time out on the Wall Lift, frustratingly coming inches away from Stage 3.

Redmond would reach Stage 2 again in UW17, but could not best the Salmon Ladder.

At age 37, Redmond admitted to the media that he didn't believe his body could handle the training required to succeed anymore, and he declared that UW18 would be his final tournament. He was given position 25 in honor of his career, and he managed to reach Stage 3 for his 7th time, going out on the Cliffhanger once again, climbing out of the water to an ovation as the spectators witnessed his final run.

Mike Redmond was the forerunner of the early 60s, and was the first favorite to score a total victory in the early days. From 1960 to 1966, Redmond was at the top of the game, being the first to ever score multiple First Place Finishes, and one of the first to attempt the final stage. Despite his drought in the late 60s, Redmond's return to form in the early 70s solidified him as an Ultimate Warrior legend.