15 Years Later...

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevin_hunsperger on TikTok  Listen to the podcast  

It's been a while since I last posted on my blog. More than a year, to be exact. I'm back today to commemorate the birth of the My 1-2-3 Cents brand. On September 3, 2010, I created this page and the My 1-2-3 Cents brand. It was an outlet for me to share my opinions on the pro wrestling business. Through the years, I've had friend share their thoughts too. More recently, though, I've used the brand to reflect more on the 'good old days' and not be as negative with my thoughts. 

It was in December 2010 that the My 1-2-3 Cents YouTube channel was born, and then in 2014, the podcast followed. I'm proud to say that every Monday since December 9, 2014, a new episode of the podcast has been released. Just this week, episode 563 aired in both audio and video form. It was also at that time that Mondo the Monkey became the official mascot for the brand. 

I love creating content, but I know that wrestling podcasters are a dime a dozen these days. Between all the former wrestlers and other personalities associated with the business, I find myself and My 1-2-3 Cents aimlessly floating through the innerwebs. Even though I'll likely never get rich doing it, it's a labor of love that I plan to continue until at least September 2026, when episode 619 drops (I'm still pursuing Rey Mysterio for that show; Rob Van Dam was on episode 420, so it could happen.) 

Years ago, I had huge aspirations for myself in the wrestling business. In 2018, I auditioned to be a ring announcer for Impact Wrestling in Las Vegas. That's about as close to the national stage I've come. Even though I still dream of a big break happening, it's just a dream now. I am no longer pursuing that goal, but if I were to be discovered by Paul Levesque or Tony Khan, I wouldn't turn down the opportunity. 

I'm having fun and will only announce when the time is right. I stepped away from the ring announcing gigs in 2023 after my friend Tyler 'Heath' Hatton also stepped away from Stride Pro Wrestling. We host shows once a year, with the next one scheduled for October 10 at Crab Orchard High School. 

As for the brand, I'll continue to post on YouTube and TikTok (kevin_hunsperger), so check out my content there. Let me know how you're doing, too.  Thanks to all who have been a part of this fantastic journey. 

April is My Wrestling Month

Interviewing Billy Gunn on live TV

By Kevin Hunsperger @kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter Listen to the podcast  Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I have been thinking about returning to the blogging world for some time now. I started this blog in 2010 but haven't written anything since August 2023. My main content creation focus has been the My 1-2-3 Cents Podcast and video formats like TikTok, Reels, and Shorts. But I had a bright idea driving to work today, so here goes.

It wasn't until that car ride this morning that I realized what the month of April means to me in terms of pro wrestling. Of course, on the surface, it's the time of year for WrestleMania. The event usually falls in late March or early April. Most of the ten Manias that I've attended were in April. 

But thinking further, I discovered a couple of other ties to this month. On April 1, 2005, I had my first ring announcing gig. It was hours after interviewing Billy Gunn and Ian Rotten on the morning news about an IWA: Midsouth show happening in Herrin, Illinois. To be fair, my friend Chad and I helped (mainly Chad) Ian find the venue and bring his promotion to southern Illinois.

As Ian and Billy left the studio where I was the morning anchor, Ian casually asked, "Do you want to be the ring announcer tonight?" Of course, I said yes, even though I had no idea what to expect. The gig went as well as expected, and I announced another show when IWA returned later that summer. 

Fast-forward six years, I had my first commentary job in April 2011. This time, it was for All-American Pro Wrestling. Chris Hagstrom, whom I only knew on Facebook, had asked me to do commentary for the show, as he was the executive producer and trying to get the newly created AAPW Collison on WSIL-TV (again, the station I worked at). 

I missed the first show at Southern Illinois University as I was in Atlanta for WrestleMania that weekend. However, the following week, Chris and I sat at the dining room table in his townhouse and recorded commentary for the first two episodes of Collison. It was a blast and eventually led to my first-ever match (and the night I met PAC). 

While those are two fun memories of wrestling in April, the final is a bit more somber. I stepped away from wrestling in April of last year. I have been the ring announcer for Stride Pro Wrestling since March 2016. But in March 2023, after my friend and mentor Tyler 'Heath' Hatton stepped away from the company he created, I knew my time was limited. It was different, and I decided to follow suit the next month. (Storyline-wise, I got fired by new GM Sam Hunter.) 

I have no regrets about the decision. I miss the comradery and the action, but it's best for now to stay on the sidelines and admire the indie scene from afar. I wish everyone on the local scene the best and believe I'll call another match one day, one time only. But until then, I'm happy for the young talent getting a chance to chase their dreams. 

Favorites vs. The Best

It's been a while, but I'm back and hopefully with more consistent blog posts. I will launch something new on the My 1-2-3 Cents Podcast on Monday. Instead of the traditional 'Mt. Rushmore posts that many wrestling fans do, putting a twist on it. 

 Six Cents (a play on words and adding up the numbers 1-2-3) will feature my six favorites on a particular subject in pro wrestling. Since Monday is Labor Day, my six favorite occupational wrestlers will be the first topic. 

 When coming up with a Mt. Rushmore or, in my case, Six Cents, I had to decide whether it would become a list of my favorites or the best. Because, as most wrestling fans know, the best may not be our favorites. For example, Kerry Von Erich is one of my all-time favorite wrestlers and would be a part of Six Cents, but I know he's not one of the six best wrestlers ever. 

Wrestling fandom is subjective anyway, as folks will argue if Ric Flair is truly the G.O.A.T. or, if Shawn Michaels, Kenny Omega, or Will Osprey deserve that distinction. (I put Flair in that spot for the record.)

I am returning quickly to inform you about the upcoming podcast. More announcements will be coming here as well. Thanks for the support over the past 13 years (the brand's birthday is this weekend).

The Power of Nostalgia

By Kevin Hunsperger @kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter Listen to the podcast  Follow my blog with Bloglovin

January 11, 1993-- I remember it well. I was a sophomore in college and ten years into my wrestling fandom. Over Christmas break, I watched the last of the Prime Time Wrestling shows, a program I had enjoyed for about a decade. Now it was time for something new, Monday Night Raw. 

It's hard to believe that was 30 years ago. Now, at 49 years old, I am still a fan, but I still need to become more committed to watching each week. Having cut the cable cord years ago, I have only had a few opportunities to watch Raw live. However, I located a feed of the special anniversary show via TikTok. 

From the opening segment, featuring the face of 80s wrestling, Hulk Hogan, to the final bell with long-time attraction Brock Lesnar, the show was packed with everything a nostalgic fan like me craves. Ric Flair, DX, Kurt Angle, Undertaker, and others. Memories from the past three decades flooded back. My favorite current storyline featuring The Bloodline provided even more entertainment. I can't wait to see how it all plays out, as I've seen plenty of conflicting theories. 

Sometimes fans of the current product frown upon the dusting off of Legends and allowing them to 'humiliate' the existing talent that's there week after week. That was the case with Raw is XXX (30, not pornographic). The Legends were used appropriately and helped give the rub to modern Superstars like Bray Wyatt, Seth Rollins, the Street Profits, and even LA Knight. 

Sure the latter was choke slammed by the Undertaker, but I still believe that being in the ring with someone the caliber of the Deadman (or Biker in last night's case) goes a long way. These moments provided feel-good moments for fans (I especially enjoyed it after a not-so-great day). 

Even though The Rock, 'Stone Cold,' nor Vince McMahon were there, as many had speculated, I believe Raw is XXX was a great show that flowed well. I'm even more stoked now for Saturday's Royal Rumble and the unpredictability that event will bring. 

What are your thoughts? Let me know!

Being Good is Bad: 'Mr. Wonderful' Paul Orndorff

By Kevin Hunsperger @kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter Listen to the podcast  Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Sometimes being good is bad for a wrestler's character. It's like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Such is the case with 'Mr. Wonderful' Paul Orndorff.

The build-up to the first WrestleMania in 1985 involved the trio of Orndorff, 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper, and 'Cowboy' Bob Orton. These three were perhaps the most hated men in the WWF. They picked on pop star Cyndi Lauper, Dick Clark, Capt. Lou Albano and many other good guys and celebrities were involved in the infamous Rock 'n Wrestling Connection.

When it finally came to a head at the War to Settle the Score, and Mr. T stepped up to help Hulk Hogan, the main event was set for the upcoming WrestleMania show. Piper and Orndorff would team up to battle the Hulkster and Mr. T. 

We all know that Orton hit Orndorff with his cast during the match, and Hogan scored the victory for his team. I was 12 years old then, and the idea of a babyface, Mr. Wonderful, was, in fact, wonderful news to me. I loved that he and Hogan were teaming up and taking on the likes of Piper, Orton, Adrian Adonis, and the other villains that terrorized the WWF good guys. 

But in the summer of 1986, Orndorff had had enough of being a good guy and, in dramatic fashion, attacked Hogan during a tag team match with King Kong Bundy and 'Big' John Studd, members of the Heenan Family. This led to a reconciliation with Bobby Heenan, and Orndorff embarked on a fantastic feud for the rest of 86 and into 1987 against Hogan. At that point, he came closer than any other Superstar to winning the WWF Championship during that classic cage match on Saturday Night's Main Event.

By this point, I was siding with Orndorff in his battles with Hogan. Perhaps I had grown tired of Hulkamania too, but it wouldn't be long before I'd embrace it again. 

My point to all of this is that I did love the good guy 'Mr. Wonderful', but I don't think it fits with his persona. So turning bad again the following year made him even better. In hindsight, I liked Orndorff more during his second heel run. Eventually, the most hated guy in the company, Piper, turned good. This all worked on many levels and was a win-win for the fans. 

For some reason, in 1987, they did the face turn again. By this point, Orndorff was nearing the end of his tenure with the WWF and would be gone by the end of that year. He popped back up in WCW years later, where he remained a bad guy throughout his in-ring tenure. 

Being that cocky and calling himself 'Mr. Wonderful' is what being a fantastic bad guy is all about. He was next level during that 1986 run. I miss that era and Paul Orndorff. 

Celebrating a Dozen Years!

By Kevin Hunsperger @kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter Listen to the podcast  Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Greetings on what is the 12th anniversary of the My 1-2-3 Cents brand. Over the past year, I've neglected my blogging duties, with the last post on this page happening in October 2021. 

What can I say, other than life happens, and sometimes the things we deem so important fall by the wayside? The My 1-2-3 Cents brand though has not been neglected. I drop a new podcast each Monday morning (at midnight CST). The YouTube channel still gets some love from time to time, but my passion for writing has waned for some reason. 

Part of that can be attributed to the fact that I am creating new content daily on the job and working on the other aspects of the My 1-2-3 Cents brand. I burned myself out a few years ago when I embarked on a blogging streak. I did the same thing with my run streak of 1,004 consecutive days of running. The blog streak reached 897 days. 

Now, I'm back. At least in my mind, I am. I will use this platform to cover topics I don't get to on the podcast, YouTube, or my TikTok. I do try to keep wrestling themes going there as well. Check me out, @kevin_hunsperger. 

What're Your 1-2-3 Cents? Do you still read blogs? I appreciate your support through the past dozen years and look forward to continuing to evolve and provide different types of wrestling-related content. 

Mt. Rushmore: Wrestlers I've Met

By Kevin Hunsperger @kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter Listen to the podcast  Follow my blog with Bloglovin

After a delay, the My 1-2-3 Cents Mt. Rushmore is back. The last blog I wrote on the subject was the bucket list of wrestlers I'd like to meet. This time, it's about the top four wrestlers I've met. I have had the good fortune of meeting many wrestlers through the years, so I am narrowing this down a bit by only naming wrestlers that I've had conversations with and not just a meet-and-greet experience. 

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan is one of my all-time favorite personalities in wrestling and, without a doubt, the greatest manager of all time. In 1998, when I was a young reporter (two months of experience), I was able to get access to a WCW Thunder in Huntsville, Alabama. While there, I interviewed Goldberg (just into the streak), Ray Traylor, Buff Bagwell, and Bobby Heenan. It was a great come true. Our interaction was probably about five minutes or so, but it meant the world to me. I never in my wildest dreams imagined such an opportunity would present itself to me. 

When TNA Wrestling came to southern Illinois for a BaseBrawl event, I reached out to get a wrestler on the morning newscast I co-anchored. I was excited to learn that D'Lo Brown would be filling that role. We chatted before his appearance and after as well. D'Lo even gave me his number. We've actually texted a few times, which to me is surreal. But what really impressed me was when I was in Las Vegas back in 2018 and trying out for a gig with Impact Wrestling, D'Lo was there and remembered me by name. A great guy and one of the most underrated wrestlers of all time. 

Jeff Jarrett and I first met in 2011 at that above-mentioned BaseBrawl event. However, it was a brief encounter, and a few years later, Double J returned to southern Illinois to promote another wrestling event at the ballpark, but this time with Global Force Wrestling. Jeff and I chatted before our interview and after and also indulged me with a selfie. He also bestowed me with the privilege of announcing one of the matches the night GFW came to town. Listening to the My World Podcast that he hosts often reminds me of how laid-back he met. A class act all the way. 

Of course, I can't have this list without adding PAC to it. I've told the story many times, but here's the short version. We met for the first time at an AAPW event called Main Event in January 2012. Then crossed paths at WrestleMania Axxess in 2014 and at an autograph signing in 2016 (he remembered me by name both times). He's a great guy, and I wish him nothing but continued success in the ring.