Rumble Rambings: 1993

Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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I'm hoping (but not committing) to watch several Royal Rumbles leading up to the 2016 event and just posting random thoughts of the match.  I'm not doing these in any order.  Today I'm starting with 1993.  I decided to watch it because I hadn't seen it since it first aired 23 years ago.  This was also the first time the stipulation included a championship match at Wrestlemania for the winner.

I miss these two...
Courtesy: WWE

• I miss Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon as a team.  It's nice watching a show and the entire time the commentary team is focused on the action at hand.  No Network shills.  No "Royal Rumble is trending on Twitter!" comments.  The back and forth between these two was always magical.  Heenan's quick wit has never been matched, ever.  And Monsoon's responses were always great.  "Will you stop?!?"

Flair, Backlund and DiBiase
Courtesy: WWE

• Ric Flair was days away from leaving WWF and started the Rumble as number one.  The second entrant was another former champion: Bob Backlund.  Keep in mind Flair is about six months older than Backlund, but Heenan and Monsoon focused on Backlund's age and his comeback.  They weren't the only two to do that during Backlund's return.  I just found it funny how Backlund was a hero for being so "old" and returning, while Flair had just finished a run as champ.

Carlos Colon
Courtesy: WWE

• Speaking of age, when Carlos Colon hit the ring, Gorilla referred to the Caribbean champion as a "youngster."  He was older than Backlund and Flair and had been wrestling nearly 30 years by the time the '93 Rumble rolled around.  This was his first appearance on WWF TV I believe, so maybe he was a youngster to the company???

Introducing Giant Gonzalez
Courtesy: WWE

• I hate when a guy gets eliminated by someone who has already been tossed from the match.  In this particular event it was Mr. Perfect.  He got taken out by Jerry "The King" Lawler who had been dumped to the floor moments earlier.  But the biggest miscarriage of justice (a Gorilliaism) was when the Giant Gonzalez appeared out of no where and took out the Undertaker.  Gonzalez wasn't even in the match and was making his debut that night.  How does that work?  

• Typhoon and Earthquake collectively were known as the Natural Disasters.  The two had a run as tag team champions.  But for some reason when Earthquake entered the match he immediately went after his partner and eliminated him.  I'm certain nothing ever developed from this.  Just a weird moment in the Rumble I guess.

The final two
Courtesy: WWE

• How did "Macho Man" Randy Savage go from the second to the last man in the ring to working on the announce team at Wrestlemania IX?  Considering Savage's pedigree I still don't know what happened there (keep in mind he wrestled a year later at Wrestlemania X).  And while I'm on it, why was the 1989 winner, Big John Studd merely a guest referee at Wrestlemania V?
  

It's fun looking back on these now "classic" Rumble matches.  Until next time...

Motivational Monday: Your vibe attracts your tribe

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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Disclaimer: I am not an expert, but the advice dispensed here has been researched or is something that has worked for me in the past.  Proceed at your own risk...

I saw that quote on Facebook earlier today and it gave me inspiration for this post.  I truly believe that surrounding yourself with positive people who are on the same mission as you is the best way to get through the obstacles and roadblocks you encounter when attempting to achieve your goals.  Whether you want to be a better person or quit smoking or exercise more.  Find people on similar missions and work together.  Look for those who are doing well for motivation and inspiration.

Courtesy: Harness Digital Marketing

I've met a lot of positive people in my 42 years on this planet.  But I'm tying in one of my friends, Tom Harness, with this post today.  This morning he presented a check for more than $3,400 to the veterans group Team RWB (Marion chapter).  He raised the money in December by wearing an ugly (fugly) Christmas sweater.  

The fugly suit on News 3 This Morning

He visited businesses in our region of southern Illinois for a photo opp and a donation.  His original goal was a thousand bucks, but he quickly surpassed that.  Tom's passion to help others isn't limited to veterans.  I know he's reached out and helped countless other groups and individuals.  He and his team at Harness Digital Marketing are making  a difference in the lives of people not just here, but around the country and I'd venture to say even the world.

Courtesy: Harness Digital Marketing & Team RWB

I aspire to be more like Tom not just as an influential person in our community, but also as a person in general.  His friendship (and love of craft beer) is something I truly value.  Find those people in your community who stand out and do good things.   Step out of your comfort zone and make new friends.  I think that's sometimes harder for adults, but it's definitely rewarding in the long run.  

Is it 2016 or 1998?

Courtesy WWE

By Chad Smart

@chadsmart & @my123cents on Twitter
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I’m probably in the minority but I hated the main even to the 1/4/16 RAW. I will admit the main reason I hated the WWE title match between Sheamus and Roman Reigns with Vince McMahon as referee was because it wasn’t fresh.  It was paint by number rehash. Sort of the same way I’m not going crazy over the new Star Wars movie, but more on that in a future blog. 

I get what WWE is trying to do with Roman Reigns. The problem is anyone who watched wrestling during the Attitude Era saw this same storyline of the evil owner McMahon not wanting the “popular” (I use quotes only because I’m not sure how popular Reigns really is at the moment) face to be champion. It worked back in 1998-9 because it was something new and because Steve Austin had the charisma and popularity to get the audience behind him. Right now, Roman Reigns doesn’t’ have that organic support. I don’t know how many people are clamoring for Reigns to be champion. 

A big problem from a logic standpoint, and long time readers know how much we talk about wrestling logic here, is if the McMahon’s don’t want Reigns to be champion why do they put him in situations to earn title shots? Or, why even have him employed in the first place? Vince and Stephanie don’t like that Roman beat up Triple H, strip Reigns of the title and banish him to Superstars in a never-ending feud with Fandango. Just don’t insult my intelligence by having a title match where the special referee refuses to count a pin fall for Reigns while doing fast counts for Sheamus. 

I am intrigued by the stipulation of Reigns defending the title in the Royal Rumble match. I wonder if this is being done because for the first time that I can remember, the Royal Rumble is going head to head with either the AFC or NFC title game. By putting Reigns in the actual Rumble match there is now some uncertainty into the outcome.  Will Reigns retain and face a challenger to be decided at the next monthly special or will he lose and have to earn the chance to regain the title at Wrestlemania? Personally, I hope Reigns doesn’t lose at Royal Rumble and then regains at Wrestlemania. I’m not a fan of titles changing that frequently. 

I’m going to sound like a broken record but whatever direction WWE decides to go with Reigns, as a fan, I simply wish they would ditch the authority figures. Austin-McMahon happened nearly 20 years ago. If WWE hadn’t been trying to redo the same story every 2 years since then, maybe I’d feel differently about the McMahons trying to sabotage Roman’s reign. Right now though, I’m tired of the same old same old. 

On another note, can Fozzy finally become a big enough band to keep Chris Jericho from making another WWE comeback? Talk about played out.

Motivational Monday: Pay yourself to succeed

One of my favorites from the Rock

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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Disclaimer: I am not an expert, but the advice dispensed here has been researched or is something that has worked for me in the past.  Proceed at your own risk...

I'm starting something new here on the blog.  It's called Motivational Monday.   Most of us probably made a New Year's resolution last week.  We're four days into 2016 and you may have already fallen off the wagon.  If you have, don't fret.  Here's an idea from the team at Cleveland Clinic:  Pay yourself to succeed.  

Here's how it works.  Set your goal.  For example if you want to work out more, come up with a schedule to go to the gym or to just work out.  When you work toward that goal, put some money into a jar with the intent on spending it on an expensive item you wouldn't normally buy yourself.  Maybe you have your eye on a new iPhone or a GoPro or a vacation. 

Here's the important part, don't spend the money until you've reached the cost of the "prize."  Determine how much you can afford to throw into the jar according to your budget.  The idea is for this to take more than a few weeks to achieve.  If you miss a day of working out, it's no big deal.  Get back on track and continue to drop that money in the jar.

You can come up with a similar plan if your intention is to quit smoking.  When you make it through a day without lighting up, put in the amount equivalent to what you spend on cigarettes each day.  Or if you want to stop eating fast food, put the cash in when you don't go through a drive thru.  Your money is still being spent, but you're rewarding yourself and changing a habit at the same time.

Day 2 of working out
Gold's Gym, Marion

Experts say it takes about 63 days to change a behavior, so don't expect rock hard abs on January 30 or to have lost 30 pounds by the end of the month.  Remember, you can do it. Share your tips here.  Good luck and Happy New Year.

A golden opportunity

Good as gold

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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On January 1, I posted a blog about how running had made me fat.  That post caught the eye of a friend of mine, Tyler.  I met him years ago when I was doing commentary for All American Pro Wrestling and he was one of the company's top wrestlers.  We've stayed in touch through the years and recently he reached out to me with an offer.

Tyler in action

Tyler works at Gold's Gym and has helped transform the lives of many people over the years. Now I'm on that list of makeovers.  It's only day one, but I'm ready.  We met this morning for a workout and a talk about nutrition.  Some of the things he told me I knew, but he also gave me some good information.

"Abs start in the kitchen."  I'm eating every three or four hours now and cutting out sugar as much as possible.  I've already started stocking up on healthier snacks like almonds and nuts.  Raw vegetables and fresh fruit won't have time to expire anymore.  I'm determined more now than ever to make 2016 the year of the abs.  Tyler says we'll find them by June.  I'll keep you posted.

Don't stop believin'

Christmas 2005

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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It's the end of an era here at the Hunsperger household.  My daughter hit double digits in 2015 and I knew the inevitable was around the corner.  Right before Christmas she started asking about Santa.  I danced around the topic, hoping to have one last Christmas of her believing in the big guy.  I can't explain why it was so important to me, it just was.

Last pic with Santa... for now

Apparently the other night she asked my wife what the deal is, and she explained it to her.  Brooke is in fourth grade and at 10 years old, I suspect most of her friends have already had the conversation with their parents.  We told her older brothers when they were eight and nine years old.  Because they're so close in age we had the conversation at the same time with them.

Nick the Elf vs. Harry Potter

While I'm sad this phase of our family life has passed, I'm proud that she asked and wanted to know more about the tradition.  This doesn't change anything in terms of our love of Christmas.  It also won't keep me from continuing the Elf on the Shelf tradition.  I have just as much fun with that as Brooke did finding "Nick" each morning.  We never used the elf as a way of modifying our kids' behavior.  It's always just been a fun game we've played.

How running made me fat

Finishing the Shawnee Marathon

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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Let me clarify.  The headline was admittedly to get you here.  I don't really blame running on my recent weight gain. But my mindset after I run.  In 2015 I ran more than ever before, logging 793 miles.  I ran a half marathon, a full marathon, a relay race and several 5Ks.   So it was a good year for running.

Wrapping up 2015

While my mileage went up, so did my weight.  It's nothing drastic, but I am about 10 pounds heavier than I was a year ago.  I weighed myself this morning (New Year's Day) and I'm at 193.6 pounds.  I'm not complaining, but I'm not happy with the way things are right now.

When I run and see that I've burned hundreds of calories, I justify making a less healthy choice later that day.  Over the fall I became addicted to peanut butter and apple butter sandwiches at lunch.  I've also started using flavored coffee creamers, and after two or three cups a day, the calories add up. I'm now limiting myself to one coffee a day with the creamer, the rest of my cups are just black.

January 1, 2016
I'm not pregnant

For the last couple of years I've declared it the year I find my abs.  Obviously, that's still not happened.  I took that pic above this morning after weighing myself.  I've also started the 30 Day Ab Challenge.  I know that abs are built in the kitchen, and I'm changing my eating habits and trying to conquer my sweet tooth.  It's not going to be easy, but I know it can be done.  

In addition to the Ab Challenge, I plan to increase the number of times I hit the gym.  I'll also work more DDP Yoga into my life and of course, I'll keep running.  My first meal of the new year was a spinach, banana, blueberry and peanut butter smoothie.  It's pretty good and good for me too (at least I hope).