Former WWE Star Mantaur Passes Away

Mike Halac, who spent many years as part of the pro wrestling business but is best known for his short run in WWE as Mantaur, has passed away at the age of just 55 years old.

The news was broken by his daughter Demi on social media who wrote that her father has passed away in his sleep on July 11th.

Mike Halac began his wrestling career as Bruiser Mastino, working for the CWA promotion in Europe and sharing the ring with the likes of Dave Taylor, Owen Hart, Steven (William) Regal, Chris Benoit, and Fit Finlay. In 1994, however, he traded in his grueling tours of Germany to head to the World Wrestling Federation where he faced a very different kind of challenge.

Halac competed as Bruiser Mastino in his first two matches in the company before being given the gimmick of Mantaur – half man, half bull. Wearing a massive top-half bull costume to the ring, Mantuar never exactly got over with fans and had become one of the characters of the mid-nineties remembered for all the wrong reasons. However, it did keep Halac in work with the company for around 10 months.

Upon leaving Vince McMahon’s company, he appeared in ECW before returning to the CWA in Europe where he was rebranded as Terminator Mastino. Mike Halac did have a brief return to WWE in 1997 as Tank of The Truth Commission but that character didn’t last either.

Mike Halac’s full-time wrestling career ended around the turn of the century but he did occasionally lace up his boots after that and he even reverted to being Mantaur for a battle royal in GCW in 2019.

Everyone at TJRWrestling sends their condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Mike Halac at this difficult time.