Hello, my name is...

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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Today is Middle Name Pride Day, and it reminded me of my youth and a time when I was less than ready to share mine with the world.  Growing up, I didn't tell many friends because it's a "girl's name." My middle name is Leslie.  I realize as an adult, it isn't just a name for girls.  But that's a complex concept growing up, especially when you're getting razzed about it.

Grandpa & Grandpa Bresler with my mom

I'm actually proud to have the middle name.  Leslie was my maternal grandfather's middle name as well.  Harry Leslie Bresler, Sr. was born in 1928 and served our country as a member of the United States Navy during World War II.  He met and married my grandmother, and they had three children.

Grandpa Bresler
St. Patrick's Day, 1967

At 38, my grandpa died in an accident at work.  My mom was only a teenager, so my brother and I never knew him.  His middle name is a gift to me and a way to continue his legacy.  But even with that mindset, I hesitated when naming our son when he was born.  I didn't want him to be made fun of for having a "girl's" name, too, so we opted for something different.

Kevin Leslie and Brooke Leslie

Nearly six years later, when our daughter was born, my wife and I made a decision that no matter the new baby's gender, the middle name was going to be Leslie.  So my daughter Brooke and I share a middle name.  I remember how proud my grandma was when she learned her great-granddaughter would be the fourth generation to have Leslie as a middle name.

So to all my friends who never knew, my middle name is not Les, Lester, or Lee like I'd implied many years ago.  It's Leslie, and I'm proud to share it.

Hall of Fame to serve hard time

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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I was happy to see earlier today that the WWE is inducting the Big Bossman into the Hall of Fame this year.  He was one of the best big men in the business.  He captured everyone's attention as Big Bubba Rogers, defending the honor of Jim Cornette and the Midnight Express.  

Bossman vs. Hogan
Courtesy: WWE

Bubba quickly stepped out of that role and became an established star when he pinned the One Man Gang for the UWF Heavyweight title.  Eventually he'd make to the land of big men, the WWF, and take on a new persona as the Big Bossman.  He prison guard from Cobb County, Georgia almost immediately took aim at Hulk Hogan.  The cage match between the two on Saturday Night's Main Event in 1989 proved to me that Bossman had truly earned his stripes.

Bossman vs. Mr. Perfect
Courtesy: WWE

A face turn a year later and a significant amount of weight loss made Bossman even better in the ring.  He was quicker and more agile and still as aggressive as ever.  Feuds with Ted DiBiase, Mr. Perfect and The Mountie are a few of my favorite from that era.  He very nearly walked out of WrestleMania VII with the Intercontinental Championship.

Hardcore Champion
Courtesy: WWE

But all good things must come to an end and Bossman went back to WCW, under several different gimmicks.  I was happy to see him return to WWF a few years later as an updated version of the Big Bossman.  He and Ken Shamrock won the tag team titles and Bossman held the Hardcore Championship too. But let's not speak of the Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania XIV or the Kennel from Hell match.  

In 1998 I had a chance to interview Ray Traylor (along with Bobby Heenan) who had just left the nWo in WCW.  He's in character for it and it's very brief, but I appreciate the chance to have met him.  May he rest in peace.

Motivational Monday: If plan A fails...

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...

Goal setting is an important part of finding success.  Many times we are determined to make something happen and only look at one way of accomplishing that goal.  When we fail, we throw our hands up and quit.  But all successful people will tell you failure is many times a reason for their success.

Col. Sanders

Henry Ford went broke five times before creating the Ford Motor Company.   Harland David Sanders, the man we know as Col. Sanders, was reportedly rejected 1,009 times before a restaurant accepted his secret chicken recipe.  The rest is finger-licking good history.  And one of my favorite stories involves Walt Disney. He was fired from a newspaper job because he "lacked imagination and had no good ideas."  We all know what happened after that. Next week's Motivational Monday will be dedicated to Mr. Disney.

There are plenty more success stories who started off as failures.  Abraham Lincoln, the Wright Brothers, Thomas Edison and even modern day successes like Jerry Seinfeld, Oprah and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson hit obstacles along the way.  They kept moving forward and wouldn't accept failure.  You shouldn't either. 

If plan A doesn't work, remember, there are 25 more letters in the alphabet.  Heck, if you go through to Z, restart with AA.  You can reach your goals.  Just remove the words "I can't" from your vocabulary.

Legacies the WWE needs

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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There's no shortage of second and third generation Superstars in WWE.  Notables on the current roster include Charlotte, Bray Wyatt, The Usos and Natalya.  Being the son or daughter of a legendary wrestler can be a double-edged sword.  We've seen some rise to new heights, while others struggled to make a name for themselves.  Here are a few legacies I'd like to see in WWE sometime soon.

Ross, Kevin and Marshall Von Erich

Rumors that Marshall and Ross Von Erich are going to be a part of NXT have been circulating for quite some time.  The sons of WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Von Erich and grandsons of the late, great Fritz Von Erich (also in the HOF) are amazing in the ring.  They worked briefly for TNA and do a lot of wrestling in Japan.  Growing up I was a huge fan of the Von Erichs and these two young men have picked up where their father and uncles left off.  They've inherited the talent from Kerry and Kevin and take it to the next level.  With WrestleMania being in Dallas this year, I'm still holding out hope that they'll be a part of the NXT show Friday night.  

Tessa in action
(Courtesy: BK Photography)

Tessa Blanchard would be an excellent addition to the Divas Revolution.  She's the daughter of Four Horsemen original and WWE Hall of Famer Tully Blanchard and granddaughter of Joe Blanchard.  Her stepdad is the great Magnum TA, so she's surrounded by wrestling greatness.  Her sling shot back suplex reminds me of her father's finisher 30 years ago.  Tessa is only 20 years old, but has a couple of years experience already.  She will continue to develop and hone her craft and I have no doubt we'll see her on Raw one day soon, and as more than just a member of Adam Rose's entourage.  

Richie Steamboat
(Courtesy: WWE)

Richie Steamboat was a talented member of the FCW roster when it was WWE's developmental territory. He held the FCW title and was a tag champion with Seth Rollins.  Richie is no longer wrestling because of an injury and surgery.  However, in the wrestling business you never say never.   His father, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat (also in the hall of fame) came back after a 15 year hiatus and wowed the crowd at WrestleMania 25.  He stuck around briefly and wrestled Chris Jericho a few more times.  I have no idea what Richie is up to these days, but with his bloodline, hopefully he's able to get in the ring again and make his way to the main roster.  

Accountability Blog: A picture speaks a thousand words

By Chad Smart

@chadsmart & @my123cents on Twitter
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January 1: 190 Pounds
March 1: 173 Pounds

It’s only been two months since I started the #OperationFindMyAbs in earnest, but I can already see the results. This was made clear last week when Facebook reminded me how out of shape I was by bringing up a past memory. Earlier in the week I had joked with a friend after watching an episode of My 600 Pound Life that if my face ever looked like a live version of the happy face emoticon to let me know. I guess Facebook took my suggestion seriously because I couldn’t believe how much 2014 me could have been used in a text message to express happiness. 

Happy face emoticon 

When I decided to get serious about trying to get in shape, I told Kevin my short-term goal was to get down to 170 pounds by the time Wrestlemania week rolled around. While I should be able to hit that goal by the time we roll into Dallas on April 1, I’ve still got a ways to go to reach my ultimate goal. I still can’t see any abs and I need to work on building muscle now that I’ve gotten rid of most of the fat. This next month is going to be a real test of my willpower. 

As Kevin mentioned in his accountability blog for this month, there were some moments of weakness and setbacks in the last month. I had to go home for a funeral then went straight from there to San Jose for a weekend of hockey. I actually put on two pounds during that week due to lack of exercise and poor eating. 

At the end of March, in addition to spending a week in Texas for WrestleMania, the week before I’ll be going around upstate New York, Montreal and Ottawa in the ongoing quest to see all 30 NHL teams play at home. Two weeks on the road avoiding fast food and making sure to get in a daily workout won’t be easy. Even if I should suffer a setback, my determination will not be broken. The journey of 1000 miles starts with one step.

Birds of a feather...

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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The Fabulous Freebirds will join Sting and the Godfather in the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2016.  This has been speculated for some time and is a long overdue honor for Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, Buddy Roberts and Jimmy Garvin.

Hayes & Kerry Von Erich scuffle

I grew up in the 80's when wrestling was going through a rebirth.  One of my favorite promotions at that time was World Class Championship Wrestling.  I was a huge mark for Kerry Von Erich.  In fact the moment when Gordy slammed the steel cage door in Kerry's face while he was wrestling Ric Flair is one of my first wrestling memories.  I became hooked as the Freebirds and Von Erich brothers engaged in one of the greatest rivalries the business has ever seen.  

'Birds in New York (the first time) 

The 'Birds briefly left Texas for WWF, but not with much success.  Eventually they would return to World Class and Hayes would align with the Von Erichs in one of the most unlikely, but awesome relationships in wrestling.  Hayes would reunite with Gordy in WCW as "Bam Bam" helped P.S. win the U.S. title from Lex Luger.  

WCW Freebirds

Hayes and Freebird ally Jimmy Garvin would bring new life to the team and win the WCW World and U.S. tag team titles.  They quickly became a duo I loved to hate.  While they lacked the luster of the original trio, I always thought Hayes and Garvin were underrated as a unit.  I'm glad WWE is including Garvin in the induction.  Thanks for the memories.

March is coming in like a ... PIG

Oink!

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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Forget the lion and the lamb.  For this guy, March is moving in more like a pig.  February was a rough month keeping on course with my fitness and nutrition goals.  I can sit here and list excuses as to why I didn't hit the gym as often as I was supposed to or why I ate and drank in excess several times, but that's a waste of all our time.

Ab workout

Excuses don't mean anything.  The time has come and gone and I'm refocusing on the task at hand.  By this point in my program, which started January 3, I was hoping to see better results.  Looking in the mirror, I don't notice any significant changes.

I take responsibility for this set back.  I'm going to take the lessons learned over the last 29 days and make different choices.  March too will be a rough month.  I'm already mentally planning what I'm going to eat and when I'm going to workout when we hit Disney World.  

Beer:30

On a positive note, I've kept my intake of sweet treats pretty low. February's gluttony included alcohol, a lot of Mexican food and more diet soda than I normally drink. I slacked in the last week of the month with workouts too.  But as we flip the page on a new month, I'm reminding myself this is a fresh start.  

Zack Ryder

Warmer temperatures in the spring months and training for an upcoming relay race should add some miles to my running app and I've found a new workout program courtesy of WWE Superstar Zack Ryder.  Hopefully by the end of March the pig is gone and I'm roaring like a lion.