SURVIVOR SERIES: When the 'Lone Wolf' becomes a team player

Baron Corbin
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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Survivor Series 2016 is right around the corner. Chad and I will be blogging about different historical aspects of the November tradition when the event gets closer. But today I'm going to talk briefly about something the two of us joked about over social media recently.

As I write this post on Monday afternoon (Nov. 7) the Raw vs. SmackDown Live men's elimination match is still being put together. Raw will be represented by WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens, his best buddy Chris Jericho, U.S. Champion Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and TBA. The team battles WWE Champion AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt and Baron Corbin. Yes, that's right the wrestler who's gimmick is being a loner is a part of a team.

Corbin vs. Ambrose
Courtesy: WWE

I'll admit this year's Survivor Series elimination matches differ from previous years (except for a few notable exceptions) in that good guys and bad guys (and women) are on the same team. It'll make a for a different dynamic, but I'm curious to see how Corbin as the Lone Wolf fits into the match. Full disclosure, I'm not a huge fan of his and probably would not have made him one of the Elite 5. I would say the same about Braun too. 

In my perfect Survivor Series world, there would be the three Raw vs. SmackDown Live matches. Then I'd have two more elimination matches, a Raw vs. Raw team and SDL vs. SDL team. Throw in the singles match of Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar and I'm a happy camper. I love the elimination match concept and hated it when WWE veered away from the idea as far back as 1992. 

Bad News Brown leaves in a huff
Courtesy: WWE

I imagine Corbin pulling a number like Bad News Brown did in 1989 and walk out on his team. Brown was billed as the bad ass loner type too. Don't be surprised if Corbin has some miscommunication with his team and does the same thing.

SummerSlam A to Z: Sewer Rats & Snakes

Box o' rats
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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Admittedly, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels or Sheamus would have been more popular S's for this entry, but I decided to go with something a bit more obscure today.  Rewind to the summer of 1990 and Jake "The Snake" Roberts and Bad News Brown were engaged in a feud fueled by animal rage.

Jake had been DDTing and knocking out opponents for more than four years in the WWF by this time.  After each victory he'd allow his python Damien a chance to slither around the fallen victim.  For anyone with ophidiophobia this could be particularly unsettling.  

Happy birthday
Courtesy: WWE

Bad News Brown had that fear after opening a gift of a rubber snake from Jake on an episode of Wrestling Challenge. Brown headed back to Harlem to find his revenge.  It was then that he promised to unleash his collection of New York City sewer rats on Jake and Damien when he beat him at SummerSlam.  To me they looked more like possoums, but I hate both so the gimmick worked on me.

Rats!

The match, which was refereed by Big Bossman, was bad news for Brown and anyone hoping to see that box of sewer rats get opened.  The Snake won the contest by disqualification.  Brown and his critters left the company a short time later.  The rats no doubt hungry and angry for not getting to snack on Damien.

Mania Memories: The Ultimate Battle

Passing the torch? (WWE)

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

I will talk more about this in a future video on My 1-2-3 Cents on YouTube, but since I'm going in order with my Mania Memories blogs, I figured I'd write about it too.  I think Wrestlemania 6 may (and I repeat may) have had the biggest main event in the history of the extravaganza.  I'll go into further details in the vlog, so save your comments for then.

Hulk Hogan vs. the Ultimate Warrior was the first time the WWF ever pitted two baby faces against each other in the main event of Wrestlemania.  It was also the first time (I believe) that there was a title vs. title match.  I know in the past world champs had faced Intercontinental champs, but only the world title was on the line.  Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Wrestlemania 6

Back then I was a much bigger Hulkamanic than Warrior fan.  I can say that has since changed.  While the contest between the two won't be remembered as a scientific classic, it was an attempt to change the guard. Depending on who you believe, Vince McMahon was looking for a new torch bearer.  He evidently thought the Warrior was the guy to do it.  And let's be honest folks, the Warrior may not have been the best in the ring, but he was a great showman.  He was dedicated to the character and had a lot of intensity.  He still does today, watch him on YouTube if you don't believe me.

However, Warrior in the driver's seat didn't last long and Hogan came back from Hollywood and was soon again on top.  One thing I never  understood though was why they didn't book the rematch for Wrestlemania 7.  Like I said, it wasn't a scientific matchup by any stretch of the imagination, but it would have been a better main event than Hogan vs. Sgt. Slaughter.  But that's for another post.

Collosal Connection vs. Demolition

Other significant events at Wrestlemania 6, it was the last Wrestlemania wrestling appearance for Andre the Giant.  He and Haku (the Collesial Connection) lost the tag team titles to Demolition.  Andre turned face afterwards, but never really wrestled in a WWF ring again.  I know he had a match in Japan shortly after that incident, and I think that was pretty much it for the big man.  He died less than three years later.

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper also made his Wrestlemania return at 6.  He battled Bad News Brown to a double count out while painted half black.  It's still one of those moments that stands out to me when I think back on the history of Wrestlemania.  This mania also marked the first pinfall loss on TV for Mr. Perfect.  Brutus Beefcake defeated Curt Hennig, who would soon go on to win the IC title that the Warrior would have to forfeit.

Liz joins the celebration (WWE)

Dusty Rhodes wrestled in his only Wrestlemania at this one too.  He and Sapphire beat Randy Savage and Sensational Sherri in a mixed gender tag match and Big Bossman beat his former partner Akeem in a really quick match that I thought would have gotten more time due to the fact that they were once friends.  The feud that started a year earlier between Jake the Snake Roberts and Ted DiBiase also came to a close at this event as well.  I always thought the two of them worked well together.

What are your memories of Wrestlemania 6?  Share them here or on our Facebook wall.

Black History Month: Bad News Brown

Bad News Brown

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

My first memories of Bad News Brown are actually when he was Bad News Allen and wrestling in Stampede for Stu Hart.  I had never actually seen him wrestle, but I read about him in magazines like "The Wrestler" and "Pro Wrestling Illustrated."

Then in early 1988 he entered the WWF.  Same bad ass look, but with a new last name.  Allen became Brown.  I'm not exactly sure why, but he had a real mean streak.   One of his first appearances (it may have been his debut) he won the battle royal at Wrestlemania.  He and Bret Hart teamed up to eliminate the Junkyard Dog, then Brown turned on Hart and nailed him with his finisher, "The Ghetto Blaster" and tossed him out of the ring.  With the victory came a giant trophy that Hart smashed into bits, thus setting up a feud with Brown.  Bad News went over in the battles they had, which was sorta surprising to me considering what Bret came to accomplish in his career.

Like I mentioned, Brown was billed as a tough guy and a loner, never being able to get along with his Survivor Series teams.  If memory serves me correctly, he walked out on both his teams in 1988 and 89.

Brown vs. Piper

Besides the time against Bret Hart, other notable feuds Bad News Brown had included a brief battle with Randy Savage for the WWF title.  Brown and Hogan also had some heated contests.  At Wrestlemania 5, Brown and Hacksaw Duggan had a fight for the ages.  They battled to a double DQ, and at the end of the match, Duggan ended up with a big snot rocket in his beard.  Jesse Ventura nearly puked doing the commentary.

But for me, one of the most memorable moments of his career came at Wrestlemania 6.  He and Roddy Piper were feuding after things got out of hand between the two at the 1990 Royal Rumble.  Brown believed Piper was a racist in the storyline and to prove that color didn't matter to him, Piper wrestled with half his body painted black.  It was a site to behold, and only fueled the fire for Bad News.  The two wrestled to a double count out.

Later that summer Brown engaged in a feud with Jake "the Snake" Roberts, promising to bring his sewer rats out to take care of Jake's snake Damien.  I don't remember there ever actually being a rat, maybe just a picture, but I could be wrong on that account.  Shortly after their match at SummerSlam, Brown left the company.  He stayed on the indy scene for a while before retiring in 1999.

Sadly, Brown died in 2007 of a heart attack.  He was 63 years old.  While he didn't gain the gold in the WWF, he did get a lot of notoriety playing the role of Bad News Brown, and the man behind the character, Alllen Coage was an accomplished Judo star.  He won the bronze medal for the U.S. Olympic team in 1976.  More than 30 years later, he's the only American heavyweight to have won a medal in Judo. (That's according to Wikipedia)