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real name: Ernest Miller
finisher: The Feliner
"The Greatest" was born in 1964 in Atlanta, Georgia. At Gordon High School in Decatur, GA, The Cat played outside linebacker. "The Man" then got himself an electrical engineering degree in 1986 from Savannah State College.
He then proceeded to dominate football. First with the Atlanta Falcons, then in the Canadian Football League for the Saskatchewan. He returned to play for the New England Patriots in '87. He also played semi-pro soccer for a while.
The Cat has trained in judo, akido, and tae kwon do. His on-tv persona is right about one thing, his hands are literally deadly weapons.
Though he has never held any wrestling titles, Ernest has been the ISKA Kick Boxing Champ, and Atomic Freestyle Karate Champ. He's won the Rhode Island Invitational and Bluegrass Nationals, along with the now infamous three-peat World Tournament Karate Champ.
The aforementioned World Tournament is held in WCW-land, right near Atlanta. WCW scouts were out looking and suggested to Ernest that he join WCW. Ernest decided to make a name for himself and go into a more mainstream fighting sport, even though it's fake. After a few weeks at the power plant, Ernest was ready for WCW, and he made his debut in late 1997.
At first, Ernest was quiet and reserved. He fought cleanly, but WCW announcers always commented that Ernest needed something more to be truly competitive. His first year in WCW, he fought only nine matches, losing one.
But 1998 saw The Cat get the extra oomph he needed: Sonny Ono. Sonny coached The Cat to become meaner, dirtier, cockier, and funkier. The fans ate it up. He started picking on old women in the crowd, and he started his now infamous "you've got 5 seconds to get out of the ring" bit. It certainly helped The Cat, and 1998 saw only DDP and Goldberg get better win/loss records than him.
1999 has seen The Cat add a new dimension to his game: funkiness. The Cat now comes out with Sonny to James Brown-esque music, a velvet lesiure suit, and a white fur fedora.
While The Cat has one of the best records, a great fan reaction, and a cocky attitude and mic skills, WCW has seen fit to not award him any belts. Perhaps this year The Cat could nab the Cruiserweight or TV Title.
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