Glaming up the Hall of Fame

Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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It's been announced one of my favorite female wrestlers is going into the WWE Hall of Fame. "The Glamazon" Beth Phoenix will take her spot with the Class of 2017 on Friday, March 31 in Orlando. She joins Kurt Angle, The Rock 'n Roll Express, Teddy Long and Diamond Dallas Page in this year's ceremony. I'm sure others will be announced soon too.

Champ
Courtesy: WWE

Phoenix emerged in WWE when the Barbie Doll, non-wrestler look was taking over the women's division. In fact, they were called Divas and it's safe to argue most were there to advance their careers in other avenues. Beth stood out and excelled. I enjoyed the work she and Natalya did. I eagerly anticipated a Beth Phoenix-Kharma feud, but it never happened. 

Meeting Beth in 2008
Courtesy: My 1-2-3 Cents

It's hard to believe Beth left WWE nearly five years ago. I'd love to see her do a comeback like Mickie James is currently doing. While I liked her better as a villain, I'd love to see her and Charlotte have a match, along with Becky Lynch and even Nia Jax. I had the good fortune to meet Beth at WrestleMania Axxess weekend in Orlando ahead of Mania 24. She was Divas Champion, but that's the year she teamed with Melina in the Playboy BunnyMania lumber jill match against Maria and Ashley. 

Beth & Edge at the Hall of Fame
Courtesy: WWE

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but this ceremony will mark the first married couple inducted into the Hall of Fame. Beth and Edge (inducted in 2012) are married and have two children together. Beth held gold four times in WWE and is one of just three women to have competed in the Royal Rumble match (Chyna and Kharma are the others). Congrats to Beth Phoenix for taking her rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame.

Speaking of Chyna, I'm sure some will argue that she should be going in this year. I do believe Chyna is worthy of the HOF and she will be inducted sooner rather than later. But let's celebrate the accomplishments of The Glamazon and one of the best in the business. 

They are women, hear them roar

The revolution begins 7/13/15
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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One year ago the Divas Revolution officially kicked into high gear. Sasha Banks, Charolette and Becky Lynch all made their main roster debuts. I wrote about it the day after in this post. Some people on social media have been critical of the evolution of the women's division since last year's coup. The change was overdue and the division continues to improve.

The only thing I'll be critical about the women's division is the inability to have more than one angle occurring at a time. That was a huge problem with the Divas. It was almost always a storyline with the champion facing a challenger and then moving on after said feud ended. Or creative would just throw them all in some sort of gimmicked battle royal, just so you could see them all at once. The situation has improved with the Charolette-Sasha rivalry brewing as Becky and Natalya engage in combat.

Women's wrestling will continue to evolve in WWE. Removing the term Diva and giving the women more time and better placement and promotion for pay per views has done wonders. There are plenty of hungry talent on the main roster and several ladies ready to make the jump from NXT. However, there are a few familiar faces and a fresh one I'd like to see added to the division first.

Courtesy: WWE

I've wanted Kharma to come back since the second she left WWE several years ago. She's a huge missed opportunity. The company needs to do whatever it takes to bring her in, but they tend to only go with one "dominate" force in that division at a time and it looks like Nia Jax is filling that role.

Courtesy: WWE

The same could be said for Beth Phoenix. She was the total package of women's wrestling. Motherhood is treating her well and while it's doubtful she'll lace up the boots again, it would be nice to see her back even on a short term basis. The women in both NXT and WWE could learn a lot from her as they have from Natalya. 

Courtesy: WWE

Tessa Blanchard is a young, up and coming women's wrestler. She's made a name on the indy scene and has the training of both her famous father Tully Blanchard and step-dad Magnum T.A. Tessa has had a few matches on NXT. With some more seasoning, she will be no doubt be a future WWE Women's Champion. How sweet would a feud against Charolette be?

Don't read too much into this. I'm not discrediting Bailey, Aska or Nia. These women will all eventually be called up to the main roster too. I just wanted to bring in some established talent and a new face to help keep the division viable and growing.

Put a ring on it

Sunny and her ring

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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Recently former WWE Diva Sunny has drawn some online criticism for putting her Hall of Fame ring up for sale on eBay.  It's something that's happened before with Abdullah the Butcher, "Superstar" Billy Graham and the sons of the late Paul Bearer.  Sunny claims Jimmy Hart sold his while going through a divorce recently.

Sunny's induction (we were there)

The embattled Diva has had her ups and downs in recent years.  I'm not here to judge her or anyone else for that matter.  She's made it clear that she wants to cut ties with the company and move on.  I do find that a bit disheartening and disappointing.  Five years ago WWE had enough faith in her to add her to their Hall of Fame.  She was honored not just at the ceremony, but also the next night at Wrestlemania 27 in Atlanta.  Something along the way changed obviously.

Here's where I put on my judgment hat... I would hope that for any legend inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame they'd cherish the induction and the ring that goes along with it.  I know we're talking about a ceremony for a predetermined activity, but the Hall of Fame is one of my favorite wrestling related events of the year.  I look forward to the day there's a physical location.  Furthermore, I'm a bit of a packrat and save everything, so I can't ever imagine parting with such a sentimental gift.

Sunny's ring is currently up for bids on eBay and as of this posting has two bids to the tune of $1,099.  I hope the impending sale gives her what she need financially and whatever issues she has with her former life in the world of wrestling gets resolution too.  The same for anyone else who has sold their ring.  

Controversy Creates Cash or Cry Babies?

Contract signing
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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I realize the title is probably a bit harsh and while I'd like to say it's not my intent to offend anyone, I'm not sure that's totally true.  There's a broad message here, but I'm tying it to a specific wrestling-related event.

Charlotte strikes
Courtesy: WWE

Recently on Monday Night Raw a verbal battle between Divas champion Charlotte and number one contender Paige fired up the Internet Wrestling Community.  Charlotte brought up her brother Reid Flair (not by name) who died in 2013 of a drug overdose.  She told Paige she was in WWE to fulfill his dream.  Paige retorted with "He didn't have much fight in him, did he?" The comment sent Charlotte into a rage and the two Divas brawled around the ring.

The comment seemed to impact fans even more.  The backlash against Paige and WWE has dominated social media.  Fans claimed to be insulted and offended by the remark and that WWE was out of line using another wrestling death to put over an angle.  Some even plan to boycott the company and this weekend's Survivor Series event.

Reid Flair

I don't offend easy.  The remark didn't bother me.  But as a father, I could see where Ric Flair (who says he had no knowledge the remark was going to be made) and Reid's mother Beth are owed an apology.  In my opinion they're the only two who really truly have a dog in the fight.  Considering Ric's relationship with Triple H (WWE COO) I think he was owed the courtesy of knowing the line was going to be dropped.   My question is this: Are fans really offended by the comment or do they feel like they SHOULD be offended?

Craig Kilborn
Courtesy: World Wide Pants & CBS

I remember the day after Owen Hart, who was dressed as the Blue Blazer, plunged to his death in Kansas City, Missouri Late, Late Show host Craig Kilborn made a tasteless JOKE about the incident.  Fans came unglued, but this was long before social media was around. Kilborn and CBS did apologize and we all moved on.  I bring this up because I feel like the Paige-Charlotte incident wasn't meant to insult or degrade the memory of Reid Flair.  It was clearly being used to create heat for Sunday's match, which I don't really think this feud needs, but I digress.

Today's society is looking for things to be offended by.  Skin color, religion, sexual orientation, politics and heck now even coffee cups seem to have divided many of us online. As Ric Flair said on Woo Nation, this "controversy" is nothing in comparison to the events currently happening in the world right now.  So instead of being butt hurt and offended every time something happens that we disagree with, take the high road, turn the other cheek and do something to make the world (or at least your community) a better place.

Hello Ladies

Charlotte, Becky and Sasha join the Divas Revolution

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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For months fans have been waiting for an overhaul or at least an update in the WWE Divas division.  I think it's fair to say that's exactly what happened on the July 13 episode of Raw.  Three of the best from NXT appeared on the big stage as a part of Paige's Divas Revolution. As I write this Tuesday afternoon, Charlotte, Becky Lynch and NXT women's champion Sasha Banks remain on the NXT roster on WWE's website and are not listed as WWE Divas.

Putting these three young and talented women on the main roster is a breath of fresh air in a often forgotten division.  During the segment on Raw, Michael Cole said "take a look at the future of women's wrestling!"  That statement spoke volumes to me because rarely do you hear the words "women" (it's usually Divas) and "wrestling" (it's usually sports entertainment) on WWE programming.  I don't think the company is abandoning its trademarks, but it was nice to hear a brief break from the norm.

While the presumed transfer of these three women to the main roster is exciting for the division, I do have some concerns.  I hope the moves mean WWE Creative will put more thought into the Divas division, as it seems they focus on just the champion and a particular challenger most of the time.  I also hope that the likes of Natalya and Emma aren't lost in the shuffle.  

Finally, if Charlotte, Becky and Sasha are all leaving NXT, what's next for the few women left there?  Overall that group is so talented but the division is small on NXT.  I understand they're just doing an hour a week as opposed to the five hours the main roster does, plus specials on the WWE Network.  Will Sasha do double duty or drop the NXT Women's title and move on completely?  Time will tell.  I'm going to remain optimistic that it'll be a win-win for everyone involved and hopefully before the end of summer there's a new Divas champion.  Wooo!

Who's the Boss?

Vince, Triple H, Brad, & Vickie
Photo courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

As much as I want this to be a blog about the popular 80's sitcom by the same name, it is not.  The task at hand today is addressing the maze of management that currently reigns on WWE programming.  I meant to tackle the topic last week, but got busy with other things.

The late, great Jack Tunney
Photo courtesy: WWE

I'm trying to be less negative about my posts, but this blog will take me away from that goal.  I miss the 80's and 90's when the "authority figure" was only on TV for special appearances.  Jack Tunney only showed up a handful of times to lay down the law.  Often times, his directives were read by the announce team or the back stage interviewer.  He wasn't a part of the weekly show or pay per view.  Even in the early 90's, when Roddy Piper and Gorilla Monsoon became "President" of the WWF, they very rarely were so involved in the story.

Triple H, Brad, & Steph
Photo courtesy: WWE

Right now, there are no less than 5 people vying for the role on WWE programming.  Brad Maddox is finding his way as the Raw General Manager.  Vickie Guerrero is the new GM of SmackDown.  Now, each week we're getting doses of Vince McMahon, the CEO, his son-in-law Triple H, the COO, and Vince's daughter Stephanie, Director of Creative (I think that's the title they've given her on air).  Let's not forget the two men recently relieved of their duties, Booker T and Teddy Long.  I suspect we haven't seen the last of them either.  And did I miss something or is Alex Riley hanging out with Brad now too.  Is he the assistant GM?

Past bosses
Photo from Bleacher Report

The constant rotation of authority figures is nothing new.  We saw the guest GMs a couple of years ago.  Then superstars have come and gone and had their time back in the spotlight.  It seems to me like it's a lazy way to work past stars or guys they have nothing for into some kind of on camera role.  I can accept a GM.  Maybe even an assistant.  But is it necessary to have the McMahon-Triple H faction on weekly as well?  I know this is all leading to some sort of power struggle between Vince and Trips, and Maddox and Guerrero are merely the pawns in the game.  I'd much rather see the company continue to focus on the wrestling, like the series of matches Daniel Bryan went through on Raw.  They were simply amazing.

I know it's the era of sports entertainment, but we're not all entertained by everything we see.  I hate to hate on anything, especially the Divas, but that segment on Raw with Miz and Jerry Lawler and the stars of the new Divas show was one of the worst segments in recent memory to me.  Many of these ladies are talented and need a chance to shine, not be part of a skit to promote a show on E!  But again, I get that the days of "wrestling" have been replaced for the most part with "entertainment."

Okay, ranting over.  Thanks for reading, I appreciate the support.

Hall of Fame: Stratusfaction Guaranteed

Trish Stratus
Photo courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Congratulations to Trish Stratus, the most recent name added to the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2013. I must say I was surprised by this announcement, mostly because I've tried to avoid any HOF spoilers before actually hearing them on Raw.  I somehow managed to do that with Trish's announcement.

Trish is obviously a great choice for the Hall of Fame.  She is one of the best women to compete in the WWE through the years and she's not been gone long enough for current fans to have forgotten her.

When she first arrived on the scene more than a decade ago, I figured she'd just be another asset to the Attitude Era because of her looks.  She managed Test and Albert in a team appropriately known as T&A (insert your own joke here)  But once Trish started wrestling she proved she was more than a pretty face.  I feel like she earned her spot and the titles she collected while wrestling in the WWE.  She was involved in some great matches with competitors like Lita, Mickie James, and Jazz.

Snooki & Trish
Wrestlemania 27
Photo courtesy: WWE

She left when the time was right for her, not overstaying her welcome.  Two years ago she teamed up with Snooki at Wrestlemania 27 and it didn't look as if she missed a step. She has also passed her knowledge on to future superstars by helping judge Tough Enough.

It pains me to see someone younger than me (Trish is 37) be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but it's great to see she's being recognized for her accomplishments in and out of the ring.  She truly is deserving of the honor.  Just please tell me that Snooki won't be the one doing the ceremony.

She's Pretty Fly

Tamina attacks AJ
Survivor Series 2012
Photo by WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents

I think it's probably way too early for this blog, but I figure what the heck.  Even though we don't know exactly what role Tamina Snuka is playing in this Vickie Guerrero-AJ Lee-John Cena feud, personally I'm glad the second generation diva is finally getting some on screen time again.

I think the last big push for Tamina came earlier in the year when she had an unsuccessful run against then Divas champion Beth Phoenix.  Since then she's been on again, off again on SmackDown! and Raw, depending on when she was needed.  But the WWE tends to do that with the Divas, you see one for about eight weeks, then they disappear again.

Superfly!
Survivor Series 2012
Photo by WWE

Now that Beth is gone and rumors of Eve taking time off to get married, the WWE desperately needs a dominate heel female in my opinion.  Snuka can clearly wrestle as she has improved vastly in the two or so years she's been on the main roster.  I hope her alliance with Vickie Guerrero takes her to the next level and we get to see more of what she's capable of.  The skeptic in me fears she'll end up being a victim who will succumb to AJ as she battles Vickie and her clan.

I will remain optimistic that big things are on the way in 2013 for this deserving diva, and her fellow multi generation cohort Natalya Neidhart gets some time in the spotlight too.

Hell in a Cell: Right Decision, Wrong Execution

Ryback stands tall, but Punk wins
Hell in a Cell 2012
Photo courtesy: WWE

By Chad Smart
@chadsmart & @my123cents on Twitter

As I start to type this, WWE’s Hell In A Cell pay per view has been over for about 12 hours.  I debated on writing because I found the show to be the perfect example of why monthly PPVs and themed PPVs shouldn’t exist and I didn’t want to spread more negativity around the My 1-2-3 Cents offices.  With that said, I don’t think HIAC was a bad show. It was just a show that had it not happened, no one would have missed it.

Normally I would start with the things I didn’t like about the show and end with the positives of the show. Unfortunately, I think the negatives outweigh the positives for HIAC so we’re going to start with the good stuff.

Overall the wrestling was good. The problem I had though was there was no match that had me interested in the outcome other than the WWE and World title matches.  With the exception of the Diva’s title, all of the outcomes were fairly predictable. Though I do take exception at Team Rhode Scholars winning by DQ, as I picked Team Hell No in the Rafter’s Radio pick ‘em contest since I didn’t see them losing the tag titles.

Kaitlyn shines in the Divas match
Hell in a Cell 2012
Photo courtesy: WWE

The World Title match between Sheamus and Big Show was the match of the night in my opinion and was a near perfect example of two power wrestlers beating the tar out of each other.  While the match was good, there’s one aspect that has me scratching my head. I’ll get to that in the negatives section.  I also thought the Divas title match was much better than expected.  Eve and Kaitlyn busted out some innovative moves and submission holds. If WWE ever gave the fans a reason to care about the Divas the talent is there for a solid division.  Those two matches and the lack of anything terrible are really the only positives I have for the show.

In addition to the announced matches, in what is becoming a monthly fixture, there were two unadvertised matches on the show. The U.S. Title match between Antonio Cessaro and Justin Gabriel made sense given the events on RAW. The Prime Time Players vs. the ReySins served no purpose other than to put a popular wrestler (Rey Mysterio) on the show.  

Gabriel misses the 450 Splash
Hell in a Cell 2012
Photo courtesy: WWE

Due to these additional matches, which were not short matches, they clocked in at a combined total of 20 minutes not including entrance times; the main event of the show only went 12 minutes.  I’m not saying had those matches not been on the show CM Punk and Ryback would have went longer. But I am hinting at poor time management on the show.

I have not missed Jerry Lawler since he’s been gone. In fact, when I heard his voice in one of the preview packages, I was reminded how irritating his voice is to me. JBL and Jim Ross have done a good job of filling in in the King’s absence along with a toned down Michael Cole. At HIAC though, I wanted to hit the mute button several times.  It sounded as if the three guys had gotten into an argument before the show and were determined not to work together.  Several times one of the commentators would say something and then another would repeat what was said. Then the original speaker would ridicule the repeater for saying what had just been said. If I didn’t know any better, I would also think someone had made a bet with JBL to see how many Notre Dame references and Oklahoma insults he could fit into the broadcast. Maybe it was an off night, or their minds were focused more on Hurricane Sandy. Whatever the reason, the commentary pulled the show down a notch or two.

Big Show beats Sheamus
Hell in a Cell 2012
Photo courtesy: WWE

During the Big Show/Sheamus match, the announcers made mention of Dolph Ziggler guaranteeing cashing in the Money In The Bank briefcase. They showed Dolph backstage watching the match. There were several references to Big Show’s 45-second title reign in December when Daniel Bryan cashed in the MITB case to become champion. After Show won the match, there was no Ziggler. There was no mention of Ziggler cashing in to try and become champion.  Maybe they should bring in Scooby Doo and the Mystery Gang tonight to solve the case of the Missing Zig. Seriously, what happened to Dolph cashing in during the show?

The backstage segments involving Paul Heyman and CM Punk trying to get the match with Ryback cancelled made little sense. First Heyman went to Vickie Guerrero to get the match cancelled and she said no. After a few matches, Heyman was shown going up to Vickie and thanking her for cancelling the match. She said the match was still on and Paul slinked off. Who told Paul the match was cancelled? Why did he go to Vickie a second time when she already said the match was happening?  It’s the little logic gaps or unexplained issues in WWE storytelling that brings down the entire story.

Punk with the kendo stick
Hell in a Cell 2012
Photo courtesy: WWE

Now, the main event, or “how to tell your fans you just wasted fifty dollars.”  Ryback losing was the right call. He’s not ready to be champion and ending the streak is a positive step.  Looking back at Goldberg’s streak, and how The Giant was unstoppable and quickly won the WCW title history will show you the longer one goes undefeated, the bigger and faster the fall is when they eventually lose. When a wrestler gets to the top of the mountain with little resistance it is harder to logically keep them of the perch after they get knocked off the top.  So Ryback losing will, in theory, help make him a bigger star in the long run if used properly.

Punk wins...with some help
Hell in a Cell 2012
Photo courtesy: WWE

That said, the cheating referee angle was not the way to end the unbeaten streak. Granted, it was better than Heyman using a cattle prod. Either because knowing the match wasn’t going to go long due to what time it started, or because the match was more a one sided affair with CM Punk getting in some offense but mostly being on the run for the match, the match just didn’t click with me. Yes, the visual of Ryback delivering the Shell Shock to Punk on top of the Cell will be a visual used in highlight packages for years to come, but the ten minutes preceding that moment weren’t good.

As I said, overall there’s nothing bad on the show and there are worse shows to spend your time watching. On the flip side, there’s nothing on the show that is must see. I’m guessing between the next 4 Raws and Survivor Series; we’ll see at least 90% of rematches from this show.

What did you think of the show?  Weigh in here or like us on Facebook and share your thoughts.

Gone, But Not Forgotten: Sherri Martel

Sherri Martel as WWF Women's Champ
Photo courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Five years ago today I was on vacation in Mexico.  This was long before my smart phone, but because I knew our resort had Internet hookup, I packed our laptop to stay current on things in the news and of course wrestling.  I wasn't on Facebook or Twitter at the time, so I relied on regular ol' websites for information.

On the afternoon of June 15th, I logged in to WWE.com and read a headline that caught me off guard.  Legendary diva Sensational Sherri had died.  She was only 49 years old.

I remember very well watching Sherri Martel in the AWA.  It was the mid 80's and not only did she wrestle, she served as a valet for the tag team champions, "Pretty Boy" Doug Somers and "Playboy" Paul Rose.  This was the mid 80's, around the same time that Wendi Ritcher was lighting things up in the world of women's wrestling in the WWF.  The two never crossed paths and I think that's unfortunate.

Sherri did get to wrestle an aging Fabulous Moolah and beat her for the WWF Women's title when she arrived on the scene in 1987.  By then though women's wrestling was treated even worse than it is today, despite the fact that there were plenty of talented ladies.  Sherri dropped the women's title to Rockin' Robin in 1988 and I think that's pretty much the last we saw of the belt for a number of years.  Sherri stayed active in the WWF, most notably pairing up with the "Macho Man" Randy Savage when he and Elizabeth "broke up."

The King, the Queen, and Zeus
Photo courtesy: WWE

Sherri of course was the exact opposite of Liz.  As an active wrestler, she wasn't afraid to mix it up with the guys.  I can remember her getting involved in matches Savage had against Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Hulk Hogan, and The Ultimate Warrior.  I know on more than one occasion Hogan atomic dropped the Sensational Queen.  She wrestled a few times in that period but it was against Sweet Sapphire and no offense to her, she wasn't much competition.  In fact, I think she no showed the one singles match they were to have at SummerSlam 90, only meeting in that mixed tag match with Savage and Dusty Rhodes as their respective partners.

At Wrestlemania 7, Sherri and Savage split as the Macho Man and Liz reunited.  It didn't take long for the Sensational one to find a new mate though.  The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase hired her to replace Virgil.  The two made a good couple, but I liked her pairing with Savage the most I think, even though she got really outrageous with her makeup.  The partnership with DiBiase lasted for about a year, until a newly turned heel Shawn Michaels needed a valet.  Shawn became Sherri's "boy toy" even singing his theme song (which he still uses when he comes back to the ring)

Like all good relationships, the union with Shawn came to an end too after Sherri got hit in the head with one of the Heartbreak Kid's mirrors.  I think she briefly worked with Shawn's opponents, including Marty Jannetty and Tatanka.  She backed him at Wrestlemania 9 and brawled with Shawn's second Luna Vachon.  I know somewhere in her stint in the WWF she also played "Peggy Sue", the Honky Tonk Man's girlfriend, but she wore a wig and sunglasses so it was hard to tell it was her.

"Sister" Sherri & Harlem Heat
Photo courtesy: WWE

Eventually she left the WWF and briefly worked in ECW before heading south to WCW.  Instead of "Sensational" Sherri was "Sensuous" and aided Ric Flair in his feuds with Hogan and Sting.  Flair "retired" and Sherri moved on to Harlem Heat, even picking up the new name "Sister Sherri"  She played the part well, even dressing like Booker T and Stevie Ray.

In 2006 I was lucky enough to see Sherri get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.  At that point, she was only the second woman to receive the honor (Moolah was the first) Unfortunately though, there were some annoying fans in the crowd who continuously did cat calls and shouted while she tried to give her induction speech.  Since then, the WWE has cracked down on fans being obnoxious during the event.  She was so excited that night and seemed so full of life.  It's hard to believe that just over a year later she would be found dead.  I don't want to dwell on how she died, but instead would rather remember how she lived and made a difference in so many lives.

Hall of Fame Happiness
Photo courtesy: WWE

No doubt Sherri Martel influenced a generation of women wrestlers.  I think it's unfortunate she was in the WWF at a time when women's wrestling just didn't seem to matter.  But when she was in that ring, she always put on a great show.  Rest in Peace Sherri.  You are missed.

Battle of the Sexes

Sara Del Rey vs. El Generico (My 1-2-3 Cents)

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I don't know for sure, but I'm fairly certain that intergender wrestling came into existence in the early 1980's when comedian Andy Kaufman would challenge women to matches during his comedy shows.  This blossomed into a wrestling angle in the MidSouth territory and led to more of these man vs. woman matches.  Eventually Kaufman would take on Memphis hero, Jerry "the King" Lawler.

Now I'm no expert on the subject, and quite honestly until a few days ago had never seen an intergender match in person.  Well, I take that back, I did see "Rosey O'Donnell" vs. "Donald Trump" a few years ago when Raw was in St. Louis.  And technically I witnessed first hand Kharma's brief reign of terror in the 2012 Royal Rumble.  But I digress...

Keeping it clean

Recently I watched my first ever Chikara Pro show live and in person.  My friends and I were on hand for "Hot Off the Griddle" in Chicago Ridge.  The main event: Sara Del Rey (the Queen of Wrestling) vs. El Generico.  We had talked about the pending contest on a recent From the Rafters Radio show which sparked a discussion about whether men and women should be in the ring with one another.

After the high quality match between SDR and Generico, I would say heck yes.  As the match went on, I no longer paid attention to the fact that Del Rey is a woman.  This was just two great competitors going at it, giving the fans on helluva show.  Both treated each other with a level of respect that you don't see very often anymore in the world of wrestling or any other walk of life.  When SDR got the pin, I wasn't really all that surprised, as I've seen her work on line and know that she truly has a gift.

Obariyon vs. SDR (My 1-2-3 Cents)

The next night SDR was in action again, this time against Bitari member Obariyon.  I thought this match was a little more aggressive than the one the night before.  Because Obariyon is a rudo (heel) he bent the rules more and seemed to be a bit rougher with SDR.  But again I did not feel like it was excessively violent and Sara really did hold her own.  She lost the contest and when the rest of the Bitari came out to strike, SDR was saved by fellow female wrestler Saturyne.  These two cleared the ring of the rudos and celebrated to the back.

I used the Sara Del Rey stories as an example because I think Chikara does a pretty good job with these types of matches.  However I do think the WWE has in the past done some pretty good intergender matches too.  But only when they are set up as serious matches.  I don't like it when it's an apparent squash like say Kane vs. Kelly Kelly (I don't know if that actually happened, but when there's a rogue GM, I know he's put Kane in their with a helpless Diva)

Chyna wins the IC title

The Chyna-Chris Jericho feud was pretty good back in 1999.  The two battled it out over the Intercontinental title.  I think it's fair to say that Chyna paved the way for Divas to mix it up with the guys.  Jacqueline would also go on to win a "man's" title when she became the Cruiserweight champion.  She also beat Harvey Whippleman for the women's title.  He had won the gold as "Hervina".  That part of history I'd like to gloss over.  And I may have misspoke by giving Chyna so much credit.  As Miss Texas, Jacqueline wrestled men in the USWA prior to Chyna's WWE success.  Regardless, both women hold a place in the history of women's wrestling in my opinion and breaking that gender barrier.

The Knockouts Tag Team Champs (TNA)

On the flip side of the coin you've got Eric Young in TNA who is holding one half of the Knockouts tag team title with ODB.  I'm not sure how I feel about that, as women wrestlers have come a long way, now a guy is encroaching on their title.  Maybe that's a bit hypocritical of me to say.  I'm just not sure I like the idea.

But I do believe that Sara Del Rey, ODB, Beth Phoenix, Natalya Neidhart, and Kharma all have what it takes to compete in the ring against their male counterparts.  Will we one day see a female world heavyweight champion?  I honestly don't think that's out of the question, but right now the women are treated second rate in WWE, so I wouldn't expect to see that happen there in the near future.  I'd suspect we may see SDR as the champ of a large indy promotion first, and she'll once again set the standard for women's wrestling.

Black History Month: Jazz

Jazz vs. Trish Stratus (WWE)

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

Jazz is another one of those Divas I don't think the WWE quite knew how to use.  She came to the WWE at a time that women's wrestling was on the rebound and starting to boom again.  Ivy, Molly Holly, Victoria, Trish Stratus, and Lita were all on the roster too.

But before she got to the WWF (it was still F back then), she wrestled briefly for ECW.  She event mixed it up with the guys too.  But the company went bankrupt, and that left her without a place to go for a while.

She came to the WWE as a dominant heel Diva.  Jazz rolled through the competition, eventually beat Trish for the Women's title but didn't hold it long as she was injured and had to take several months off to recover from a torn ACL.  When she did return, she was paired with Teddy Long and he led Jazz to another run as Women's champ.  But again, she was hurt with a shoulder injury and needed time off to recover.  When she came back the third time, she was used as a manager for Rodney Mack, who happens to be her husband too.

But the couple got the "creative has nothing for you" line and they were released in 2004.  Since then they've worked in the independent scene and had a couple of children together.  Jazz still wrestles from time to time, but devotes a lot of time to her family and the gym she owns in Louisiana.

Jazz wins the title

Her time in the WWE was brief, now would be a great time to see her back with the company.  I think Beth Phoenix, Natalya Neidhart, Tamina Snuka, and Kharma could use some competition like Jazz.  I think there's a definite place for women's wrestling, and it doesn't have to just be Barbie doll divas in high heels and low cut tops to get fans interested.  Jazz was part of the upswing in women's wrestling once, I think she could be a part of it again and help this generation of Divas take it to the next level.

Natalya Neidfart

Natalya brings the pain (WWE)

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

I know I'm a few days late on this and for the most part I'm probably preaching to the choir, but what on earth is the point of having Natalya become the company's flatulent Diva? I mean really, could they not just let her do what she does best, which is kick some @ss in the ring?

I've never been one for fart and poop jokes so obviously I probably find it more annoying than the next guy.  My annoyance doubles when you are saddling this lame gimmick with someone as talented as Natalya.  Add to the fact that the fart sounds are anything but natural and Santino's over selling of the smell makes me really question the sanity (and creativeness) of the Creative Team.

So I'm curious, who out there finds this entertaining?  And what will the end result of this be?  Are they preparing Natalya for a face turn?  Weigh in here or on Facebook.  Also subscribe to the YouTube channel.  I'm hoping to hit 300 subscribers by March 1.

Black History Month: Kharma

Kharma's coming to get ya! (from WWE)

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

So far all the Black History Month posts have focused on men.  Now it's time to look at one of my favorite Divas: Kharma.  Her reappearance at the 2012 Royal Rumble was honestly my "mark out moment of the night."  In fact, I believe I'm correct in saying that was her FIRST match in the WWE.

Kharma first started appearing in vignettes about a year ago on WWE TV.  She'd ripped the body parts off of blond and brunette dolls and then end the piece with her loud, distinct cackle.  Then she came out and started attacking other Divas.  Michelle McCool, Maryse, and Eve were among her victims.  A short time later, Kharma revealed that she was pregnant and would be taking time off.  I think many fans wrote her off saying she wouldn't be back.

Kharma goes after Ziggler (from My 1-2-3 Cents)

On New Year's Eve, she delivered a baby boy and from the looks of things at the Royal Rumble, she's doing well.  I didn't expect to see her back so soon, and she's not been on Raw or SmackDown! in the post Rumble days, so I'm not sure if the appearance was just a quick one to get her back in the spotlight or what.  I'd still love to see her in a program with Beth Phoenix and have the two of them wrestle at Wrestlemania this year.  It would certainly be the Glamazon's biggest and toughest challenge to date.

Of course Kharma isn't a newcomer to the WWE.  She's got quite the wrestling resume, holding the TNA Knockouts title as well as belts in Japan and other promotions around the country.  My hope is once she's ready to come back full-time that the WWE gets behind her and lets her continue the domination.  Kharma coming back is exactly what the Divas division needs right now.  (insert hysterical laugh here)