I have been waiting for Legends' House to debut since hearing about the plans for the show two years ago. I've always been a fan of shows like The Real World and The Surreal Life and I've course I love wrestling, so this seemed to be perfect for me.
Mediation time
Photo courtesy: WWE
I tuned in for the premiere on the WWE Network, and I was not disappointed. Eight legends, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Howard Finkel, Pat Patterson, "Mean" Gene Okerlund, Tony Atlas, Hillbilly Jim, and Jimmy Hart are living together in the series. Actor and self help guru Gary Busey makes an appearance on the show to help the legends meditate. While some of his tactics are out there, he does maintain that positive mental attitude. Although an argument developed between Hacksaw and Atlas, and I'm still not sure why they were fighting. I know "realty" TV is far from realty, so I suspect things with Legends' House won't all be natural, but it's entertaining. Tony Atlas is great. He and Rocky Johnson were one of the first tag teams I remember watching as a kid. I'm glad to see his life is back on track, and his laugh is one of the most comical I've ever heard.
Photo courtesy: WWE
Piper is probably my favorite so far in the house. I enjoyed his talk with Busey and how wrestlers are never "off" in terms of their character when meeting with fans. The flashbacks and highlights from previous wrestling events help give fans a better look into these legends as they relive the good ol' days. We learn more about the toll years in the ring and on the road took on these men. They really do put their bodies on the line, and for that I'm appreciative. Two thumbs up for WWE Legends' House. The season looks like it's going to be awesome. I hope this becomes a regular show on the Network.
Very soon, I will be making my professional wrestling debut. I am not a wrestler though. I am merely a commentator with All American Pro Wrestling. But recently, I was signed to a match against Mike Masters. It's not a common practice, but we've seen plenty of wrestlers become announcers. I know I'm obviously not going to be the first announcer to step through the ropes and prepare for battle.
The first time I remember it happening was in the 1980's. "Mean" Gene Okerlund did interviews during WWF Superstars and other shows for the company. He was a big time Hulkamanic too. So when Mr. Fuji and George "the Animal" Steele challenged Hulk Hogan and Okerlund to a match, Gene reluctantly said yes.
If my memory serves me correct, I think this was a direct release to Coliseum Home Video. Before the match, they should Hogan and Okerlund training together. They were "hanging and banging" in the gym and at one point, I believe Mean Gene carries Hogan on his back up a flight of steps. The match is basically Hogan vs. the heels, until Gene is accidentally tagged in during a high five montage. His time in the ring was brief and he pretty much avoided any kind of contact. The faces win after Gene thwarts Mr. Fuji's salt toss attempt and kicks him in the gut. Hogan slams his partner on top of the laid out heel and pushes down on his back for extra leverage.
The Fink vs. Harvey Wippleman
In the 1990's legendary ring announcer Howard Finkel engaged in a series of tuxedo matches with manager Harvey Wippleman. The object of course is to strip your opponent from their tux. The contact was limited in the contests, and the two looked like a couple of kids in a school yard rolling around. Of course the stripping of the two was not exactly pleasant for viewers. Nearly 20 years later, I still don't understand the motivation for this feud or the need for such a match.
JR. vs. Michael Cole (from WWE.com)
More recently Jim Ross has engaged in battle wrestling Triple H, Tazz, and Jack Swagger among others. Of course his feud with Michael Cole boiled over into the ring with JR and Jerry "the King" Lawler taking on Cole and Swagger in a tag team match, and the two going at it one on one as well. My hat is off to JR (if I wore one) for his efforts. He's not a wrestler by any means and considering the health issues he's had in the past, I commend him for stepping into the ring and doing battle.
Jonathan Coachman and JR had some battles too and of course he had matches with Stone Cold Steve Austin among others as well. Eric Bischoff I guess also fits into this category of announcers becoming managers becoming wrestlers.
I think that's it though. I'm racking my brain and I've checked a few online sources, but have come up short. I don't recall Joey Styles, Tony Schiavone, or Mike Tenay ever wrestling. Correct me if I'm wrong of course. And please, wish me luck as I prepare for my match with Mike Masters on January 14th.
I've mentioned in previous post that wrestling companies through the years have done tie ins with other forms of entertainment. Heck, in just a few days, the Muppets will take over Monday Night Raw. I'm actually looking forward to that. But one puppet who had a tie in with wrestling a decade or so ago was less than appealing to me.
For weeks on WCW Monday Nitro fans would hear a menacing laugh during the show. It wasn't until Rick Steiner was in the ring talking about his upcoming match with his brother Scott that the source of the laughter was revealed. About 15 seconds into Steiner's interview with "Mean" Gene Okerlund, Chucky started his cackle and popped up on the big screen.
Battle of wits...
The "star" of Bride of Chucky cut a promo on the Dog Faced Gremlin and Mean Gene. But the bottom line was, the doll was just there to promote the upcoming film. Now this segment lasted less than four minutes, but it has burned a memory in my brain forever. Funny how things so lame can have such an impact on a fan. I've never been a big fan of horror movies and I've not seen any of the Child's Play movies, so this segment didn't thrill me at all.
Thankfully, Chucky never had anymore screen time after this and the whole thing came to an end. Just imagine, there could have been a 3 way dance with Chucky, the Road Warriors' "Rocko", and George "the Animal" Steele's "Mine". Talk about scary...
Greetings from Atlanta, GA, home of Wrestlemania 27. This is my first post from the road, and it will be brief. We're having a great time so far, as we've gotten a closer look at downtown Atlanta.
Friday evening, Travis and I arrived at the airport and had our first wrestling experience of the trip. As we were headed to baggage claim, we passed a bunch of drivers holding signs waiting for people getting off the planes. As we walked past one driver, he yelled "Oh my God!" and started laughing. I turned around to see what he was so excited about, and it was none other than legendary announcer "Mean" Gene Okerlund.
I stopped and looked and told Travis. We both gawked for a moment and kept walking. Gene walked by us and I snapped a quick photo. We didn't want to bug him at the airport, since he'd just arrived and wasn't at an actual wrestling venue. But when a couple of other fans asked him for a photo, we decided to go for it. A woman who was wondering why Gene was so popular, volunteered to snap the shot.
Gene was very cool. I have partially expected him to want to be left alone, seeing as how he'd just arrived in town. But he took the time to pose and thanked us. Growing up, Mean Gene was one of my favorite announcers. His interviews backstage on Superstars and Saturday Night's Main Event were great. As the Miz would say, I found the experience awesome.
Mean Gene was the first of many wrestling celebs I'm hoping to meet this weekend. We'll have more updates here, on YouTube, and on Facebook. Check us out!
