ROWDY RODDY PIPER: HIS THREE GREATEST FEUDS

Rowdy Roddy Piper as N.W.A. U.S. Champion

July 31, 2019 marks the fourth anniversary of the death of Rowdy Roddy Piper, one of wrestling's greatest legends. Roddy Piper is one of the greatest wrestlers to ever step in the ring not only for his in ring ability but also for his ability to draw people in with his amazing interviews. In this post I'd like to talk about some of Piper's greatest feuds.

ROWDY RODDY PIPER VS. GREG VALENTINE


At Starrcade 1983, Rowdy Roddy Piper and Greg Valentine made history in Greensboro, North Carolina. Greg Valentine was the U.S. Champion defending against Piper in a dog collar match. Piper and Valentine were connected by collars around their necks connected by a 12-foot logging chain.

The match was brutal and physical as Valentine used the metal chain to beat Piper up and damaged his left ear drum during the match. This match by today's standards, would be considered hardcore but back in 1983, that was just the southern style of wrestling. Roddy Piper would come out victorious and win the U.S. Championship to a raucous crowd.

ROWDY RODDY PIPER VS HULK HOGAN


After leaving the N.W.A.(National Wrestling Alliance) in 1983, Roddy Piper moved onto WWE. Piper feuded with Jimmy Superfly Snuka and soon feuded with Hulk Hogan after Piper attacked Cyndi Lauper. By 1985 at Wrestlemania I, Piper and Hogan were the hottest wrestlers on the planet. Piper was always one of the best villains in wrestling. His skills on the mic during interviews along with Hogan's popularity made Wrestlemania a must see attraction.  

At Wrestlemania I Piper teamed with Paul Orndorff and Hogan teamed with Mr. T who was the star of the A-Team TV show.With the cross promotion of MTV and WWE, pro wrestling was approaching a new level of popularity. Piper and Orndorff lost the match to Hulk Hogan and Mr. T.

ROWDY RODDY PIPER VS. MR.T



At Wrestlemania 2, Roddy Piper faced Mr. T in a boxing match. Piper was still the biggest villain in wrestling and Mr. T was a big star thanks to the A-Team TV show. Piper hated Mr. T because he was an outsider coming into pro wrestling. Piper used his incredible mic skills to build the match up. During the boxing match, Piper body slammed Mr. T and lost the match, but he gained the respect of the fans.

It's been four years since the passing of Rowdy Roddy Piper. He was one of the best personalities to ever grace the squared circle. Today pro wrestling needs more characters and wrestlers like The Hot Rod. He's left a legacy that will never be forgotten. 

Class Dismissed, 
THE PROFESSOR

BRANDON ROUTH RETURNS AS SUPERMAN IN ARROWVERSE

BRANDON ROUTH AS SUPERMAN

Brandon Routh will return as Superman according to TVLine, in the Arrowverse during the Crisis On Infinite Earths special airing in the Fall of 2019. He starred as Clark Kent/Superman in the 2006 movie, Superman Returns. Presently, Routh stars as Ray Palmer /The Atom on Legends Of Tomorrow a character he's played since 2014 on Arrow.

During the Arrowverse crossover, Routh will play a Superman from another "time frame" which could mean he's from another earth. Any fan of The Flash and Supergirl know that the producers love to go to alternate earths. It will be interesting to see if they use Brandon Routh as a Superman based on Christopher Reeve's Superman as Bryan Singer did in Superman Returns.

As a huge fan of Superman this news has piqued my curiousity and I will be watching the Arrowverse crossover event when it airs in the Fall of 2019.

Class Dismissed, 
THE PROFESSOR

ALL IN THE FAMILY AND THE JEFFERSONS RETURN FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY

Carroll O' Connor, Sherman Helmsley, Isabelle Sanford, and Jean Stapleton in All in The Family

After more than three decades off the air, two of the most influential and prolific comedies, All in The Family and The Jeffersons return to TV on ABC tonight. Jimmy Kimmel (host of Jimmy Kimmel Live) will present, Live In Front of A Studio Audience: Norman Lear Presents All In the Family and The Jeffersons tonight at 8pm. This production is headlined by a stellar cast which includes Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Jamie Foxx, and Wanda Sykes. This special presentation of these two iconic TV classics, demonstrates the effect both shows have on society. 

In 1971, All In The Family premiered on CBS and changed the landscape of TV forever. The show centered around Archie Bunker (played by Carroll O' Connor), a hard-working middle class man who was a bigot and hated the changing landscape of America during the 1970's. Archie's home life at 704 Hauser Street reflected America's changing values as he clashed with his family including his wife Edith (Jean Stapleton), daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers), and her husband Mike (Rob Reiner) over such hot button issues of the 70's such as the War in Vietnam, Women's Liberation, and race in America. During its 8-year run the show became one of the most popular show of its time and stayed at #1 in the Nielsen ratings for 5 consecutive seasons. All In The Family ended in 1979 but had a spinoff called Archie Bunker's Place. 

The Jefferson started out as neighbors of The Bunkers for four seasons. Louise Jefferson  (Isabel Sanford) and her son Lionel (Mike Evans) were introduced first and in season 4 we finally met George Jefferson. In George Jefferson (Sherman Helmsley), Archie found a kindred spirit who could match him word for word and outsmart him as well. The Jeffersons proved so popular with the audience that Norman Lear would create a spinoff, rarely done in TV at the time, but commonplace today. 

In 1975, The Jeffersons, premiered on CBS and George Jefferson was now a wealthy black man due to his successful dry cleaning business that moved from Queens to the Upper East Side. George's son Lionel was married to Jenny who was a mixed race child whose mother, Helen Willis was African American and her father, Tom Willis was Caucasian. The crux of the comedy came with George dealing with The Willis' as his neighbors and his wisecracking maid, Florence (Marla Gibbs). The show dealt with serious issues such as racism, gun control, suicide, and adult illiteracy. The Jeffersons ran for 11 seasons on CBS before being cancelled in 1985.


Norman Lear

Tonight, All In The Family and The Jeffersons return to TV for one night only on ABC. It is a testament to Norman Lear and what he created that these shows stand the test of time. With the political and racial tone being so divisive today, it seems like a perfect time for these shows to return to TV. As a fan of classic TV I will be watching tonight when the show premieres tonight at 8pm. 

Class Dismissed, 
THE PROFESSOR

ALL ELITE WRESTLING TO AIR ON TNT AND WARNER MEDIA

Cody Runnels and The Young Bucks

TNT is getting back into the wrestling business. At the Warner Media Upfront TNT released a press release stating that TNT will air All Elite Wrestling later this year according to The New York Post. All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is a company owned by Tony Khan and has stars such as Chris Jericho, Cody Runnels, The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson), Kenny Omega, and Hangman Page. TNT has not had a pro wrestling show on its network since WCW (World Championship Wrestling) was bought by WWE and the final episode of WCW Monday Nitro aired on March 26, 2001. Since that fateful day in 2001, fans have wanted a new competitor that would challenge the monopoly that WWE has on the pro wrestling marketplace and now they have it. 

This new development adds a new wrinkle to the pro wrestling and TV landscape in 2019. Starting in October, WWE Smackdown will move from its Tuesday night spot on USA Network to Friday nights on Fox. Many in the wrestling news media believe that AEW will air its show on Tuesday nights to attract fans that are accustomed to watching wrestling on that night. 

WWE will certainly have competition once All Elite Wrestling begins airing on TNT. Many questions still remain as to how AEW will market itself to the masses and how will they attract talent both unknown on a national level and talent that have been in WWE. With WWE experiencing low ratings because of their lack of new stars, this may be the perfect time for AEW to bring something innovative to the industry. As a fan I can't wait to see what happens. 

Class Dismissed, 
THE PROFESSOR

THANK YOU KURT ANGLE

KURT ANGLE AS TNA AND IWGP CHAMPION

Kurt Angle, one of WWE's most revered superstars will retire at Wrestlemania 35 this Sunday. Kurt Angle is considered one of the best athletes to ever compete in wrestling. He brought credibility to the sport with his Olympic background and he is one of the best all-around performers to ever wrestle in the business. In pro wrestling, Angle has won 21 World championships in multiple organizations including WWE, Impact Wrestling, and IWGP (International Wrestling Grand Prix). 

Angle has a long and storied career in amateur and pro wrestling. Angle won an Olympic gold medal during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He began his career in 2000 and had a quick rise to the top winning the Intercontinental and European title his first year in WWE. During his six-year run he had various feuds with Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Brock Lesnar, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, and John Cena.

In 2006, Kurt Angle left WWE and went to Impact Wrestling (formerly Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling). Angle had memorable feuds with Samoa Joe, A.J. Styles, Sting, Jeff Jarrett, Matt Morgan, Drew Galloway, and Bobby Lashley. He spent 10 years there and was one of the top stars there until his departure in 2016.

In 2017, Angle returned to WWE when he was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame. Vince McMahon also appointed him as the General Manager of RAW. In one of the biggest moments of his career, Angle teamed with Ronda Rousey to face Triple H and Ronda Rousey at Wrestlemania 34. 

This Sunday, Kurt Angle will wrestle his final match against Baron Corbin at Wrestlemania 35. Angle is one of the best all around performers to ever enter the squared circle and his legacy will never be forgotten.

Class Dismissed, 
THE PROFESSOR

MY FAVORITE VERSIONS OF BATMAN ON FILM AND TELEVISION

On March 30th 1939, Batman debuted in Detective Comics and has become one of the most iconic figures in entertainment. During his 80 years in pop culture there have been many different iterations of Batman on film and TV that have entertained generations of fans. Here are my top 3 favorites:

BATMAN 1966

In 1966, BATMAN debuted on ABC and changed how people saw superheroes. The show starred Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin. Batman's classic villains included Joker, The Penguin, The Riddler, and Catwoman (played by Cesar Romero, Burgess Meredith, Frank Gorshin, and Julie Newmar). The show's combination of comedy, satire, and action was a hit with children and adults alike. In 1989, when the Batman movie came out, WPIX began running the 1966 TV show in syndication. As a child I was too young to see the movie but I could enjoy the TV show. In the five decades since its debut, the Batman 1966 TV show remains one of the most beloved interpretations of the caped crusader.

BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES


In 1992, Batman: The Animated Series debuted on Fox and changed animation in the process. Based off of Tim Burton's Batman and Batman Returns This animated show gave interesting and compelling back stories to iconic villains such as Two-Face, Mr. Freeze, Catwoman, and The Riddler. The show also dealt with adult issues such as Performance Enhancing Drugs in sports and Multiple Personality Disorder which was groundbreaking for an animated show targeted to kids and pre-teens. Batman: The Animated Series aired for 4 seasons and remains a milestone in animation and Batman history. 

CHRISTIAN BALE IN BATMAN BEGINS



In 2005, Batman Begins debuted in theaters and started a new era in Batman history. Christian Bale's portrayal of Bruce Wayne and his journey to becoming Batman was a beautiful masterpiece in my opinion. Along with Christopher Nolan's direction, Batman Begins showed Bruce Wayne's humanity and explained why Batman is needed in Gotham. I loved the use of Liam Neeson as Ra's Al Ghul and his influence on how Bruce Wayne becomes Batman. When the movie came out it was only four years after 9/11 so Nolan's vision of Batman portrayed him as a human drone battling against terrorism. Even though Nolan crafted a successful trilogy with The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, Batman Begins remains my favorite out of all three movies. 

Batman has been apart of America's consciousness for eight decades. Since his creation in 1939 by Bob Kane and Bill Finger he has entertained and inspired millions of fans all around the world. 

Class Dismissed, 
THE PROFESSOR

R.I.P. KING KONG BUNDY

KING KONG BUNDY

King Kong Bundy, one of the most prominent stars of the WWE in the 1980's passed away on Monday at the age of 61 according to CNN. Bundy, whose real name was Chris Pallies, was a villain throughout his career. At 6'4 and over 450 pounds he was an imposing figure in the squared circle. He rose to prominence because of his size and mobility in the ring. In 1981, he began wrestling for WWE as Chris Canyon. In 1982, he moved onto Texas and WCCW (World Class Championship Wrestling) as Big Daddy Bundy. 

He started the King Kong Bundy character as a villain in a feud against the promotion's heroes the Von Erich family. Bundy would win the American Heavyweight Championship twice while in WCCW. Between 1983 and 1985 King Kong Bundy moved onto Mid South Wrestling and Memphis wrestling where he faced such legends as The Junkyard Dog and Jerry "The King" Lawler.


HULK HOGAN VS. KING KONG BUNDY AT WRESTLEMANIA 2

In 1985, Bundy entered the WWE. He began a feud with Andre The Giant and became a member of the Heenan Family with Bobby Heenan as his manager. Bundy moved up the card until he reached the main event in 1986 at Wrestlemania 2 when he faced Hulk Hogan in a steel cage for the WWE World Title. King Kong Bundy departed the WWE in 1988, but he made a brief return in 1994 where he feuded with The Undertaker until 1995 when he left the promotion once again.

Bundy achieved some fame outside of WWE when he appeared with Richard Pryor in the film, Moving. He also appeared in Married With Children on Fox as a relative of the Bundy family.

Thank you Chris "King Kong Bundy" Pallies. Your contributions to wrestling and entertainment will never be forgotten. 

Class Dismissed, 
THE PROFESSOR