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Wednesday, January 30, 2019

VIDEO: Chris Jericho's influence on my running streak

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

My running streak started 1,004 days ago. When I knew about six months ago that I would reach 1000 consecutive days of running one mile or more I came up with a plan to end the streak on a unique note. Some suggested going 1,111 or 1,234.

But I looked to Chris Jericho for inspiration. Back in the 90s when feuding with Dean Malenko "The Man of 1,000 Holds", Jericho one-upped his foe claiming the moniker, "Man of 1,004 Holds."



Monday, January 28, 2019

AUDIO: Royal Rumble Roulette


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By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

It's a new concept for the podcast and one I hope to do each year. Welcome to the Royal Rumble Roulette. Royal Rumble Superfan Luke Lay is the guest. We break down the 1994 Royal Rumble, coming up with the talking points via a random roll of the Rumble Tumbler. 

Luke and his wife Amy host a Rumble party each year. I've been the last two years and won big. Thank you Braun Strowman and Andrade for doing so well and making it to the final four. 

You can listen to the show here. Also don't forget, Stride Pro Wrestling is in West Frankfort (Central Junior High) this Saturday night and back at the Stride building in Carterville on Saturday, Feb. 9. See you there. 

Sunday, January 27, 2019

On the road with Stride Pro Wrestling


By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Stride Pro Wrestling is venturing out for the first time since finding a new home in Carterville in November. But don't worry, we'll be back at the facility on Division Street on February 9. However, on Saturday, Feb. 2 Stride takes over Central Junior High School. The address is 1500 E. 9th Street in West Frankfort.

The event that night is a fundraiser for the school. Several teachers are getting involved in the action and will be teaming up and fighting for their school. The main event will see the crowning of the Stride Pro Wrestling Champion, as the championship was declared vacant earlier this month. Heath Hatton and Tony Flood will battle it out to determine who gets the gold.

"The King" Chris Hargas faces Ax Allwardt. If Ax wins, he gets a match against his former manager J. Wellington Beauregard. Beauregard, who manages the King, will be the guest referee for the match. However, an enforcer will be on hand too. 



Former friends Wraith and Ryzer will do battle as do Legacy Champion Cash Borden and Jay Spade. The issues between all four men have become extremely personal, especially the battle between Borden and Spade. Whoever wins that match will have a new contender to deal with too, as Jason Tiller takes on Brandon Espinosa and Joey O'Riley in a triple threat match for the number one contendership to the Legacy Title. Tag team champions Farmer Billy Hills and Scott Phoenix put their belts on the line against the hair of Dexter Roswell and Mr. Anthony. That'll be a great one to see how it goes down too. 

It may be cold outside, but the action will be heated on Saturday night. There are still a limited number of meet and greet tickets up for grabs ($20 each). Send a message to here for more details. Bell time is 7 p.m. 

Show your Stride Pride!



Friday, January 25, 2019

VIDEO: Go Figure Friday: Micro Brawlers unveiled


Since learning about Pro Wrestling Tee's Micro Brawlers, I've wanted to start collecting them. The company has a pretty good deal on inactive figures. I paid $18 for three of them. They were mystery brawlers and in this week's episode, I open them up sight unseen. 


Pick up some Micro Brawlers and a Mondo shirt at Pro Wrestling Tees. Click the link below to shop. 





Tuesday, January 22, 2019

How the Miz changed my look

2010

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

On January 22, 2010; I received a golden opportunity. WWE was coming to Cape Girardeau for a house show and because it's in the same television market that I work in, I took a shot at getting an interview with a Superstar. This is the only time I've gotten a "yes" to an in-person interview. When I found out the Miz is who I'd be interviewing I was elated.




This was months before My 1-2-3 Cents was even a thought. So when I interviewed the former United States Champion it was with a news camera and the whole purpose was for our newscast. I archived the footage and held on to it and later that year I added the entire interview to the My 1-2-3 Cents YouTube channel.

The Miz was great. He was not like his cocky, pompous persona on WWE TV. We chatted before and after the interview and he even took the time to take a pic with me even though he had to rush off for another round of interviews on the local radio stations. I am still impressed with how cool he was and we chatted like we'd known each other for years.

It was that conversation that inspired me to make a change in my look. The very next time I went for a haircut I opted for a faux hawk. Some nine years later I'm still sporting the look, however with more gray in it than ever before. 


WWE House Show 2018
Last summer I went to another house show, this time in Carbondale. I tried getting a Superstar interview again but this time fell short. But when I arrived at the SIU Arena I was blessed to find a front row ticket waiting for me. I stood up when the Miz (and all the Superstars) came out to wrestle. I was wearing my custom My 1-2-3 Cents suit by Shinesty. Miz actually looked at me and questioned what the heck I was wearing. I had a mini-mark out moment.


The Miz in 2018
I am still a big fan of the Miz and have enjoyed his evolution. He's overcome a lot of haters and proven a lot of fans wrong through the years. I'm proud of that and glad to see he's still a major player on SmackDown Live today. 


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Sunday, January 20, 2019

I'll stick to announcing

Stride Pro Wrestling birthday party 

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

One of my first gigs in indy wrestling was serving as a referee. It was 2010 and the experience was fun but honestly, it's not as easy as it looks. My hand and wrist hurt for days afterward from pounding on the mat to make all the counts. And I only did two matches that night.

Yep, that's me reffing in my suit
Last spring, I reffed a match for Stride Pro Wrestling. This was a bit more nerve-racking because we were telling a story between Cash Borden, Roger Matheus and me. However, I think it all went well. 

Fast forward to today. Stride Pro Wrestling is now hosting birthday parties. One of the perks of this is there are several matches. Because I was the only non-wrestler there and the trainees on hand use these parties as a chance to hone their craft, I was recruited to ref. I called all three matches and once again the pounding on the mat reminded me I'm not cut out for this line of work. Not to mention the jumping around to get into position to make the count during a pinfall. 

I'm old. I'm out of shape. My body feels it and this is after about 30 minutes of action. It's a reminder I'm better off using my voice (as scary as that is) to make my way through the pro wrestling business. But don't get me wrong. I loved being the referee for the show. It really was a blast. I just wish I was 10 years younger... 

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Saturday, January 19, 2019

Who will win the Ultimate Royal Rumble?

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
Since 1988 25 men have won the Royal Rumble. There have been a handful of two time winners, including Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Batista, John Cena and Randy Orton. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin has won the event three times and Braun Strowman is the winner of the first Greatest Royal Rumble. I did include him in this post. 

But of the 25 winners who would win the Ultimate Royal Rumble? 

Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Chris Benoit, Steve Austin, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio and Vince McMahon (yes, I know) all proved they can go the distance, choosing single digital numbers and winning. Yokozuna had the massive size. Braun Strowman, Hulk Hogan, Roman Reigns, Batista, Sheamus, Undertaker, Brock Lesnar Lex Luger and John Cena are among the most powerful.

I loved Flair's performance in the 1992 Royal Rumble. He's on my shortlist of men to win this time around too. The raw power and dominance that Strowman has shown for the past year or so has made him unstoppable. But I'm picking the guy who has won the most Rumbles, even though he kinda cheated in 1997, and that's Austin. 

Who is your choice? 

  • 1988: Hacksaw Jim Duggan (entrant No.13)
  • 1989: Big John Studd (No. 27)
  • 1990: Hulk Hogan (No. 25)
  • 1991: Hulk Hogan (No. 24)
  • 1992: Ric Flair (No. 3)
  • 1993: Yokozuna (No. 27)
  • 1994: Bret Hart (No. 27) and Lex Luger (No. 23), co-winners
  • 1995: Shawn Michaels (No. 1)
  • 1996: Shawn Michaels (No. 18)
  • 1997: Steve Austin (No. 5)
  • 1998: Steve Austin (No. 24)
  • 1999: Vince McMahon (No. 2)
  • 2000: The Rock (No. 24)
  • 2001: Steve Austin (No. 27)
  • 2002: Triple H (No. 22)
  • 2003: Brock Lesnar (No. 29)
  • 2004: Chris Benoit (No. 1)
  • 2005: Batista (No. 28)
  • 2006: Rey Mysterio (No. 2)
  • 2007: The Undertaker (No. 30)
  • 2008: John Cena (No. 30)
  • 2009: Randy Orton (No. 8)
  • 2010: Edge (No. 29)
  • 2011: Alberto Del Rio (No. 38)
  • 2012: Sheamus (No. 22)
  • 2013: John Cena (No. 19)
  • 2014: Batista (No. 28)
  • 2015: Roman Reigns (No. 19)
  • 2016: Triple H (No. 30)
  • 2017: Randy Orton (No. 23)
  • 2018: Shinsuke Nakamura (No. 14)
  • 2018: Braun Strowman (No. 41 in Greatest Royal Rumble)

Friday, January 18, 2019

Go Figure Friday: So Adorable


Click to watch

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

It's time for a new Go Figure Friday. This week it's an opening of an LJN I recently bought off Facebook. (Look for Chad Heeb if you're looking for LJNs) There are about 17 Superstars from that brand that I'm missing in my collection. 

Here are my 5 must have LJN figures that I'm hunting for in the wild. 

1. Ultimate Warrior

2. Vince McMahon


3. The Superstar I reveal today

4. Kamala

5. Outback Jack

Take a look at the video and let me know what figures you enjoy collecting.



Monday, January 14, 2019

AUDIO: Ryan Boman from The Gorilla Position



@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

There are lots of pro wrestling fans who cover the sport we love. I've had the pleasure of meeting some of these journalists in person. Ryan K. Boman is one of them and he's just down the road from me here in southern Illinois.

Ryan has two great sites for pro wrestling fans and pro wrestlers. The Gorilla Position and Pinned.Biz are his passion projects. We talk about both as well as AEW, Impact and WWE in this week's My 1-2-3 Cents podcast. Listen here.

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Sunday, January 13, 2019

What do you want?


@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I started the My 1-2-3 Cents podcast in Dec. 2014. I'm thankful Greg Mehocko invited me to join the Jittery Monkey Podcasting Network because I always wanted to do a show but didn't know where to start. I'm proud to say that each Monday since then, a new episode has dropped. Despite the consistency, I'm looking for ways to spice things up on the show. I know if have a solid group of dedicated listeners and for that, I'm more than grateful. I want to expand and make the listening experience more pleasant for current listeners and attract a new crowd.


Right now it's basically a hodgepodge but always about pro wrestling. I want to continue to keep that the focus of the show. It's a brand I've spent more than eight years creating and I'm not stepping away from that. I'll give a shoutout to my buddy Chad Smart and his podcast, Positive Cynicism. Last year he revamped things and came up with weekly themes and different co-hosts. I'm thinking My 1-2-3 Cents could benefit from that kind of change too. But I want your input as a listener or potential listener.

So do you think a weekly themed show with different co-hosts is the way to go? I would still give updates on local indy wrestling (as this has become a good platform for that) but each week would be something you could almost set your watch to. 

Example:
First Monday of the month: Our Six Cents is a top 6 show of something pro wrestling related.

Second Monday of the month: That Didn't Age Well looks at an angle or wrestler from the past that would not be acceptable in today's environment.

Third Monday of the month: Superfan is pretty self-explanatory. I find someone who is an over-the-top fan of a wrestler and we explore the reasons behind the fandom.

Fourth Monday of the month: Wrestling Under the Influence tying a craft beer with a pro wrestler or angle.

Fifth Monday of the month (when it happens): #AskMy123Cents

Do you like these topics? What other ideas do you suggest? Should there be more than what's listed and just rotate them in and out accordingly? Thanks for the input and for listening.





Saturday, January 12, 2019

Preparing for War(Bound)



@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter


Most fans of Stride Pro Wrestling and readers of this blog know if do some of the social media marketing for the company. I regularly get messages from wrestlers, managers, referees and even announcers wanting to catch the eye of the management team for a shot here in Stride.



A recent video was sent our way that caught a lot of attention. It's from a wrestler named Warbound. I know little about Warbound. I'm interested in learning more though. And it looks like that is going to happen. Warbound is coming to Stride Pro Wrestling. Stay tuned for those details. I'm sure he'll make an impact here as there is a lot of chaos happening right now in Stride. 

There's no champion at the moment. We have a masked man assaulting wrestlers with a lead pipe. And Red Daniels has made his whereabouts over the past year known. How will Warbound fit into all this chaos? Time will tell for sure...

I also wanted to remind fans we are at Central Junior High School in West Frankfort on Saturday, Feb. 2. Bell time is 7 p.m. and this is a fundraiser show for the school. Be sure to join us!

Friday, January 11, 2019

VIDEO: Go Figure Friday: FIVE!


@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Since I've reached episode 5 of Go Figure Friday, I thought I'd do a tribute to King Kong Bundy. Check out my thoughts on the WWE Legend and the iconic LJN action figure made in his likeness. 

Watch below: 


Thursday, January 10, 2019

VIDEO: Thursday Thoughts

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@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Wow, I had no intention of my Facebook Live turning into a 45-minute video. I got some things off my chest and shared some stories from AAPW, Stride Pro Wrestling and my experiences with Impact Wrestling. 

You can watch it here, but if you can't endure the entire 45 minutes, I'd recommend the last 10 or so of it. Thanks for the support since 2010. I know 2019 is going to be amazing. 

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Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Stride Pro Wrestling's Red Daniels speaks out

Red Daniels isn't happy 

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

More than a year after his last match, Red Daniels is speaking out and he's not happy. The former Stride Pro Wrestling tag team champion lost a Buried Alive match to Chris Hargas in Dec. 2017. 

He's not been seen since that night. However, he updates Stride Pro Wrestling fans on what he's been up to and things got a little tense at times. Watch more here:




Shope here


Tuesday, January 8, 2019

David Arquette is inspiring me

Arquette in action
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

David Arquette is inspiring me. I had to type it again because it's something I never thought I'd say. Sure, I enjoyed him in the Scream movie franchise but when he ventured into the pro wrestling ring and even won the WCW World Heavyweight title I became skeptical.

Arquette wins!
Courtesy: WWE (WCW)
That was 18 years ago and in the years since that move, Arquette explained his motives and it turns out he is a big wrestling fan. He's even back in action, returning to the ring for several indy shows in 2018. Arquette continues to wrestle into the new year too and at the age of 47.

Exiting the cage in 2018
Courtesy: Jamie Myers
Most of you probably already know this, but I'll repeat it. I am a ring announcer for Stride Pro Wrestling. In 2012 I had a chance to have a match of my own. Last Spring, I was able to do it again. I love being in the ring, but at age 45 I know it's not something that will ever become a full-time or even regular effort for me.


However, seeing Arquette training and being treated like a serious competitor I am starting to think 'one more match' or even a few more matches could be in my future. My main focus for 2019 though is to make it on a national wrestling TV program as an announcer or interviewer. But the point is to never say never. Oh, there will be no death matches in my future...

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Monday, January 7, 2019

AUDIO: "The King" Chris Hargas

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Photo by Jamie Woodworth Myers
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Kings have long been a part of pro wrestling. From Jerry Lawler to Randy Savage to Wade Barrett we've seen many greats wear the crown and robe. Now Stride Pro Wrestling has a king too. I had a chance to catch up with "King" Chris Hargas in the latest My 1-2-3 Cents podcast.

You can hear his reasoning for declaring himself King as well as advice for young men and women in the pro wrestling business today. Listen here. Also on this week's episode, I pay tribute to the late, great "Mean" Gene Okerlund and recap Saturday night's Stride Pro Wrestling show.

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