I love Papa Shango. Yes, I know the gimmick was pretty dang cheesy, but in that era, cheese was good. Or at least I thought it was. This voodoo master made life miserable for his opponents, most notably the Ultimate Warrior.
Prior to that he stormed the ring at WrestleMania VIII to help Sid Justice beat up on Hulk Hogan. That prompted the returning Warrior to hit the ring at 100 miles per hour and dispose of the heels. That lead Shango to cast a spell on Warrior, who ended up losing his lunch on TV once.
Papa Shango wasn't long for this world. The man behind the gimmick, Charles Wright eventually became Kama the Ultimate Fighting Machine in the Million Dollar Corporation, then Kama Mustafa in the Nation of Domination before somehow transforming into the Godfather. What an evolution.
But for what it's worth, I always enjoyed the Papa Shango character. Looking back nearly 30 years later it provided plenty of entertainment for fans.
I must admit since Wraith made his Stride Pro Wrestling debut in January, I've wanted to learn as much about him as I can. This ghost has not only taken fans by surprise but also the talent on the Stride roster. It took two men (Jerry Travelstead and El Magnifico) to pin him at Stride Goes Steel in May. Wraith is the Legacy Champion and the first winner of the Stride Cup. His record speaks for itself and surrounding himself with various disciples has done him well, with Ryzer being the most loyal of the pack.
Wraith's ankle
Uncovering Wraith's birth certificate a few months ago lead to more questions than answers. But recent developments have provided more clues as I attempt to apply logic in an illogical situation. You see, inside that cage, Wraith twisted his ankle. It's the first time we've seen ghoulish figure show any sign of vulnerability.
Wraith vs. CJ Jordan
At the June 2 show in Christopher, Wraith dominated newcomer CJ Jordan but was clearly not 100 percent in the battle. Naturally, my inquisitive mind led me to find out who Wraith is seeing for treatment for his injury. Wraith doesn't talk and when I asked Ryzer what was up, he yelled so loud at me my ears are still ringing.
Wraith & Ryzer
However, I have friends in the pro wrestling business around the country and one of them tipped me off that Wraith and Ryzer were recently spotted in Parts Unknown. That is the hometown of countless pro wrestlers but along with the location, a photo was sent. Wraith was with former WWE Superstar Papa Shango.
We all know the big man was a voodoo practitioner, typically casting spells that caused pain and/or harm to his opponents. Who can forget the Ultimate Warrior's ooze and subsequent projectile vomiting? I doubt Shango would do anything to hurt Wraith as the two seem to be alike in their desire to destroy those who get in their way.
Time will tell if Papa Shango smoking skulls and voodoo potions had an impact on Wraith's injured ankle. As it stands, he's set to defend the Legacy Title against Arron Brooks on Saturday, August 4. We'll see you soon.
Earlier in the week the Godfather was announced as the next member of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2016. So far he and the legendary Sting are the two confirmed inductees. I haven't seen the "leaked" list of others, so I'm limiting my thoughts to just the Godfather in this post.
Chad & Papa Shango
We started a conversation on Episode 66 of My 1-2-3 Cents the podcast about Godfather's induction. The character was certainly over with the fans during the Attitude Era, myself included. But I also liked the Papa Shango character Charles Wright (the man behind Godfather) played. So is he Hall of Fame worthy? The debate comes up each year.
While there are men and women who I think should be in the Hall of Fame sooner rather than later, I don't think anyone currently in should not be there. Each Superstar, Diva and announcer is there for a reason. Guys like Koko B. Ware, Junkyard Dog and Big John Studd may have never wore gold in the WWE, but each person enshrined has made some kind of impact on me as a fan through the years. (I'm not going to comment on the Celebrity Wing.)
Chad & The Godfather
Another factor WWE considers is name recognition. As Chad pointed out on the show, more fans today know who The Godfather is than say "Superstar" Billy Graham. Remember, it's a business. WWE will cash in with merchandise sales and a desire for fans to meet the new inductees during Axxess.
On the more morbid side of things, there are a lot of greats who are no longer with us and may never make it into the HOF based on that. It's been reported the company doesn't like to do a lot of posthumous inductions in the same year. There's a growing list of worthy men who aren't in as a result.
Ho train Courtesy: WWE
Final thought, is WWE being hypocritical by keeping Chyna out of the Hall of Fame because of her adult film past and inducting a pimp who was always accompanied to the ring by hos? Share your thoughts here or on the Facebook page.
The WWE is celebrating the life and career of the Ultimate Warrior with Warrior Week on the Network. I thought I'd take a minute to share a few of my favorite returns by the Warrior. I had always been a fan of his work and when he chased Sgt. Slaughter, Col. Mustafa, and Gen. Adnan from the ring at SummerSlam 1991, I had no idea he wouldn't stop running. This was long before the Internet, so fans had no idea what really happened to the Ultimate Warrior. He simply disappeared from TV.
The Ultimate Return
Fast forward nearly eight months to the main event of Wrestlemania VIII. Hulk Hogan was battling Sid Justice. Papa Shango got involved, causing Justice to get disqualified. As the Hulkster was being attacked, that familiar beat boomed throughout the Hoosier Dome. Then the muscle man with the war paint and tassels came charging to the ring. When he hit the squared circle, he and Hogan cleaned house. The Ultimate Warrior was back home!
Savage vs. Warrior SummerSlam 92 Photo courtesy: WWE
It seemed appropriate to bring Warrior back as Hogan was fading off into the Hollywood sunset again. Randy Savage had turned babyface and was the new champion, but there weren't too many other top good guys on the roster. Warrior and Savage played nice together, despite Warrior beating the Macho Man a year earlier and sending him into retirement. The two ended up facing each other at SummerSlam 92, in a face vs. face championship match. Warrior won by count out and he and Savage formed a team called The Ultimate Maniacs. I don't know the reasons why, but Warrior would exit once again, just ahead of the Survivor Series pay per view.
Warrior vs. HHH Photo courtesy: WWE
Warrior remained out of the spotlight for years, before making another comeback in 1996. He stormed the ring again at a Wrestlemania, but this time as the announced opponent of Hunter Hearst Helmsley. He made quick work of the blue blood, pinning him after a couple of minutes of action. Warrior again didn't stay long though, spending just a few months in the company. He wrestled guys like Goldust, Vader (a match I saw live in St. Louis), and Jerry "The King" Lawler (who was his last opponent in a WWE ring).
Man in the mirror Photo courtesy: WWE
Another comeback came in 1998 when Warrior signed with WCW to feud with Hogan. I wasn't as excited about this return, as I thought the 1990 encounter between the two should have been left alone, but I understand why they redid the match. None-the-less, I enjoyed seeing Warrior back on TV.
Warrior & his daughters Photo courtesy: WWE
Warrior's final comeback came when the legend signed a deal to appear in video game WWE Y2K14. Months later, it was announced he'd be enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame. Luckily I was in attendance for the ceremony and his appearances at Wrestlemania 30 and Raw the day before he died. Rest in peace Warrior, thanks for being an inspiration to so many. Always believe.
Last year when I did the original Boo series of blogs, I ended with pics of fans dressed up like wrestlers. I scoured the internet to come up with the images, and had a few from my own collection to share. This year, I'm proud to say that all the images are of readers and viewers of My 1-2-3 Cents. Your support has meant a lot since starting this two years ago. Thanks to those who emailed me pictures too.
The Model Rick Martel, Jimmy Hart, Akeem, Macho Man,
80's Vince McMahon, & Jesse Ventura
Nathan Norman as Daniel Bryan
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Sean Mina as the Ultimate Warrior
Heath Hatton as Hulk Hogan
Check out those pythons!
Chris Hagstrom as the Hurricane
Martin Endersby as "The Model" Rick Martel
Chris Hagstrom as Zack Ryder
Chad as Shark Boy
Me as Papa Shango
Martin Endersby as Ric Flair Woooo!
Chad as Strong Bad
If you haven't closed the page out after seeing these treats, check out the Papa Shango makeover video too. Happy Halloween.
The WWE has had its share of memorable, yet ridiculous characters through the years. Case in point, today's subject Papa Shango. This voodoo master was arrived in the WWF in 1992 (holy cow, I can't believe it's been 20 years already). His biggest claim to fame in my view was when he ran interference during the Hulk Hogan-Sycho Sid match at Wrestlemania VIII.
As the two heels were double teaming the Hulkster, the Ultimate Warrior made his big return. This set up a feud between the former champ and the unusual Shango. One particularly memorable time of the feud was when Papa put a hex on the Warrior, forcing him to vomit pea soup much like Linda Blair in the Exorcist.
Shango did these kinds of tricks all the time, mostly to the jobbers he beat in the ring. I can remember one having either his boots or hands catch fire. That did happen, didn't it? Another time, the Warrior began sweating what looked like motor oil. It was reminiscent of those cheesy B movies from the 1970's and 80's. You definitely had to suspend reality when Shango was around.
Wrestle Reunion 2012 Los Angeles Photo by My 1-2-3 Cents
I only got to see him live in action once, and that was at a house show in Cape Girardeau. He challenged Bret Hart for the WWF heavyweight title. Hart won the match of course, but I can't remember if it was via the sharpshooter.
Of course we know Papa Shango morphed into Kama the Ultimate Fighting machine before finding his most successful gimmick of the Godfather. No doubt though that as Shango, he made a good first impression on the WWE Universe before evolving into more realistic characters.
One of the cool things about Twitter (at least in my opinion) is the creativity some people show while on the social networking site. Case in point, yesterday we say #WWECoverBands popping up all over the place. I'm not 100% sure who started it, I saw it first in a CM Punk tweet, although I have reason to believe Marty DeRosa came up with it.
Wrestlers and fans posted several creative wrestling related music acts. It's pretty simple if you think about it, yet very creative and fun as far as I'm concerned. I've listed some of my favorites.
Scott Hall'n Oates
@AshleyFountain: Lady Ante-Bella Twins
@proudcaucasian: Torrie Wilson Phillps
@proudcaucasian: Mariah Kerry Von Erich
@bitterlunatic: Kerry Von Erich Clapton
@ChrisSchully: Manfred Mankind
@proudcaucasian: The Mamas & Papa Shango
@scottstanford1: Lauren Hill & the Mr. Fujis
@IHateMattDrufke: Jake "the Whitesnake" Roberts
@arikcannon: Olivia Newton John Laurinaitis
@proudcaucasian: Paula Abdullah the Butcher
@bitterlunatic: Scott Hall & Oates
@thelastjimperor: Rowdy Roddy Stryper
Kool & the One Man Gang
Here are my two contributions:
@kevinhunsperger: Kool and the One Man Gang
@kevinhunsperger: Grand Funkasaurus Railroad
You get the point. This is just the tip of the iceberg, so if you're on Twitter and missed this over the last couple of days, type in #WWECoverBands and take a look. Post your ideas here or over on our Facebook wall.
If you watched any of Tough Enough for this past spring, you heard the trainers telling the men and women wanting to follow in their famous footsteps that they had to do something to get themselves over. It was almost a weekly sermon (or so it seemed).
Zack Ryder has probably used that mantra to his advantage more than anyone else on the active roster. His Z True Long Island Story is a YouTube sensation to say the least. Daniel Bryan has jumped on board too, and is now on YouTube as well as Zack's former partner Curt Hawkins.
So as a wrestling fan and a blogger who is trying to be taken seriously (seriously being a relative term here), I'm dedicating this post to a little cross promotion. I'm attaching some of my favorite videos from the My 1-2-3 Cents YouTube Channel (many of them have hardly been watched) in an effort to get myself over. This site gets roughly 200 hits a day, so I thought it can't hurt.
On the YouTube channel, you'll find several different wrestling characters I've created. I did that because my first round of videos weren't getting watched at all. A friend (who is not a wrestling fan) suggested doing something a little wacky to get noticed. It's kind of worked, but I still don't have a lot of views. So please watch and tell me what you like and what you don't like. I'm looking for honest feedback. On a positive note, I was Broski of the Week in Episode 22. WWWYKI!
I also want to thank you for reading the blog or watching the YouTube channel. I also encourage you to subscribe to both and tell your friends about us. Wrestling has been a hobby for nearly 30 years, and outside of my family and friends (some anyway) it's the greatest joy in my life. Pathetic, maybe. But it's how I feel.
So please, check out these vids, and thanks again for your support.
Since today is the opening of the new Harry Potter film, I decided to let my inner geek out completely and dedicate a post to some of the wizardly and magical superstars of years past. Here are the only three I could come up with. I'm sure there are more.
All photos are courtesy of wwe.com unless otherwise noted.
Oz. Now I don't remember a whole lot about Oz. I do recall him being based on the character from the Wizard of Oz. But what I don't know is if he used any kind of "magic" when in the ring, other than the ability to make an audience disappear.
Oz of course was played by Kevin Nash, and when he first appeared in WCW in 1991 he got a lot of hype. But I think it was more of a case of "all show and no go." The only match I remember with him was one where Ron Simmons handed him his ass. This was just about the time Simmons was rising up the ranks.
So while Oz was far from great, it did create a silly gimmick for us to look back at and mock nearly 20 years later. Who would have thought back in '91 this guy would go on to win the WWF and WCW world titles? Same guy, different character I suppose.
Papa Shango. He wasn't really a magician or a wizard. More of a voodoo guy with mystical powers. After all, he made the Ultimate Warrior throw up on TV. Remember that? Or what about the stuff he'd do to the jobbers he was facing.
His big break came at Wrestlemania 8 when he "interfered" in the match between Hulk Hogan and Sid. This promoted the return of the Ultimate Warrior. The two feuded for the months that followed, with Shango doing the job.
Eventually, he would take his smoking skull, bone necklace, and other voodoo tools and leave the WWF. While the character was gone, the man behind the skull face and blazin' tattoos would soon return. This time, Charles Wright was Kama: The Ultimate Fighting Machine. Then he became Kama Mustafa and joined the Nation of Domination. That character turned into the Godfather before becoming the Goodfather. Lots of gimmicks for the Wright, but the
Godfather was arguably the most popular with fans.
But Papa Shango may go into the book of awesomely bad gimmicks. It was an odd time in wrestling. Although I guess each era has its share of hokieness.
Phantasio. Remember him? If not, don't worry. His act didn't last very long. I actually saw him wrestle at a Superstars, Raw, Coliseum Home Video taping in the summer of 1995. It was in St. Louis and his opponent was Rad Radford.
Phantasio had wrestled in USWA as Spellbinder. I think his gimmick was similar. As you can see, he was the precursor for the "Crow" Sting.
He wore a mime mask to the ring, and once he arrived, he removed it and revealed the white and black face paint. He would do tricks for the kids. This was all at a time when the WWF was coming off the steroid trial and allegations of sexual harassment. Vince was covering his bases and adding as many "kid friendly characters as he could.
This was also the era of Who?, the Goon, and TL Plopper. Phantasio must not have cast a good enough spell on the powers that be, as he was only with the company for a few months. He apparently also wrestled on the first TNA pay per view back in 2002, but only that one night.
So, Muggles I hope you enjoyed this one. Until next time.
