Yer Outta Here!-Superstars Profile#155

"Dangerous" Danny Davis

Real name: Daniel Davis

Home: Dover, NH

Membership: The Hart Foundation

A.K.A.: Mr. X

Finisher: Boston Crab

Background: Who watches the watchers and what happens when one goes bad?

Danny Davis started out with the best intentions. He worked his way up from clerk to judge but he saw men like McMahon setting all the rules. Thus, he would strike for justice as the masked Mr. X!

Mr. X often got the tar beaten out of him and Davis was no closer to doing anything to stop the corruption. So why bother?

So, when Jimmy Hart stopped by his offices late one night with a briefcase full of hundred dollars bills, well, he's only human. Thus Davis started letting crooks go, often with a slap on the wrist but heroes (especially unaffiliated heroes)? Yeah, those guys got the book thrown at them. 

His work got noticed, however, and he was disbarred. McMahon liked the cut of his jib, however, and soon "Dangerous" Danny Davis was now legally licensed to beat the beejeezus out of people. 

This worked until 1989, when he finally ran out of luck and lost to Sam Houston. After that, he went down to a lower court and served the public quietly until his retirement.

A Middle O-Superstars Profile#154

Barry O

Real name: Randall Berry Orton

Home: Las Vegas, NV

Membership: JOB Squad

A.K.A.: Barry Orton, the Highroller, the Zodiac 

Finisher: Falling Starr

Background: Man, what could have been, eh?

Son to the infamous Bob Orton, brother to the even more infamous Bob Orton, Jr.; kind of had the deck stacked against him.

He moved out of Texas as soon as he could and tried to make a go as a country western singer. Did alright, played a lot of gigs but he couldn't quite make it as a star. Figuring to go in the 'family business' his heart was never in it. 

That's about it. Got hired by Titan but was used to make the Superstars look good and not much else. He left for Hollywood in the late 80's and didn't look back.

The Tiger-Superstars Profile#153

Tiger Chung Lee

Real name: Masanori Toguchi

Home: Seoul, South Korea

Membership: Ishin Gundan, partners with Mr. Fuji, Boris Malenko, Classy Freddie Blassie

A.K.A.: Kim Duk, Ultra Seven

Finisher: Kiwi Drop

Background: A thug but a well dressed one. 

Not much else to add. Ran with Mr. Fuji but never took to the fancy dress motif. No, his style was more 'beat the tar out of you'. This served him pretty well but he left New York in 1988 for points South. 

Yeah, not every story is going to be an epic. 

The Invaders-Superstars Profile#152

The Invaders

Real names: (I) Jose Gonzalez, (II) Roberto Soto, (III) Johnny Rivera

Background:

Yeah, I think Jose Gonzalez has had enough ink written about him, and this was another reason why the series failed. Assuming Invader#1 hadn't murdered Bruiser Brody, I'd probably just have them being generic thugs with the generic being the whole point; a slightly more serious take on the Los Conquistadors. 

The Brothers Valiant-Superstars Profile#151

The Valiant Brothers 

Real names: (Jimmy) James Fanning (Johnny) John Sullivan (Jerry) John Hill

Membership: Jimmy Valiant, Johnny Valiant, Jerry Valiant 

Background: Just some guys, hanging out. 

Ok, it was a bit more complicated than that but the whole got started when step brothers Jimmy and Johnny opted to beat up Bruno Sammartino. Why? Why not?

So they ran like crazy over Indianapolis before heading East towards New York.

They continued but Jimmy started feeling the age so they called up their baby bro Jerry. That kickstarted the group but by 1980 they called it quits for real.

Get the Rope-Superstars Profile#150

The Hangman

Real name: Neil Guay

Home: Matane, Quebec, Canada 

Membership: The Super Destroyers, managed by Classy Freddie Blassie

A.K.A.: Le Bourreau, Super Destroyer III, JP Durelle, the Towering Inferno, Big John the Quebec Lumberjack, Jean Louie, Jean Pierre LaSalle

Background: He was a cop but figured maybe being a hero paid better, then he decided being a villain paid even better. 

He became the Hangman, even got on the radar of the Hollywood Fashion Plate himself. Shame that was about it. Even got an enchanted rope to help him but it was no good. The biggest victory he ever had was taking down Rene Goulet, which kind of says many things. 

He left New York in 1981 for various points. 

Tell That to My Face-Superstars Profile#149

Angelo Mosca

Real name: Angelo Mosca

Home: Waltham, MA

Membership: Superstars

A.K.A.: King Kong Mosca

Finisher: Sleeperhold

Background: Just a tough dude. 

Angelo wanted a challenge, so he headed North. Became a football legend in the Great White North but grew bored. Why couldn't he just knock the hell out some bums and call it a day?

This attitude may have gotten him cheered in Canada but in America it got him booed. He took on Bob Backlund. Lost, but gave him a good showing. He smashed a water pitcher over Pat Patterson's head. Got beaten up but gave a good showing. 

That sort of set the standard for him really. He went to work as a newscaster for Titan for their Canadian affiliates but retired in 1986.

The Quickest of the Draws-Superstars Profile#148

 Rick McGraw

Real name: Richard McGraw

Home: Charlotte, NC

Membership: JOB Squad

Finisher: Flying Bodypress

Background: He had guts, you can't deny that. 

Rick was usually the runt no matter where he went. This didn't bother him and he wasn't going to let anything hold him back. Sure, he got the holy snot kicked out of him but by gawd the man wasn't going let anything stand in his way!

He even formed a brief team with Andre the Giant. Seriously 

He picked a fight with Roddy Piper of all people. It ended badly but when McGraw later passed away, Piper put on a headline show to support the guy's family.

Not quite a chief-Superstars Profile#147

Steve King

Real name: Steven King

Home: Puerto Rico

Membership: JOB Squad

A.K.A.: Chief Cherokee

Background: Someone's got to do the dirty jobs. 

Steve was just your average dude from Puerto Rico. He headed North and applied to Titan. Instead of a hero, he was given a Native American costume and told his new identity would be Chief Cherokee. 

He at least got some good victories, right?

Nope. He would be slapped six ways to Sunday and was used to make the other guys look good. 

The First Lady-Superstars Profile#146

Miss Elizabeth 

Real name: Elizabeth Ann Hulette

Home: Frankfort, KY

Membership: Managed Randy Savage, Hulk Hogan, Four Horsemen, Alliace to End Hulkamania, nWo, nWo Hollywood, nWo Wolfpac, Millionare's Club

Background: The real life tragedy does make a jokey profile seem in poor taste. 

Basically Elizabeth would be Randy Savage's manager. Outwardly clam, cool, and poised, but inside who knows? My version ends with her leaving for Atlanta and that's the end of the tale. 

Hail to the Queen-Superstars Profile#145

Princess Victoria 

Real name: Victoria Otis

Home: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 

Membership: Superstars, partners with Velvet McIntyre 

Background: Sometimes you need a gimmick. 

Otis was just a gal looking to make it big. Like many, she dreamed of joining the Superstars. During the course of her training, she ran afoul of the Irish brawler Velvet McIntyre. The pair fought but during the course of that fight the two came to an understanding.

Thus they joined the Superstars together but one neck injury later Victoria had to hang up her boots. 

The Steel One-Superstars Profile#144

Jerry Valiant 

Real name: John Hill

Home: New York City, NY

Membership: The Valliant Brothers, the Assassins

A.K.A.: The Masked Strangler, Mr. X, the Stomper, Guy Heenan, the Gentleman

Background: John wasn't as flashy as his brother but when Johnny asked him to go after Bruno Sammartino, why not? 

He's been raising eight shades of Hell in Canada (the family's old stomping ground) as a masked crook. Why not do something different across the border?

He quit in 1984, getting a corporate job with Titan of all things. 

The Luscious One-Superstars Profile#143

Johnny Valiant 

Real name: John L. Sullivan

Home: New York City, NY

Membership: The Valiant Brothers

A.K.A.: Luscious Johnny V

Background: As the oldest of the clan, Johnny always had his eyes on the gold. 

Seeing Bruno Sammartino in action prompted Johnny and his brother Jimmy (later joined by their brother Jerry) to try and knock Bruno down a peg. Not for any for particular reason. They weren't looking to disrupt the forces of law and order or any kind of political reasons. Nope, just seemed like a good idea at the time. 

Maybe it was this reason Vince Jr. bailed him out of jail and gave him a job as manager. His first client was Brutus Beefcake and with him they formed the Dream Team. When Beefcake left, Johnny sought out Dino Bravo but the new version was a bit shorter lived. Johnny still had eyes for the gold but it seemed everybody he managed fell short. 

He did a stint in the Midwest before finally retiring. He found more success as a comedian and character actor funny enough.

The Raw-Boned Cowboy-Superstars Profile#142

Blackjack Mulligan 

Real name: Robert Windham

Home: El Paso, TX

Membership: The Blackjacks, the Machines, the Heenan Family, partners with Ric Flair

A.K.A.: Big Bob Windham, Big Machine, the Texan

Finisher: Clawhold

Background: 

A son may overshine his father but if the father is the hardest fighter since Stan Hansen, one could forgive a few failings. 

Mulligan certainly did everything that was expected of him. Marines, a few pro football teams, yet no money or jobs. When his old buddy, now calling himself Blackjack Lanza, offered him a cool grand for roughly ten minutes work, well, you can't really blame the guy can you?

Outfitted with a special glove, the newly dubbed Blackjack Mulligan raised hell from the Midwest all the way to New York City. He had a special animosity for Andre the Giant. 

His son Barry would be better known. Probably the biggest thing was his personality being used as the basis for the Big Machine. As the 80's rolled on, Blackjack ceded more ground to his son and quietly retired. 

No Holds Barred!-Superstars Profile#141

Zeus 

Real name: Tommy Lister, Jr. (maybe?)

Home: Parts Unknown 

Membership: Alliance to End Hulkamania, Dungeon of Doom, the Million Dollar Team

A.K.A.: Z-Gangsta

Finisher: Bearhug

Background: Meta or not meta?

Hulk Hogan did a film. It wasn't the biggest success of all time, not even that month really. In the film, Hogan did battle with an ex con by the name of Zeus. The film ended with Zeus seemingly falling to his death from atop a scaffolding, crashing into the ring. 

Fine, but then he showed up at Hogan's house and wanted a rematch. Confused actor? Hologram gone amuck? Some weird rip in the space/time continuum? Bobby the Brain was never available for comment. 

He and Hogan fought a few times, usually with backup. He vanished after the last one, although there were rumored sitings everywhere from Puerto Rico to Mississippi. 

Just a strange story all told man. 

I Don't Talk Too Good-Superstars Profile#140

Uncle Elmer

Real name: Stanley Fraizer

Home: Pascagoula, MS

Membership: the A-Team, Hillbilly Family

A.K.A.: A-Team#2, Big Tex, Congorilla, Cowboy Fraizer, Ed Younger, Farmer Boy Fraizer, Giant Fraizer, Giant Hillbilly, Playboy Fraizer, the Giant Revel, the Lone Ranger 

Background: Every family needs a head. 

While Hillbilly Jim dutifully took orders from his dear old ma, she realized he might need someone with some experience to help and to reign in his cousins Luke and Junior, so she put in a call to her brother. The elder Elmer was more than happy. He'd been quite the hellraiser in his youth, running against both sides of the law across the Southeast but he'd be more than happy to lend his wisdom to his beloved nephews. 

The big city was certainly a change. He even got himself hitched but fighting? Nope, that's a young man's game. This was proven rather hard to him when he picked a fight with King Kong Bundy. It didn't end well. 

Elmer opted to take his new bride to the fertile lands of Tennessee. He dabbled a bit in the hero game but he served mostly as a sidekick to Jerry Lawler. 

The Starship, you know what I mean-Superstars Profile#139

Dan Spivey

Real name: Daniel Spivey

Home: Griffin, GA

Membership: American Express, American Starpship, Skyscrapers, the Varsity Club

A.K.A.: Golden Eagle, American Starship Eagle, Dangerous Danny Spivey, Waylon Mercy

Finisher: Sleeperhold

Background: Barry Windham was out. 

This put Michael Rotunda in a bind but he heard through the grapevine about a team in Florida. Seems some masked characters were making themselves the talk of the town. Calls were made and soon Dan was unmasked and unveiled to the public. 

They didn't care. Much for the same reason. You can talk about American pride all you want but compared to guys like Hogan or Andre, well, not much of a draw, is it?

So, when Teddy Long made an offer, Spivey signed up that night and the rest is history. 

Cock-a-doodle-doo!-Superstars#138

Red Rooster

Real name: Paul Taylor

Home: Vero Beach, FL

Membership: Heenan Family, York Foundation, Fantastic Ones, partners with Greg Valentine

A.K.A.: Dr. Feelgood, Scary Terry Taylor, Terrence Taylor, Taylor Made Man

Finisher: Five Arm

Background: Some things can't be overcome. 

Terry had done some hero work around the country but when Titan paired him up with Sam Houston, Taylor's berating Houston after their quarry escaped was caught on camera. The Brain saw this and quickly picked him to be the latest member of the Family. 

Pity that was the highlight. Heenan would make a point to insult and micromanage Taylor during his fights, despite the man's training. He dubbed him a 'red rooster', a phrase that no one seems to understand. Fed up, Taylor turned on the Brain.

While he got some cheers, his joy turned to the bitterest rage when his new persona was unveiled-the RED ROOSTER!

While the Brain simply had him wear red, the Superstars asked him to strut like a bird and have his hair teased up like a rooster. For some reason this failed to endear him to the public and less than a year he fled to the South. 

The Dream-Superstars Profile#137

Akeem the African Dream

Real name: George Gray

Home: Deepest, Darkest Africa 

Membership: House of Humperdink, Twin Towers, Dungeon of Doom, partners with Gary Hart, Slick

Finisher: 747 Splash

History: Lord, where does one begin?

The One Man Gang was an ok bit but Slick felt he needed some 'pizazz'.

Thus, the One Man Gang vanished into the streets that spawned him. In his place roared Akeem-the African Dream!

Which, in hindsight, was a horrible idea. Oh, the outfit was cool. Jets built into the boots, bullet proof cloth, plus his headdress could double as a radio transmitter. They quickly decided to pair him up with the Big Boss Man as the Twin Towers but by 1990 everyone agreed this was a terrible idea and should never be spoken of again. 

Heroes of the People-Superstars Profile#136

The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers 

Real names: Jacques and Raymond Rougeau

Home: Montreal, Quebec but soon to relocate to Memphis, TN

Membership: Jacques Rougeau, Raymond Rougeau, Jimmy "Mouth of the South" Hart

Finisher: Double Dropkick

Background: A legacy is a heck of a thing to uphold. The Brothers Rougeau were the inheritors of a family legacy and it was assumed that both brothers would follow the family business of hero work. 

They did, at first but the fans changed them. It was the indifference then it was seeing how much more money the supposed bad guys earned. By the end of the 80s they figured everyone else was selling out, so why not them? They renounced Quebec before becoming American citizens and hiring Jimmy Hart as their manager. The team quietly dissolved and their story is continued elsewhere. 

Just Another Country Boy-Superstars#135

Cousin Luke 

Real name: Luke G. Petit

Home: Mudlick, KY

Membership: Hillbilly Family, Superstars, Army of Darkness, Mad Mongolians, partners with Swede Hanson

Finisher: Mule Kick

Background: Sometimes blood is thicker than water but it don't get your clothes clean. 

Hillbilly Jim was having some problems with Roddy Piper. He already got his cousin Junior to help him, so why not Luke?

The issue was Luke was no Bob Orton and quite frankly resented being a 'hillbilly hero' even more than his cousin Junior. When his ankle was busted, well, he took that as a sign and left. A fellow called Texas Red was later seen raising hell in Japan but Jim was never able to confirm who he was. 

The Beast from the East-Superstars Profile#134

Bam Bam Bigelow

Real name: Scott Bigelow

Home: Ashbury Park, NJ

Membership: Superstars, Million Dollar Corporation, Triple Threat, Jersey Triad, the Triad, New Blood, partners with Big Van Vader

Finisher: Diving Headbutt

Background: One of the lord's own mutants. 

The biggest fish in most ponds, Bigelow found himself serving time in a Mexican prison. TLDR-working as a bounty hunter didn't pan out. 

Sir Oliver Humperdink, however, heard tale of this wild man and a few bribes later brought up to New York. Bigelow was at first used as a villain but the man's own charisma plus stories of him performing heroic deeds almost forced him onto the Superstars but he was a bad fit. 

Disgruntled as he could get, Bigelow first went to Japan before wandering a bit. He came back to New York in the 90s but that's recounted elsewhere.

The Outlaw-Superstars Profile#133

"Outlaw" Ron Bass

Real name: Ronald Heard

Home: Houston, TX

Membership: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Long Riders, Bass Brothers, partners with Barry Windham, John Anson

Finisher: Texas Gordbuster

Background: Sometimes a cowboy's a cowboy.

Ron Heard had a pretty average life. He tried going the legit route first but found the challenges and pay lacking. Seeing Hulk Hogan on the tv, he figured "hey, I could knock that boy silly and get money for it!"

And he did. 

Or at least he tried. He had the bluster, a bullwhip and a truly impressive mustache. It wasn't enough and Hogan beat him like everyone else. He later moved to Florida and sold Amway. 

He's an Animal!-Superstars Profile#132

George "the Animal" Steele

Real name: William Myers

Home: Detroit, MI

Membership: The Machines (sort of), the Superstars, the Oddities, managed by the Grand Wizard, Mr. Fuji, Classy Freddie Blassie, Captain Lou Albano

Finisher: Flying Hammerlock Splash

Background: Sometimes science is more an art than a science.

Myers was an educated man, indeed he even fought crime as the masked man known as the Student, but even the most learned men have some point of vanity. 

Myers was bald. 

So ashamed by this, Myers funneled all his work into developing a cure. His funds almost depleted, Myers tried his cure and stepped into his custom built machine. What emerged?

Well, he had hair. Thick, long, and wavy; everywhere below his neck. It was almost indestructible. His IQ was almost dropped to the point where he couldn't quite recall who he was; he vaguely remembered the named George. Steele was added later and attributed to his nigh invulnerability. The Animal should be self-explanatory. 

 A man with almost unstoppable strength and no mind of his own? Yeah, he was taken advantage of; but as the 80s rolled on, Captain Lou managed to rescue George and give the man some level of dignity. George was eventually made a member of the Superstars but budget cuts made him a wanderer for most of the 90s. 

The Real Playboy-Superstars Profile#131

Larry Sharpe

Real name: Larry Weil

Home: Castleisland, Ireland 

Membership: Bodacious Blonds, Hollywood Blondes, partners with Jack Evens 

Finisher: Piledriver

Background: Those that can, do; those that can't teach-and if you said that saying to Larry Sharpe he'd turn you over to some of his students. 

Larry could have been a premier member of the Superstars but when the 80s rolled around he quietly left the team and headed to various points, learning. When he felt he had learned enough he opened his Monster Factory and started churning out students who names will live forever. 

And That's All the People Need to Know!- Superstars Profile#130

the Baron 

Real name: James Donald Raschke (at least that's who the checks were made out too)

Home: Republic of Germany (we think, his accent suggested the Bavarian alps)

Membership: Paul Jones Army, partners with Greg Valentine, Horst Hoffman, Mad Dog Vachon, Paul Jones, the Crusher, managed the Barbarian and the Warlord

A.K.A.: Fritz Von Raschke, Jim Raschke

Finisher: The Brain Claw

Background: To most people in Titan, the Baron was a shadowy figure. He issued orders to the Barbarian and the Warlord but the Powers of Pain quickly broke free from him for reasons unrevealed. 

After that he returned to his old Midwest stamping grounds. Why? That is unknown. His background, unknown. 

Although every so often, someone notices a hooded figure in the background of some old photos or catches glimpse of a twisted old man out of the corner of their eyes. 

The Russian Bear-Superstars Profile#129

Ivan Koloff 

Real name: Ivan Koloff

Home: Moscow, Russia 

Membership: The Russians, Paul Jones Army, House of Humperdink, partners with Superstar Billy Graham, Captain Lou Albano, "Classy" Freddy Blassie

A.K.A.: Oreal Pierce, Jim Parris, Red McNulty

Finisher: Russian Neckbreaker

Background: Russian superagents weren't unusual. They send some of their guys to attack, we send some guys, wash rinse repeat.

Ivan was one of those men. He was given the background a simple farmer from Ottawa but that was simply a cover. Ivan was augmented and gave the Superstars a run for their money, even being the first one to defeat Bruno Sammartino. Ivan was on a rampage until Pedro Morales stepped up and used Ivan as a stepping stone to his becoming the Superstars next leader. 

As the 70's gave way to the 80's Ivan found himself cut off from his handlers. He drifted south and battled across the Southeast for a bit before retiring. 

The Iron Ace-Superstars Profile#128

Antonio Inoki 

Real name: Kanji Inoki

Home: Tokyo, Japan 

Membership: B-I Cannon, partners with Tatsumi Fujinami, Seji Sakaguchi

A.K.A.: Kamikaze, Tokyo Tom, Kinji Onoki, Little Tokyo, Kazimoto

Finisher: Enzuigiri

History: A man's whose legacy could fill a hundred profiles. 

But his relationship with Titan was brief. Bob Backlund was touring Japan on a goodwill tour when Inoki challenged him to a fight. Much to the shock of his Superstars teammates, Inoki won. The victory was never acknowledged but those that saw knew. 

Inoki would mostly stay in Japan where he would move into the realm of politics. 

Hotstuff!-Superstars Profile#127

"Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert

Real name: Thomas Edward Gilbert, Jr. 

Home: Lexington, TN

Membership: Memphis Mafia, Hot Stuff International, Hot Stuff and Hyatt International, First Family, Dangerous Alliance, New Fabulous Ones, partners with Doug Gilbert and Dark Patriot 

A.K.A.: The Bogie Man, Jason the Terrible, Tommy Gilbert, Jr. 

Finisher: Piledriver

Background: Another son, another father. Tommy Gilbert was a legend in Memphis. That might have played a part in his moving North. Finding Bob Backlund, Gilbert was taken under the man's wing and was made a low ranking member of the Superstars, albeit briefly. 

Yeah, briefly being the key phrase as one fight with the Masked Superstar left him utterly broken. Gilbert was dismissed from McMahon's company before his son took over. 

From there he went back to Memphis and from there sailed into legend. 

The Dragon of Tradition-Superstars Profile#126

Tatsumi Fujinami

Real name: Tatsumi Fujinami

Home: Kunisaki, Oita, Japan 

Membership: Dragon Bombers, partners with Antonio Inoki, Kengo Kimura, and Osamu Nishimura

A.K.A.: Ox Fujinami 

Finisher: Dragon Supplex

Background: A man from the East...

Seriously though, the sheer amount of fights this man has been in could fill entire libraries. He started as a rival to Antonio Inoki but when Inoki was fired from the company that he made famous, Fujinami threw in with him. 

His exploits in Japan made him a legend, with his style and moves being studied in places from Canada all the way to Mexico. 

For a brief time, Titan, Inc. did business with this new Japanese company. Fujinami spared with Hulk Hogan but after a brawl with Matt Borne he left for his familiar haunts. 

 

Jive Soul Brother-Superstars Profile#125

Slick

Real name: Kenneth Wayne Johnson

Home: Fort Worth, TX

Membership: Managed One Man Gang, Akeem, Boris Zhuov, Butch Reed, Earthquake Evans, Hercules, the Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, Paul Roma, Rick Martel, the Warlord 

A.K.A.: Reverend Slick 

Finisher: N/A

Background: Sometimes the acorn falls pretty dang far from the tree. 

Slick was the only son of Rufus R. Jones. When your old man is as tough as he was, the bar is set a little high. Slick took one look at that bar and said the hell with it. He took to the streets, but it wasn't to be a fighter. 

No, Slick got by on his brain. He could put people where they would do the most damage. This got him hired by "Classy" Freddie Blassie. Slick was smart and soon bought out Blassie's stable of fighters. He took a run of the mill biker and turned him into the African Dream.

From there he focused mainly on tag teams. He was doing fine, just fine. Cash was coming in steady, his fighters were making him feared but he wasn't happy. 

Then Davey Boy Smith beat the daylights out of him. From there, Slick decided to take some serious stock of his life. The 90s would see a new Slick emerge.