Being Good is Bad: 'Mr. Wonderful' Paul Orndorff

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

Sometimes being good is bad for a wrestler's character. It's like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Such is the case with 'Mr. Wonderful' Paul Orndorff.

The build-up to the first WrestleMania in 1985 involved the trio of Orndorff, 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper, and 'Cowboy' Bob Orton. These three were perhaps the most hated men in the WWF. They picked on pop star Cyndi Lauper, Dick Clark, Capt. Lou Albano and many other good guys and celebrities were involved in the infamous Rock 'n Wrestling Connection.

When it finally came to a head at the War to Settle the Score, and Mr. T stepped up to help Hulk Hogan, the main event was set for the upcoming WrestleMania show. Piper and Orndorff would team up to battle the Hulkster and Mr. T. 

We all know that Orton hit Orndorff with his cast during the match, and Hogan scored the victory for his team. I was 12 years old then, and the idea of a babyface, Mr. Wonderful, was, in fact, wonderful news to me. I loved that he and Hogan were teaming up and taking on the likes of Piper, Orton, Adrian Adonis, and the other villains that terrorized the WWF good guys. 

But in the summer of 1986, Orndorff had had enough of being a good guy and, in dramatic fashion, attacked Hogan during a tag team match with King Kong Bundy and 'Big' John Studd, members of the Heenan Family. This led to a reconciliation with Bobby Heenan, and Orndorff embarked on a fantastic feud for the rest of 86 and into 1987 against Hogan. At that point, he came closer than any other Superstar to winning the WWF Championship during that classic cage match on Saturday Night's Main Event.

By this point, I was siding with Orndorff in his battles with Hogan. Perhaps I had grown tired of Hulkamania too, but it wouldn't be long before I'd embrace it again. 

My point to all of this is that I did love the good guy 'Mr. Wonderful', but I don't think it fits with his persona. So turning bad again the following year made him even better. In hindsight, I liked Orndorff more during his second heel run. Eventually, the most hated guy in the company, Piper, turned good. This all worked on many levels and was a win-win for the fans. 

For some reason, in 1987, they did the face turn again. By this point, Orndorff was nearing the end of his tenure with the WWF and would be gone by the end of that year. He popped back up in WCW years later, where he remained a bad guy throughout his in-ring tenure. 

Being that cocky and calling himself 'Mr. Wonderful' is what being a fantastic bad guy is all about. He was next level during that 1986 run. I miss that era and Paul Orndorff. 

Mt. Rushmore: Hulk Hogan's 80s Feuds

 

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

It's been a long time coming, but I'm doing something to get this decade-old blog up and running again. While it's not an original idea by any means, I am going to start writing weekly with a Mt. Rushmore theme. I mean, wrestling fans these days seem to create some sort of Mt. Rushmore of Wrestling ____ all the time, so why not me? And for the record, I actually took a picture of Mt. Rushmore I'm using while on vacation earlier this summer in South Dakota. 

First up, the Mt. Rushmore of Hulk Hogan's 80s Feuds. With the recent passing of 'Mr. Wonderful' Paul Orndorff, I got to thinking about his significance in pro wrestling and quickly deduced that he is on the shortlist of Hulk Hogan's greatest foes (not just the 80s, but of all-time).

Courtesy: WWE

Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan were the best of friends during the first few years of Hulkamania. Andre was in the locker room celebrating Hogan's victory over the Iron Shiek at Madison Square Garden. They teamed up to face members of the Heenan Family. That's why it was all the more shocking when in January 1987, Andre declared war on the Hulkster and hired Bobby Heenan as his manager.

The two had a huge main event at WrestleMania III and went on to battle against each other for the next 18 months, meeting in tag matches, singles matches, and the big blue steel cage. More than 33 million people watched their epic match on NBC's 'The Main Event' in February 1988. I still remember crying when the crooked referee counted Hogan's shoulders to the mat. Yes, I was 14 at the time... 

Courtesy: WWE

'Rowdy' Roddy Piper was the man I loved to hate in the early days of Hulkamania. He set the standard for a wrestling heel back in those days. He was a master on the mic and someone hard to beat in the ring. Hot Rod was front and center in the Rock 'n Wrestling Connection which, of course, led to the first-ever WrestleMania. While we never got a one-on-one encounter between Hogan and Piper at WrestleMania, their work before the event to set the tone for 80s wrestling is unforgettable. 

Courtesy: WWE

'Macho Man' Randy Savage came into the WWF in 1985 and quickly set his sites on Hogan's championship. The two had some great matches even before Savage won the Intercontinental Championship. Those matches continued to impress after Savage's win over Tito Santana. Then, of course, we had the epic build of the Mega Powers. This is without a doubt one of the best stories ever told in wrestling. It wove in nicely with the previously mentioned Andre the Giant match on NBC.

The explosion of the Mega Powers added a new element to WWF programming. It all came to a head at WrestleMania V, with Hogan once again winning the gold. Savage tried the rest of the year to regain his belt but always came up short. The Hogan-Savage story worked on so many levels and one that the creative team could depend upon. 

Courtesy: WWE

'Mr. Wonderful' Paul Orndorff, as I mentioned, is the inspiration for this blog. He, too, had some matches with Hogan before the first WrestleMania. His association with PIper made him another one of those guys I loved to hate. But then, after the mishap at Mania, Orndorff became a good guy and teamed off and on with the Hulkster. Then in the summer of 1986, Orndorff snapped and turned on Hogan, rejoining former manager Bobby Heenan. 

This feud was the most serious threat to ending Hulk's first title reign. I thought WWF might make the switch a couple of times, most notably on the January 1987 episode of Saturday Night's Main Event. Inside the Big Blue Cage, the match saw both Hogan and Orndorff escape at the exact same moment.

So there you have it. A very concise but precise list of Hulk Hogan's best four feuds in the 80s. Who is on your Mt. Rushmore of the Hulkster's foes?   

VIDEO: Go Figure Friday: Mr. Wonderful made me bleed

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Back in the day, I had a Paul Orndorff LJN Bend'em. One night, he made me bleed. Maybe it was my own fault though...

Get the story in this week's Go Figure Friday.

VIDEO: Go Figure Friday: Caged!

 

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Happy Go Figure Friday. Today I'm feeling blue. Not really... Just talking more about the Big Blue Steel Cage. This came out in 1986 to go along with the WWF LJN Superstars. 

What's your favorite cage match from that era? Take a look and don't forget to subscribe.

How WrestleMania Helped Me Grieve

WrestleMania's first main event
Photo by WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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It's funny how some dates stick with you forever. March 25, 1985, is one of those dates for me. It was a Monday afternoon when a good friend and neighbor, also named Kevin, died in a horrible ATV accident at the end of our street.

Back row left is me.  My friend Kevin is on the right

We were both in sixth grade and had known each other most of our lives. We played baseball together, rode bikes and spent hot summer afternoons 'pool hopping' between all the pools in on our tight-knit street. 

I still remember waving to Kevin as he walked down our street, eating a bag of potato chips. Less than two hours later, he'd flipped the three-wheeler he was riding and did not survive the accident.

I was crushed. In my 12 years of life, I had never experienced so much pain. I cried a lot in the days following Kevin's death. Children aren't supposed to die. I had a hard time understanding why it happened and wondered if I'd ever get over this loss.  

Wendi Richter & Cyndi Lauper
Photo by WWE

As that emotional week winded down, I had two things to look forward to. I was set to attend my first wrestling show at the Kiel Auditorium that Friday night to see my favorite wrestler, Kerry Von Erich, battle Ric Flair. (Pics from that night are too blurry to post.)

Then, that Sunday, the first WrestleMania was going to be broadcast via closed-circuit television. A family friend had invited my family over to watch. 

These events provided a distraction and the first opportunity I hadn't cried that week. I just enjoyed the moments.

I focused on the wrestling action. I cheered for Kerry and booed The Nature Boy when he tossed my hero over the top rope to get disqualified. 

Then on Sunday, I celebrated as my favorites like Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Wendi Richter, and the Junkyard Dog won.  I booed villains Roddy Piper, the Iron Sheik, and Nikolai Volkoff.  

After the main event was over and we headed home, the reality set in again. I couldn't help but think about Kevin and his family, just a few houses down, as they were still mourning the loss of their son and brother.  I still miss him 34 years later and often think of him, wondering what he'd be like today as a 46-year-old man.

WrestleMania main event
Photo by WWE

When I think back on the first WrestleMania and write stories about it, I always associate that week of grieving with remembering how much I appreciate being able to get lost in the moment. We never truly get over such losses, but there are moments when we're distracted and can find pleasure. I'm glad I had the support of family and friends during that time. It may sound crazy, but in addition to those loved ones, WrestleMania helped me through what I consider the most challenging childhood.  

When I first posted this blog, I tagged "Rowdy" Roddy Piper in it on Twitter. He retweeted it. Just a few months later, we had lost Hot Rod, too. In a weird way, I'm thankful I wrote that blog when I did, and I'd like to believe he read it and knew the impact he'd had on my young life. 

3 best cage match endings

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Pro wrestling has a rich history of steel cage matches. The endings to these contests often stay etched in the memory of fans. There are many great ones, but I've narrowed it down to my three favorites. Yes, the headline says best. But it's really my favorite. (These are in no particular order.)

1. Kerry Von Erich vs. Ric Flair, Christmas Day 1982. This match stands out to me for a couple of reasons. It features two of my all-time favorites. It's also the very first match I remember watching as a young fan. I was nine years old and the Modern Day Warrior quickly captured my attention. 

Michael Hayes was serving as special guest referee. Terry Gordy stood guard outside the ring. Back then the Freebirds and the Von Erich brothers were allies. That changed on this night as Kerry could have taken advantage of Flair's misfortune with Hayes, Von Erich refused. This enraged Hayes and Gordy slammed the cage door on Kerry's face. This set up Flair to get the win and started one of the greatest rivalries in pro wrestling history. 

Tie!

2. Hulk Hogan vs. "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff, January 1987. I was in eighth grade when this match happened on Saturday Night's Main Event. I was away for the weekend on a Boy Scout campout and could not wait to get home that Sunday afternoon to watch the show on VHS. 

I had been a Hulkamaniac since first seeing Hulk Hogan burst on the scene. However, in my rebellious teenage phase, I turned my back on the Hulkster and wanted "Mr. Wonderful" to win. And I thought he was going to. This is the cage match where both men dropped to the arena floor at the same time. Even in the instant replay, it was too close to call. I loved this ending but it didn't take long for the Hulkster to come back and retain the championship. 

3. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. Vince McMahon, February 1999. One of the hottest feuds of all-time is the Austin-McMahon rivalry. The two hated each other with a passion and put their hatred to the test inside a cage for the St. Valentine's Day Massacre event. The ending of this match is iconic too (obviously or I wouldn't be writing this). 

The debuting Big Show (aka Paul Wight) burst through the ring from underneath. He assaulted Austin and chucked the former champion into a wall of the cage. It came off and Austin slid to the floor to victory. It was one of the coolest finishes I can recall and it set up Big Show to be the newest monster on the WWE roster.

Obvious honorable mentions include Jimmy Snuka vs. Bob Backlund when "Superfly" leaped off the top of the cage. Big Bossman vs. Hulk Hogan and the superplex Hogan delivered on SNME. And Ric Flair vs. Nikita Koloff when Dusty came in to help Flair and the Horsemen turned on him and broke his ankle. 

What are your favorite cage match endings? Share here and be sure to see more steel cage action this Saturday night (May 26) at Pinckneyville High School as Stride Goes Steel in the 'Ville.

Click the pic for this week's podcast

Famer Friday: "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff

Meeting Mr. Wonderful in 2012

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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In 1987 I thought for sure "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff was going to win the WWF Heavyweight Title from Hulk Hogan. The two had been feuding for months and things culminated on a Saturday night in January. I had been on a camping trip that weekend so Sunday afternoon when I got home I popped the tape into the VCR and watched Saturday Night's Main Event. Since I was using a VCR this was obviously long before the internet was around to spoil results.

Cage match
Courtesy: WWE

I watched in excitement as Orndorff climbed up the big blue steel cage and down the other side. But Hogan was doing the same thing across the ring and the Superstars' feet hit the arena floor at the same time. It was a tie. Arugebly that would be the closest "Mr. Wonderful" would ever get to winning gold during his tenure in the WWF.

Being a "rebellious" teenager, I parted ways with the Hulkster and had a new hero in Orndorff. What wasn't to love? He had the patented pile driver, awesome sequined robes and the greatest manager of all time in his corner; Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. 

Courtesy: WWE

Not only did Orndorff not capture the title that night, but he essentially disappeared from the company for months. He wasn't a part of WrestleMania III which always baffled me until recently. He told Ric Flair during a podcast he was injured at the time. It was weird because his absence was never explained and just months earlier was a half step away from winning the gold. But he did re-emerge and feuded again with Heenan after the Brain acquired the contract of "Ravishing" Rick Rude.

Pretty Wonderful

His time in WWF was limited and he headed off into the sunset for a bit. Eventually Orndorff arrived in WCW, winning the TV Title and tag team championships with Paul Roma. The team was known as Pretty Wonderful and they were, as was Orndorff's career in general. I'm glad to hear the cancer he had been battling is in remission.

Hall of faming ain't easy

Godfather as IC champ
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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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.

"Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff scarred me for life

Mr. Wonderful: The bendie 

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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Growing up in the 80's I had most of the LJN WWF wrestling figures.  They were not dolls!  I would come up with dream matches all the time as I clunked the big rubber wrestlers around the ring.  After the first couple of rounds of the larger figures, LJN introduced us to smaller, bendable Superstars.

I didn't have nearly as many of these, but I did have was "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff.   One Saturday night I was bored and laying in bed watching "The 3 Stooges" on KPLR (St. Louis readers know what I'm talking about).  I was about 13 at the time, old enough to know what I was about to do was stupid...

In one hand I had the Mr. Wonderful figure.  The other hand a pocket knife.  I proceed to cut down Orndorff's spine with the blade.  To this day, I don't know what possessed me to do this.  But what happened next is even more mind boggling.  With the knife stuck in his back, I rammed Mr. Wonderful into the wall.  When I did, the blade folded down and sunk into my right index finger.

You can kinda see the scar in this 

I immediately dropped the weapon and my victimized wrestling figure. I ran into the bathroom in an attempt to clean up the blood.  After a few minutes of pressure, my parents determined I did not need stitches.  I can still remember trying to explain what had happened and why I did it.  

Some 30 years later I still have the scar on my finger.  It's not a badge of honor like most scars.  Instead I view it as a moment of stupidity in my teenage life.  Moral of the story: don't play with knives, the experience isn't "wonderful."  

What If Wednesday: Survivor Series 1985

Hogan vs. Piper
Photo courtesy: WWE 

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Doing a little fantasy booking from my childhood today and looking back at 1985, the year Wrestlemania made its debut.  Of course we all know two years later, Vince McMahon introduced the world to his second pay per view idea, Survivor Series.  Since it's the season for Survivor Series, I figured I'd share some thoughts on how I would have put together the first event, based on the WWF roster in the fall of 1985.

I looked at house show results in late October and November 1985 on the History of WWE website. Interesting notes: King Tonga (Haku/Meng) and Dino Bravo teamed up briefly as baby faces, that's why they're on the British Bulldogs team.  I noticed the heel tag team division was quite lacking that year, as you'll see too.  Wendi Richter lost the women's title three days before Thanksgiving, the night this event would have been held, and left the company.  That's why she's not a part of the show.

Hulk Hogan, Captain                       vs.              Roddy Piper, Captain 

Paul Orndorff                                                       Bob Orton

Ricky Steamboat                                                  Don Muraco

Bruno Sammartino                                               Adrian Adonis

Tony Atlas                                                            Hercules

Andre the Giant, Captain                  vs.              Big John Studd, Captain

Hillbilly Jim                                                          King Kong Bundy

Tito Santana                                                          Randy Savage

Junkyard Dog                                                        Terry Funk

George Steele                                                        Jesse Ventura

The British Bulldogs, Captains         vs.             Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake, Captains

Uncle Elmer & Cousin Junior                              The Hart Foundation

The Killer Bees                                                    The Moondogs

Mike Rotundo & Danny Spivey                           Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff

King Tonga & Dino Bravo                                   Mr. X & The Gladiator

Velvet McIntyre, Captain               vs.               The Fabulous Moolah, Captain

Linda Gonzalez                                                   Donna Christanello

Susan Starr                                                          Leilani Kai

Dawn Marie                                                        Judy Martin

Jean Kirkland                                                      Mad Maxine

Wayback WhensDay: Saturday Night's Main Event

Photo courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I'm excited that WWE has added Saturday Night's Main Event to its Network.  I loved watching the show as a kid, wishing it was a regular part of the NBC lineup.  I remember when the first episode aired back in May 1985, I just happened to see an ad for it in the TV Guide (yes, I just dated myself with that reference).

At that point, all we had in terms of big wrestling shows was Wrestlemania and the two events that MTV had aired.  There was also Starrcade for NWA fans.  Otherwise, the weekly programming was mostly made up of squash matches.  We'd get a few marquee matches on Superstars or Prime Time Wrestling.  But SNME almost always featured a WWF championship match or at least a match with the champ involved.  

It was something special for sure, and in hindsight, I'm glad it didn't become a weekly or even monthly thing.  I've heard before that the show garnered great ratings for NBC in that late night time slot, even doing better than the show it replaced Saturday Night Live.

I have not had a chance to watch any of the episodes on the Network yet, but going from memory, here a few of my favorite moments...

The Battle Royal
Photo courtesy: WWE

The Battle Royal from the episode leading to Wrestlemania III.  Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant were weeks away from battling each other at the Silver Dome, but before that match up, the two ended up in the same ring on SNME.  The two started to battle through 18 other men, as they tried to get to one another.  I had just turned 14 and bled red and yellow.  I was shocked after the champ threw Paul Orndorff over the top rope, only to be grabbed by the Giant, headbutted, and the easily tossed over the top rope.  

Hogan & Orndorff in a cage
Photo courtesy: WWE

A few months before that, Hogan had defended the world title against Orndorff inside a steel cage. I thought this was the biggest threat to Hogan's title up to that point.  The two competitors climbed either side of the cage and each hit the arena floor at the same exact moment.  Orndorff claimed he won the match, but the referee saw it definitely and forced both men back into the cage.  Moments later, Hulkamania was running wild again.

A new union
Photo courtesy: WWE

There was also the night that Hogan came out thanks to Elizabeth to save "Macho Man" Randy Savage from being attacked by the Honky Tonk Man and Hart Foundation.  It was an unlikely union, but one that fans came to quickly love.  Another strange moment involved Hogan befriending "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.  Hot Rod came out after Hogan was being double teamed by Orndorff and Adrian Adonis.  This completed the Piper face turn in 1986.  I also enjoyed Uncle Elmer's wedding and Piper interrupting things. 

What are some of your favorite moments from this memorable wrestling program?  Share them here and be sure check out the archive here!

The Many Faces of Damien Sandow

Sandow meets DX at Raw 1000
Photo courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Like many fans,  I thought when Damien Sandow was beaten up by the reuniting Degeneration X members on Raw 1000 it would be the start of something big for his somewhat stagnant status in WWE.  I think it's fair to say that the moment did help him gain exposure and lead to a relatively successful, but short stint as a tag team with Cody Rhodes.

Team Rhodes Scholars
Photo courtesy: WWE

When Team Rhodes Scholars first formed, I was less than impressed, but the duo really grew on me and I had hoped they'd get a run as the tag team champions.  But as it seems to be the norm, many teams end up fizzling out and the participants feud briefly before fading away in the sunset.  I didn't want to see that happen to either Sandow or Rhodes, and when Damien won the 2013 Money in the Bank, I thought for sure we had a future WWE Heavyweight Champion on our hands.  I don't need to review the tapes for you to know that's not what happened.

Sandow as Vince McMahon
Photo courtesy: WWE

Fast forward to present day and Sandow has been taking on a different persona each week when he comes out to wrestle.  He's been everyone from Abe Lincoln to Bret Hart to the WWE boss Vince McMahon himself.  None of these characters has earned him a victory on TV, but the key here is it's earned him time on TV.  He's in front of the fans each week.  And quite honestly, I'm entertained by it.

Let's face facts, especially now that the company is making big cuts across the board, not everyone on the roster is going to be in the main event or even win a title.  Sure at some point this may all lead to something big for Sandow, but the realist in me has stopped looking at each gimmick and storyline wondering when it's going to lead to a guy's big break (see Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston, and Tyson Kidd).  The bottom line is, it's not going to happen for everyone, and despite his talent, I don't think Sandow will be adding any gold to his waist anytime soon.

That's perfectly acceptable too.  In the 80's we had many greats like Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Paul Orndorff, and Junkyard Dog go without any title runs.  Then something happened during the Attitude Era and beyond when it seems like EVERYONE won gold at some point, whether it was the European Title, Hardcore Championship, or Tag Team titles.  As fans, I think we've been reconditioned to expect everyone at some point is going to win a championship, but unfortunately for the most part titles these days are merely props on the show.  That's a blog for another day though...