Steve Madison

On March 3, he lost to "The Marquee" Bruce Santee at a Division-1 Pro Wrestling event, to Shan Hill in American Combat Wrestling on March 13 and in a Barbed Wire match with Joey Machete against The Heartbreak Express in AWA World 1 South on March 24. On April 6, Madison appeared on another show for AWA World-1 South at the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia where he and Alexis Smirnoff Jr. took on The Hillbillies. The event was both to help raise funds for the college's athletic program and the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life.

As of April 2012, Madison has entered semi-retirement as a professional wrestler and has become a full-time firefighter and paramedic with the city of St. Petersburg, Florida

In early 2008, Madison began wrestling for Ultimate Championship Wrestling and quickly captured the promotion's heavyweight title. On June 20, Madison took part in a four-way match against "Sensational" Scott Davis, Freedom Ryder and Buck Quartermaine for the title in Dade City, Florida. Madison was also reportedly in attendance at FCW's debut television taping in South Tampa on July 17. A month later, he returned in Dade City to defend his UCW title.

On January 1, 2007, Madison appeared on WWE Heat losing to Super Crazy. The match was later broadcast on WWE Raw. On January 12, he and Rance defeated Black Market. Madison also faced Erick Stevens in back-to-back matches during the next two days. The first was a bloody Dog Collar match for FIP and the second for AWA World 1 South in Valdosta, Georgia, Madison losing in both these encounters.

On November 10, 2007, he made a second FCW appearance as "Moose Madison" losing to "The Natural" Nick Nemeth with manager Big Rob. Madison was suspended from Florida Championship Wrestling in late-December, apparently following an argument with Steve Keirn, but was allowed to continue on as a trainer. He took part in New Japan Pro Wrestling's 35th Anniversary 8-day tour that same month which started on December 2 in Fujisawa, Kanagawa and ended on December 9 in Aichi Prefecture.

Stephen Favata was born in Tampa, Florida and graduated from George D. Chamberlain High School, lettering four years in baseball. Madison was offered several baseball scholarships to small colleges, but turned them down to start wrestling. Steve decided to attend the University of South Florida while starting his professional wrestling training. Favata was scheduled to finish his degree in business administration in the fall of 2006.

On January 6, 2006, Steve Madison defeated Salvatore Rinauro in a singles match. The next night, he and Stevens beat Rinauro and Colt Cabana in a tag team match. Madison had less luck in PWW losing a tag team match, with Donovan Morgan, to The Down Boyz on January 13 and a rematch against Chris Kanyon the following night. Another loss against Jerrelle Clark & Jay Fury on January 20 prompted a falling out between Madison and Stevens. The next night, they faced each other in a match with ended in a double-knockout. The match was held at an event by Elite Wrestling Entertainment.

During the summer of 2006, Madison formed a faction called The Young, Rich & Ready, or "The YRR", with Chasyn Rance & Kenny King. The three made their debut at a FIP event on July 7, 2006, when Madison and Rance defeated Seth Delay & Erick Stevens in a tag team match with outside help from Kenny King. Madison also defeated Erick Stevens in a singles match the following night. On July 19, he appeared at a show for Innovative Wrestling Experience teaming with Marcus Hall to beat The Blue Assassin & Butch Long. Madison remained in IWE for several weeks feuding with The Blue Assassin and eventually lost to him in a "Hair vs Mask" match on August 30. However, the IWE President intervened by suspending Madison before the stipulation could be carried out.

On January 8, 2005, he defeated Sal Rinauro at a show for Full Impact Pro. Less than a week later, he made his first WWE appearance in a tag team match with Shannon Moore against The Shane Twins (Mike & Todd) in a dark match on the January 13th edition of SmackDown!. He spent the next six months wrestling for NWA Florida and FIP. Feuding with "Miami Pound Machine" Rod Steel and occasionally teaming with Antonio Banks in NWA Florida, he was frequently featured in high-profile matches in FIP. On February 11, he lost a gauntlet match to Vordell Walker which included Azriael, Roderick Strong, Rainman and Sal Rinauro. He and Rinauro later lost to DP Associates (Jimmy Rave & Fast Eddie) on March 25.

On April 22, he entered the FIP Tag Team Title Tournament with James Gibson but lost to Spanky & Sal Rinauro in the opening rounds. Madison faced James Gibson in a singles match the following night beating him after using a chain wrapped around his fist. Madison would go on to win a string of victories against Jay Fury, Aaron Epic, Rainman and Kahagus during the next two months. Alternately, he worked in the tag team division during his last weeks in NWA Florida. He and Lex Lovett lost to 911 Incorporated (Rod & Bruce Steele) on May 6 and, with Erick Stevens, against The Strong Brothers (Roderick & Sedrick Strong) at the 2005 Peterson Cup tournament on June 10. He wrestled his last match for NWA Florida defeating Buck Quartermain via disqualification on June 17.

Madison also appeared for new Japanese group, Big Mouth Loud, on their inaugural show on September 11, 2005 at Korakuen Hall teaming with Buck Quartermain against Japanese wrestling legend, Riki Choshu, and Choshu's student, Takashi Uwano. Madison claimed victory on Uwano at 10 minutes 5 seconds with the Axe Bomber.

At IPW Hardcore Wrestling's Reunion show, Madison defeated Antonio Banks on September 17. In FIP the next month, he and Stevens lost to Dunn & Marcos in a three-way match with Jay Fury & Jerrelle Clark on October 7, but beat Clark & Fury in a regular tag team match the following night. He started wrestling in single matches around this time defeating Frankie Capone in his debut for Pro Wrestling Warfare on November 5. During the next two months, he also had matches against Derrick Dempsey, Jerrelle Clark and Colt Cabana in FIP and both Andy Douglas and Chris Kanyon in PWW. He and Erick Stevens also teamed up once again in FIP and lost to Jay Fury & Jerrelle Clark on December 10, 2005.

Madison eventually teamed up with fellow Florida standout, Erick Stevens, and formed a tag team called the Miracle Violence Connection, a name that was originally used by "Dr. Death" Steve Williams and Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy in Japan. The team originally formed in late 2005 and called themselves "The Miracle Violence Connection 2005" and in 2006, renamed themselves "The Miracle Violence Connection 2006".

After several tours with World Japan, Madison teamed with Mike Shane, subbing for Mike's brother, Todd Shane, for several dates with the World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico. Soon after that, Madison ventured to Europe, along with Dennis Knight and Jeff Bradley, to wrestle for EWA Wrestling in Austria. On May 14, 2004, Madison faced and lost to Ahmed Chear in a match to crown the first EWA Middleweight Champion in Wolfsburg, Austria. Madison was then booked by Tiger Hattori to participate for New Japan Pro Wrestling in the summer of 2004. An ankle injury suffered two weeks before the tour postponed Madison's debut in New Japan.

In the fall, Madison had sufficiently recovered from his injury to win the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship from Todd Shane on September 4, 2004. He defended the title for the next three months with victories over Michael Shane and Vordell Walker before losing the belt to Bruce Steel in a 3-way dance with Roderick Strong on November 20.

On January 22, 2003, Madison and Agent Steele appeared in a dark match for NWA: Total Nonstop Action show against The Strong Brothers (Sedrick and Roderick Strong).

In mid-February 2003, Madison received a phone call from Steve Kiern who offered him a spot on an upcoming tour of Japan with Riki Choshu's Fighting World of Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. Looking for younger American wrestlers unfamiliar to Japanese fans, Choshu had become interested in several students from Keirn's wrestling school. Tiger Hattori, the American booker for Fighting World of Japan, had visited the school scouting for wrestlers to tour the country. Madison, Big Vito and The Shane Twins would be signed for the first tour and were joined by Lex Lovett on the second tour.

Madison made his first trip to Japan at the age of 19 for new upstart Japanese promotion, World Japan. After his first match against Kenzo Suzuki, he was complimented by Riki Choshu. Madison headlined the Nagareyama Citizen Gymnasium on March 20, 2003 battling Kensuke Sasaki in the main event, making him one of the youngest gaijin of all time to headline a singles match in Japan. The match was watched by The Road Warriors who came out to ringside. On his second tour, he teamed with Big Van Vader to wrestle Takao Omori and Koichiro Kimura during the prologue of the Magna02 Series.

In November 2002, Madison and David Babylon were the co-winners of an interpromotional NWA Florida vs. Future of Wrestling battle royal in which the winners would receive a title shot against the NWA Florida Unified Cruiserweight Champion Naphtali. Madison had been accompanied by Lex Lovett and Jimmy Del Rey while Babylon had FOW promoter Bobby Rogers and Vanessa Harding in his corner. The following month, he defeated the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship against Agent Steele at NWA Florida's Total Annihilation.

His wrestling training started in the summer of 2001 with current WWE Talent Agent Steve Keirn and Jimmy Del Ray of the tag team, The Heavenly Bodies. Steve adopted the "Madison" last name over a lunch meeting with former NWA President Howard Brody, after deciding that the last name "Favata" would not suit him well in the wrestling business.

On December 28, 2001, Madison wrestled future tag team partner Lex Lovett at a house show for Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling, a Georgia-based promotion owned by Dusty Rhodes, and was pinned by Lovett after a modified DDT.

Stephen Philip Favata (born April 9, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, known by his ringname "Modern Miracle" Steve Madison, who competes in Southeastern independent promotions including AWA World-1 South, Full Impact Pro, Future of Wrestling, NWA Florida and Dusty Rhodes' Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling. While in NWA Florida, he was part of the heel stable 911 Incorporated with Ron Niemi, Rod Steel, Eric Loy and The Shane Twins. He was also a member of The Young, Rich & Ready with Chasyn Rance and Kenny King.