My 1-2-3 Cents : Bruce Prichard

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I'm no David Letterman, but the iconic talk show host has inspired me in more ways than one. I'm borrowing his popular Top 10 list and if this goes well I may do future posts like it.

'Podcast Row'

Today, it's the Top 10 signs Conrad Thompson is influencing your life. Conrad is the popular co-host of three of pro wrestling's biggest podcasts: Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard, What Happened When with Tony Schiavone and 83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff. I love all three of these shows and the common denominator is Conrad. Kudos to him for the brands he is building and the influence he as a fan is having on the wrestling business. I truly aspire to be more like him. Okay, I'm putting down the chapstick now and getting to our list, from our home office in Huntsville, Alabama...

10. Everything you know about mesothelioma, erectile dysfunction and low-key big hogs has come to you in the last two years.

9. You go out of your way to get the ham cubes at your local Shoney's.

8. The phrase 'glass bottom boat rides' makes you sick to your stomach.

7. Most of your summer wardrobe comes from Lois Rules, Box of Gimmicks and Eric Bischoff.com.

6. You know Twitch has nothing to do with a convulsive movement.

5. Instead of barbecue sauce, you now associate Jim Ross with sassafras.

4. Whenever it's on the menu, you order chicken salad, because, well, you know...

3. Online shopping activities include looking for Ric Flair robes and championship belts.

2. You affectionately refer to all your friends as 'Slap Dicks'.

Stacy Kiebler
Courtesy: WWE

1. 'Roll Tide' becomes a regular part of your vocabulary, even though you live hundreds of miles away from Alabama and know nothing about football.

Click to shop

Thursday, May 10, 2018

The Conrad Effect

Conrad, Kevin, Bruce

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Click here to hear from Conrad

If you're a wrestling fan there's a very good chance you've heard of Conrad Thompson. I first heard of Conrad when he served as co-host of Wooooo! Nation with Ric Flair. I enjoyed his role on the show, asking questions of some of wrestling's greatest legends. I flash back to October 2015 when I ran my first marathon and had Ric and Conrad along with me as they chatted with Kevin Von Erich.

Created by Dave Silva

When it was announced Conrad would be starting a new show with Bruce Prichard I was intrigued. As I mentioned, I liked Conrad's style on the Flair shows and Brother Love was one of my favorite pro wrestling talk show hosts of all-time (second only to Roddy Piper). After the first show about Dusty Rhodes' run in WWE, I was hooked. My only critique of the show was it wasn't long enough. But that problem was soon solved as Conrad and Bruce started digging deeper into subjects on Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard.

Not to discredit what Bruce adds to the show. But Conrad does the heavy lifting, conducting research on the topic at hand and providing a detailed timeline leading up to said event. That dedication and attention to detail paid off as a spinoff podcast was created with What Happened When with former NWA and WCW commentator Tony Schiavone.

Created by Dave Silva

With that show, I've enjoyed the humor and the progression Tony has made. When things started in January 2017, I think it's safe to say Tony lacked confidence. I credit Conrad with bringing Tony out of his shell and making him a hot commodity in the wrestling world. That to me is the best part about what Conrad does. He gets shit done and I believe helped reinvent one of the greatest voices in pro wrestling. Tony had given up on himself, but Conrad believed and so do millions of listeners.

Conrad is working his magic again, this time with Eric Bischoff. I've been a lifelong pro wrestling fan, but a WWE loyalist. So the Monday Night Wars left a bitter taste in my mouth during the 83 weeks WCW dominated. However, the new show, 83 Weeks, has been very interesting. I've enjoyed getting to know more about the decisions and what was going on behind the scenes as it comes straight from the horse's mouth. I have a new found respect Bischoff that I didn't have 20+ years ago.

St. Louis live show

I've had the pleasure of meeting Conrad and Bruce last summer at a live show prior to Money in the Bank in St. Louis. Conrad was also a guest on the My 1-2-3 Cents podcast weeks after Something to Wrestle With Bruce Prichard started. I value both of the opportunities.

The Mortage Guy and Brother Love
Courtesy: WWE

I spend hours each week enjoying the works of Conrad Thompson. His name may not be 'attached' to the title of each show, but he is the heart and soul. I love his hustle and strive to be more like him. That hard work has landed him a gig on WWE Network with Bruce. He's a wrestling fan providing entertainment for fellow fans. And he's created a fan base of his own along with some amazing brands. Kudos, Conrad.

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Greg Valentine's WrestleMania legacy

Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

While listening to the most recent episode of Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard, I learned an interesting fact about Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. The topic for the show is WrestleMania IV and the tournament for the WWF Championship. Co-host Conrad Thompson mentions during the episode that Valentine had competed for all three championships (at the time) in the first three WrestleManias.

WrestleMania
Courtesy: WWE

That statement got me to thinking. Of course, Conrad is right. Looking back Valentine was the Intercontinental Champion at WrestleMania. He defended against the Junkyard Dog and was counted out. I really, really wanted JYD to win the belt that night and thought he was going to do it.

Valentine, Johnny V and Brutus Beefcake
Courtesy: WWE

A year later, he and Brutus Beefcake were the unlikely WWF Tag Team Champions. They lost those belts to the British Bulldogs. Then at WrestleMania IV, the Hammer was part of the WWF Championship Tournament. He beat Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat (he had a thing for opponents with an animal name) in round one. Then in the second round, he lost to the eventual winner "Macho Man" Randy Savage.

Valentine vs. Savage
Courtesy: WWE

Valentine was a bad guy when I was growing up and a good one at that. Therefore I wouldn't have called myself a fan of him. However, as an adult, you can look back and understand the contribution wrestlers made to the business and judge them independently of just their persona in the ring. This is quite an accomplishment for Valentine and a WrestleMania fun fact that is overlooked.

I scoured the internet and racked my brain to determine if anyone else has wrestled for the three primary champions at WrestleMania. I came up blank. But I did find this cool site that offers up more WrestleMania fun facts. If I've missed someone who has competed for all three titles at WrestleMania, let me know. None-the-less though, Valentine is the first to do it. It's Hammer Time!

Thursday, January 18, 2018

3 Things I want in WWE in 2018

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Despite the freezing temperatures, snow and ice, I like the month of January for a number of reasons. It's a fresh start to the year. People seem to put their differences aside for one day in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King. And WWE presents the Royal Rumble and the official countdown to WrestleMania. Since this is a pro wrestling blog, that'll be the topic of discussion and specifically for WWE. There are three things (off the top of my head) that I want to see happen in the world's largest Sports Entertainment company (and in no particular order).

The Hulkster
Courtesy: WWE

1. Make amends with Hulk Hogan. The former WWE Champion and the biggest star of the 1980s was removed from the company's Hall of Fame section online in 2015. It stems from racist comments the Hulkster made years ago on a private recording. I don't want to turn this into a huge debate, but Hogan has served his time. Firing him and essentially kicking him out of the Hall of Fame were extreme measures.

There had been buzz that perhaps Hogan would return at Raw25 next week and maybe he will. But he has tweeted that he'll be watching the show from home Monday night. It could all be a swerve but in case it's not, Hogan should be a part of WWE in some form. No, I don't want to see him wrestle again, however occasional appearances like other Legends is more than acceptable.

Vince McMahon has a history of letting bygones be bygones when it comes to doing business. Bruno Sammartino, Ultimate Warrior and Kurt Angle are all recent examples of that. And without sounding like a jerk, no one is getting any younger, in this case, so let's move on and bring back the yellow and red.

Hanging with Neville

2. Bring back Neville. Yes, I am a fanboy for Neville. I know he walked out and is likely not coming back. However, I would pop like Orville Redenbacher (yes, my go to) if he came back. He's a great talent and was helping breath some new life in the Cruiserweight Division. And I'd love to see him kick in Enzo's head...

I love Bruce Prichard & Conrad

3. Induct Brother Love into the WWE Hall of Fame. Like I mentioned above with the mending fences comment, Bruce Prichard has been invited back after nearly a decade. Brother Love is scheduled to be a part of Raw25. I know I'm jumping the gun, but Brother Love certainly deserves a spot in the HOF. I loved the character from day one and simply enjoy listening to his podcast Something to Wrestle With.

I'm hopeful with the invite there's at least a chance Bruce ends up back in the company. Again, it doesn't have to be a full-time gig, but I would love to see a handful of Brother Love segments in 2018. He still has a great mind for the business too and could be an asset behind the scenes.

These are just a few of the things I'm hoping for this year. What are some things you want to see happen in 2018?

Friday, August 11, 2017

Foreign Object Friday: JR's candy dish

Jim Ross and his candy dish
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Since it's SummerSlam season I figured why not take a look back at an infamous moment from the year 2000. I remember it clearly now but had forgotten about it until hearing Bruce Prichard and Conrad Thompson talk about it on a recent Something to Wrestle With podcast.

Tazz had been harassing good ol' JR, to the point that Jim Ross ended up with glass in his eye after Tazz damaged Jerry "The King" Lawler's rental car. These actions lead to a matchup at the annual summer event.

The night of SummerSlam 2000 there was a candy dish on the announce table. At one point during the Tazz-Lawler match, the referee took a bump and went down. Tazz verbally assaulted JR and warned him he'd choke out the King and then come after Ross. Tazz locked in the Tazzmission finisher and as he and Lawler dropped the mat, JR popped up. The King was out, but he and Tazz were close enough to the ropes that JR was able to crack the former ECW Champion over the head. The dish shattered and glass and candy littered the ring. Lawler pinned his unconscious opponent.

Despite it being "sugar" glass used in the incident I imagine it still hurt like hell. It was one of the more unique foreign objects I recall being used in a match.

Monday, June 19, 2017

The 'Something to Wrestle with...' experience

Not a rib...

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Last summer when I heard Bruce Prichard, who I knew and loved as Brother Love on classic WWF programming, was starting a podcast, I was intrigued. I had listened to Wooooo! Nation with Ric Flair and his co-host Conrad Thompson. Conrad brought the fan perspective to the show and asked the questions we all wanted to know. So knowing Conrad was going to be joining Bruce on his show made this a must-listen deal for me.

"Spend my days..."

The format of Something to Wrestle with, Bruce Prichard was like no other at the time. Bruce would tell the story of a Superstar, event or angle as Conrad would ask questions along the way. I loved the show so much I invited Conrad on the My 1-2-3 Cents Podcast last August and he was gracious enough to grant that request.

"Double cheese, extra onions."

The duo announced they'd be doing a live show in Orlando the night before WrestleMania. I bought tickets for it before securing Mania tickets because I didn't want to miss out on the opportunity. Unfortunately, our Mania plans changed and I had to sell our tickets. But I was ecstatic after hearing Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard was coming to St. Louis prior to Money in the Bank. I already had my ticket for that WWE event, and quickly snatched up a VIP ticket.

I arrived at the South Broadway Athletic Club right on time for the VIP meet and greet. I stood in line with other fans, but kept to myself, overhearing their stories about past wrestling experiences. I was a little sad none of my friends going to MITB wanted to attend the podcast too. Once inside, I did see some familiar faces and ended up sitting in the front of the room with my friend Jeremy. I also met long time My 1-2-3 Cents supporter Adam at the table.

Swag!

The set up was great. VIPs could grab a can koozie and then hit the line for the photo op and autograph. The encounter was brief, but I got to thank both Bruce and Conrad for the work they do and extend my gratitude in person to Conrad for being on my show last year. Bruce signed a photo and then I got a pic with the dynamic duo.

RIP George

There were hundreds of people in attendance. Bruce did lots of impressions and told plenty of stories, focusing on St. Louis history, ladder matches, Money in the Bank and of course a few tales that have never been shared on the recorded podcast. I'm not going to give any of that away, as it would defeat the purpose of Bruce and Conrad doing the live shows. I will say this, I will never view chicken salad the same again and if I ever have a chance to have some of Jerry Jarrett's I'd likely decline. Those of you who were there, well you know, why that is...

Bro

Overall the experience was well worth the $50 VIP ticket. They had plenty of tables set up at the venue, so thanks to 590 The Fan and SBAC for that. VIPs were placed in the front, which I appreciate and had a great view of everything, including Bruce's karate demo, the funeral for Jim Cornette's rat George and the calling out of Vince Russo. Bro, I still can't believe he didn't show up.

Sunday, June 18, 2017

My Father's Day heel turn

Me as heel manager Freddie Blassie

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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I suspect there are some non-wrestling fans reading this blog, so let me explain real quick what a heel is. In the wrestling world, the heel is the bad guy. And while I'm probably not really all that bad of a guy, my actions on Father's Day 2017 has me second guessing myself.

As you're reading this chances are I'm either on my way to or already in St. Louis for the WWE's Money in the Bank event. It's a live wrestling show at the Scottrade Center. I'm going (or there) with a group of wrestlers from Stride Pro Wrestling, my buddy from work Weston and of course Chad. When I heard about the event, I didn't even think about it being Father's Day. I looked at my calendar on my phone and there were no events entered in it, so I bought my ticket.

That all went down in late February or early March. Then days later it was announced my favorite podcast, Something to Wrestle with, Bruce Prichard was going to do a live show prior to the WWE event. Since I had to sell my tickets for the Orlando show because we changed our minds about going to WrestleMania, I quickly snatched up a VIP ticket. Then all the pieces fell into place and I discovered it was Father's Day.

Family fun over Spring Break

No one in my family has given me grief over this. My wife and daughter are going to go shopping. I did spend the morning hours at home, getting in an early morning run to keep my run streak alive. It's other people I've told about my plans that have given me a weird look. Some have said, "It's your day, spend it how you want." While others have said, "You're not going to be with your kids on Father's Day?"

I'm guessing as more people learn of my plans they'll fall into either side of my internal debate. The closer it comes to me leaving, the worse I feel about my decision. But plans are made, tickets have been purchased. It's time to hit the road. A family trip is days away and we'll get to bond over a seven-hour car ride then.

Monday, May 15, 2017

I never knew... OJ Simpson could have wrestled

OJ Simpson vs. Hot Rod???

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

A new week and a new installment of I never knew... And this one is again courtesy of the podcast, Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard. Bruce and co-host Conrad Thompson discuss the match that was supposed to happen between Roddy Piper and OJ Simpson on the Roddy Piper episode of the podcast. Yes, you read that right, OJ Simpson was going to have a match at WrestleMania XII in Anaheim.

To set the timetable for you, this was less than two years after OJ's ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were found murdered at Nicole's house. OJ was the prime suspect and went on trial before eventually being acquitted in October 1995. WrestleMania XII was March 1996.

Split screen from WrestleMania XII

The mention of such a match was the first I'd ever heard of OJ ever doing a wrestling angle. You may remember, Piper eventually ended up facing Goldust in a Hollywood Backstage Brawl. During the course of the match, Piper hops into a white Ford Bronco and chases Goldust in his gold Cadillac. The production team used file news footage of the infamous chase involving OJ's white Ford Bronco along an LA freeway.

Prichard explains on the podcast that once the idea got out that the plan was for Piper to "beat the s--- out of OJ," the ex-NFL star's people declined the offer. Add to the negative reaction many outside the WWE had given the idea, it was safe to say it wasn't going to happen. There was a real fear that sponsors would pull ads at a time WWE was struggling to stay competitive with WCW.

Goldust vs. Piper
Courtesy: WWE

It's for the best that this match never happened. True, OJ was never convicted of the murders, but the court of public opinion had already tried and convicted him. Less than a year after the proposed match, Simpson was found liable in a wrongful death suit filed by the Brown and Goldman families.

I wonder how fans would have received the match and what backlash WWE would have suffered as a result. My gut tells me this would have been a disaster and not helped in the battle with WCW.

Monday, May 8, 2017

I never knew... Bobby Heenan, Jr. nearly happened

Brother Love, Bobby Heenan & The Brooklyn Brawler
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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A couple weeks ago I started a new feature, writing about things in the wrestling industry I didn't know about. As a fan for more than 30 years, I thought I knew just about everything. But there are some things that have happened that I missed or were never brought to the public. This entry is an example of that. The info for this blog comes from the Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard podcast.

Almost a Heenan jacket
Courtesy: dWn

On the Mr. Perfect episode, Prichard told listeners the story about how he nearly became known as Bobby Heenan, Junior. We all know Prichard donned a white suit, red makeup and larger than life glasses to play Brother Love. The character hosted his own talk show and even did some managing, including bringing in the Undertaker. But at some point, there was serious consideration to a complete gimmick change.

Heenan vs. Hulk Hogan
Courtesy: WWE

The idea was for Prichard to bleach his hair blond and dress in the sparkly jackets, just like "The Brain." Heenan was hurting after years of taking bumps from guys like Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. It was time to rest and stay behind the mic. But somewhere along the way, Vince McMahon nixed the idea and the character change never happened.

Brother Love vs. Dusty Rhodes
Courtesy: WWE

I love Bobby Heenan. I love Brother Love (and Bruce Prichard). I'm glad the idea never took root. I understand wanting to capitalize on the popularity of Heenan. I don't know if fans would have bought into the idea. We know Prichard could take the bumps like Heenan did as he got tossed around and beat up by the top babyface Superstars in the company.

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Podcast ponderings

Jitterymonkey.com

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Every week for more than two years I have recorded and shared My 1-2-3 Cents the Podcast on the Jittery Monkey Podcast Network and iTunes. Many of those shows have a guest related to the world of professional wrestling. Sometimes it's just me rambling about the latest in the world of sports entertainment. And other times Chad joins me to talk more about the business.

The market is saturated with wrestling related shows. When I started in late 2014 I don't feel like there were as many former wrestlers (or personalities) doing shows. Recently there's been a huge surge in this and I wonder more often than not what this uptick means for small shows like My 1-2-3 Cents.

Conrad & Bruce Something to Wrestle With
Courtesy: MLW Radio

Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard, for example, has millions of listeners. I just crunched the numbers for 2017 and in the first 11 weeks of the year, My 1-2-3 Cents is averaging 80 listeners per show. Episodes with indy wrestlers typically do better because they share the podcast on their social media accounts.

Two-time My 1-2-3 Cents guest Jeff Jarrett

I enjoy doing a wrestling-themed show but wonder if the genre has too much coverage, especially by experts in the field. I firmly believe podcasting is the wave of the future and allows everyday people to have a voice. I know I should be more excited about the fact that 80 people on average give a damn about what I have to say instead of thinking ONLY 80 people listen. Plus I've had a chance to meet (in person and/or on the phone) many greats in wrestling.

Friends, what can I do to boost my audience? I'd love your 1-2-3 Cents on the subject. Thanks for reading and listening to the show.

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Thank you Tony Schiavone

Tony Schiavone & Jim Ross
Courtesy: WWE

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter