Wrestling with the Total Solar Eclipse

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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On Monday much of the country will be watching as the Total Solar Eclipse happens. It's the first time the U.S. has experienced a Total Eclipse since 1979. I live in southern Illinois, which is where the Eclipse's totality will be the most. It's been the buzz here for months now, so I figured why not look at some Eclipse related wrestling gimmicks through the years.

NXT Superstar Ember Moon most falls in line with the phenomenon. Not only does her name fit, but so does her finishing move, the Eclipse. It's a diving corkscrew stunner. The move is quite impressive. So is Moon. I really thought she was being groomed to be the one to end Asuka's impressive streak and historic NXt Championship reign. Even though she didn't capture the gold at NXT: Takeover, in my 1-2-3 cents Moon will be a major player on the main roster in the near future.

Konnan & Paul Diamond as Max Moon
Courtesy: WWE

Max Moon, no relation to Ember, was an out of this world Superstar who hit the scene in the early 90s. Konnan originally played the character, but after a contract dispute, Paul Diamond filled the role. Probably his biggest claim to fame was wrestling Shawn Michaels on the very first Monday Night Raw in 1993. By the way, that costume cost about $1,300 to make. The leather was equipped with electronics and pyrotechnic gun.

Sunny
Courtesy: WWE

Sunny has had her ups and downs in the wrestling world. But it's hard to ignore her contribution to the business. When the internet was born, so was Sunny's stardom. She held the distinction of being AOL's most downloaded woman of 1996. Sunny helped blaze the trail for other women in the business. Yes, she's had some controversial moments through the years, but the Hall of Famer made a difference in the business.

The Heavenly Bodies, Jimmy Del Ray, Jim Cornette & Tom Prichard
Courtesy: WWE

Another 90s creation I'm highlighting today: The Heavenly Bodies. Stan Lane and Tom Pritchard are the originals for this team. Jim Cornette was the force behind them at Smoky Mountain Wrestling. There have been several incarnations through the years and the team even ventured into WWE but Jimmy Del Rey had replaced Lane by then. The duo was good but never won the tag team gold, despite great matches with teams like the Rock 'n Roll Express, The Steiner Brothers and the Smoking Gunns. 

The Moondogs
Courtesy: WWE

Finally, the Moondogs get the nod in this Eclipse themed blog. Like the Heavenly Bodies, there have been several versions of the Moondogs. King and Rex were the originals and won the WWF tag-team titles in 1981. However, King left the company and was replaced by Spot. Eventually, the duo was used to put over other talents in the company. Their trademark tattered jeans and giant bones helped put them on the map too. 

These are the Eclipse related talents I came up with. Did I miss anyone? Comment here on the My 1-2-3 Cents Facebook page.

The Cock and Sock Connection

Socko meets cocko
OTT Wrestling 

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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I'm sure the headline for this blog isn't original, but I hadn't seen it when I thought of it and it seemed like a no brainer. I polled (pun intended) some of my fellow wrestling fan friends and asked if it was too over the top. I am mildly concerned it may offend some, but I've decided if the core audience I'm aiming for isn't offended, then we'll move forward. If you are offended, skip the rest of this and check in again tomorrow.

It seems that the Wrestling Internet Community has been buzzing from a weekend video of Mick Foley and Socko going up against Joey Ryan and his well... penis. Ryan is well known on the indy scene for having the most powerful penis in the world. It was nearly two years ago that he got into a test of strength against a Japanese wrestler and Ryan was able to use his junk to overpower his foe. Since then it's been a staple in a Joey Ryan match. 

But like most things in wrestling, the move draws criticism from some fans and folks in the industry. It's safe to say Jim Cornette is the biggest opponent of the spot (and many other moves done by indy guys in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Chikara Pro and other companies of the sort). Anyway, back to the Foley portion of this, it happened in after a match and Foley along with Mr. Socko tried to beat the King of Dong Style. But Ryan's penis prevailed and Foley ended up getting flipped like many of Ryan's opponents have.

Foley & Cornette

Cornette tweeted after seeing the spot, "I love @RealMikeFoley, sad to see a real star stooping to give credibility to an asswipe nobody like this. Sorry, have to tell the truth." 

A meme from Foley's page

Foley fired back, "So last night in Dublin, there was an incident involving a case of mistaken identity, and a leapfrog that turned an innocent attempt at a mandible claw into something far, FAR more sinister! I know Joey Ryan's #DickFlip has divided the wrestling Community in a way we previously thought only John Cena or Roman Reigns could! It has become the #IWC equivalent of the Trump/Hillary election - ending friendships, even turning brother against brother...brother! Son against Daddy...daddy! It's quite possible Jim Cornette will never speak to me again after seeing this photo - a solid 28 year friendship over in a matter of seconds! So why, you may ask, would I participate in such a potentially divisive penile palming? The answer is simple - look at the smiles. JUST LOOK AT THE SMILES! There is a smile, literally on EVERY face! In the end, isn't that what it's all about? If applying the mandible claw to Joey Ryan's genitalia last night was wrong...I don't want to be right!

Please let me know how YOU feel about this gripping problem!
The #MickFoleyMemorabiliaAuction begins tomorrow at http://rainn.org with 100% of profits going to #RAINN"

Joey Ryan in Cape Championship Wrestling

Now for my 1-2-3 cents on the matter. Wrestling has always had a comical or cartoonish element to it. Jake Roberts covering an opponent with a snake, Brutus Beefcake cutting an opponent's hair and Dusty Rhodes trying to fool us as the Midnight Rider. I love Cornette and I respect his opinion, he's being a bit too harsh and critical of the men and women who are doing these comedy gimmicks. Wrestling is entertainment. There's room for the fun and the seriousness. I've been to a show where Ryan did the YouPorn Plex (Cape Championship Wrestling) and the crowd popped for it. My buddy (Tom Harness) has only been to a couple indy shows in his life and he still talks about Ryan's performance months later.

Joey Ryan in Cape Championship Wrestling
Courtesy: Tom Harness

So it's different strokes for different folks (again, pun intended). Cornette has the right to his opinion as do his supporters. And Ryan has the right to do a gimmick that has made him a more popular performer on the indy scene. I'd heard of him before this but would have never been able to pick him out of a lineup, so the publicity is more likely helping him and helping wrestling. Moves like this are not a detriment to the business. Let's agree to disagree and move along.

My managerial Mt. Rushmore

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Before we get into the nuts and bolts of this post, let's address the 600-pound gorilla. My inability to edit photos. I do not know how to do Photoshop, but it is on my list of things to learn sooner rather than later. I made the beautiful pic before you thanks to Snapchat. Now on to my managerial Mt. Rushmore. In my 1-2-3 cents Bobby Heenan, Jim Cornette, Paul Heyman and Jimmy Hart are the creame of the crop when it comes to managers.

Various Heenan Family members
Found on allhiphop.com

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan is not only my favorite manager of all-time, but he's on my top 5 of all-time performers in the wrestling business. His timing was perfect whether it was taking a bump or cutting a promo. Even though he was leading guys into war against Hulk Hogan, I could never boo Heenan himself. Sure I disliked King Kong Bundy, "Big" John Studd and eventually Andre the Giant. But I always loved the man behind the Superstars.

In 1998 I had the great honor of meeting Bobby Heenan when he was with WCW. He was just as amazing in person as he had been on TV all those years. My favorite Heenan memory has to be him unveiling the WCW World Championship on an episode of WWF Wrestling Challenge and teasing that Ric Flair would soon be coming to the World Wrestling Federation. 

Heenan and the big gold belt
Courtesy: WWE

I'm focusing on his work in the WWF, but of course, Heenan was successful long before his arrival in New York. He managed AWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Bockwinkel. He helped "Ravishing" Rick Rude become Intercontinental Champion. Heenan's Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard) and The Colossal Connection (Andre and Haku) won tag team gold. Other standouts include Mr. Perfect, Paul Orndorff and "The King" Harley Race. Bottom line, Bobby was the best.

The Midnight Express
Courtesy: jimcornette.com

Jim Cornette caught my eye when he and the Midnight Express arrived in World Class Championship Wrestling. I had read about him in the Apter magazines before that debut in Texas and despite his antagonizing tendencies, I appreciated the work he was doing. Corny's work on the mic was fantastic and like Heenan, he wasn't afraid to take a bump. The most famous one being (at least that I remember) was at Starrcade '86: The Sky Walkers. Cornette fell from the scaffold and Big Bubba Rogers was supposed to catch the manager but missed. 

Cornette, Yokozuna and Mr. Fuji
Courtesy: WWE

Other memorable Cornette moments for me include the screwing over of the Dynamic Dudes in WCW, the creation of Smoky Mountain Wrestling and his tenure in WWE with Yokozuna, Vader, Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith and the NWA gang. I liked the idea, however, it was crushed out of the gates, no fault to the players involved. I love the fact that I can listen to Cornette twice a week now on his podcasts as he shares memories and a plethora of wrestling knowledge. 

The Dangerous Alliance
Courtesy: WWE

I'm definitely a Paul Heyman guy. Even when Paul E. Dangerously was walking around with a Zack Morris-style cell phone, I liked the guy. But not at first. I didn't like his time in the AWA, but once he arrived in WCW and built the Dangerous Alliance I was on board. Rick Rude, "Stunning" Steve Austin, Madusa, Arn Anderson, Larry Zybysko and Bobby Eaton were the best thing going in the company after Ric Flair left and the Four Horsemen dissolved. 

Paul and Brock
Courtesy: WWE

Of course to be a good manager one has to be good on the mic. Heyman demonstrated that through the years, eventually creating ECW. I popped like crazy when CM Punk dropped Heyman's name on Monday Night Raw in 2011 and then a short time later the advocate arrived back on the scene. He's done many great things and has added some flavor to Brock Lesnar. Heyman's presence when Brock isn't around is exactly what wrestling fans need.

The Mouth of the South
Courtesy: WWE

"The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart rounds out my Mt. Rushmore. Hart is another manager I had seen in the Apter mags. But when he showed up in the WWF in 1984 I became a fan of his. The megaphone and the loud suits set him apart from the other managers in the company. He lived up to that Mouth of the South moniker and drove fans insane.

Jimmy Hart and I in 2006
Courtesy: My 1-2-3 Cents

Hart's successes include leading the Hart Foundation to tag team gold. The world was shocked when his charge, the Honky Tonk Man pinned Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat for the IC Title. Not only did Honky win, he went on to become the longest reigning IC champ ever. That's a record that holds up some 30 years later. The Nasty Boys, The Natural Disasters, Money, Inc., Greg Valentine, The Mountie and the Funk Brothers are just some of the notables he managed. His face turn and run with Hogan and Brutus Beefcake was less desirable to me as a fan, but I never stopped liking what Hart was doing. I also had a chance to meet Hart in 2006 at a WrestleMania Axxess event. I'm also working to get him the My 1-2-3 Cents Podcast. And don't discount his work behind the scenes, creating and composing theme songs through the years.

This is just the tip of the iceberg on each of these incredible managers. I appreciate what they've done through the decades to make pro wrestling even more enjoyable. Without them, the business would not have been the same.

The 'Something to Wrestle with...' experience

Not a rib...

By Kevin Hunsperger

@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.

Missing from Manias past

By Kevin Hunsperger

@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.

SURVIVOR SERIES: Favorite team number 6: Team HBK (1995)

Survivor Series 1995
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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I'm counting down to the 30th annual Survivor Series by looking back at my ten favorite teams in the history of the event. Survivor Series ranks among my favorite events every year and if you've read this blog in the past you know I'm a fan of the traditional elimination matches. 

In 1995 WWE tried something different for Survivor Series. This was the first year the event aired on a Sunday night. Previous Survivor Series shows were on Thanksgiving or the night before. Also that year, good guy teams vs. bad guy teams were tossed out the window. One match featured so-called Wild Card teams.

When rivals have to be partners
Courtesy: WWE

Interim WWF President Gorilla Monsoon made rivals team up and take on their friends. Shawn Michaels was forced to captain a team with Ahmed Johnson and his enemies, Sid and Davey Boy Smith. That foursome faced Razor Ramon, Yokozuna, Owen Hart and Dean Douglas. As you might imagine, the teammate loyalty ran then and Shawn helped eliminate Sid after a serving of Sweet Chin Music. Once the dust settled it was Shawn's team that won, with HBK, Johnson and The Bulldog standing tall as the survivors. 

Teamwork
Courtesy: WWE

At the time of this match, Davey Boy was one of my favorites. He had recently turned heel and was being managed by Jim Cornette. I had previously been a fan of the heel HBK, and Ahmed Johnson was growing on me. I'll admit it here, I liked Sid too, so this team had it all. The "Wild Card" concept didn't become a consistent idea, but it did return from time to time. 

Top 10:

Team 7: Team Piper: Survivor Series 1991

Team 8: The All-Americans

Team 9: Team WWF Survivor Series 2001

Team 10: New Day, King Barrett and Sheamus

Our picks for a brand extension

By Kevin Hunsperger & Chad Smart

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With WWE on the verge of separating RAW and SmackDown into two different brands with completely different rosters, reports are saying WWE has started contacting previous employees to gauge interest in possibly returning to the company. We've been thinking about who is available and have come up with some names we'd like to see return.

The only criteria we used is none of the names, to our knowledge, is signed to another promotion. That eliminated Jeff Hardy, Johnny Nitro and a few others. 

These names are in no certain order. 

Kevin's picks:

1) Colt Cabana. I know this will likely never happen, but letting Colt come in as Colt and not some other persona would be entertaining. Plus it would fuel the "We want Punk" chants. 

2) DH Smith. I know he works with NJPW, but I'd really like to see this third generation star back in WWE. He was released way too soon and has a ton of potential. Of course if Tyson Kidd is able to return a Hart Dynasty reunion would be epic. 

3) Jim Cornette. As I blogged about with the return of Paul Ellering, WWE needs more managers. Some of them can be new talent that's cultivated to manage, but there needs to be a few established managers to help lead the way. I'd pair Cornette up with The Revival on NXT or make a serious team out of Breeze-Dango with Corny as their captain.

4) Kharma. I've wanted to see her back in a WWE ring since right after her departure several years ago. With the WWE's renewed effort on women's wrestling, Kharma would bring another dimension to the division.

5) Curt Hawkins. Underrated and underused during his stint before. He's a solid performer who could become a third member of the Hype Bros. if WWE is looking to build more stables.

Chad's picks:
1) Mike Knox. While his initial run in WWE wasn’t that memorable, I think Knox showed more potential during his run in TNA. 
2) Nunzio. If the upcoming Cruiserweight Tournament leads to a re-established cruiserweight division, Nunzio would be a great hand to work with younger Superstars. 
3) MVP. Montel Vontavious Porter was supposed to join Lucha Underground’s second season. Issues over having one of LU’s talent on his podcast led to him being released from the company before making his debut. 
4) Carlito: While the Shining Stars are in Puerto Rico, maybe they can find Carlito and bring him back with them. This may be the only way to get fans interested in the team. 
5) Trevor Murdoch: Trevor has been a regular in Harley Race’s promotion since leaving WWE. Murdoch is another talent that I feel didn’t get to show his true potential the first time around. 

As for the two names I don’t want to see return, I know many will probably disagree. Both these guys are past their “use by” dates. 
1) Goldberg: I know several people were hoping for his return at WrestleMania 32, but has anyone really missed him in the twelve years he’s been gone? 
2) Kurt Angle: Couldn’t tell you the last Kurt Angle match that wasn’t a chore to watch. Angle may still be able to go but his matches are all the same and it’s probably in his best interest to not be wrestling on a full time schedule.
Who is on your list? Comment here or post on Facebook. 

Hall of Fame to serve hard time

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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I was happy to see earlier today that the WWE is inducting the Big Bossman into the Hall of Fame this year.  He was one of the best big men in the business.  He captured everyone's attention as Big Bubba Rogers, defending the honor of Jim Cornette and the Midnight Express.  

Bossman vs. Hogan
Courtesy: WWE

Bubba quickly stepped out of that role and became an established star when he pinned the One Man Gang for the UWF Heavyweight title.  Eventually he'd make to the land of big men, the WWF, and take on a new persona as the Big Bossman.  He prison guard from Cobb County, Georgia almost immediately took aim at Hulk Hogan.  The cage match between the two on Saturday Night's Main Event in 1989 proved to me that Bossman had truly earned his stripes.

Bossman vs. Mr. Perfect
Courtesy: WWE

A face turn a year later and a significant amount of weight loss made Bossman even better in the ring.  He was quicker and more agile and still as aggressive as ever.  Feuds with Ted DiBiase, Mr. Perfect and The Mountie are a few of my favorite from that era.  He very nearly walked out of WrestleMania VII with the Intercontinental Championship.

Hardcore Champion
Courtesy: WWE

But all good things must come to an end and Bossman went back to WCW, under several different gimmicks.  I was happy to see him return to WWF a few years later as an updated version of the Big Bossman.  He and Ken Shamrock won the tag team titles and Bossman held the Hardcore Championship too. But let's not speak of the Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania XIV or the Kennel from Hell match.  

In 1998 I had a chance to interview Ray Traylor (along with Bobby Heenan) who had just left the nWo in WCW.  He's in character for it and it's very brief, but I appreciate the chance to have met him.  May he rest in peace.