Larry Matysik: The voice of my childhood

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Some people will tell you Jim Ross was the voice of their youth when it came to pro wrestling. Others will choose Tony Schivanie. Gorilla Monsoon, Vince McMahon, Jesse Ventura, Gordon Solie, Bob Caudill, Bill Mercer and Lance Russell all rank up there in my childhood too. However, one of the first and most memorable voices for me is that of Larry Matysik.

I grew up just outside St. Louis, Missouri. When I was in grade school my dad, brother and uncle religiously watched Wrestling at the Chase and World Class Championship Wrestling. At the time, I had no interest in it, however, I would hear the action being called. Early on I remember the sound of Larry Matysik's voice as he called the action between the likes of Dick the Bruiser, Gene Kiniski and Bruiser Brody. 

Once my fandom exploded in early 1983, Wrestling at the Chase became a staple each Sunday morning in our house. Sadly I got hooked a little too late as the show ended its decades' long run on KPLR later that year. 

But what a year it was for me. I don't remember specific matches from that era, but I do remember hearing Larry call matches. To me, he is Wrestling at the Chase. I remember ring announcer Mickey Garagiola very well too. My uncle knew Mickey's kids from school so it always felt like we were watching good friends do their thing on TV.

Hatton & Matysik

It wasn't until 2017 that I got to meet Larry Matysik. I traveled to a Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling show with my friend Heath Hatton. Larry is very active with SICW and promoter Herb Simmons. I enjoyed chatting briefly with someone who meant so much to me as a child and an influence on my passion for becoming a wrestling commentator and announcer.

Matysik and Simmons

I understand Larry has had some medical setbacks recently. I wanted to take a few minutes to share thoughts and memories on someone who molded a generation of professional wrestlers and its fans. Larry, thanks for the memories. 

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Bruiser Brody vs. Stride Pro Wrestling

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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I've been doing a lot of these 'fantasy booking' blogs lately involving members of the Stride Pro Wrestling roster. Part of the reason I do it is that I truly enjoy it. But the other reason is readers seem to like it too. So I will indulge in another today. 

On July 16, 1988, Bruiser Brody was stabbed in the locker room shower at a show in Puerto Rico. He died the next day from his wounds. I've written about Brody several times before, remembering this legend of the ring. I still cherish the memory of seeing him live in person to wrestle Ric Flair back in 1985. He was as tough as they come and here are a few Stride competitors I would have liked to seen Brody face in the ring.

Tony Flood in action

I've said it more than once, Tony Flood has an old-school style that reminds me of Harley Race. And back in the day, Race and Brody had some classic matches for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Despite his sometimes cowardly actions in the ring, Flood is a tough competitor. I have no doubt he could have had an outstanding match against the legendary Brody. No doubt Flood would pull out all of the stops in an effort to best Brody. He'd definitely need his lead pipe and chain that he's tucked away in his trunks in previous matches. 

Ax Allwardt

Speaking of chains, Ax Allwardt and his mighty chain clashing with Brody's chain would be legendary. Ax is another old-school style wrestler who would be able to slow Brody's over the top persona in the ring. He too is one of the toughest guys on the Stride roster and would do whatever it takes to put Brody down for the three count. 

Chris Hargas vs. Red Daniels (RIP)
Courtesy: Steve Belcher

Chris Hargas, like Bruiser Brody, has a rich history in St. Louis wrestling. As I mentioned earlier, I saw Brody battle Flair at the Kiel Auditorium and my brother (before I was a fan) saw Brody battle Andre the Giant. I'm still jealous of that... But I digress. Hargas has established himself as one of the top stars in SICW in the St. Louis area. He's also one of Stride's best and brightest. He has the size and strength to stand up to Brody and as we saw at Buried Live, the ability to tap into his dark side when necessary.

Obviously, I can't list everyone on the Stride roster I'd like to see face the legendary Brody. Farmer Billy Hills, Roger Matheus and Heath Hatton would also make my short list. Who would you pit against the big man? 

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Raw is Hunsperger (and Smart)

That's me in the middle

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Yes, I am being totally egotistical with the title and the content of today's blog. January 22, 2018, is, of course, the night WWE celebrates Raw 25. In January 1993 Monday nights changed forever when Prime Time Wrestling transitioned from a pre-recorded studio format to live (and live to tape) pro wrestling action and sports entertainment. 

Of the 1,286 episodes of Raw that have already aired, I have appeared on two of them. I should also give credit to my favorite wrestling buddy, Chad Smart too. It was with him that I attended my very first Raw on January 8, 2007. Chad and I worked together at the time and we were joined by a fellow co-worker, Randy Livingston. Chad and I attended WrestleMania 22 the previous year and dressed as the Spirit Squad, so we wanted to keep the cosplay tradition alive.

The 3 Faces of Hogan

The three of us decided on the "3 faces of Hogan." I already had the old school red and yellow Hulkamania shirt. I cut up an old t-shirt and created a bandana and bought a yellow mustache to complete the look. Randy went as "Hollywood" Hogan from the nWo and Chad got patriotic as he brought Mr. America back to life. 

The costumes looked pretty good if I do say so myself. Little did we know we'd end up in the opening shot when Raw went live on the USA Network that night from the Scottrade Center. We were holding signs in honor of our Australian friends we'd met the year before at Mania. 

Celebrating Ric Flair at Raw

The following year, Chad and I attended WrestleMania 24 in Orlando. That's the night Ric Flair retired. On a whim, we decided to get tickets to Raw after learning the Four Horsemen were going to be at the show. Much to our surprise, we walked up to the ticket window and got two tickets on the opposite side of the hard cam and pretty close to the floor. The best part, the tickets were only $50 each.

Being at the show, we had no idea if we'd be on camera. This was at a time before either of us had a smartphone or a Facebook account. I believe one of our former coworkers called Chad that night on his flip phone and informed us we'd been on the air. Because it was a big celebration for Flair, we are in several of the shots of the "Ric Flair: The Definitive Collection" DVD. In recent days I've been tagged and texted with screenshots from the WWE Network.

We've been to a handful of other Raws since then, all the night after WrestleMania. Now that I think about it, that night in January 2007 is my only non-WrestleMania weekend Raw experience. It's fun to be there live and I've love to be in New York this evening watching in person, but I'll enjoy the show on DVR. Oh and listen to our top six moments from Raw here. 

Remembering Bruiser Brody

Brody!

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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I'm old enough to have had the chance to watch Bruiser Brody wrestle. My fandom started in 1983, about five years before Brody's life came to a tragic end. But in those five years, I'm flooded with many great memories of one of the toughest wrestlers to walk the planet. 

Husk! Husk! Husk!

Most of the work I recall from Brody happened in World Class Championship Wrestling and the AWA. He would come to Texas and team up with the Von Erichs in their battles with Skandor Akbar's Devastation Incorporated. Brody would go toe to toe with beasts like Kamala and eventually Abdullah the Butcher among others. It was funny because he was the bad guy in the AWA under the management of Sheik Adnan-al Kaissie. 

A week after attending my first professional wrestling show (WWF in Dec. 1984), we took in our first NWA event. Ric Flair defended the championship against Brody. Until recently I had no idea the match was online. The two battled to a bloody no-contest and Flair walked out with the gold. This was before my appreciation for the "Nature Boy" was found so I was disappointed with the outcome. 

Butcher vs. Brody

Besides Flair, I'd argue Abdullah the Butcher was Brody's biggest rival in the business. The two carved each other up with foreign objects, including the Butcher's famous fork, in promotions around the world. Both of their foreheads looked like road maps after their years against each other in the ring.

This Saturday night, May 20, SICW celebrates the life of Brody with a memorial battle royal. His widow, Barbara Goodish, will be on hand as well as Abdullah. The event is also the celebration of the 58th anniversary of Wrestling at the Chase, a show that was a staple in our home on Sunday mornings for many years. 

Brody
Courtesy: Prowrestlingstories.com

Brody's life ended way too soon, but I'm grateful for the time he was here and having the chance to go back and watch his work. No doubt he influenced plenty of men in the ring, including John Nord, Mick Foley and Luke Harper. Even Daniel Bryan wore "Brody boots" at WrestleMania XXX. Hopefully sooner rather than later Brody will take his rightful spot in the WWE Hall of Fame.

3 wrestlers I wanted to see in person

Andre the Giant & Bruno Sammartino
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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I went all in with my wrestling fandom around age 10. My younger brother and dad had been attending matches regularly as the NWA would hold cards in St. Louis on a regular basis. My first live experience was in December 1984. There are a few Superstars I wish I could have seen wrestle in person.

The closest I came to meeting Andre

Andre the Giant wrestled Bruiser Brody at one point and my brother and dad were there. This was long before I had even considered watching wrestling, so I missed out. I was hoping he'd be on the card in '84, but he wasn't. I attended a few more WWF house shows before Andre retired, but he was never featured. One time I had considered going to a show in December 1987 where Andre and Rick Rude teamed up against Hulk Hogan and Paul Orndorff. I was in high school by then and really don't know why I didn't bug my parents for tickets. The closest I've come to Andre is posing with his statue at WWE Axxess during WrestleMania festivities.

"Bruno" and me

The same goes for Bruno Sammartino. Bruno was still somewhat active when I started watching. He feuded with Randy Savage and Roddy Piper briefly before hanging up his tights and focusing on commentary. Of course, when Bruno was in his prime and the WWWF Champion, I wasn't even a thought. I do consider myself lucky to have been at Madison Square Garden the night Bruno was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame. It's my only MSG experience, but I certainly hope it's not the last.

Wendi Richter
Courtesy: WWE

Wendi Richter quickly rose to the occasion when she arrived in the WWF in 1984. She was different than the other women of that era, like Moolah, Judy Martin and Leilani Kai. It's fair to say I had a crush on Wendi. Unfortunately, her tenure with the company was short-lived. But like Bruno, I was on hand for Wendi's WWE Hall of Fame induction. I consider myself fortunate in that regard.

Which Superstars are on your list of having wanted to see perform live? Share here or on the My 1-2-3 Cents social media pages.

Rumble Ramblings: #7 Daniel & the Giants

Daniel & the Giants
Courtesy: My 1-2-3 Cents

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Since the 2017 Royal Rumble is right around the corner, I've decided to countdown to this year's event with my 10 favorite non-Rumble Royal Rumble matches. 

In late 2011 Daniel Bryan took advantage of Mark Henry and the Big Show and cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase, winning his first World Championship. The odds were stacked against Bryan a short time later at the 2012 Royal Rumble as he defended the gold against both giants inside a steel cage. 

My son & I were there!

Unlike the previous matches I've chosen for this series of blogs, this one did not really advance to much of anything else after it was over. But I picked it because I'm a Daniel Bryan fan AND I was live in the crowd for this event with my 10 year old son. It was his first pay per view event and the first Royal Rumble I'd ever attended. This Rumble also marked the 25th anniversary for the event and featured the return of the inaugural winner "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, but I digress. I should also note this was the best incarnation of the Mark Henry character through his career. I was big fan of his championship run leading to this match.

Caught!
Courtesy: My 1-2-3 Cents

My son wanted Big Show to win, I wanted Bryan to retain, which is what happened. Bryan was heelish in the match, and in the closing moments broke up Big Show's pin attempt on Henry. Then he scaled to the top of the cage only to be captured by Show. The champ struggled to escape and Big Show grabbed him again. Eventually Bryan dropped to the arena floor and gloated with the big gold belt in his hands. 

Winner!
Courtesy: WWE

That may had been his most impressive win up until that point and only to be reinforced after he dropped the belt to the Rumble winner Sheamus in 18 seconds at WrestleMania 28. Obviously things would change in the coming years and Bryan would grow to be one of the most beloved Superstars of this era of wrestling.


10 Favorite Non-Rumble Royal Rumble matches

10. Super Posedown

9. Harts Broken

8. All fired up

My First Time

Photo courtesy: @TheHistoryofWWE on Twitter

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Although I share a lot on this blog, I'm not going where you might think I am with the title of this post. I'm referring to the first live wrestling matches I ever attended.  Thanks to the power of social media, and @TheHistoryofWWE on Twitter, I confirmed the date.

December 27, 1984, my dad, brother, uncles, cousins, and friends headed to the famed St. Louis Arena for a night of WWF action.  Hulk Hogan defended his WWF championship against Brutus Beefcake, long before he became known as "The Barber." A vile "Rowdy" Roddy Piper locked up with the Junkyard Dog, with Lou Thesz as the special guest referee, and "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka battled Piper's main man "Cowboy" Bob Orton.

Looking back on the night, it was a who's who of the WWE Hall of Fame these days.  The notable absence being Andre the Giant, who I unfortunately never got to see wrestle in person.  But that night at the Arena was so much fun none-the-less.  I had been watching wrestling for just over a year at that point.  I had become a fanatic about it earlier in the year.  I was just buying into the whole "Hulkamania" craze, so, of course, we all went wild when the Hulkster defeated Beefcake in the main event.

We had floor seats at the show and probably sat about eight rows back.  Fans weren't as obnoxious back then as they are now, holding up signs and standing to block the view with every out-of-the-ring moment.  But since we were young marks, we'd run to the entrance side before and after each match, holding to slap hands with the greatness that was before us.  

Unfortunately, I did not bring a camera to this event and capture the action, but many of the moments are still burned in my brain.  Orton and Piper double-teamed Snuka and dropped him crotch-first on the top rope.  That prompted an angry JYD to run off the heels.  Beefcake hit a beautiful high knee (his finisher) in what we thought might end the reign of Hogan, but the Hulkster kicked out and mustered the strength to win.  I also remember feeling bad for SD Jones and watching him go down in defeat to the Spoiler.  I always had a soft spot for Special Delivery, may he rest in peace.  The night also featured a very young, Bret Hart as he wrestled soon to be manager Johnny V to a draw.

The action reaffirmed my love for wrestling and set me on the path of remaining an obsessed fan.  Who knew that night so many years ago would lead me to several more house shows, live WrestleManias, and even a chance to step inside the squared circle.  Thanks to my dad for taking me and sharing that special memory with my brother.  What a night.

Gone, But Not Forgotten: Bruiser Brody

Rest in Peace Frank Goodish
aka Bruiser Brody
1946-1988

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents

July 17, 1988 one of wrestling's greatest stars was taken away from us.  Bruiser Brody was one of the best big men in the sport, hands down.  He stood 6'8" and tipped the scales at more than 300 pounds.  He seemed invincible with his giant frame, long, black hair, furry boots, and that unmistakable "husk" chant.  But we learned that wasn't true after he was stabbed in the stomach in a locker room in Puerto Rico and died the next day.

I had only been a wrestling fan a few years at the time of Brody's murder.  I had the honor of seeing him once in person as he took on Ric Flair for the NWA world heavyweight title in St. Louis.  The year was 1985, and Flair intentionally got himself disqualified.  Even though Brody never won the world title, he was well respected by the fans, writers, and wrestlers around this country.  The magazine Wrestling Superstars named him the best in the world one year (I think it was 1986), where he just edged out Flair for the top spot.

He wrestled all over the world, spending a lot of time in Japan and Puerto Rico.  I first took notice of him in World Class Championship Wrestling and Wrestling at the Chase.  He played a face in both companies, but when he showed up in the AWA he was a brutal villain.  Brody waged war with the Gagnes, probably doing more than he should have to help Greg look like a credible threat.

He teamed with the Von Erichs, and feuded with the likes of the One Man Gang, Kamala, and Abdullah the Butcher.  In fact, Abby was his last opponent when they wrestled in a tag team match.  Danny Spivey and the Butcher defeated Brody and Carlos Colon.

Brody in action

Brody was in his early 40's at the time of his death.  There didn't seem to be any signs of him slowing down, so I can only imagine what might have happened with his career.  He never wrestled for the WWF, I often wonder what Vince McMahon might have done with him.  I imagine he'd have a different character and would have likely been fed to Hulk Hogan.  Some dream matches I would have loved to see with Brody include him taking on Andre the Giant (in a WWF ring), Cactus Jack, and the Undertaker.

Hopefully one day this legend will take his place in the WWE Hall of Fame.