My 1-2-3 Cents : Bruiser Brody

Continuing the countdown (again, no particular order) of the scariest wrestlers of all-time. Bruiser Brody has to be on everyone's list, right? I remember thinking how scary he was when he stomped into the ring with his furry boots, scarred forehead, and swinging a chain on Wrestling at the Chase.

He was a no-nonsense guy inside and outside the ring. I can't tell you how much I wished he would have gone to WWF in the 80s. However, I believe his style wouldn't have meshed with the vision Vince McMahon had, although Brody would have been the perfect foil for Hulk Hogan.

I had the good fortune of being in the audience when Brody wrestled Ric Flair in St. Louis. I believe that match ended in a draw or a double DQ. I can't remember, but the internet tells me it was a draw. I missed out on the opportunity when Brody wrestled Andre the Giant, also in St. Louis a couple years before this match. My dad and brother did see it, and I imagine it was an epic encounter.

Brody proved he could get in there with anyone from Flair to Abdullah the Butcher to the Von Erichs. Sadly we lost him too soon. Dream matches for him would be against future scariest mentions like Cactus Jack and the Undertaker.

What's your favorite Brody moment?

Monday, July 16, 2018

Bruiser Brody vs. Stride Pro Wrestling

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I've been doing a lot of these 'fantasy booking' blogs lately involving members of the Stride Pro Wrestling roster. Part of the reason I do it is that I truly enjoy it. But the other reason is readers seem to like it too. So I will indulge in another today.

On July 16, 1988, Bruiser Brody was stabbed in the locker room shower at a show in Puerto Rico. He died the next day from his wounds. I've written about Brody several times before, remembering this legend of the ring. I still cherish the memory of seeing him live in person to wrestle Ric Flair back in 1985. He was as tough as they come and here are a few Stride competitors I would have liked to seen Brody face in the ring.

Tony Flood in action

I've said it more than once, Tony Flood has an old-school style that reminds me of Harley Race. And back in the day, Race and Brody had some classic matches for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Despite his sometimes cowardly actions in the ring, Flood is a tough competitor. I have no doubt he could have had an outstanding match against the legendary Brody. No doubt Flood would pull out all of the stops in an effort to best Brody. He'd definitely need his lead pipe and chain that he's tucked away in his trunks in previous matches.

Ax Allwardt

Speaking of chains, Ax Allwardt and his mighty chain clashing with Brody's chain would be legendary. Ax is another old-school style wrestler who would be able to slow Brody's over the top persona in the ring. He too is one of the toughest guys on the Stride roster and would do whatever it takes to put Brody down for the three count.

Chris Hargas vs. Red Daniels (RIP)
Courtesy: Steve Belcher

Chris Hargas, like Bruiser Brody, has a rich history in St. Louis wrestling. As I mentioned earlier, I saw Brody battle Flair at the Kiel Auditorium and my brother (before I was a fan) saw Brody battle Andre the Giant. I'm still jealous of that... But I digress. Hargas has established himself as one of the top stars in SICW in the St. Louis area. He's also one of Stride's best and brightest. He has the size and strength to stand up to Brody and as we saw at Buried Live, the ability to tap into his dark side when necessary.

Obviously, I can't list everyone on the Stride roster I'd like to see face the legendary Brody. Farmer Billy Hills, Roger Matheus and Heath Hatton would also make my short list. Who would you pit against the big man?

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Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Instead of Bundy, how about Brody

Brody & Bundy

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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When I started the 'Instead of' blogs a few weeks ago the intent was to look at Superstars who never won a championship and replace that person with someone who had. Today, I'm talking about swapping out a top contender with another. It's King Kong Bundy and Bruiser Brody.

My wrestling fandom came in the final years of Brody's life. It's hard to believe this summer will mark 30 years since he was murdered in Puerto Rico. Brody was a renegade who typically played by his own rules and avoided staying in one territory or company too long. During the boom of the 80s, he would have been the perfect foil for Hulk Hogan, assuming Vince McMahon would let Brody be Brody.

Bundy, Andre and Studd
Courtesy: WWE

King Kong Bundy had come into the WWF in late 1984 and ran roughshod over the competition. At the first WrestleMania, he destroyed SD Jones in nine seconds (yes, I know it was a little longer, but that's the 'official' time). As the year progressed, Bundy feuded with bigger names in the company, including the biggest in Andre the Giant. In early 1986, Bundy set his sites on Hogan and attacked the champion on Saturday Night's Main Event. This led to the main event match at WrestleMania II inside a steel cage.

Husk!

Don't get me wrong. I've always liked Bundy. But the point of this blog is to look at other options. To do a little fantasy booking if you will. Imagine if instead of Bundy attacking Hogan during the match against Magnificent Muraco it was Brody bursting from the back with a chain in tow. I'd still pair him with Bobby Heenan, as he was Hogan's biggest rival. I can hear Brody's signature 'HUSK!' as he stands over a prone Hogan, bloodied and crumpled in the ring after the attack. Heenan announcing to the world he's signed the most unpredictable man in wrestling to a contract.

This, of course, would lead to several wars of words prior to WrestleMania. Brody attacks Paul Orndorff, prompting Hogan to make the save. I'd send Bundy to Chicago for Mania to be in the battle royal. Then that summer, I'd pair he and Big John Studd against the new WWF tag team champions the British Bulldogs.

Brody would continue to feud with Hogan and Orndorff after losing to the champ, even teaming up with Intercontinental Champion "Macho Man" Randy Savage on a summer edition of SNME. That's where the Orndorff heel turn could come into play and he rejoins the Heenan family like he did. Like I mentioned, Brody was never one to stay in one place too long, so he'd leave the company before being saddled with some sort of silly cartoonish gimmick. Andre could still turn on Hogan and the two head to WrestleMania III.

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Previous 'Instead of' blogs

Instead of Debra, how about Luna?

Instead of Slaughter, how about Jake?

Instead of Hart, how about Von Erich?

Instead of Garvin, how about Windham?

Instead of Diesel, how about Bulldog?

Friday, January 19, 2018

Fun Fact Friday: Herb Simmons

Herb Simmons

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Social media has been a powerful tool for years, letting people reconnect all over the world. It's also been a great way to learn more about one of my passions, professional wrestling. It feels like there are more independent companies cropping up, including several within a couple hours of my home in southern Illinois.

One company I've been able to check out is Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling. Several familiar faces from the Stride Pro Wrestling roster have been on the show, including Heath Hatton, Ax Allwardt and Chris Hargas.

Abdullah the Butcher and I

Last year I attended my first show in East Cardonolet. I met the legendary Abdullah the Butcher, long time announcer Larry Matysik and promoter Herb Simmons. He agreed to participate in this week's Fun Fact Friday.

Herb and Ted DiBiase

1. Herb has been promoting wrestling for 43 years. SICW has had many greats on the show; including Dory and Terry Funk, Harley Race, Bushwhacker Luke, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Ted DiBiase, One Man Gang, Koko B. Ware and Hillbilly Jim. He also worked with legends like Bruiser Brody, Dick Murdoch, Crusher Blackwell, Ox Baker, Baron Von Raschke and Gene Kinski.

2. The company has a monthly show called SICW Wrestling Explosion. You can watch it here. It's based on the classic Wrestling at the Chase from St. Louis. (I grew up on that show.) They just aired episode 360. Congrats!

3. Herb's day job is the St. Clair County 9-1-1 director. He's also been the mayor of East Carondelet for 33 years. SICW does several fundraiser shows for the police and fire departments in the community.

SICW returns to the East Carondelet Community Center Saturday (Jan. 20) Bell time is 7 p.m. You can call (618) 286-4848 to reserve tickets.

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

St. Louis Legends WWE forgot

St. Louis Legends
Courtesy: WWE

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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I have been hesitant to write this blog, as I don't want to come off as too critical of WWE and I don't want to make the same mistake the company did in overlooking worthy people to be included in the St. Louis Legends segment. I loved the idea and think it's a great way to pay tribute to those who have paved the way. I grew up in St. Louis and watched Wrestling at the Chase and attended shows several times as a kid, so I take this segment a bit more personally than I probably should.

Larry Matysik and SICW Promoter Herb Simmons

I'm not going to say the men who were recognized shouldn't have been. Instead, I'm going to offer my 1-2-3 cents on how the segment should have gone. Last week I wrote about the decision to keep longtime Wrestling and the Chase announcer Larry Matysik out of the spotlight for this segment. I would have loved for the WWE to not only recognize Larry but also let him call that championship match with JBL, Byron Saxton and Tom Phillips.

Bruiser Brody

I would have also included a video package featuring the stars who made St. Louis wrestling memorable. WWE's video production is the best in the world. Their team does an excellent job and could have produced a piece that lasted a few minutes honoring those legends. Names that weren't included during the Money in the Bank broadcast like Bruiser Brody, Dick the Bruiser, Bulldog Bob Brown, Gene Kinski, Pat O'Connor, Rufus R. Jones, Mickey Garagiola and Sam Muchnik. These men are in addition to the greats who were ringside and mentioned during the broadcast.

I never expected a tribute to St. Louis Legends by WWE, but after hearing from SICW Promoter Herb Simmons on Facebook, it would have been awesome of WWE to do something. Again, it wasn't expected, I'm not whining about the situation. What they did was nice, but not complete by any means.

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Meeting the Butcher

Meeting Abdullah

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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A couple days ago, my buddy Heath Hatton invited me to ride with him to SICW (Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling). He had two matches, a six-man tag and he was a participant in the Bruiser Brody Memorial Battle Royal. We talk about the experience in this week's podcast which drops Monday.

I was excited about the opportunity to go for several reasons. I'd never been to SICW plus I wanted to meet promoter Herb Simmons, as well as the legendary Larry Matysik who was the voice of Wrestling at the Chase and is involved with SICW. Brody's widow Barbara Goodish was there Saturday night as well as WWE Hall of Famer Abdullah the Butcher. All four were very kind and inviting to me as I stayed in the locker room and chatted with the other wrestlers throughout the show.

At one point, I looked around and it was just Abby and I there watching on the large monitor. It was one of the most surreal moments I've experienced as a wrestling fan. I was watching a match with one of the biggest legends in the business. He was pretty quiet throughout the evening, and me being an introvert I dared not initiate a conversation. But it's a memory I won't forget.

Thank you to Heath for letting me tag along and to Herb and the rest of the men and women on the card for being so inviting to me. It was a great evening and I look forward to making the trip again in the future. Oh and look for a podcast interview with Larry soon. We chatted about setting something up. I'll also have an interview soon with new SICW Heavyweight Champion Chris Hargas. Congrats to you!

Friday, May 19, 2017

Foreign Object Friday: Abdullah the Butcher's fork

Abdullah the Butcher & his fork

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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One of the most sadistic men to step into the squared circle is Abdullah the Butcher. The more than 400-pound Sudanese mad man made a career out of slicing and dicing his opponents. His usual weapon of choice was something we all use every day: a fork.

With a name like "the Butcher", you would expect a violent temperant. Abdullah provided that for decades as he carved up the foreheads of opponents like Bruiser Brody, Dusty Rhodes and Carlos Colon. Gallons of blood spilled in countless rings, not just from Butcher's opponents, but from his own head. It always looked so painful and the scars that were left behind remain. Of course, barbed wire, chairs and other weapons played a role in these infamous feuds for the Butcher.

Hogan gets forked

Until I started doing some background searching for this blog, I didn't know Hulk Hogan was also "forked" by Abdullah the Butcher. The two battled it out in Japan in 1982 and as you can see, The Hulkster (before he was the Hulkster) bled like a stuck pig that night. And one of the few men bigger than Abdullah, Andre the Giant also got a taste of the fork as well.

My fork tie at Hall of Fame 2011

In 2011 I paid homage to Abdullah with my wardrobe choices that night. I secured a fork to my tie for the WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony. Fellow Hall of Famer Terry Funk inducted Abdullah that night and I believe it was the first time I'd heard the Butcher speak at a wrestling related event. He always had such a mystique about him, but he's really a gentle giant, or so it seems.

Abdullah the Butcher will be a guest this weekend at the SICW show in East Carondelet, Illinois. That night features the Bruiser Brody Memorial Battle Royal.

Saturday, May 13, 2017

Remembering Bruiser Brody

Brody!

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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I'm old enough to have had the chance to watch Bruiser Brody wrestle. My fandom started in 1983, about five years before Brody's life came to a tragic end. But in those five years, I'm flooded with many great memories of one of the toughest wrestlers to walk the planet.

Husk! Husk! Husk!

Most of the work I recall from Brody happened in World Class Championship Wrestling and the AWA. He would come to Texas and team up with the Von Erichs in their battles with Skandor Akbar's Devastation Incorporated. Brody would go toe to toe with beasts like Kamala and eventually Abdullah the Butcher among others. It was funny because he was the bad guy in the AWA under the management of Sheik Adnan-al Kaissie.

A week after attending my first professional wrestling show (WWF in Dec. 1984), we took in our first NWA event. Ric Flair defended the championship against Brody. Until recently I had no idea the match was online. The two battled to a bloody no-contest and Flair walked out with the gold. This was before my appreciation for the "Nature Boy" was found so I was disappointed with the outcome.

Butcher vs. Brody

Besides Flair, I'd argue Abdullah the Butcher was Brody's biggest rival in the business. The two carved each other up with foreign objects, including the Butcher's famous fork, in promotions around the world. Both of their foreheads looked like road maps after their years against each other in the ring.

This Saturday night, May 20, SICW celebrates the life of Brody with a memorial battle royal. His widow, Barbara Goodish, will be on hand as well as Abdullah. The event is also the celebration of the 58th anniversary of Wrestling at the Chase, a show that was a staple in our home on Sunday mornings for many years.

Brody
Courtesy: Prowrestlingstories.com

Brody's life ended way too soon, but I'm grateful for the time he was here and having the chance to go back and watch his work. No doubt he influenced plenty of men in the ring, including John Nord, Mick Foley and Luke Harper. Even Daniel Bryan wore "Brody boots" at WrestleMania XXX. Hopefully sooner rather than later Brody will take his rightful spot in the WWE Hall of Fame.

Monday, March 27, 2017

Missing from Manias past

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Ric Flair, Sting, The Road Warriors, Dusty Rhodes, Harley Race, Terry & Dory Funk, Jr., Kerry Von Erich and the Steiner Brothers. All guys at one point I would have never imagined wrestling at WrestleMania. But each of these men had at least one appearance on the WWE's biggest event of the year. Here are some others I would have loved to see step on the grandest stage of all.

Brody vs. Abdullah the Butcher
Courtesy: WWE

Bruiser Brody is one of my favorites from childhood. When I first started watching wrestling, I remember him well on Wrestling at the Chase and in World Class Championship Wrestling and eventually the AWA. One of the first live events I attended was main evented by Brody and Ric Flair. Brody won by disqualification. How cool would it have been to see Brody come into the WWF in the early years of WrestleMania?

Although had that happened I could see Brody being built up to the point of getting the title match against Hulk Hogan and then conquered by Hulkamania by the end of the night. That wouldn't have been a bad thing either, but something Brody would not likely have been keen on. Of course in different eras, it would have been great to see Brody vs. Mankind or Brody vs. the Undertaker at a Mania too.

The Midnight Express
Courtesy: WWE

One of my favorite tag teams of all time is the Midnight Express. While I liked Dennis Condry and Bobby Eaton, my pick for this blog is Stan Lane and Eaton, along with manager Jim Cornette. The British Bulldogs, The Hart Foundation and The Rockers would have all been worthy Mania opponents for the Express. Jim Cornette would later appear on WrestleMania events with the men he managed, but fans missed something in not having Eaton and Lane in the WWE. Now that the Rock 'n Roll Express is going into the Hall of Fame, I hope Midnight Express is on the shortlist to be inducted.

Kharma
Courtesy: WWE

Kharma's time in WWE was short, way too short. Her only match (at least official match) came at the 2012 Royal Rumble. She was a part of the 30 Superstar contest. I was there, so I'm grateful for having had the chance to see her in action. But I think a huge opportunity was missed with her. A Beth Phoenix-Kharma match for the Women's Championship would have been amazing. While I don't see the chance ever happening, she'd be a great opponent for any of the women on the roster today as well. I wish thing could have gone differently for Kharma both personally and professionally.

So who never made it to Mania that you would have liked to see on the show? Comment here or on the My 1-2-3 Cents social media pages.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

3 wrestlers I wanted to see in person

Andre the Giant & Bruno Sammartino
Courtesy: WWE

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter