Mr. 50-0 vs. Mr. 1-0

Mayweather & Hunsperger
Courtesy: Associated Press & Jason Wilkey

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Listen to the podcast

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

By now you know that Floyd 'Money' Mayweather won his fiftieth  and final fight against Conor McGregor Saturday night. I've loosely been following the buildup to the match, mostly because of Mayweather's one-time association with WWE. Chad and I were in the crowd the night he beat the Big Show at WrestleMania 24. After hearing about the deal he brokered it inspired me to write this blog.

Floyd 'Money' Mayweather
Courtesy: Floyd Mayweather's Instagram

Now that he's retired from the boxing aspect of his life, Mayweather had already filed for five trademarks related to 50-0. It's a genius move to keep making money on an already impressive career. Five and a half years ago I started a wrestling win streak by winning my first match in All-American Pro Wrestling. That record stands to this day. So should I resume my in ring career and try branding myself like Mayweather? Would fans buy into a 1-0 line of merchandise?

Kevin 'Some Money' Hunsperger

Of course, I'm not being serious as I write this. I just wanted to recognize the efforts by Mayweather and his team. It's all about marketing and hype. Yes, skills in the ring brought the original attention, but he was able to capitalize on that and become a very, very, very rich man in the process. 

My hope one day is to grow the My 1-2-3 Cents brand as well as Kevin Hunsblogger. It's a slow process, but I'm enjoying the journey. I've also added the COLLARxELBOW brand to my efforts. Shop online for merchandise and use the promo code MY123CENTS to save money. Thanks for the support. 

Will Mayweather KO WWE?

Mayweather vs. Big Show
Photo courtesy: WWE

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

I'm going to admit I know very little about the world of professional boxing.  Sure I know the names of Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and Mike Tyson.  But until 2008, I'd never heard the name Floyd "Money" Mayweather.  The only reason I'd heard of him then was because of his involvement in a wrestling angle prior to WWE's spectacle Wrestlemania 24.

Knockout punch with some brass knuckles
Photo courtesy: WWE

Mayweather, who is 5'8'' and weighs 158 pounds was paired against The Big Show.  As his name implies, he's big.  Big Show stands 7'0'' tall and weighs in the neighborhood of 425 pounds.  The match was booked very well and with some dirty, underhanded antics by the boxer and his team, he got the knockout victory.  When you understand that WWE is more about the entertainment and less about the sport, it's easier to accept these types of outcomes.

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao

Fast forward to 2015 and Mayweather is booked in a huge fight against Manny Pacquiao.  I'd heard his name before, but for the most part I am unfamiliar with his record in the ring.  I couldn't name one other opponent he's faced.  But the hype surrounding this fight was more than I'd ever seen before.

Mayweather in 2012
Photo courtesy: Getty

Many on social media have been bringing up Mayweather's criminal past.  I decided to do some research and was pretty surprised by what I'd found.  Mayweather has a long history of domestic battery and battery charges.  He's served time in jail for the crimes too.  The biggest shock was some of these convictions were BEFORE his match against The Big Show.  Prior to the fight with Pacquiao, Mayweather banned a couple of female reporters from covering the contest.  That actually lead ESPN reporter and long time WWE supporter Michelle Beadle to send out this tweet.

I understand Beadle's concerns and wonder if Triple H's support of Mayweather will end up costing WWE relationships with others in the mainstream and sponsors.  I think if Mayweather was a WWE Superstar, he would have been future endeavored a long time ago.  But maybe I'm missing the real point here, Mayweather's nickname "Money".  Controversy creates cash, right?  Mayweather has served SOME time for his crimes.  Does that mean he's changed?  But looking at his rap sheet, there's been a repeated pattern of abuse.  

Mike Tyson WWE Hall of Fame
Photo courtesy: WWE

Mike Tyson, who is in the WWE Hall of Fame, is a convicted rapist.  He served three years in prison of his crime and seemingly has turned his life around.  He was given a second chance, which is what the prison system is set up to do.  However, I think it's still too early to use the "forgive and forget" approach with Mayweather.  I know no one from WWE is reading this, but I don't think the COO publicly supporting a man who has abused women is exactly best for business.  

Then there's the whole debate over the reasoning for Chyna not being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.  But that's an argument for another day.  

Wrestling with the Stars

Rousey flips Trips
Photo courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
Listen to the podcast right here

Wrestlemania 32 is 362 days away and I can not wait for it to get here.  After taking a break from our Wrestlemania trips, Chad and I have agreed we'll be on hand to witness the event live at "Jerry's World" in Dallas.

I'm typically not a fan of celebrity matches, as I recall stars like Drew Carey, Jay Leno and Dennis Rodman stepping into the ring.  Even though I wasn't a big fan of Snooki's, I thought she did well in her match at Wrestlemania a few years ago. Floyd Mayweather and even Mr. T 30 years ago stepped up to the plate and exceeded my expectations. However in 2016, I hope that we get the already much talked about Ronda Rousey in-ring debut.

Rousey and the Horsewomen at SummerSlam
Photo courtesy:  WWE

I know little to nothing about Rousey other than she is kick ass MMA fighter.  She's the only current fighter I'm able to name (I don't watch UFC or MMA, or are they the same?).  But I've heard enough main stream and social media coverage to be able to identify who she is.  When she showed up at Wrestlemania 31 last week, I assumed like many that it was to lay the ground work for a future appearance with WWE.

Ouch!
Photo courtesy: WWE

It's already been reported the appearance was a "one-off" and she's not quitting her day job.  I'm not looking for her to be in the ring full time, I'd love one match at Mania and what better way to help fill a stadium with a capacity of 100,000 fans than with someone with crossover appeal like Rousey? Her opponent (if I was booking this thing today) would be Stephanie McMahon.  I can actually see Chad rolling his eyes as he reads this, but let me explain.

You'd be hard pressed right now to find a Diva on the roster right now who is more hated than Stephanie.  The Billion Dollar Princess may very well be the biggest heel in the company right now.  She has become one of the best at being that antagonist in various storylines.  

Some may argue that's the problem with WWE Creative, that they haven't helped build anyone else on the roster to play that role.  I'm not arguing that point, as I do think there have been some missed opportunities over the years, but the reality of the here and now is that (most) fans would rather see Rousey hand Stephanie McMahon her ass than any other woman in WWE.  

The new Dynamic Duo?
Photo courtesy: WWE

I know it's still way too early, but this is the first match I'm putting on my wish list for next year.  Heck, I wouldn't even be opposed to a mixed tag with Ronda and the Rock against Stephanie and Triple H.  Of course over the next 361 days, I may end up changing my mind, but that's okay.  

Mania Memories: Flair's Swan Song

Michaels vs. Flair (My 1-2-3 Cents)

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunperger on Twitter

Of all the Wrestlemanias I've attended, hands down I'm the one that stands out to me the most was 24. There are several reasons, but most notable was the fact that my idol wrestled his last match that night, or at least we thought it was his last match.

Ric Flair had a long and illustrious career in the ring. By 2008, it was decided that Natch needed to retire. I don't know if that was Flair's decision or Vince McMahon's, but the stipulation had been going that if Flair lost a match, it would be his last. The angle played out for months before Flair signed on to wrestle Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 24.

Flair says goodbye 

It was an emotionally charged match, a classic student vs. teacher type scenario. I think most fans knew going in the Shawn would win and Flair's career would end. Sure enough, after a hard fought battle, HBK caught Slick Ric with the Sweet Chin Music and covered the 16 time world champion for the three count. Just like that it was over. Flair wept in the ring as he said goodbye to the fans. As sad as I was that this era was over, I was happy knowing I was there to witness it. Chad and I stayed in Orlando an extra day to witness the send off on Raw live in person. It's another decision I'm glad we made.

Big Show-Mayweather

Sure Wrestlemania 24 featured two big title matches, a boxing/wrestling match with Floyd "Money" Mayweather abs the Big Show, and a Playboy Divas tag team match, but for me that retirement match was all that mattered.

The other thing I enjoyed about 24 was the outdoor aspect of it. The weather was perfect and we were close to the ring. It was a great night, even if Flair didn't stay retired. Then again, wrestlers rarely do.

Your thoughts?  We want to hear them.  We also would like you to follow us on Facebook.  Thanks!

Celebs in the Ring

Big Show vs. Floyd "Money" Mayweather

As a general rule I do not like it when celebrities get into a wrestling ring and wrestle.  Or at least try to.  The one exception I can think of is Floyd "Money" Mayweather.  He and the Big Show had a match at Wrestlemania 24.  I witnessed it first hand and I must say it exceeded my expectations.

I wasn't looking forward to it at first, but looking back I left like they had a nice lead up to the event and I loved the way they ended it.  I thought for sure Show would squash Money like a bug, but instead, Mayweather came out on top.  Of course a pair of brass knucks don't hurt.

I bring this topic up because apparently TNA has offered Chad Ochocinco to settle his differences with his coach Marvin Lewis inside a steel cage at their Lockdown pay per view in the spring. That nugget of info comes from 411 Wrestling.  The report goes on to say the company will train each man for the match.

 I groan at the thought of this for several reasons.  The first being as a I mentioned, I don't like celebrities in the ring.  Now if Ochocinco was wrestling a wrestler, I might be more accepting of this.  It seems athletes tend to do better in this environment, (Mayweather and even Lawrence Taylor back at Wrestlemania 11)

Throwing the coach in there too just seems stupid to me.  It's a legitimate grudge between these two and you're going to exploit that with a match in a cage.  Maybe Marvin Lewis a BA too, I don't know as I don't follow football.  Although the Wrestlemania of football is coming up next week, but I digress.

There have been plenty of failed celebrity wrestling matches in the past.  Drew Carey in the Royal Rumble.  Jay Leno and DDP against Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff.  Dennis Rodman & Hogan vs. DDP & Karl Malone.  Jenna Morasca (from Survivor) vs. Sharmell.  WCW World champion David Arquette.  I could go on here, but I think you all get the point.

Sure, if you want some main stream attention, get a celeb involved in your event, but it doesn't have to be in a match.  Look at the press the WWE got when Mike Tyson just refereed the match between Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin.  Donald Trump merely served as a ringside assistant to Bobby Lashley in his battle with Umaga.  Those are acceptable ways to be involved.

Bottom line, the celeb must be an athlete in his or her prime to compete against another wrestler.  Your thoughts?


So TNA is clearly grasping at straws

Five Brass Rings

courtesy: WWE

It's the fifth day of Christmas and instead of gold rings, we're getting brass ones.  As in brass knuckles.

I understand that there are technically four rings for the fingers, and the fifth isn't really ring shaped, but I'm trying to go with a theme here, so bare with me.

Brass knuckles are an interesting weapon of choice in wrestling. So interesting in fact, some regions actually had Brass Knuckles Champions.  Guys like Blackjack Mulligan, Rocky Johnson, and Black Bart all held the NWA Florida version.

I never saw any of these matches, as the title was retired in 1984, which was about the time I started watching wrestling.  But I've seen plenty of villains use the knucks to their advantage.

Floyd "Money" Mayweather used them to knock out the Big Show at Wrestlemania 24.  I was there for that, and thought the booking of the match and it's ending were actually pretty creative.  I was skeptical of the match when it was first announced.  I had imagined another catastrophe like the Big Show-Akebono Sumo match at Wrestlemania 21.  At least at this one, Show was fully clothed.

My memories of the knuckles include Randy Savage using them to win the Intercontinental title from Tito Santana.  But I'm pretty sure they were wrapped in something and not the exposed knucks we see today.  Also, back in the World Class days, Gino Hernandez used them to beat faces like Kerry Von Erich among others.  In fact, Gino was the Texas territory brass knuckles champion.   Other legends like Fritz Von Erich, Abdullah the Butcher, and Bruiser Brody also wore that title.  It was an active belt off and on since 1953, before the NWA changed it to the Texas hardcore title in 1999.  That version only lasted a couple of years.

While there are no longer any brass knuckles champions, or at least none that I'm aware of, the weapon is still used today.  We don't seem them a whole lot, but William Regal is probably the wrestler most synonymous with using the foreign object.  Edge used them to beat John Cena at SummerSlam a few years back as well.

Running down our 12 Days of Christmas list (the whole point of this post)
A Red Rooster in a Wrestling Ring
2 Turtle Jobbers
3 French Canadians
4 Wooing Horsemen
5 Brass Rings