Serving Hard Time-Superstars Profile#62

The Big Boss Man 

Real name: Ray Traylor

Home: Cobb County, GA

Membership: Twin Towers, Superstars, Dungeon of Doom, nWo, the Corporation, Corporate Ministry

A.K.A.: Big Bubba Rogers, War Machine, Big Boss, the Boss, the Man, the Guardian Angel

Finisher: Boss Man Slam

Background: Funny how a badge can cover a multitude of sins. 

Ray Traylor was a correctional officer. Officially a man or honor and courage, although if you asked any of the inmates they would disagree. Not within earshot of the guards, mind you. Last guy that did had a nasty accident.

But being a CO doesn't exactly keep the cabbage coming in, so under the name of Big Bubba, Traylor hired himself out as muscle for some locals toughs. Did pretty well for himself. Word got to Slick, who was very keen for so more muscle. So, for a hefty fee, Traylor put in his two weeks and headed up North. 

Slick found the idea of a cop working for him hysterical, so he insisted that Traylor wear a modified costume based on his old work togs. Thus the Big Boss Man hit the streets. Anyone tangled with Slick found themselves handcuffed and beaten. 

The Big Boss Man even went toe to toe with Hulk Hogan, who slammed the bull through the roof of a cage. After this McMahon stepped in. Boss Man was getting popular, maybe too popular. So he had him leave Slick and join the Superstars. He did alright, fighting with the Mountie and the like but when the government started sniffing after McMahon, Traylor decided a Southern vacation might be for the best and skipped town to Atlanta. He would later rejoin Titan Inc. later, but those tales are recorded elsewhere. 

So Outrageous, So Bodacious-Superstars Profile#61

The Young Stallions 

Real names: James Manley, Paul Centopani

Home: Detroit, MI

Membership: Jim Powers, Paul Roma

A.K.A.: Jumping Jim Powers, N/A

Finisher: Why bother?

Background: A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing

Yeah, that about sums it up. 

 Both men were young, full of beans and vim and had all the personality of a damp gym sock. Powers, dubbed so because while he lacked any superpowers he was meant to get some later, was an alright guy who tried to get along with everyone. Roma, dubbed so because was Vince was eating pizza at the time, was a jerk. 

It was decided that a new team was needed. Vince picked the first two schmucks who happened by and thus the Young Stallions were born! Sent to feel out a possible Superstars expansion in Detroit, they managed to do exactly jack all. 

Sure, they went up against some of the bigger names. Did they win? Nope. Eventually they both decided to leave after a lawsuit from Jimmy Hart took what little money they had.

The First Stooge-Superstars Profile#60

Pat Patterson 

Real name: Pierre Clermont 

Home: Montreal, Quebec, Canada 

Membership: Superstars, Blond Bombers, the Corporation, McMahon-Helmsley Faction 

A.K.A.: Lord Patrick Patterson, Pat Andrews 

Finisher: Atomic Drop

Background: Funny how things work 

Clermont was born in a dirt poor family in the poorest section of Montreal. Growing up, he swore he'd be someone important. So, when he was old enough, he hitchhiked his way to America. He did everything he could, from bareknuckle brawling to long haul trucking but he finally made it to the golden shores. 

From there he changed his name to something a bit more English and set out setting himself up in a comfortable lifestyle. He worked mostly as a leg breaker for various gangs from Portland to Lubbock but after fighting Lars Anderson in '72, he had a change of heart. 

He started to devote his energy to helping people, which got him noticed by Vince McMahon, Sr., who hired he to head up his new news service. In English, he was a genial and polite host, but in French he was a smartmouth who insulted his guests. 

When McMahon, Jr. took over, Patterson was quietly retired in 1984 and kicked up the corporate ladder. He made his big return in the late 90's, but those tales are recounted elsewhere. 

Strongest in the World!-Superstars Profile#59

Hercules 

Real name: Unknown 

Home: Tampa, FL

Membership: The Heenan Family, House of Humperdink, the Assassins, Power & Glory

A.K.A.: Hercules Hernandez, Assassin#2, Mr. Wrestling III, Super Invader, Raymond Fernandez 

Finisher: Full Nelson

Background: God or madman?

A fellow was found wandering around Florida, seemingly with no name or history. He was processed into the system and later discharged. Classy Freddy Blassie, however, saw potential in him. He was like clay, able to be molded to be anything, plus he could bench press a bus. 

Blassie, however, retired soon after training the fellow and sold him to Slick. The Doctor of Style found him too wild to control and soon sold him to the Heenan Family. The Brain had a bit more luck, using him mostly as muscle, although he did have a few fights with Hulk Hogan. He also picked a fight with the Ultimate Warrior, which ended up with the would-be demigod's chain shattering. After that failure, the Brain sold him to Ted DiBiase.

The Million Dollar Man treated him about the same as his former manservant Virgil, which is to say pretty lousy. Hercules declared himself no man's slave and waged war on DiBiase. He had a few pyrrhic victories here and there, but nothing amazing. He founded Power and Glory with Paul Roma but that team ended with a whimper. 

Hercules had one final match with Sid Justice and vanished from the face of the Earth. 

 

Cool, Cocky, and Bad-Superstars Profile#58

The Honky Tonk Man

Real name: Roy Wayne Ferris

Home: Memphis, TN

Membership: The Blond Bombers, First Family, Rhythm & Blues, Superstars 

A.K.A.: Danny Condrey, Honky-Tonk Wayne

Finisher: Shake, Rattle, and Roll

Background: What do you do when the King falls?

Wayne Ferris loved Elvis. The hair, the music, the movies; hell, he even saw Clambake 17 times. He also knew the King's secret battle. He studied the ley lines and he knew Memphis was a crossroads. So, when Elvis started getting old, he figured the man must step down (See HAFF INCIDENT).

He lived Elvis. He breathed Elvis. He thought about Elvis all the time.

'cept on the shitter. That'd be weird. 

So when Elvis picked a part time house painter (and Roy's cousin) instead , well, he didn't let it get him down. No sir; he bucked up, slicked up his hair and made his way to New York City where he made a good first impression on Hulk Hogan and even got onto the team. 

And who knows, he might have even had a decent if unspectacular career but you know what? He was tired. Tired of 'paying dues', tired of shaking sweaty hands and kissing ugly babies. So he made his intent clear and denounced Elvis, Hogan, and whole dang Superstars team before throwing in with Jimmy Hart. 

He made his proper debut attacking Ricky Steamboat and declared himself the new King of Rock N Roll. For the next year he made headlines, always sneaking out wins by hook or crook. He did a pretty good job at being bad, at least until he mouthed off to the Ultimate Warrior. 

One stint in the pokey later, HTM found his prospects dimmed, so much that he had to take on Greg Valentine as a replacement Elvis impersonator. HTM slowed down and tried to act as a manager, much as Jimmy Hart had done for him, but he didn't have the chops. 

He quietly left New York and has been working smaller venues ever since. 

KIWIS!-Superstars Profile#57

The Bushwhackers 

Real names: (B) Robert Miller (L) Brian Wickens 

Home: New Zealand 

Membership: Butch Miller, Luke Williams 

A.K.A.: The Kiwis, the Sheepherders

Finisher: Battering Ram

Background: What the heck happened?

In the 1960s, there were few more feared than Butch Miller and Luke Williams. Dubbing themselves the Kiwis, then later the Sheepherders, the pair were the most violent pair of crooks New Zealand had ever seen. They were feared from Southland to Perth. 

Then they vanished sometime in the mid-80s. Around 1988 the Superstars then added two new members-the Bushwhackers! Consisting of Butch and Luke, no last names. They looked the same, yet they were mostly goofy and used mostly for comedy. 

Were they hiding out? Had they undergone some kind of brain washing? Who knows, but McMahon sold their contract to Jamison for nothing, so he hadn't spent that much money apparently. They left the US after fighting a rouge plumber in 1996, although there have been sporadic sightings everywhere from Puerto Rico to New Jersey.

 

The Cream of the Crop-Superstars Profile#56

The Brain Busters 

Real names: (AA) Martin Lunde (TB) Tully Blanchard 

Home: (AA) Minneapolis, MN (TB) Calgary, Alberta, Canada 

Membership: Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Bobby "the Brain" Heenan

A.K.A.: Super Olympia, Midnight Stallion 

Finisher: Spiked piledriver

Background: If you can't get all four, why not settle for two?

The Four Horsemen were probably the most notorious gang to ever come out of the Southeast. Naturally Bobby Heenan wanted them to work for him, but Ole Anderson cussed him out and hung up the phone. 

When Arn and Tully found themselves on the outs with their management, Bobby was there to swoop and offer them double whatever Ric Flair was giving them. One phone call later, the Heenan Family had two new members. 

Their tenure was...ok. Not groundbreaking, and frankly they didn't exactly pop against some of the more colorful Superstars but they did smack around Strike Force, so that has to count for something. 

The Glamour Girl-Superstars Profile#55

Judy Martin 

Real name: Judy Hardee

Home: Houston, TX

A.K.A.: N/A

Membership: The Glamour Girls 

Finisher: The Judy Drop

Background: Sometimes a lady can have the same background as a man.

Judy was just a mean gal. Seeing Blackjack Mulligan in a bar fight inspired her and she asked him to train her. He said, but he did steer her to the Fabulous Moolah. In Martin, Moolah saw a perfect student. Tough, utter disregard for her fellows, in other words a stooge. 

Judy went after Wendi Richter a few times, but she never got the headlines like the Iron Sheik or Roddy Piper. She formed a team with fellow Moolah student Leilani Kai, but the Glamour Girls didn't exactly set the world on fire. 

She drifted a bit after being fired by Moolah, but eventually retired.

The Little Heart-Superstars Profile#54

Winona Littleheart 

Real name: Winnifred Childree

Home: Reynolds, GA

Membership: Superstars, Army of Darkness, Daughters of Darkness 

A.K.A.: Cindy Lou, the Lock

Finisher: Bulldog

Background: Not every story has a happy ending. 

Stepdaughter of "Dirty" Dick Barkley, Winnifred decided to follow in his footsteps and became a local hero. Admittedly by dressing up as a generic Native American, but that was still acceptable in the 80's. She toured all over the eastern portion of America, even teaming up with Wendi Richter for a bit. 

 But she didn't really fit in with the Superstars and headed to Florida and changed her name. While reconnecting with Barry Windham, she was abducted by Kevin Sullivan and forced into his Army of Darkness. Cindy Lou was never seen again. 

There was only the Lock. The Lock ran wild through Florida throughout most of the 80's before vanishing. Some say she finally broke free of whatever Sullivan did, others take a far more sinister and cynical approach. 

The Hardcore Legend-Superstars Profile#53

Terry Funk

Real name: Terrence Funk

Home: Amarillo, TX

Membership: Funk Brothers, J-Tex Corporation, Stud Stable, Funk Masters of Wrestling, Millionare's Club, Old Age Outlaws, partners with Mick Foley, Ricky Romero

A.K.A.: Black Baron, the Texan, Chainsaw Charlie

Finisher: Piledriver

Background: You can say many things about Terry Funk, but he above all he was one tough SOB.

Of course, when your old man is Doss Funk there is a certain level of toughness to be expected. Chuck Norris Facts? Terry lived them all. 

Terry, after beaten the ass of nearly everyone from Lubbock to Miami, set his sights up North and even gave Hulk Hogan a run for his money, threatening to brand the hero with the Double Cross Ranch brand. When he came up short, he called his brothers up but that ended poorly. Terry eventually left for the south and all points east, making a name for himself in Japan.

He also retires every other year, but when you've beaten over the head with as many light tubes as he has, you can do what you damn well want. 

Walking Disasters-Superstars Profile#52

Demolition 

Real names: (Ax) Bill Eadie (Smash 1) Randy Colley (Smash 2) Barry Darsow 

Home: Parts Unknown 

Membership: Ax, Smash 1, Smash 2, Crush, Blast, Blast 2, Hux, Mr. Fuji

A.K.A.: (A) Bolo Mongol, Masked Superstar, Super Machine (S1) Randy the Mountaineer (S2) Repo Man, Blacktop Bully, Mr. Hole-in-One

Finisher: Demolition Decapitation 

Background: Mr. Fuji was a jerk.

We've established that here and elsewhere. When he saw the duo known as the Road Warriors, he wanted them. Naturally they tossed him out the nearest window, pity they were on the first floor. 

Undeterred, Fuji figured he'd get his own Road Warriors. Luscious Johnny V beat him to it though with two hired guns of the Masked Superstar and Moondog Rex. He just decked them out in armor and face paint and sent them to tear up the town.

They proved to be a little too good at the violence, so Johnny V sold them to Fuji for a song. Fuji used them to their best, namely breaking stuff. They proved too good at that for Fuji's taste, so he left them mid-fight for the newly arrived Powers of Pain. 

Ax started to grow weaker, so Crush was added. When the Road Warriors (now called the Legion of Doom) arrived from out West, the writing was on the wall for Demolition. Ax was quietly fired, Smash changed gimmicks and Crush was made the latest member of the Superstars. 

The team lives on in the wilds though, on the scent of broken glass and the crying of shattered men. 

Win if You Can, Lose if You Must, But Always Cheat-Superstars Profile#51

Jesse "the Body" Ventura 

Real name: James Janos

Home: Minneapolis, MN

Membership: Far East Connection, East-West Connection, Superstars 

A.K.A.: The Body, the Governor 

Finisher: Body Breaker

Background:

Soldier

Biker

Criminal 

Journalist 

Governor 

Yeah, that about sums it up. Jesse served, as many young men, then fell into the biker culture that was growing in the 70's. From there crime wasn't a huge leap. Reinventing himself as an utterly flamboyant figure, he blazed a trail from New York to Minnesota. 

He was approached by McMahon, who wanted a partner for Gorilla Monsson on his daily broadcast. Jesse took to the job like he took to everything else. He quit after a point, funny enough teaming up with Roddy Piper when the Orient Express crashed the studio. He moved back home and got into politics, eventually winning the seat of governor.

Couldn't make that part up if I tried. After his term he went back to TV and rambled about conspiracy theories. 

 

For Mother Russia!-Superstars Profile#50

The Bolsheviks 

Real names: (NV) Josip Peruzovic (BZ) Jim Harrel

Home: The Soviet Union 

Membership: Nikolai Volkoff, Boris Zhukov, Slick

A.K.A.: (NV) Executioner#3 (BZ) Jason, Private Jim Nelson, Mr. Russia 

Finisher: Crippling Depression and suicidal writers

Background: Eh, everybody's gotta eat. 

Slick was having some trouble. Word had come down from upper management; a team was needed. Most of Slick's top draws had either been signed to someone else, reformed, or quit. All he could offer was a broken down Soviet (Volkoff) super soldier. But what if he had two?

He found Harrel in-between jobs. He offered him a sweet deal and all he had to do was wear a red shirt! So the Bolsheviks were born!

Pity this was the late 80's. Even the Kremlin couldn't be bothered to denounce them. They bummed around a bit until an upstart team called the Rockers took them down.

The Wild Ones-Superstars Profile#49

The Wild Samoans 

Real names: (A) Afa Anoa'i (S) Leati Sika Anoa'i

Home: The Isle of Samoa 

Membership: Afa, Sika, Captain Lou Albano

A.K.A.: The Samoans, the Islanders

Finisher: Samoan Drop

Background: Wild men were a dime a dozen. A few actually were what they appeared to be, lords of various jungles or lost worlds, etc. Heroes and villains alike tended to use the image for various reasons. For brothers Afa and Sika, they grew up watching hero High Chief, but they found crime far easier. 

That's when Captain Lou found them. There they stood, back to back the only men standing after the worst (or best) bar brawl the captain had ever seen. Seeing an opportunity, he introduced himself and soon he had the best earners he'd ever had. They did pretty well too, but when McMahon Jr. took over they headed west to Japan. They came back after a fashion, but it wasn't the same.

AWOOOOOO!-Superstars Profile#48

The Moondogs

Real names: (Mayne) Lonnie Mayne (Rex) Randy Colley (King) Edward White

Home: (Mayne) Portland, OR (Rex) Alexander City, AL (King) Newfoundland, Canada 

Membership: Mayne, Rex, King

A.K.A.: (Mayne) One Man Gang, Blond Bomber (Rex) Assassin#2, Shadow#1, Dr. X (King) Sailor White

Finisher: Backbreakers

Background: Was their hair perfect? Did they eat from Lee Ho Fooks? Did they run a muck in Kent?

Not really, but that's what they wanted you to think. Mayne was the first. If Joe Q Sixpack thought what he was dealing with a wild man, or even some kind of monster, then winning a fight would be easy. He got Colley, who had been crewing as a henchman for various dudes and sold him on the idea.

He might have even taken them to the top until he passed away. Colley decided to keep the idea going, so he talked to local hero Sailor White and sold him the idea. Thus the Moondogs howled!

They did pretty good, but they were finally brought down by Rick Martel and Toney Garea of all people. They skipped bail and headed south. The group would expand and members would come and go, but the image of the blond wildman with tattered pants would be an image that would stay with people.

The Real Living Legend-Superstars Profile#47

Larry Zbyszko 

Real name: Lawrence Whistler 

Home: Pittsburgh, PA

Membership: Superstars, Dangerous Alliance 

A.K.A.: Larry Whistler

Finisher: Figure-four leglock

Background: We've seen heroes go bad, but what about sidekicks?

Growing up, there was nobody Larry admired more than Bruno Sammartino. He dreamed of being the next member of the Superstars, so he spent every waking hour focusing. Body, mind, anything he could study he could. 

He submitted dozens of applications to Titan and never got an answer. So he broke in.

Bruno took pity on the young man and offered him a job...as the mascot. Sure, Larry got use to the jokes and always tagging along with everyone but surely all that meant was he was going to be made leader, right?

So when Bruno stepped down and gave the position to Pedro Morales, well, Larry didn't take that too well. Mostly by trying to break a chair over Bruno's head. He formerly challenged Bruno to a fight and lost. Defeated, Larry left for all points South and West, never appearing in New York ever again.

Da Hammer!-Superstars Profile#46

Greg "the Hammer" Valentine 

Real name: Jonathan A. Wisniski

Home: Seattle, WA

Membership: House of Humperdink, the Dream Team, the Dream Team II, Rhythm & Blues, partners with the Grand Wizard, Johnny V, Captain Lou Albano, Jimmy "Mouth of the South" Hart

A.K.A.: Baby Face Nelson, the Blue Knight, Boxcar Willie, Johnny Fargo, Johnny Valentine, Jr. 

Finisher: Figure-four leglock

Background: Sometimes you get an epic story of lust and unfulfilled ambitions, and sometimes you get a dude who just likes hitting people. 

Valentine was the latter. 

He went through pretty much a who's who of managers, ran with everyone from Ric Flair to Roddy Piper. Why? Money mostly. He was good at hurting folks, willing to get paid for it, and didn't mind wearing a silly costume. When McMahon Jr. took over, Valentine took to the new scheme of things like a duck to water. He fought Hogan, Santana, Steamboat, pretty much the entire Superstars team at one point or another. 

Then he went and got old. Too old to be running around in tights. He was partnered with the Honky Tonk Man for a bit but that went nowhere. He left New York and bummed around the country for a bit, pulling real crimes like he used to but now he tends to leave the heavy work to the younger folk.

That's MISTER-Superstars Profile#45

Mr. Saito 

Real name: Masanori Saito

Home: Tokyo, Japan

Membership: The Assassins, New Wolves, Ishin Gundan, partners with Ivan Koloff, Jesse Ventura, Mr. Fuji, Nick Bockwinkel

A.K.A.: Assassin#3, the Unknown Soldier 

Finisher: Saito Suplex

Background: Mr. Fuji was a jerk. 

That's been established before, but it bears repeating. 

Saito had a longer career as a mook, running with various gangs from Japan to NYC. Not exactly top tier, but if you needed someone messed up he was a guy. 

He might stayed off the radars of a few heroes but he needed money like everyone else. Running into Fuji, an idea was formed and soon Saito got a suit. They were dapper, dashing, and could break every bone in your body. 

They could have gone to the top, and came close too, but Fuji's general jackassery proved too much and the partnership was dissolved. Saito went west for a bit before retiring to a quiet life in the country.

The Nature Boy-Superstars Profile#44

"Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers 

Real name: Herman Gustav Rohde, Jr. 

Home: Camden, NJ

Membership: worked with Slave Girl Moolah, Big John Studd, Gene Anderson, Jimmy Snuka, Ken Patera, Ray Stevens

A.K.A.: Dutch Rogers, Wally Ward, Dutch Rohde, Herman Rohde

Finisher: Figure-Four Leglock

Background: The first and the wellspring from which everything flowed. 

Buddy grew up rough and mean. Post WWII America had an influx of bad habits, and Buddy decided he was going to get everything he couldn't before. He rose up the ranks from backrooms in Jersey to running his own gangs from Albany to Miami. He might have gone on to greater things too, if he hadn't run across Vincent McMahon. 

He decided to kidnap the businessman, but he happened to do it at the same time as Bruno Sammartino was visiting the Titan Inc. office, hoping to sell McMahon on a new idea of his. Bruno intervened and thus the Superstars were born. 

Buddy spent some time behind bars after that, but he still ran his gangs. By the 80s he had slowed down (even giving up the title Nature Boy to some punk out of the Carolinas) and even acted as a mentor, striking up a few odd friendships here and there. 

He saw what McMahon Jr. was doing with the Superstars though and opted to retire fully. 

  

Mr. Olympic-Superstars Profile#43

Ken Patera 

Real name: Kenneth W. Patera 

Home: Portland, OR

Membership: The Heenan Family, the Olympians, the Sheiks, partners with Billy Jack Haynes

A.K.A.: Olympic Strongman   

Finisher: Spinning Full Nelson

Background: Heroes fall as much as anyone. A hero taken down by a cheeseburger is original though.

Ken Patera trained to be the best, and that's what he became, winning silver and gold in various world games. He might have gone on to greater glory until Bobby Heenan found him.

The Brain had a plan. Nothing crazy like throwing a match or anything, no. Just a simple job, say dropping a few rolled up bits of paper near a certain gym-bag in the locker room. What with his international traveling he was busy and unconnected to Heenan so he wasn't even a suspect. 

He decided he wanted more money, so he threw in properly. Fought Bob Backlund a few times too. He might have gone to greater heights too if he didn't get a case of the munchies. 

Yup, he decided to break into a local fast food joint after hours. The Brain, deeply annoyed by this, cut him loose. Patera did mange to get out and formerly requested to join the Superstars. McMahon treated him like a sideshow and Patera opted for a quiet retirement. 

Best of Both-Superstars Profile#42

Can-Am Connection 

Real names: (RM) Richard Vigneault (TM) Tom Zenk

Homes: (RM) Montreal, Quebec, Canada/(TM) Minneapolis, MN 

Membership: Rick Martel/Tom Zenk

A.K.A.: The Model/Z-Man

Finisher: Double Dropkick 

Background: Rick Martel was no stranger to the 'spirit of international cooperation'. A rising star in the Service de police de la Ville de Montreal, he was partnered with New Zealand's top cop Tony Garea for a bit and managed to get on the Superstars radar.

Of course, by this time McMahon Sr. was out and Junior was in, so when the French Canadian put in an application, it was decided to partner him with someone who represented what America was all about; i.e. a total meathead

Not to say Tom Zenk was a bad person, mind you. No, Tom was more of a 'do the eight then hit the gate' kind of guy. Pretty much the exact opposite of Martel in everyway. Which would explain why they ended up fighting each other more than the crooks. 

Martel would be quickly placed in another team, but that story is recounted elsewhere. 

They did manage to take down the Islanders a few times but Martel made it clear he'd rather be boiled in poutine than work with Zenk any more and someone more suitable would be found...

The Masked Villain-Superstars Profile#41

Black Tiger

Real name: Mark Hussey

Home: Manchester, England 

Membership: Tiger's Den

A.K.A.: Mark Rocco, "Rollerball" Rocco, the Cobra

Finisher: Diving Knee Drop

Background: What, you think the Tiger's Den was just going to let Tiger Mask get away with his disrespect?

Someone had to deal with him, but it must be handled with care. Naturally they couldn't kill him (at least in a way that could be traced back to them) so that eliminated pretty much all their associated members. But why not someone who didn't work with them?

Black Tiger you say? Why, they had no idea who that could be. If he happened to hate Tiger Mask enough to break his legs, well, hardly their fault is it?

So word was sent out and a fellow was found. Hailing from the UK, Rocco was brought in, trained properly (brawling with drunks can give you a few pointers, but against a trained marital artist? Yeah, he needed some polishing). 

And fight he did. Their brawls across Japan quickly became stuff of legend, but the Black Tiger failed to eliminate Tiger Mask. After a series of fights with the Black Tiger coming up short (and Tiger Mask passing on the mantle to another) it was decided that the Black Tiger mantle would also go to someone else. 

Those tales are recorded elsewhere.

 

The Killer-Superstars Profile#40

Killer Khan 

Real name: Masashi Ozawa

Home: Mongolia 

Membership: Partners with Pak Song, Captain Lou Albano, Mr. Fuji, "Classy" Freddy Blassie

A.K.A.: Temojin El Mongol

Finisher: Asian Spike

Background: It takes a special kind of man to break the ankle of Andre the Giant.

Killer Khan was a hitter. Some of the movers and shakers in the NY crime scene wanted Bob Backlund out of the way, so Khan was sent for. He fought Backlund and Pedro Morales before setting his sights on Andre the Giant. 

He managed to break the Giant's ankle, but this kicked off a manhunt that ended with Andre beating the holy hell out of Khan in Philly. Khan managed to limp off to Canada, where he stayed for quite a few years before Mr. Fuji recruited him for the revamp of the Superstars.

Khan didn't quite gel with the new style and opted to retire. He retired to Japan where he currently runs a restaurant.

Manager of Champions, Champion of managers-Superstars Profile#39

 The  Grand Wizard 

Real name: Irwin Roth

Home: Fort Lauderdale, FL

Membership: Partners with the Sheik, Beautiful Bobby, Bob Orton, Blackjack Mulligan, Bobby Duncum, Buddy Rose, Don Muraco, George Steele, Greg Valentine, Mr. Fuji, Toru Tanaka, Superstar Billy Graham, Ken Patera

A.K.A.: J. Wellington Radcliff, Mr. Clean, Armstrong K., Abdullah Farouk

Finisher: N/A

Background: Sometimes a fellow is in the right place at the right time. 

Irwin Roth was a disc jockey, looking at a long career of dead of night plate spinning and phone calls from angry truckers. When the infamous Sheik blew up the station, the criminal mastermind asked if Roth needed a job. Thus was born Abdullah Farouk.

From there Roth acted first as a sidekick before taking a more centered role. He didn't punch heroes, no, but he handled the money. From there he started getting more clients. Need someone to wash your cash so the feds don't haul you off? Some shell companies so the heroes don't get suspicious? Then call the Grand Wizard, 'cause he's magic baby. 

Indeed, he set up the image of the 'manager', someone who helped their client (usually a villain) do whatever it took to keep them out of jai and/or win. Until his untimely death he might have even been more powerful than "Classy" Freddie Blassie or Captain Lou Albano.

 

The Last Outlaw-Superstars Profile#38

Stan Hansen 

Real name: John Stanley Hansen II

Home: Borger, TX

Membership: Partners with Bruiser Brody, Danny Spivey, Frank Goodish, Ole Anderson, Ted DiBiase, Terry Gordy, and Vader

A.K.A.: The Man, Badman from Borger, Fuchinkan

Finisher: The Lariat 

Background: Just a mean and tough SOB. 

That's about it. Had a few stints in some minor football leagues but kept getting kicked out for roughness. So he decided to pick a fight with Bruno Sammartino and broke the hero's neck. Naturally this got the Superstars on him, leading to a series of brawls with Pedro Morales and Bob Backlund. Rumored that Hansen's level of violence helped convince McMahon Junior that letting his heroes fight for real would be crazy. 

Oddly enough enjoyed a brief stint in Hollywood but retired to Japan. 

Oh YEAH-Superstars Profile#37

"Macho Man" Randy Savage 

 Real name: Randal Mario Poffo

Home: Sarasota, FL

Membership: The Poffos, Mega Powers, Ultimate Maniacs, New World Order, New World Order-Wolfpac, Team Madness 

A.K.A.: Randy Poffo, the Spider, Mr. Madness, Macho King, the Destroyer 

Finisher: Flying Elbow Drop

Background: Some are born great, some have greatness thrust upon on them, and others take greatness by the neck and make it theirs. 

Randal Poffo was all three. Coming from a long line of heroes, he followed his brother Lanny, first as a series of masked heroes before becoming the Macho Man. 

And what else can one say? He drew no power from the gods. He wasn't the result of some freak science accident. No, he went out there with the biggest cowboy hat he could find and smacked giants around. Some say it went to his head. Especially when he started wearing a crown and demanding people call him the Macho King. 

The Million Dollar Man Always Gets His Way!-Superstars Profile#36

"Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase 

Real name: Theodore Marvin DiBiase

Home: Omaha, NE, had homes in Palm Beach, FL, Hyannis Port, MA, Bel Air, CA, and Netherland Antilles

Membership: Mega Bucks (w/Andre the Giant), Money Inc. (w/Irwin R. Shyster), Million Dollar Corporation, New World Order

A.K.A.: Teddy Willis

Finisher: Million Dollar Dream

Background: When Theodore DiBiase watch he his father die in poverty, he swore that he would never be poor again. Taking the insurance money, he invested first in real estate before flipping it into various energy companies before dumping those into a series of shell companies. 

Of course, the fact that he always managed to skip out right before the bubble burst was an odd coincidence but hey, that's the cost of business, right?

So he came to New York with one goal in mind. Why not buy the Superstars? McMahon thought he was crazy but he liked the cut of his jib (also the size of his check), so he let him play. 

DiBiase didn't care much for the rigmarole of the team but he did get on the radar of a few folks, namely Dusty Rhodes and even Hulk Hogan. Eventually his manservant Virgil ditched him due to his abuse, but that just made DiBiase diversify. He started working with other characters, always staying just enough in the spotlight to get attention but not enough to get him arrested. He stayed consistent until he lost a large chunk of his fortune betting on Steve Austin beating up Savio Vega. 

He's been seen a few here and there, but the Million Dollar Man never cashes out. 

The Teacher-Superstars Profile#35

 Dominic DeNucci

Real name: Dominic Nucciarone

Home: Pittsburgh, PA

Membership: Superstars, the Bravo Brothers

A.K.A.: Dominic Bravo, Masked Marvel, Black Death

Finisher: Airplane Spin

Background: Sometime we're known more for our failures than our successes. 

Dominic was inspired by Bruno Sammartino. Much like his fellow countryman, he sought to master every field. He tried the masked hero bit for a while but he found his calling more in the lab than anywhere else.

You see Dominic had the idea that there multiple earths. Same planet but different frequency. Of course scientists and science fiction writers had the idea before, but Dominic could prove it. 

He assembled a team to help him with funding from Vince McMahon, Sr. He built the first Gagne Gate, a portal to another world. Everything would have been perfect, but his intern Mick Foley stepped onto the portal and went into a coma (See THREE FACES OF FOLEY). 

Disappointed, the entire project was shut down. Another one of his interns, Shane Douglas, would start the project up again a decade later, but that is recounted elsewhere. 

As for the man himself, he was quietly retired, sending the rest of his life lecturing and occasionally working for smaller companies.   

Mask of Tiger-Superstars Profile#34

Tiger Mask

Real name: Naoto Date

Home: Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan

Membership: Tiger's Den

A.K.A.: Satoru Sayama, Sammy Lee, Tiger King, Yellow Devil

Finisher: Diving Headbutt

Background: In Japan there exists a group called the Tiger's Den. A shadowy group, they have their hands in everything. For a price, they can make you a champion. Naoto Date was their rising star in America and looked to be a world champ before too long. 

Visiting his old orphanage, Naoto was horror struck when a young boy approached him and told him he wanted to be exactly like him, cheating and all! This kicked off a change in Date, who promptly quit the Tiger's Den and started striking back at their operations across the world. 

This brought him in contact and conflict with the Superstars. He considered joining the team full time, but seeing McMahon junior brought back too memories of the Den. 

When Date grew too old, he officially 'died' but changed his name and passed the mask onto a successor.

 

Listen up you beer bellied sharecroppers!-Superstars Profile#33

Bad News Brown 

Real name: Allen Coage

Home: Harlem, NY

Membership: Partners with JR Foley, Abdullah the Butcher  

A.K.A.: Bad News Allen, BL Brown, Buffalo Allen

Finisher: Ghettoblaster 

History: Some men are born bad. Bad News Brown was forged. 

He studied judo and was darn good at it, but Coage's rage couldn't be contained in the official ring. He headed north where he ran against the Hart Family. It was there he caught Mr. McMahon's eye, but while McMahon expected another stooge he could feed to Hogan, he got instead was a certifiable badass.

Naturally he had to go. I mean, good grief what would happen if he crippled Hogan? No, that wouldn't do. He also couldn't just fire the guy, so McMahon had to deal with a martial art master who could flip him around like a ragdoll. Brown got bored and left and was never seen in NYC ever again...

Soul of the USA-Superstars Profile#32

Soul Patrol

Real names: (TA) Anthony White/ (RJ) Wayde Douglas Bowles

Home: Roanoke, VA/Washington, DC

Membership: Tony Atlas/Rocky "Soulman" Johnson

A.K.A.: (TA) Saba Simba, Black Superman, Black Atlas/Sweet Ebony Diamond, Drew Glasteau

Finisher: Military Press Slam/Boston Crab

Two men, two backgrounds, one force. 

Anthony White was one of the finest officers of the NYPD, where as Rocky Johnson was a washed up Canadian footballer who did occasional work for the Northwest Mounted Police. They met in a barroom brawl and a friendship was struck. They had no powers and no flashy costumes, yet they captured the public's hearts and Vince McMahon (Senior)'s attention. 

He hired the two at once and had them work the streets. They battled everyone from Austin Idol to Jerry Lawler but in the end ego between the two men (plus Vince Junior seeing no value in two boring guys) lead the team breaking up. Atlas would be rehired under a gimmick whereas Johnson would settle down with his wife, the daughter of Pacific hero "High Chief" Peter Maivia and mentor his son, but that tale is recorded elsewhere