AS I SEE
IT
Bob Magee
Pro Wrestling: Between the Sheets
PWBTS.comI start this week's column
with
yet more sad news in the wrestling world.
Mike "Johnny Grunge" Durham was pronounced dead on arrival at an
Atlanta
area hospital on February 16.
The Wrestling Observer reported that Grunge was at a friend's house in
Peachtree City, GA, was gasping for air and rushed to the hospital. The
preliminary diagnosis is that it was said to have to do with
complications
from sleep apnea.
As most readers know, Grunge and the late Ted Petty (as Rocco Rock),
made up
the tag team of Public Enemy, becoming one of the foundations of ECW.
They
were among the first major stars created by Paul Heyman from scratch.
Public Enemy were four time ECW Tag Team Champions, first winning the
ECW
Tag Team Titles from Kevin Sullivan and "Tazmaniac" on March 6, 1994 at
the
ECW Arena. They lost the titles to Mikey Whipwreck and Cactus Jack on
August
27, 1994 at the ECW Arena (the night that ECW was renamed "Extreme"
Championship Wrestling) then regained the belts on November 5, also at
the
Arena.
They lost the belts again on February 4, 1995 at the ECW Arena to Sabu
and
Tazmaniac, then regained them for a third time on April 8, 1995 in a
three
way dance from Chris Benoit/Dean Malenko and Taz/Rick Steiner (filling
in
for Sabu). They lost the titles to Raven and Stevie Richards on June
30,
1995 in Jim Thorpe, PA.
Public Enemy won the belts for a final time on October 7, 1995 at the
ECW
Arena from Raven and Richards in a three way dance against Raven and
Richards and The Gangstas. Public Enemy lost the belts for a final time
in a
gimmick match to the team of The Sandman and 2 Cold Scorpio in a
singles
match that saw Rocco Rock lose to 2 Cold Scorpio.
Public Enemy also worked programs in ECW with The Eliminators, The
Pitbulls,
The Bruise Brothers, Ian and Axl Rotten (Bad Blood); and Terry and Dory
Funk.
The matches with The Funks were among the wildest in the early history
of
ECW, including the July 16, 1994 "no rope barbed wire" match in a 100
plus
degree ECW Arena.
Public Enemy went to World Championship Wrestling in 1996; defeating
Harlem
Heat to win the WCW Tag Team Titles; then losing them back
approximately
three weeks later.
Grunge was clearly never the same after the 2002 death of Ted Petty,
who
died from a heart attack on his way to a 3PW show, after working
another
shot at a show in North Jersey. His emotions were obvious anytime he
was
called upon to talk about Petty at events in recent years, including
the
June 10, 2005 Hardcore Homecoming on June 10, 2005.
My favorite Johnny Grunge story wasn't one in the ring, but was from
the
night that Johnny played Pied Piper to an entire bar.
One night after an ECW show, the post-show "festivities" took place at
the
Radisson Hotel near Philadelphia International Airport, since the usual
ECW
post-show haunts weren't open and wrestlers and fans went down the road
from
the Comfort Inn. The bar was packed with ECW talent and fans, making
for
very happy barstaff and management when they saw the bar tabs being
racked
up.
Well...what actually happened to this day I don't know, but as the
evening
went on, one of Grunge's friends was asked to leave the bar. Grunge
found
out about this, and went to see what was going on. After he was told
the
friend wouldn't be allowed back in, Grunge played Pied Piper, told the
bar
his friend had been kicked out; and proceeded to tell us his friend had
been
treated unfairly and that we might want to let the bar know what we
felt.
The entire (and I don't mean most of the people, but the ENTIRE bar)
proceeded to clear out, and those assembled walked into the Radisson
parking
lot. The barstaff and management took one look at hundreds, if not
thousands
of dollars of the evening's proceeds walking out into the parking lot.
After
about two minutes decided whatever had happened with Grunge's friend
couldn't have been that serious...and allowed him back in.
Johnny's funeral will take place this Wednesday at 7:00 pm, with
viewings
this Tuesday 6:00 to 8:00 pm and this Wednesday 11:00 am to 6:45 pm,
all at
the Ward�s Parkway Chapel, 1000 Forest Parkway, Forest Park, GA. For
information, call (404) 366-3522.
He also left behind 2 young sons, Michael Jr., aged 8 and Chase, aged
3. In
lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to the Michel
Durham Memorial Fund at: Bank of America GA7-083-01-01, 500 North Lake
Drive, Peachtree City, GA 30269.
RIP, Johnny. Somewhere up above...the match Paul Heyman always wanted
to do
will finally take place: Eddie Guerrero and Art Barr, Los Gringos
Locos, are
taking on The Public Enemy as we speak. Given that this weekend saw the
eleventh anniversary of Eddie Gilbert's passing, I expect Eddie's
running
around Heaven trying to book return matches for multiple venues over
the
next two months.
In more mundane news, in the latest example of promotions having
different
standards for different wrestlers, witness the case of Austin Aries and
Roderick Strong.
Austin Aries and Roderick Strong were among those scheduled for Ring of
Honor's show on February 11 in Lake Grove, NY. So were Alex Shelley,
Homicide, and Jay Lethal.
All of them were also scheduled for the TNA Against All Odds PPV in
Orlando,
FL the next evening. Due to the February 11 and 12 snowstorm that hit
the
Northeast, setting a record snowfall for New York City, TNA management
directed all the wrestlers to leave immediately for the airport and
booked
them on flights to get to Orlando, FL.
Alex Shelley, Homicide, and Jay Lethal left immediately. Austin Aries
and
Roderick Strong, the Ring of Honor Tag Team Champions, remained In New
York
City and worked the show. They flew to Florida the next morning,
arrived in
more than enough time and appeared on the PPV as scheduled in a loss to
the
Naturals.
Yet Roderick Strong and Austin Aries are being punished. They were used
as
enhancement talent at the IMPACT taping last Tuesday. The storyline
where
Aries, Strong, and Alex Shelley have been complaining to Jerry Lynn
that
they weren't being given a chance" has apparently been dropped, as
Aries,
Strong, Shelley and Lynn never appeared in their roles for the taping.
Now witness these examples:
1) Jeff Hardy no-showed multiple TNA PPVs...without notice. He was
brought
back at least twice.
2) Sean Waltman no-showed at least two TNA PPVs..and has been brought
back
to replace another no-show.
3) Apolo no-showed one TNA PPV...was brought back; then replaced by
Ricky
Vega (as Machete) when he missed a second PPV.
But the two wrestlers who MADE IT for a PPV event are being pulled from
bookings. I have to wonder if TNA was planning on paying them for the
booking they missed (and if they have done so for Shelley, Lethal, and
Homicide).
Anyone ready for more hostility from Ring of Honor fans?
Ring of Honor fans showed their displeasure when TNA pulled its talent
altogether from Ring of Honor shows, owing to the Rob Feinstein
incident
back in March 2004, long after it was clear that Feinstein was no
longer
involved with the company. One wonders if they'll show their
displeasure
again.
Until next time...
If you have comments/questions, or if you'd like to add the AS I SEE IT
column to your website, I can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]
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