My 1-2-3 Cents : Steve Austin

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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

Monday, January 15, 2018

Goldberg spears his way into the Hall of Fame

Goldberg in WWE (2017)
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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WWE and ESPN announced Monday morning that former WCW, WWE and Universal Champion Goldberg is going into the WWE Hall of Fame. No doubt he'll be the "main event" of the Class of 2018 when the ceremony is held the Friday night prior to WrestleMania 34. There had been rumors circulating for weeks, maybe even months that Goldberg would go in this year.

When he returned to WWE in late 2016 it was clear any tensions between he and the company were put aside. That is often the case as we've seen mended fences come between WWE and the likes of Kurt Angle, Bruno Sammartino and The Ultimate Warrior in recent years. Goldberg's induction is well deserved. I know some reading that sentence may be surprised as I've been a pretty outspoken Goldberg critic on this blog and on the My 1-2-3 Cents podcast. Despite not being a fan of the performer, it's hard to argue the contributions he made to the business during his brief run in the late 90s.

Goldberg vs. Kendall Windham
Courtesy: WWE

I actually met Goldberg when he was still using Bill as his first name in the ring. It was at the Von Braun Civic Center in Huntsville, Alabama. WCW was broadcasting Thursday Night Thunder on January 21, 1998. I was able to interview a handful of WCW wrestlers, the first being Goldberg. However, my videographer and I recorded some video of the ring being set up that night and Doug Dillinger took our tape and erased it. The Goldberg interview was lost forever, but my interviews with Bobby Heenan, Buff Bagwell and Ray Traylor will live on YouTube.

Goldberg was a nice guy and treated me well throughout the course of the interview. However, his character never resonated with me. I will admit that's likely a bias on my part as I grew up a wrestling fan but always put WWF first. Goldberg's rise was at the peak of the Monday Night Wars and I was firmly behind Vince McMahon and company.

Rock vs. Goldberg
Courtesy: WWE

Even years later when Goldberg appeared in WWE I was less than thrilled and to no fact of his own. My thoughts were that ship had sailed. I wanted to see the big names from WCW come over immediately, but because many of the top guys had big-time contracts with AOL/Time Warner they opted to stay on the sidelines and continue to get paid. Dream matches like Goldberg vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin never happened.

Courtesy: WWE

Goldberg made a difference in the business and deserves the recognition he receives as a result. The man behind the character appears to be a standup guy and I'm happy he was able to come back and win the Universal Championship in front of his young son who had never seen him wrestle. Congrats to Goldberg as he takes his official place in wrestling (sports entertainment) history.

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Topps & BOOM! Studios joins forces with WWE

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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For decades, people have been able to pick up a comic book at their favorite shop and read it. When I was a kid, I never really got into this trend. However, I did buy a few comics in my day, but I would never consider myself an expert on the subject. For that check out Greg Mehochko's Nerds United podcast on the Jittery Monkey Podcasting Network. Baseball cards also have a rich history but are another medium I never invested in. However, I still have a TON of WWF trading cards from the mid-1980s.

On Wednesday afternoon, I received a press release from The Topps Company that they've teamed up with BOOM! Studios on creating a WWE Comic Cover Card Set. Instead of going to the store to pick up cards or comics, they're now available on your smartphone or tablet. This week Topps debuted seven "Then, Now, Forever" covers. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the Rock and Dean Ambrose are among the Superstars included.

The company goes on to say starting in September, fans can get new covers each month from BOOM! Studios WWE comics. Classic covers will gradually be added to the collection too. Topps WWE Slam is an official trading card app of WWE and is available in the App and Google Play Stores.

The comics by BOOM! Studios look amazing. Even though I don't buy or read comics, I appreciate the work that goes in to putting them together. The story of a recent copy did make me chuckle, as this was the synopsis: "With the help of Sasha Banks, the Lunatic Fringe embarks on his own fury road to snag the Money in the Bank briefcase that is rightfully his." I'm curious how the story ends.

The card collecting seems timeless still as well. Topps has more than just baseball and WWE cards. There is even a collection hyping the upcoming match between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor. It's definitely worth taking a closer look at on these links.

BOOM! Studios
The Topps Company

Thursday, June 29, 2017

My managerial Mt. Rushmore

@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.

Saturday, March 4, 2017

Goldberg doesn't need the Universal Championship

Face to face
Courtesy: WWE

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I know I've been critical of Goldberg since his return right before the Survivor Series in late 2016. My criticism isn't meant to be negative, I'm just expressing the other side of the argument as many fans are popping over his return. I preface this all with the caveat: I've never been a Goldberg fan. I don't hate the guy, I just never connected with him as a fan. I think in part because I was always a WWF guy over WCW in the Monday Night Wars, but even when he signed with WWE in 2003, I felt "meh."

But putting my own thoughts and feelings to the side for a moment, I see the value in bringing back legends. Society in general loves nostalgia. That's why shows and cartoons from the 80s are coming back in big screen form. Yes, I've seen The Smurfs Movie, Scooby-Doo and the new Ghostbusters. I will probably go see Baywatch later this year. And I marked out when the Rock came back. But I don't think he should have had a run with the belt again.

Goldberg
Courtesy: WWE

As much as I love seeing my favorites come back and work with the current roster, I find value in those former Superstars helping establish the future. The Rock killing the Wyatt Family last year at WrestleMania and Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels and Mick Foley beating up on The League of Nations did nothing for these full-time Superstars. Putting the Universal Championship on Goldberg this weekend will be another example of that.

Kevin Owens
Courtesy: WWE

I know there will be those who argue Kevin Owens looks more like a pro bowler than a pro wrestler and a "fat guy" shouldn't be representing WWE. I couldn't disagree more and I've laid out my points on that in the past so I won't rehash it here. A year from now Owens will still be around. Will Goldberg? What about in five years? I'm not suggesting Owens cleanly beat Goldberg, especially considering Goldberg is headed to Mania against Brock Lesnar, but I don't think he should be going into the event as champion either.

Owens vs. Jericho
Courtesy: WWE

I don't read spoilers or speculation usually so I don't know what the plan is right now. But in my 1-2-3 cents, Goldberg will win by either disqualification or count out. This can set up Owens-Jericho at Mania with both the U.S. and Universal championships on the line. By dirty means, Owens wins both (Jericho is allegedly going to tour with Fozzy next month). Then Owens can drop the Universal Championship to Finn Balor and I'll be quiet (not likely) about the situation. But putting the gold on Goldberg is a band-aid solution that does nothing to help the current crop of Superstars.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Wrestling mysteries that were never solved

Owens wins
Courtesy: WWE

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

This blog is probably going to end up being more cynical than I planned, but I really don't have much to say about Raw from Monday (I haven't finished the show) and I am really making an effort to be more positive with my posts. This will stray from that, but I'll be back on course tomorrow as the blogging streak continues. Today I am looking at a few mysteries in wrestling that never seemed to be solved.

Why did Triple H help Kevin Owens win the WWE Universal Championship? There is still time to answer this, and I think had Seth Rollins not gotten hurt we might be an answer to that question in the near future. Sometimes as fans we get impatient and want to know details as they start to unfold. As we learned in 2013/14 the slow burn is worth the wait. And yes I know allegedly the original plan was not for Daniel Bryan to go all the way to the top at WrestleMania XXX.

The McMahons vs. Austin
Courtesy: WWE

Who was pulling the briefcase during The McMahons vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin? This ladder match was for the title of CEO of the WWF. The briefcase that hung above the ring could only be reached via a ladder and when Austin climbed to the top, the case suddenly got yanked away. This eventually allowed the McMahons to regain control, climb the ladder and retain control of the company.

Hummer collision
Courtesy: WWE

Who was in the white Hummer that nearly destroyed Kevin Nash? Before WCW folded, Nash was involved in a storyline with Randy Savage. Savage drove a limo that Nash was inside and parked it before someone in a white Hummer slammed into the luxury car several times. The Macho Man told viewers it was his new bodyguard that we would meet later, but guess what, we never did.

GTV is always watching
Courtesy: WWE

Who was behind G-TV? WWE fans watched as someone had set up a camera backstage and was spying on Superstars and Divas. The feed was played for months, but we never learned the mastermind. Bruce Prichard recently revealed it was supposed to be Goldust, but he departed the company before the payoff.

These are just a few things I've questioned as a wrestling fan. What storylines never had a resolution that you're curious about?

Sunday, September 4, 2016

Bret Hart's 20 year deal

Happier times for Vince McMahon & Bret Hart
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
Listen to the podcast

In the fall of 1996 Vince McMahon's WWF was losing the Monday Night Wars. The WWF's flagship show, Monday Night Raw was getting whooped each week by WCW's Monday Nitro. Big time former WWF Superstars like Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Razor Ramon and Diesel had all jumped ship. Roddy Piper was soon to head south as well.

McMahon was worried about losing his remaining big stars and in an effort to keep his popular former champion, Bret "The Hitman" Hart in place, he offered the Excellence of Execution a 20 year contract. Had the deal been honored, Hart would just now be wrapping up that obligation. It's hard to believe two decades have passed since then and all the things that happened in between.

The Montreal Screwjob
Courtesy: WWE

We know a year into the deal McMahon and Hart came to the conclusion it would be in Bret's best interest to sign with WCW. Bruce Prichard and Conrad Thompson talk at length about the situation in the most recent episode of Something to Wrestle With.

It would definitely be interesting to see what would have happened had Vince not been in a financial bind and allow Bret to negotiate with WCW. The Montreal Screwjob would have never happened. That moment is what many people believe helped turn the tide for the WWF in the battle for ratings supremacy. Would the Monday Night Wars have been a thing? Would WCW continue to run roughshod over WWF? How much longer would Bret have wrestled before transitioning into an agent?

Bret vs. Goldberg
Courtesy: WWE

Bret was 40 when he left for WCW. He was one of the most active and hardest working guys in the ring. He could have easily continued on for at least a few years. We all know he suffered that career ending injury against Goldberg in 2000. He likely would have stayed in the ring full-time in WWF until 2002 (age 45) before moving into a behind the scenes guy. But Hart would have still been a part of programming, much like Sgt. Slaughter, Pat Patterson and Mick Foley did after their respective retirements.

Competition between WCW and WWF would have carried on, but I don't know that Vince would have bought WCW without the screwjob to launch it all. That's when we saw Mr. McMahon develop as a bad guy and a whole new way of producing wrestling shows was born.

Bret vs. Vince
Courtesy: WWE

What do you think? Did Hart's departure aid in the WWF's eventual dominance in the Monday Night Wars? Would there have been another hot angle to help launch the assault had Bret stayed? Steve Austin was destined to become champion, but with the foil of Mr. McMahon ratings started going through the roof for the company.

Monday, April 4, 2016

WrestleMania 32: Woo! Woo! Woooooo!

By Kevin Hunsperger & Chad Smart

@kevinhunsperger, @chadsmart, @my123cents

Listen to the podcast
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WrestleMania 32 is in the books. We're still on the road and heading to Raw Monday night. The WiFi is spotty here so instead of a blog, please listen to our recap podcast.

http://jitterymonkey.com/category/my123cents/

Friday, January 22, 2016

Rumble Ramblings: 1997

1997
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
Listen to the podcast