Mariano Fernandez

Mariano Fernandez Cuzzocrea, known simply as Mariano Fernandez (born January 20th, 1989), is an Argentinean professional wrestler, who is now employed under Supreme Championship Wrestling. He has worked in the Classic Wrestling Federation, where in his rookie year, he has won the CWF National Title, only 2 months after joining the promotion, and the CWF Unified Title. He is known for his martial arts moves, his polite manner and correct behavior, his thirst for justice (his trademark catchphrase being "JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL"), his respectful attitude towards anyone and his love for ancient Japanese culture.

He is also known as if not the tiniest, at least one of the tiniest champions in CWF history, standing 5'9 tall and weighing 176 pounds. Besides his wrestling career, he is studying in law school, to become a District Attorney in his homeland after retiring from wrestling.

Early life
Mariano was born in Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina, the son of Roberto Oscar Fernandez and Monica Alejandra Cuzzocrea (the Cuzzocrea last name appears in his Argentine ID). He has a younger sibling, Luciano Fernandez. He is the only one in his family related to wrestling. Mariano had to deal with bullying and aggression at school in his early years (although he is known to say "it wasn't anything extremely dramatic"), which led him to learn martial arts, most precisely Tae-Kwon-Do and Judo. He is quoted to say "A month after I started martial arts, I was respected at school and defended other people from bullying". He was known to be a genius student, by peers and teachers. However, he didn't excel at sports other than martial arts and wrestling. He decided to become a wrestler when he was 10 years old. According to his own words, "my dad, brother and I used to watch wrestling back in the day, and although they enjoyed it, I was so passionate about it that I wanted to become a wrestler myself".

Before starting Junior high, at the age of 12, Mariano visited Japan by himself, a destination he always wanted to go to. "I have always been a big fan of anime and manga (Japanese comics and animation), and when I was little I remember reading about the Samurai and their philosophy of life, so ever since I was 4 I wanted to go to Japan. It was a dream of my life come true." While in Japan, Mariano became a black belt in Karate, Aikido and Kendo, becoming a Western Samurai. He also trained in Ninjutsu, something he says to be one of the accomplishments he is most proud of, hence his first "Shadow" moniker. After his training in Japan was complete, Mariano travelled to the United States at the age of 15, where he graduated from the N.E.S. high school at the age of 17, becoming one of the students the school is proudest to ever have taken in. Mariano considers his high school years "the best period of my life so far".

Upon graduating from high school, Mariano started law school, while wrestling in independent federations throughout his homeland, but only as an amateur wrestler. His professional wrestling career started after applying for Mark Xamin's Classic Wrestling Federation, which accepted him as a member.

Classic Wrestling Federation (June 2009 - June 2010)
Mariano's CWF debut took place on June 6, 2009 in Vancouver, BC, Canada, having his first appearance in CWF Saturday Night Showdown, losing to Bob Osbourne, the son of CWF legend "Nitemare" Rob Osbourne. The next edition of Showdown he was one of the five contestants in the 5-way Battle Royale match in which the Unified Title was reinstated, competing against Alex Ruettiger, Motion, Bob Osbourne, and the Raving Lunatic, who was crowned champion. Mariano was the first eliminated entrant, being thrown out of the match by Alex Ruettiger.

Feud with James Baker
His first Showdown victory was in the June 20th edition of Showdown, in Portland, OR, against "Da Xtreme Gangsta" James Baker. He would be the winner once again in Summer Smash 2009, in a three-way dance against Baker and the debuting Terry Richards.

By this time, he became immersed in a feud with Baker, who was stalking Mariano's love interest at the time, known as Nagase (Stephanie Jacobs). After the Showdown prior to Scars and Stripes, when "Nitemare" Rob Osbourne gained control of the CWF over Mark Xamin who as a final act made Osbourne lose the National Title against his henchman, the Maniac, Mariano defeated MMA fighter "Iceman" Tyler Thomas. At Scars and Stripes, Mariano was scheduled to compete against James Baker and Drastic, A.K.A Bryan Joseph Osbourne, in a three-way elimination match contested under hardcore rules for a shot at the Unified Title. Mariano managed to pin Baker, but he was brutally assaulted by Drastic and put through a table in front of a horrified Nagase, earning Drastic the win.

After Scars and Stripes, Mariano was scheduled to participate in a Battle Royale in Saturday Night Showdown for a match against CWF World Champion "Nitemare" Rob Osbourne, along with the likes of Magnus Thunder and T-Money. It was on the week before the Showdown match that Baker allegedly kidnapped Nagase. Mariano and Terry Richards were the last people to be eliminated simultaneously by Magnus Thunder. In the following week, Mariano negotiated Nagase's release with Baker, only to discover that it was all a double-cross on Nagase's behalf, who then left him.

Mentoring by Pledge Alligence, National Title reign
By this point, Mariano had gained compliments by multiple-time CWF World Champion and recently inducted Hall of Famer Pledge Alligence, who was at ringside during the Battle Royale. Pledge Alligence, named CWF Interim President of Wrestling Operations, sided with Mariano in a tag team match against Terry Richards and then CWF National Champion Maniac, in the August 8th edition of Saturday Night Showdown. Mariano got the pin over Maniac for the win, after Terry Richards walked out of the match after assaulting color commentator "Beautiful" Bobby Crane. After the match, the Maniac, humiliated by Mariano's victory over him, confronted Mariano backstage, challenging Mariano to a title match, then hit him with his finisher move, the Headhunter.

On August 15th, Mariano faced the Maniac for the National Title, in a match with Pledge Alligence as Special referee.Before the match, "Nitemare" Rob Osbourne announced the loser would leave the CWF, a move intended against the Maniac for putting Bob Osbourne out of commission by attacking him and having his face burnt with stage pyrotechnics. Mariano did the unthinkable and pinned Maniac after climbing Pledge Alligence's back and executing a Shooting Star Press off his shoulders, thus becoming the new CWF National Champion and driving the Maniac out of the CWF.

Mariano sided once again with Pledge Alligence in the August 23rd edition of Saturday Night Showdown, being scheduled in a match against Magnus Thunder and T-Money, with CWF World Champion "Nitemare" Rob Osbourne as special referee. However, this was not to be, as Magnus Thunder and T-Money were sent to Hawaii by Mark Xamin, who returned to the CWF accompanied by the Shock Value stable, consisting of Brian Adams and Keith Daniels. It was then that Pledge Alligence turned on Rob Osbourne and hit him with the World Title belt in front of a surprised Mariano.

After Showdown, Mariano was scheduled to defend his National Title against Terry Richards, who by this time had become a ruthless serial killer. Richards stabbed Mariano's best friend, 17-year-old Paul Villanueva, putting his life at stake. Mariano, enraged, travelled to Manhattan, New York City, New York, to find Richards and pass justice upon him for the attack on Paul. Mariano sent a message to Richards by throwing a ninja grenade to his apartment door, accidentally burning down the whole building (Mariano didn't find out the consequences of his act until later, and expressed deep regret). Then, Mariano met Richards' long lost Japanese adoptive sister, Hikari, whose brother he helped find. There was a brief confrontation afterwards, ending in a stalemate. Mariano's match took place in CWF Pay-Per-View Global Warning on August 29th 2009 from Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, in which Mariano retained the CWF National Championship. After the match, Mariano pulled out a sword and motioned to execute Richards, but then it was revealed to be only a lesson that he wanted to teach him. Mariano's sword was a 'Sakabatô (Inverted edge Katana)', unable to kill.

The Showdown next to Global Warning, Mariano teamed up with his former rival to face Sickboy (Curtis Wilkes) and the new Unified Champion, Axel Way. Mariano and Richards lost the match after Richards was pinned by Sickboy, after a confrontation between themselves. Mariano brawled with Sickboy after he left the ring while Richards decimated Axel Way with a steel chair. Mariano was scheduled to team up once again with Pledge Alligence, to face "Nitemare" Rob Osbourne and CWF legend "Radiant" Roland Ulv.

Having turned heel, Pledge Alligence shrugged off Mariano as a tag team partner, saying that "Mariano as the CWF National Champion is a testament to how thin our roster is right now. The fact that someone hasn't taken that belt from him by now quite honestly amazes me.". The match took place on September 19th, from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. As Mariano had Roland Ulv on the mat after a kick, Terry Richards made a run-in with a steel chair, while Rob and Pledge Alligence were brawling. Mariano prepared to stop Richards, but he slided the chair to Roland Ulv, who hit Mariano in the back with it, then ducked for a crotch shot. The legendary stable, the Horsemen, was reunited, with Terry Richards siding with Osbourne and Ulv. As they got the win over Mariano's prone body, Magnus Thunder made an entrance and attacked the Horsemen.

Mariano was pitted against Sickboy at the Fall Fever Pay-Per-View, to be held on September 26th, from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was then that he was finally defeated for the National title, after Sickboy rolled him with a handful of tights despite a well fought match. Later that night, Sickboy joined the Horsemen, now all of them having got the better of Mariano. It was also revealed that the Pledge Alligence that dismissed Mariano was a doppelganger, and the real Pledge was abducted at Rob Osbourne's command.

Battles with the Horsemen and Magnus Thunder
The October 3rd edition of Saturday Night Showdown, held at the Igloo in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, saw Mariano face Magnus Thunder, who had turned heel after being the biggest face throughout CWF history; the tiniest wrestler in the history of the CWF against the biggest wrestler in the history of the CWF. Magnus Thunder brutalized Mariano throughout the whole match, but somehow Mariano kept kicking out of everything Magnus hit on him. The match ended in a draw due to time limit. After the outcome of the match was announced, Magnus Thunder became enraged and chokeslammed an already weak Mariano. Magnus attempted to strike Mariano with his trademark hammer Stormbringer, but Pledge Alligence saved him at the last minute. Some moments later, Magnus Thunder viciously attacked the CWF roster, even chokeslamming CWF owner Mark Xamin. Mariano arrived in the scene and wrenched Stormbringer away from Magnus, then returned Pledge's favor to him by hitting "Nitemare" Rob Osbourne when he was about to sink Pledge's face in a McDonalds' deep fryer, in a Pledge Alligence/"Chemical X" Gary Scarletti versus Rob Osbourne/Sickboy match. Mariano tried to defend Pledge and Chemical X once again after the Horsemen ("Nitemare" Rob Osbourne, "Radiant" Roland Ulv, Sickboy and Terry Richards) ganged up on Pledge and Scarletti, but had to escape Magnus Thunder, who laid out everyone but Mariano. Mariano held Stormbringer in the air from the stage entrance as Magnus Thunder looked furiously in the ring.

Mariano faced "Radiant" Roland Ulv next Showdown, at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. He came up short for the win after a distraction by Magnus Thunder. He was attacked by the returning Bob Osbourne after the match, revealing Bob had joined the Horsemen. Mariano teamed up with Paul Blair to take on "Nitemare" Rob Osbourne and his son Bob in a tag team match at October 17th at the George M. Sullivan center in Anchorage, Alaska. He was pinned after a chair shot and a Badd Dream by Bob Osbourne. The next edition of Showdown saw the new Revelation stable formed by Pledge Alligence, made out of Mariano, Paul Blair, Chemical X, square off against the Osbournes and Sickboy. Paul Blair was pinned to score another Horsemen win. After the match, Mariano attacked the Horsemen leader, "Nitemare" Rob Osbourne. He faced Osbourne one-on-one in the Night of Champions III: Halloween Extreme network special on October 31st, at the Charlotte Coliseum in North Carolina, in a Last Man Standing match, but despite coming close to the victory, it slipped off once again after Osbourne managed to stand up at the last second to get the win. At that night, Chemical X turned on Revelation and joined the Horsemen, which in conjunction with Pledge Alligence's vow to retire if he lost to Magnus Thunder (which he did), led Revelation to disband.

Mariano faced newly crowned CWF World Champion Magnus Thunder once again at Saturday Night Showdown, which as the beginning of the CWF World Tour, was this time held in his homeland of Buenos Aires at the Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, the home stadium of River Plate, at November 7th, 2009, with the stipulation that if he won, he would get a World Title opportunity at the federation's next Pay-Per-View, Battle to Survive. Mariano won the match via countout after interference by Magnus Thunder's long time rival, Blood, thus getting his shot at the CWF World Title.

Mariano faced Blood in the November 14th edition of Showdown, held in the 02 Stadium in London, England. He defeated Blood after uncalled for interference by Magnus Thunder, in retaliation for the previous attack in Buenos Aires.

A grudge tag team match was made after this, with Mariano siding with his title rival against Blood and "Radiant" Roland Ulv, to happen in the Globen Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, on November 21st. Under a hostile crowd, believing mistakenly that Mariano had poisoned "Radiant" Roland Ulv for his stomach disease in Buenos Aires, Mariano was pinned by "Radiant" Roland Ulv after being locked in Blood's signature submission hold, Blood Loss.

As a result of his hometown victory, Mariano faced Magnus Thunder for the CWF World Heavyweight Title at Battle to Survive, held from the ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Australia, on November 28th, 2009. After an epic clash that saw barrages of Yakuza kicks and nothing less than 5 Thunderstorms (Magnus Thunder's finisher, a powerbomb followed by a sit-out powerbomb), Mariano lost the match due to lack of conscience. Once again, he never quit nor was pinned by Magnus Thunder. Yet, despite the gruesome assault he suffered throughout the match, Mariano was brutalized once again by Magnus after the result, even injuring Mariano's girlfriend Rei Ayanami, Play-By-Play man Teddy Turnbuckle, Blood, and even color commentator Bobby Crane, all of whom tried to rescue him from Magnus' clutches.

On the December 5th edition of Saturday Night Showdown, Mariano was scheduled to face Magnus' friend turned into lackey, Keith Daniels, from the Osaka Dome in Osaka, Japan. Keith Daniels beat Mariano after Magnus Thunder targeted Rei, despite another superhuman effort by Mariano wrestling with his ribs heavily injured.

As a consequence of Magnus Thunder's attack on Rei, she fell into a coma, with Mariano driven to avenge her attack.

Mariano faced Magnus Thunder and Keith Daniels once again, tagging with Magnus' nemesis Blood, in Magnus Thunder's hometown of Oslo, Norway, on December 12th. The match ended in a no-contest after a brutal beatdown by Magnus and Daniels. After the match, the entire CWF roster came out to the aid of Blood and Mariano, with even the Horsemen helping Mariano get up.

"The Quiet Storm" moniker, Unified Title reign
After the transpired events, Mariano stated that he needed more preparation if he was to defeat Magnus Thunder and thus save Rei. As a consequence, he travelled to Siberia to train under extreme conditions. Both his strength and his attitude became harder although still a face, and he was rechristened "Quiet Storm".

At the next network special, NoC IV: Season's Beatings, Mariano faced former Revelation stablemate Chemical X. Season's Beatings was held from the United Center in Chicago, IL, on December 19th. The previous week Mariano and Scarletti had exchanged well wishes, due to Chemical X having aided Mariano in Rei's previous rescue (see below), with a seemingly respectful attitude towards each other. Mariano dealt a blow to the already weakened Horsemen's morale (internal struggling between "Nitemare" Rob Osbourne and "Radiant" Roland Ulv) by defeating Chemical X. However, after the match, Mariano was assaulted by Chemical X and associate TJ, from the DEATHSQUAD tag team, with X claiming that Mariano was too naïve and he was going to be taught a lesson. TJ and X gave Mariano a severe beatdown including steel chair shots.

The next Showdown edition on January 2nd, 2010, Mariano teamed with Paul Blair and Keith Daniels to take on Chemical X, Sickboy and legendary Horseman Jimmy Blast. Mariano's team won the match after Jimmy Blast defected the Horsemen by attacking both of his partners, for Keith Daniels to make the pin. While Jimmy Blast explained he was sick of "Nitemare" Rob Osbourne staining the name of the Horsemen, Mariano took payback on Chemical X by attacking him the same exact way he had been a victim of at Season's Beatings, to the crowd's amazement and later cheering. Mariano apologized to the announce booth and to the crowd, who reacted with an ovation towards him as he left the ring in repentance.

Mariano was a contestant in the trademark Last Man Standing Battle Royale, whose winner receives a shot at the CWF World Title, to be held from the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on January 9th 2010. Under a total of 20 men, he drew #9 and was eliminated after a long struggle, with the efforts of both Chemical X and Sickboy. He and Pledge Alligence faced them in the next Showdown match, from the Rimrock Auto Arena in Billings, Montana on January 16th 2010. This time the Horsemen got the victory, despite another well fought battle by Mariano. In this Showdown, he was lured into a trap by Chemical X, under the form of a stretcher with Rei, which turned out to be an electrocuting trap, only to be shot with a beanbag shotgun by Chemical X and put in an execution simulation by new Horsemen member Jack Mason's Congolese tribesmen, along with Tige' and Keith Daniels. After being freed by Mark Xamin's assistant Kodiak Winters and security, the three men got into an all-out brawl with the Horsemen.

Mariano lost to "The Flawless One" Brian Adams on the following edition of Saturday Night Showdown, from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 23th 2010. Regardless of that match, he went alongside him in attacking Bob Osbourne before the match, with Adams targeting Chemical X, Keith Daniels attacking Sickboy, and Tige' and Horseman Jack Mason gunning for each other. Later in the night, there was a brief staredown between Mariano and CWF World Champion Magnus Thunder, hinting that their feud was not over yet.

At the Late Night with Bobby Crane promo show following Showdown, Mariano was issued a challenge by Bob Osbourne, which Mariano accepted. Mariano also called out Chemical X and Magnus Thunder, which led to Magnus drilling him with a big boot and crashing him against the show stage.

In the February 6th edition of Showdown, from the Ford Center at Oklahoma City, OK, Mariano got his long-awaited match Magnus Thunder, held under the no-disqualification stipulation. Although the match was ruled a no contest after a front suplex attempt by Magnus was countered into a DDT through a table by Mariano, it was the latter that got the real victory, since due to the damage inflicted, Rei was able to wake from her coma. Earlier that night, having heard rumors of Bob Osbourne going to "visit" Rei at the hospital, Mariano flushed Bob Osbourne's painkillers, to which Bob is addicted, down the toilet, hacking his computer to leave a recorded video message. Mariano faced Bob Osbourne for the CWF Unified Title at the Classic Wrestling Federation's next Pay-Per-View, Valentine Bash, at the Convocation Center in DeKalb, IL, on February 13th 2010. After a long history of mocking and humiliation by his rival, Mariano finally beat him, ending the longest reigning Unified Champion's streak, and being crowned champion himself. As a consequence of Mariano's victory over Bob Osbourne, and the defeat of Chemical X and Sickboy at the hands of Brian Adams and Keith Daniels, the Horsemen were forced to disband. However, immediately after disbanding as the Horsemen, they changed their name to "Fed Killers". On the February 20th edition of Showdown, Mariano was attacked by Bob Osbourne with the help of Chemical X and Sickboy, in addition to being trapped inside a locker room by Magnus Thunder during the week.

Mariano faced Magnus Thunder for the final time on the February 27th, 2010 episode of Saturday Night Showdown. After another epic clash that saw Mariano, accompanied by Magnus' own Omega stable members, not staying down, Magnus Thunder proved hesitant to use the World Title belt on Mariano. After that, Omega member Sleepwalker decided to use the belt on Magnus, but it was Mariano himself who pushed Magnus out of the way and got the hit, sacrificing himself so Magnus could go back to his old self again. The winner of the match via knockout was Magnus Thunder, but Mariano was victorious outside of the ring. After the match, Magnus Thunder himself helped Mariano up as he had regained his senses once again, thus ending a long story.

Mariano defended his title against Bob Osbourne in a Valentine Bash rematch on March 6th, to be held on the Scotiabank Palace on Ottawa, ON. In a successful effort to retain, Mariano defeated Bob Osbourne once and for all. Mariano handed Bob Osbourne his last CWF defeat, after which he, along with his father, would get fired from the CWF by Mark Xamin himself, never to return again.

Mariano lost the Unified Title to Terry Richards at Night of Champions V: Liftoff. After the match, a masked man (revealing to be then heel-turned Leon Lonewolf) assaulted both Mariano and Rei, even getting to her coughing up blood. Mariano suffered an injury and was sidelined for two weeks as a consequence of this vicious assault. He returned at the CWF's biggest Pay-Per-View, Super Card VI, being one of the eight contestants in the Cage of Carnage match, whose winner would receive a title shot whenever he wished to cash it. Mariano was the runner up, having been bested by SJ Funk. Mariano congratulated Funk after he had won the match, earning Funk's respect.

Forced heel turn, Shock Value stable
The week after Super Card, Mariano's girlfriend Rei Ayanami was kidnapped by CWF World Champion Brian Adams and Keith Daniels from the heel Shock Value stable, who still have her under captivity. Brian Adams presented Mariano with a Showdown match. If he won, he would get her back; if he lost, he would have to join Shock Value. On the April 3th edition of Saturday Night Showdown, Mariano lost to Brian Adams after a distraction from Keith Daniels, attempting to hit his Final Verdict finisher (Fireman carry to pancake) on a held hostage Rei. After the match, Brian Adams burned the Shock Value logo into Mariano's chest with a branding iron, Mariano reluctantly joining Shock Value. He was scheduled to face Tige', on April 17th 2010, but the match didn't happen due to Tige' no-showing. He was attacked by Leon Lonewolf instead, and Mark Xamin scheduled him to face Brian Adams for the CWF World Heavyweight Championship, at the next Pay-Per-View, Vendetta, to be held on May 1st, 2010. He lost via DQ by his own hand, knocking out the referee after Daniels threatened to hit his Final Verdict finisher on Rei.

However, Mariano got Rei back after defeating Keith Daniels at Night of Champions III: Lord of the Ring, held on May 30th, 2010 at the WVU Colloseum in Morgantown, WV, turning face again after having forced to be a heel. After the match, he was assaulted by Paul Blair and his brother Israel, who shaved his moptop haircut into a buzzcut. That same night, Mark Xamin announced he sold the CWF to Greg Johnson, who renamed it Supreme Championship Wrestling.

Supreme Championship Wrestling (June 2010 - Present)
Mariano's contract was retained by Greg Johnson, who willingly took him into the roster. He defeated Paul Blair and Israel Blair in a tag team match with SJ Funk as partner at SCW's first weekly show, Vengeance, on June 6th, from the Citrus Bowl in Orlando Florida, pinning Israel for the win. He, along with Sickboy and a third contestant, fan's choice, will be competing for the SCW World Title in their first Pay-Per-View.

Mariano then defeated Sickboy for the first time, on the June 12th Vengeance. They exchanged a handshake after the match was over, as they promised each other they would do. On that show, a Battle Royale for the third World Title spot was ensued, which was won by Cyril O'Reilly, from The O'Reilly Brothers, who Mariano was scheduled to face next week.

He defeated Cyril O'Reilly after a great battle, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, on the June 19th edition of Vengeance. He was scheduled to be either a competitor for the SCW World Title or a referee in the title match, as a result of the fans' choice, at SCW's first Pay-Per-View, Extreme Measures. Cyril O'Reilly pulled out of the match later, so the match was against Sickboy, on June 26th. Mariano lost for the third time in controversial fashion as the special referee Mr. America (revealed later to be Paul Blair in disguise) made a three-count as Mariano was holding the bottom rope after an inside cradle by Sickboy (who wasn't involved in the screwjob). He was then scheduled to face Leon Lonewolf, Yoshiru Long and Bobby Crane (now members of a faction named hWo) in a Handicap match that week, whom he defeated by pinning Bobby Crane after a distraction by Mr. Johnson.

He will now face Paul Blair in a Best of Three Series on July 17th, from the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN, at the next edition of Vengeance.

Personal life




Mariano currently resides in Miami, Florida. He is usually seen in the Little Argentina neighborhood, being a local patron at the "Old Line" bar on the Sunset Boulevard, and often visiting the high school from which he graduated, and the Hagakure Japanese Garden. Mariano is a hardcore Otaku (Anime/Manga comics fan), his favorite series being Dragon Ball, Evangelion, Saint Seiya, Pokèmon and Macross, and even being an amateur cartoonist himself, although he flat-out admits that "my drawings still need a lot of work".

He collects comics, having completed the Dragon Ball and Saint Seiya original series, and following Evangelion, issued simultaneously with Japan. He also has a large collection of Argentinean comics such as "Mafalda". He attends several Anime conventions, and has been seen cosplaying various anime/videogame characters, such as Ash Ketchum from Pokèmon, K' and Kyo Kusanagi from The King of Fighters.

He is also a huge gamer, claming that "It was videogames what made me interested in martial arts at the age of 5." His favorite genre is Versus Fighting, and his favorite titles are Street Fighter, The King of Fighters, Samurai Shodown, Rival Schools, Virtua Fighter, Last Bronx: Tokyo Bangaichi and Tekken, and also spinoffs of these series such as Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, and the Marvel crossover games (''Marvel vs. Capcom, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, X-Men vs. Street Fighter, Capcom vs. SNK, SvC Chaos). He also likes the Dragon Ball Budokai and Budokai Tenkaichi ''series, and the M.U.G.E.N. 2D fighting engine for Windows. He also likes wrestling games, mostly of Japanese origin.

As a consequence of his enthusiasm for videogames, he volunteered to contribute in the production of the CWF videogame, being actively involved in production work himself. The game was released on January 14th, 2010, and Mariano attended the release convention, giving a speech about the game. He is quoted to say "As a tester I would have loved this game even if I was just another fan out there.". The game became a blockbuster hit worldwide, receiving 5 stars in Gamespot, IGN and GameFAQs reviews.



Mariano is in a romantic relationship with fellow N.E.S. student and neighbor, cosplayer personality Rei Ayanami (real name not published on request). Rei is a talented artist as well, and a mainstay among the manga/anime scene. Mariano and Rei have shared photoshoots, and are highly acclaimed in Japan amongst the Otaku community.

On October 18th 2009, Mariano's house was attacked by henchmen from the N.E.S.T.S. cartel, and Rei was kidnapped. As a result, Mariano set out with the help of Chemical X to rescue her. It was revealed that Rei was the daughter of famous billionaire Geese Howard, then found to be the boss of N.E.S.T.S. and the mastermind behind Rei's abduction. It turned out than Rei was planned to be used as a test subject for a bio-weapon experiment. Mariano assaulted Geese Howard's tower and after a confrontation between Chemical X's troops, aided by the FBI, and N.E.S.T.S. forces, Mariano fought Geese at the top floor of the tower. Geese was killed afterwards, and although his death was ruled suicide (he let go of a ledge falling to his death after Mariano kicked him out of the window), Mariano still feels responsible for it.

Mariano adheres to the straight-edge lifestyle, his favorite drinks being Pepsi and mineral water. His favorite food is mostly Italian (pizza and various types of pasta), and he has a fondness for the trademark barbecue of his homeland. Rei, on the other hand, is a vegetarian, and drinks nothing but mineral water.

Mariano owns a Harley-Davidson XLCR-1000, being an avid Harley fan since childhood. He still hasn't attended biker rallies however, being more fond of Anime conventions, but he has stated that he someday will.

Among his favorite models are the Captain America Chopper, the FX 1971 Superglide, the Fat Boy, the V-Rod and the custom Screaming Eagle. He also owns a Chrysler PT Cruiser as a normal transportation vehicle.

The Double Dragons


Among the CWF and SCW roster, Mariano is closest to Jeff Bogard and Johnny Lee, from the Double Dragons tag team. Mariano met Jeff and Johnny at the N.E.S. High School, Mariano being in freshman year, and the Dragons being in sophomore years. The Double Dragons are also geeks and hardcore gamers, and they have a taste for old-school games, such as the early Super Mario Bros, Legend of Zelda and various other Nintendo titles. Their tag team name is taken from the famous Double Dragon arcade, even coming out to the game's opening music. They serve as comic relief curtain jerkers, and haven't been seen much, having yet to win gold of any kind, and having only one win. Their moveset is similar to Mariano's, since they trained together for quite some time.

As their attires show, they're also hardcore fans of the Power Rangers franchise, Jeff naming himself "Dragon Blue", and Johnny "Dragon Red". Despite their few appearances, they have wowed the fans, who cheered them wildly every time they set foot in the ring.

Outside the ring, the Dragons work as programmers, and they own a vintage arcade in Miramar, FL, where they spend most of their time along with Mariano and Rei.

In Wrestling
Entrance Theme:

"The Biggest Fight" by Hironobu Kageyama (His first theme, also the opening theme for the Dragon Ball: Final Bout Playstation videogame)

"Strike of the Ninja" by DragonForce (His second one)

"Hero" by Skillet (His trademark one)

"Suck it Up" by (hed) P.E. (Theme used for Shock Value)

"Seoul Road" by SNK (Currently using)

'Entrance Description: The intro of "Seoul Road" by SNK 'hits and Pyro blasts at both sides of the arena as Mariano comes out the stage, to a massive ovation. He sprints full speed to the ring and rolls under it on his stomach, then strikes a martial arts pose for the crowd. He then jogs in place and bows down to his opponent.'



Nicknames:

Official Quotations about him
 * "Shadow"
 * "Quiet Storm"
 * "Hero" (First used by Terry Richards, then being addressed this way by everyone in the CWF)
 * "Prince of the Ring"
 * "Mexican Jumping Bean" (Bestowed upon by James Baker, continues to be used by Bobby Crane)
 * "The gnat" (Bobby Crane)
 * "Pikachu " (Sickboy, Bob Osbourne)
 * "CWF's Jigglypuff" (Terry Richards)
 * "Marianoboy" ("Radiant" Roland Ulv, "Nitemare" Rob Osbourne, Bob Osbourne, Terry Richards)
 * "Savior" (Blood, Keith Daniels, Magnus Thunder)
 * "The Ultimate Face" (Keith Daniels)
 * "Fernando Martinez" (Brian Adams)



Finishers

 * Tsunami Strike (Yakuza Kick - Default finisher)
 * Shining Tsunami Strike  (Shining Yakuza Kick - finisher variation)
 * Springboard Tsunami Strike  (Springboard Yakuza Kick - finisher variation)
 * Tsunami Driver (Tombstone Piledriver - finisher, usually to opponents his same size)
 * Michinoku Driver II-B (Sitout scoop slam piledriver)

Signature moves

 * Shoryuu - Ken (Jumping uppercut)
 * Hadou - Ken (Double palm strike)
 * Backflip kick
 * Superkick / Savate Kick
 * Spinning Back Chop
 * Shining Wizard
 * Arm wrench with hook kick
 * Dragon Screw
 * Super-K/Flash Kick
 * Vaulting Body Press
 * Pele kick
 * Lionsault
 * Rolling Koppu Kick
 * Elbow Drop
 * DDT
 * Shining Black
 * Piledriver
 * Cross Body Block
 * Shooting Star Press (Off the top rope finisher)
 * Moonsault/Asai Moonsault
 * Head Scissors Takedown
 * Rolling Thunder
 * Monkey flip (Catapult)
 * Spinning Heel Kick/Jump Spinning Heel Kick
 * Kimura Lock
 * Dragon Sleeper
 * Enzuigiri
 * Dropkick
 * Walk on the Rope
 * White Russian Leg Sweep (with Kendo Stick)

Taunts

 * Zen sign (right fist against left palm)
 * Various martial arts posing


 * Looking away, his arms folded on his chest (Taken from Ryu from Street Fighter)
 * "Ore no... Kachi da!" ("Victory is mine!" Lifts his right fist in the air saying these words - Taken from Kyo Kusanagi from The King Of Fighters)


 * "BAZINGA!" (Taken from Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory)
 * "JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL!" (正義が勝つ! - "Seigi ga katsu!")

Signature weapons


 * Shinai (Bamboo Kendo Stick), which he dubbed "Ansetsuken"
 * Sakabatô (Inverted Edge Katana), which he named "Kusanagi"
 * Steel Chair (less likely to be used)

Championships and Accomplishments

 * Classic Wrestling Federation National Champion - 1 time (August 15th - September 26th)
 * Classic Wrestling Federation Unified Champion - 1 time (February 13th - March 13th)

2009 CWF Awards
 * CWF Rookie of the Year - 2009
 * CWF Face of the Year - 2009
 * CWF Most Improved Wrestler - 2009