Connor Michalek (2005 – April 25, 2014) was an American

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...

fan who received considerable media attention after a

social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...

campaign for him to meet Daniel Bryan, his favorite professional wrestler. He later met Bryan and other WWE performers a number of times. Michalek, who had cancer of the spine and brain since he was three years old, died at the age of eight on April 25, 2014. WWE executives

Triple H Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969), better known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired professional wrestler currently serving as the chief content officer for WWE. He is widely regarded as ...

and

Stephanie McMahon Stephanie McMahon Levesque (born Stephanie Marie McMahon; ; September 24, 1976) is an American businesswoman and retired professional wrestler. She is the current chairwoman and co-chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the world's largest prof ...

subsequently named the Connor's Cure charity in his honor, and he posthumously received the inaugural Warrior Award at the 2015 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony.

Biography

Connor Michalek was born in 2005, the son of Brittany Caligiuri and Steve Michalek. He had a younger brother named Jackson, and lived with his family in

Shaler Township, Pennsylvania Shaler Township is a township in Allegheny County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It consists of much of the community of Glenshaw and several neighboring communities. The population was 28,757 at the 2010 census. History Traders began settl ...

. A fan of

, he was also known by his wrestling-inspired nicknames "Stone Crusher" and "The Crusher". He developed

medulloblastoma Medulloblastoma is a common type of primary brain cancer in children. It originates in the part of the brain that is towards the back and the bottom, on the floor of the skull, in the cerebellum, or posterior fossa. The brain is divided into two ...

in September 2009, when he was three years old. After his diagnosis, he underwent several surgeries and many rounds of

chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs ( chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemothe ...

. At one point, he developed PHACE syndrome and had to relearn how to speak and walk, but the cancer remained stable until May 2011. He subsequently began a

clinical trial Clinical trials are prospective biomedical or behavioral research studies on human participants designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions, including new treatments (such as novel vaccines, drugs, diet ...

of chemotherapy and treatments but doctors gave him close to a zero percent chance of surviving due to surgery not being an option and having exceeded his lifetime amount of radiation to the brain and spine. In October 2012, a video featuring Michalek asking to meet his hero, WWE professional wrestler Daniel Bryan, was posted to

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

and received attention from media outlets. A social media campaign ensued, with hundreds of people joining a

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...

group titled "Help Connor meet Daniel Bryan". Within 48 hours, WWE chairman and CEO

Vince McMahon Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the ...

stated that Michalek would meet Bryan. Michalek met Bryan on December 18, 2012, and again on October 7, 2013, when WWE held events in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

. While attending the

2014 Royal Rumble The 2014 Royal Rumble was the 27th annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. It took place on January 26, 2014, at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was the first Royal Rumble to b ...

, Michalek and his family became acquainted with WWE ring announcer

Justin Roberts Justin Jason Roberts (born December 29, 1979) is an American professional ring announcer currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Roberts regularly announced for its pay-per-v ...

, who maintained a friendship with Michalek and introduced him to other WWE personalities. Upon learning that Michalek had little time to live, WWE invited him to attend the

WrestleMania XXX WrestleMania XXX was the 30th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on April 6, 2014, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana and was the first WWE ...

festivities. Before their ''

Raw Raw is an adjective usually describing: * Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made * Raw food, uncooked food Raw or RAW may also refer to: Computing and electronics * .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...

'' event in the week prior to WrestleMania, they had Michalek perform a ring entrance with Bryan and playfully score a

pinfall In wrestling, a pin is achieved by holding an opponent's shoulders to the mat for a three count. Pinfall is the term used in professional wrestling which is a way to win the match for that person or team. Background A pinfall is a victory condi ...

victory over

while WWE performers cheered him on. During WrestleMania XXX on April 6, 2014, Michalek was in the front row to see Bryan win the

WWE World Heavyweight Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown ...

in the main event. Bryan embraced Michalek immediately following his victory. On April 25, 2014, Michalek died at the age of eight.

Posthumous WWE Hall of Famer

HoF 2015-03-28 18-51-34 ILCE-6000 4875 DxO (17524528836)

Following Michalek's death, WWE released a video in his memory, which went viral, featuring him interacting with numerous WWE personnel during WrestleMania XXX weekend. On March 9, 2015, WWE announced that Michalek would be honored with the inaugural Warrior Award at the 2015 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony. According to WWE, the Warrior Award is given to individuals who have "exhibited unwavering strength and perseverance, and who lives life with the courage and compassion that embodies the indomitable spirit of

The Ultimate Warrior Warrior (born James Brian Hellwig; June 16, 1959 – April 8, 2014) was an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder. Best known by his ring name The Ultimate Warrior, he wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) from ...

". Daniel Bryan and Dana Warrior presented the award on March 28, and his father and brother accepted it on his behalf.

Response

, who was instrumental in getting Michalek to meet his favorite wrestlers, wrote an article questioning whether his Hall of Fame induction by WWE was "driven by sincerity and not strategy". He also wrote in detail about WWE's relationship with Michalek, including his own involvement as the initial point-contact with Michalek's family. Roberts, who had left WWE several months prior, was driven to write the article after reading a tweet by

made on the same day as Michalek's posthumous receiving of the Warrior Award, which as analyzed by ''PWInsider'' "raises questions about the company's reasoning for their community outreach" despite Roberts' love of "the company avinginducted Michalek into their Hall of Fame". Michalek's father responded to Roberts by tweeting that "regardless of what said, obertsloved Connor and we love him. That's what counts. I will never orgetall he did for Connor, and now me." A second tweet displayed pictures of Roberts together with Michalek, with the caption that "this is what counts, et'splease remember. Actions that bring smiles, like these obertsgave." WWE responded to Roberts in a statement, stating that it was "offensive to suggest that WWE and its executives had anything but

altruistic Altruism is the principle and moral practice of concern for the welfare and/or happiness of other human beings or animals, resulting in a quality of life both material and spiritual. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures and a core asp ...

intentions in honoring Connor and his legacy with The Warrior Award". WWE also highlighted in their statement their other partnerships for social causes, including Paul Levesque and Stephanie McMahon's Connor's Cure fund for pediatric cancer research and US$1.5 million in funds raised for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. David Bixenspan of ''

Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four W ...

'' wrote that WWE's statement "really doesn't address much of what Roberts said, for whatever it's worth".

Connor's Cure

In June 2014, Paul Levesque and Stephanie McMahon founded Connor's Cure in Michalek's memory, a non-profit charitable organization for pediatric cancer research, which they have personally funded through

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation A child (plural, : children) is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers ...

. In their response to Roberts' criticisms in April 2015, WWE stated Connor's Cure "already raised more than $200,000". The organization reportedly had raised more than $630,000 by September 2015, and nearly $1 million by March 2016, having helped more than 100 families. In March 2016, WWE partnered with The V Foundation, a foundation for cancer research created by late sports broadcaster

Jim Valvano James Thomas Anthony Valvano (March 10, 1946 – April 28, 1993), nicknamed Jimmy V, was an American college basketball player, coach, and broadcaster. Valvano had a successful coaching career with multiple schools, most notably at North Caroli ...

References

External links

Connor's Cure
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