Scariest of All-Time: The Road Warriors

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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It's been a while but I'm trying something ambitious for October. Quick, daily blogs counting down the 31 scariest wrestlers of all-time. These are in no particular order.

First up is the Road Warriors. When I first started watching wrestling, Hawk and Animal were the AWA tag team champions. The makeup, spikes, and crazy haircuts made them two of the most intimidating guys to step through the ropes. Throw in Black Sabbath's Iron Man and you couldn't find a tougher twosome. 

Even after bouncing around from company to company and changing their look from time to time, Hawk and Animal remained intimidating forces in the ring. They snacked on danger and dined on death and became the only tag team in history to win the championships in AWA, NWA, and WWF. Their influence is still felt today. 

So today, I salute the Road Warriors and honor their legacy. Oh, what a rush.  

SURVIVOR SERIES: Favorite team number 1: The Warriors

The Warriors
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. 

One of the first wrestlers to catch my eye before I even became a wrestling fan was Kerry Von Erich. It was the early 80s and he was one of the top guys in World Class Championship Wrestling, eventually becoming the NWA World Heavyweight Champion. Then in 1990 he arrived in the WWF as the Texas Tornado and quickly won the Intercontinental Championship. He lost it days before the Survivor Series but was already an established member of The Warriors.

Courtesy: WWE

The team was led by the WWF Heavyweight Champion The Ultimate Warrior. He and Kerry were joined by The Legion of Doom. But in past lifetimes Kerry was the Modern Day Warrior and LOD was, of course, The Road Warriors. This foursome is the most physically intimidating team in the history of Survivor Series. 

Not only did they all look amazing, they had many accomplishments in the ring. Warrior, as I mentioned, was World Champion. Plus he had two runs as IC champ. Kerry won gold everywhere he wrestled as was a former WHC and IC champ. The Legion of Doom had been NWA and AWA Tag Team Champions and were on course to win the WWF's version of those belts too. They could have been named like their opponents, The Perfect Team. 

Courtesy: WWE

Simply put, on paper, this was a dream team. But the execution of the match was a nightmare for this fan. That might be too much of an exaggeration. I was disappointed that Kerry wasn't one of the final survivors, but looking back at the big picture I understand why. I also hoped he would have eliminated someone. But more frustrating was the LOD and Demolition (Smash & Crush) double-disqualification. I've mentioned before I don't like when more than two people are eliminated at a time via count-out of DQ. By the logic applied here all three members of Demolition should have left the ring when Ax was pinned early on in the match.

Despite those nitpicks, The Warriors still hold up 26 years later as my favorite team. I dare argue anyone will knock them from that status. Thanks for checking out my countdown. Now enjoy the 2016 Survivor Series! 

Top 10:

Team 2: Team Macho Man: Survivor Series 1987

Team 3: The Legends: Survivor Series 2006

Team 4: Team Andre the Giant & Dino Bravo: Survivor Series 1988

Team 5: Four Doinks: Survivor Series 1993

Team 6: Team HBK: Survivor Series 1995

Team 7: Team Piper: Survivor Series 1991

Team 8: The All-Americans: Survivor Series 1993

Team 9: Team WWF Survivor Series 2001

Team 10: New Day, King Barrett and Sheamus: Survivor Series 2015

The precious art of managing

"Precious" Paul Ellering is back
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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One of the big surprise appears at NXT Takeover: The End of the Beginning was the appearance of WWE Hall of Famer "Precious" Paul Ellering. He of course rose to fame as the manager of the Road Warriors during their runs in the AWA, NWA and WWF. One can only assume Ellering is back to manage the two men who attacked American Alpha after the tag 
team title match.

The Road Warriors & Ellering
Courtesy: WWE

For long time I've wanted more managerial presence in wrestling. Zeb Colter has been released, Ric Flair isn't with Charolette anymore and Paul Heyman only appears occasionally. So bringing in someone the caliber of Ellering is perfect. But WWE shouldn't stop with the Hall of Famer. Let this be the start of a manager revolution. 

WrestleMania IV
Courtesy: WWE

Look back at WrestleMania IV. There were seven different managers on that show (not counting Virgil and Peggy Sue).  I'm not suggesting we need that many, but three or four along with the development of a couple of stables would be great. During our recent Facebook Live chat and previous conversations, Chad and I agreed Roman Reigns could benefit greatly from having someone else doing the talking for him.

WWE doesn't have to bring back former managers to accomplish this, although I'd love to see Jim Cornette back too. The company needs to start developing a new generation of managers and allow them to learn from Heyman and Ellering now.

My one & only managerial experience

The ball was dropped years ago with Armando Estrada. It's time to pick it up and score big. We're off to a great start. I'd love to be in that class. Remember I once managed Velvet Sky at TNA house show. It's always been a dream of mine to be a wrestling manager. 

SummerSlam A to Z: Wembley Stadium

80,355 fans at Wembley Stadium
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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Of course WWE or WWF have the word "World" in them so it should come as no surprise that this global company took the show on the road back in 1992.  That was the first time SummerSlam or any WWF pay-per-view had originated overseas.  If my memory is correct, I think it may still be.  At the very least SummerSlam '92 is the only of the Big Four to do so.

Legion of Doom & Rocco
Courtesy: WWE

Wembley Stadium in London played host to the event.  The stadium was huge as you can see in the pictures.  More than 80,000 fans were on hand as the Legion of Doom rode motorcycles to the ring for Hawk and Animal's last match together (at least for a while).  Remember Rocco the Dummy and Paul Ellering were on bikes too?  They beat Money Inc. that night.  Undertaker made his in-ring SummerSlam debut despite being with the company nearly two years at that point when he beat Kamala.

Flair & Perfect interfering
Courtesy: WWE

The WWF championship match was not the main event of the night.  It was a rematch from the previous year's Wrestlemania as Randy Savage defended the belt against the Ultimate Warrior.  By this point, both were good guys. Warrior wore a singlet that looked like something Mr. Goodbody would have been proud.  The match didn't compare to their Wrestlemania VII classic which is my favorite Mania match of all time.  Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect interfered in the match, and Warrior ended up winning via count out.  Savage dropped the belt a few weeks later back to Flair.

Family united
Courtesy: WWE

The main event of the night featured hometown hero The British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith against his brother-in-law Bret Hart for the Intercontinental championship. Again, this was a good guy vs. good guy matchup.  I believe it's the first and only time the IC title match was the closer on the show or any major WWE pay-per-view (not counting the title vs. title match between Hulk Hogan and Warrior at Mania VI).  The company did a great job putting this story together and Hart and Smith did an even better job in the ring.  The celebration afterward with Diana Hart-Smith was very memorable too.  I wish Bulldog could have held the title longer, but I know the company had other plans.  

HOF Forecast: Sunny!

Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

The 2011 class of the WWE Hall of Fame suddenly seems a little brighter.  Former diva Sunny will soon be added.

I keep reminding myself that the WWE Hall of Fame has a lot of folks in there who are more on the entertainment side than the sports side of it.  After all, guys like Bruno Sammartino, Bob Backlund, and Randy Savage aren't in there yet, so you've got to talk it for what it is.

My immediate reaction though was why not Miss Elizabeth.  I believe she was a pioneer in terms of the role of the women in wrestling outside the ring.  She was really the WWF/WWE's first non wrestling woman.

Many have called Sunny the original Diva.  I guess it depends if you considered Liz a Diva whether you agree with that.  The more thought I put into it, the less I'm inclined to classify Elizabeth as a "diva."  But I will agree that Sunny was certainly the first Diva as we know them today.  That's not to take anything away from Wendi Ritcher, the Fabulous Moolah, or "Sensational" Sherri Martel.  But you guys know what I mean.

Sunny was clearly there for eye candy.  She was the beauty in a land of beasts.  And back in 1995 when she first appeared with her boyfriend Chris Candido, aka Skip, Sunny was a breath of fresh air.  In her years with the WWE, she managed several different teams including the Bodydonnas, the Godwins, the Smoking Gunns, and the Legion of Doom.  She also had some time with Ron Simmons when he arrived as Faarooq Assad.  She was part of the changing of the guard with getting the traditional male manager out and bringing in the babes.

But I don't ever remember Sunny actually wrestling.  At least not when she was in the WWF.  I've read that she did do some wrestling in WCW in 2000.  This time is a complete blur to me.  I remember Chris Candido signing with WCW, but I don't ever remember Sunny, aka Tammy Sytch joining him there.

Of course she was a part of the Miss Wrestlemania battle royal at Wrestlemania 25.  So while she didn't have a huge role as a wrestler, she did lay the groundwork for the modern day Diva.  She kept the fans (mostly male) entertained with her antics, and added something extra to the WWF when the company really was struggling in the 1990's.

I look forward to seeing her at the Hall of Fame ceremony and will be curious to hear what she says about the honor.  It's too bad Chris is no longer here to be there for the event too.

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