He made his wrestling debut in 1989 and competed in Bay Area Wrestling from that year until 1994. He used the alias Johnny Pearson during his stay. In 1996, Lockwood moved to All Pro Wrestling (APW), where he became "The Leprechaun" Erin O'Grady.
After viewing a tape of O'Grady and Mike Modest, Taz contacted Erin about joining ECW. Prior to entering the World Wrestling Federation, he competed in Monterrey, Mexico under a mask and alias of the Green Ghost.
At the "Smackdown" television tapings on February 22, 2000, he (now using the name Crash Holly) defeated Test for the WWF Hardcore Championship, thus decreeing that the championship belt be defended 24/7. Later he was drafted onto the RAW roster. Then Holly was sent to Smackdown! by Eric Bischoff in the midst of a match with Jeff Hardy.
Shortly after being released by WWE in July 2003, Holly joined Total Nonstop Action as "Mad Mikey" and joined his friends at Pro Wrestling Iron in Hayward, CA.
On November 6, 2003, Mike Lockwood's life came to a tragic end after apparently choking on his vomit while passed-out.