Scariest of All-Time: Demolition

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Ax and Smash, collectively known as Demolition, was the most dominant tag team in the WWF in the late 1980s. When the duo first appeared in the company in 1987, the instilled fear in their opponents and fans' hearts. Some criticized Ax and Smash for being a cheap imitation of the Road Warriors. However, Demolition was not a rip off of Hawk and Animal and instead created their own legacy in wrestling.

I loved most of the run the two had. I loved them as good guys and bad guys. They just clicked and never really changed their ways; they just refocused who they were beating up. 

It wasn't until the summer of 1990 that the team lost its luster for me when they added Crush to the mix. No offense to Crush, but it was like bringing in a younger co-star for a TV show that's losing its appeal. For me, the three-man version just didn't work. When the team dissolved in 1991, it turns out it was probably for the best. But what a great three or so years they had at the top of the tag team world. 

Scariest of All-Time: Kane

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Kane is day 5 of the Scariest of All-Time countdown. Again, these are in no particular order. I picked Kane today because it was 23 years ago tonight that he made his WWE debut. I was fortunate to be in the crowd at the Kiel Center that evening. 

It was the closing moments of the first-ever Hell in a Cell between Undertaker and Shawn Michaels when the ominous music started. We knew Kane was coming but we had no idea how scary this monster would end up being. He tombstoned his brother, allowing Michaels to pick up the victory. 

In the months that followed, Kane went on a spree of destroying the top good guys on the roster. Mankind was the first of many victims. Vader went down too. Heck, Kane even beat 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin for the WWF Championship (just for a day, though). 

Through the years, Kane has evolved. He's been a monster heel, a fun-loving baby face, and a corporate stooge.  That says a lot for Glenn Jacobs, the man behind the gimmick, especially considering the silliness that preceded the Kane character. He is truly one of the all-time greats for that alone.

Scariest of All-Time: Roger Matheus

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Today's post is a shout-out to a fellow member of the Stride Pro Wrestling roster, Roger Matheus. I still remember the first time I saw Roger at a show. He was head and shoulders above the rest of the roster tipping the scales at nearly 300 pounds.  I learned of his days in both the military and the world of mixed martial arts. 

The Viking King then stepped through the ropes. He dominated and decimated his opponents like no other before eventually beating popular champion Heath Hatton for Stride's most coveted prize. After he lost the title to Jay Spade in a 'last man standing' match, he took his aggressions out on referee Lane Austin and eventually me and my then 12-year-old daughter.

This all lead to a cage match between us and this is where the fear factor reached a fever pitch for me. I'll never forget the way I felt standing in the middle of that ring surrounded by the steel cage and hearing his music startup. It was dark inside that gymnasium as fog filled the entrance ramp and Matheus emerged through the curtain.

I got a chill down my spine and really began second-guessing my decision to step into the ring against this monster. As he made his way through the cage door I tried to make a quick exit over the top before being caught. It was like a lion catching an old, out of shape gazelle. I was bounced around the ring like a pinball.

That was two-and-a-half years ago and Matheus remains the most intimidating and fear-inducing wrestler of the roster. I always respected Roger, but that respect has reached a new level the more I get to know him. 

Scariest of All-Time: Abdullah the Butcher

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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At 360 pounds and hailing from Sudan, Abdullah the Butcher was one of the scariest wrestlers to step into the ring. Much like yesterday's entry, Bruiser Brody, 'Abby' had a forehead that looked like a road map. He spilled gallons of blood through his career and even more flowed from the heads of his opponents, thanks to his handy fork.

I first remember Abdullah the Butcher in the Apter mags. It was later that I saw him wrestle on World Class Championship Wrestling, the AWA, and eventually WCW. His feud with Brody was legendary. I even had the Remco action figure of the Butcher and remember using fake blood during his matches, most notably against Carlos Colon, who was included in the two-pack.

Probably the best memory of Abby (for me) was at Halloween Havoc 1991 where he got 'fried' during the Chamber of Horrors match. Despite some negative press he's received in recent years, the Butcher was one of the most intimidating and scary wrestlers of all-time. Getting to see him get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011 was an enjoyable moment for me too.

Scariest of All-Time: Bruiser Brody

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Continuing the countdown (again, no particular order) of the scariest wrestlers of all-time. Bruiser Brody has to be on everyone's list, right? I remember thinking how scary he was when he stomped into the ring with his furry boots, scarred forehead, and swinging a chain on Wrestling at the Chase. 

He was a no-nonsense guy inside and outside the ring. I can't tell you how much I wished he would have gone to WWF in the 80s. However, I believe his style wouldn't have meshed with the vision Vince McMahon had, although Brody would have been the perfect foil for Hulk Hogan. 

I had the good fortune of being in the audience when Brody wrestled Ric Flair in St. Louis. I believe that match ended in a draw or a double DQ. I can't remember, but the internet tells me it was a draw. I missed out on the opportunity when Brody wrestled Andre the Giant, also in St. Louis a couple years before this match. My dad and brother did see it, and I imagine it was an epic encounter.

Brody proved he could get in there with anyone from Flair to Abdullah the Butcher to the Von Erichs. Sadly we lost him too soon. Dream matches for him would be against future scariest mentions like Cactus Jack and the Undertaker. 

What's your favorite Brody moment? 

Scariest of All-Time: The Road Warriors

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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It's been a while but I'm trying something ambitious for October. Quick, daily blogs counting down the 31 scariest wrestlers of all-time. These are in no particular order.

First up is the Road Warriors. When I first started watching wrestling, Hawk and Animal were the AWA tag team champions. The makeup, spikes, and crazy haircuts made them two of the most intimidating guys to step through the ropes. Throw in Black Sabbath's Iron Man and you couldn't find a tougher twosome. 

Even after bouncing around from company to company and changing their look from time to time, Hawk and Animal remained intimidating forces in the ring. They snacked on danger and dined on death and became the only tag team in history to win the championships in AWA, NWA, and WWF. Their influence is still felt today. 

So today, I salute the Road Warriors and honor their legacy. Oh, what a rush.  

10 Years Later...

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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It's hard to believe, at least for me, but 10 years ago today, the My 1-2-3 Cents brand was officially born. You can take a look at that first blog right here if you're interested. I remember sitting down at my computer on a Friday night and getting started. I had written blogs before but it was the encouragement of my friend and mentor Jeff Rose that pushed me to create a wrestling-themed blog.

So much has changed over the past decade. In December of that year, I added a YouTube channel. The spring of 2011 saw the creation of the My 1-2-3 Cents Facebook page. Then in December 2014, the podcast was created on the Jittery Monkey Podcasting Network, and with it came Mondo the Monkey. 

Not only did the brand grow, but so did my fandom. Chad Smart and I ended up attending seven more WrestleManias after going in 2006 and 2008 long before this was even a thought. I got involved in indy wrestling, first serving as a commentator for All-American Pro Wrestling in spring 2011 and eventually stepping into the ring and having my first match. 

It's been an awesome decade. Here's a look back at a few of the bigger moments and memories for me as a fan and a performer. Thank you all for the support. 

Nov. 6, 2010 - refereed for the first time for USCW.

June 10, 2011 - 'managed' Velvet Sky at a Basebrawl event for TNA Wrestling. 

July 30, 2011 - did live commentary for the first time for AAPW.

Jan. 14, 2012 - beat Mike Masters in my first match.

March 12, 2016 - debuted as ring announcer for Stride Pro Wrestling.

May 19, 2018 - beat Roger Matheus inside a steel cage.  

Nov. 10, 2018 - tried out for a ring announcing gig with Impact Wrestling. I didn't get selected... 

Aug. 3, 2019 - joined a tag team match with Heath Hatton against Tony Flood and Jay Spade. We won by disqualification. 

Aug. 29, 2019 - teamed with Hatton to beat Flood and Spade for the Stride Pro Wrestling tag team titles. Yes, that is a real sentence. 

Sept. 7, 2019 - retained the tag team titles against Flood & Spade.

Sept. 14, 2019 - retained the tag team titles in a triple-threat match against Roger Matheus and Chris Hargas (Kings of Destiny) and Bud Gallows and the Masked Assassin.

Oct. 12, 2019 - wrestled in my first battle royal and was eliminated by Ragin' Redneck. Later that night Hatton and I lost the tag team titles to the Kings of Destiny.

Dec. 7, 2019 - teamed with Spade and Hatton to beat the KOD and Savveon Ayres.

Again, I thank you and if you'd like to support My 1-2-3 Cents or Stride Pro Wrestling please head to my store on Pro Wrestling Tees. Click here.