I’m spending autumn in the Northeast for the first time since 2010, and I’m astonished at how early the leaves are beginning to fade and then fall. It’s a chilly day in New Jersey, and school’s out for the Jewish Day of Remembrance known as Rosh Hashana. Though long since through with college, I figured I’d take a few moments to celebrate the season with a special countdown exclusively for www.Cheap-Heat.com! My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and it’s time to go Back to School with Six Superstars—students and teachers of professional wrestling!
6. Coach Tolos
Every school needs a good coach to help motivate it’s star pupils and in-turn earn respect for the institution as a whole. There’ve been a number of talented performers calling themselves “coach” throughout the years. But we’re not here to talk about Lou Duva at WrestleMania 2 or Jonathan “The Coach” Coachman on ESPN. Instead we’ve gone with the rarely acknowledged COACH of Mr. Perfect and the Beverly Brothers—played by the “Golden Greek” John Tolos. Tolos was a Greek-Canadian professional wrestler and manager who rose to great popularity in the 1960s when he and his brother Chris—dubbed the “Canadian Wrecking Crew”—defeated Gorilla Monsoon and Killer Kowalski for the WWWF U.S. Tag Team titles. Later in his career, Tolos became a cunning heel, and took part in a lengthy feud with “Classy” Freddie Blassie in Gene LaBell’s Los Angeles territory. Fast forward to 1991, and Tolos is back in the World Wrestling Federation. His identity was hidden behind dark sunglasses and a baseball cap, with the string from his whistle dangling from between his teeth. The Coach represented The Beverly Brothers—coincidentally formerly called the Minnesota Wrecking Crew. His greatest charge however was Mr. Perfect—then intercontinental champion—who needed a manager when Bobby Heenan became a full-time broadcaster. The Coach represented all three men until Mr. Perfect was injured and sidelined for over a year. The Beverly Brothers got a new manager, and Coach Tolos quietly left the company. John Tolos died on May 29, 2009 after a series of heart attacks and strokes lead to fatal kidney failure. He was 78-years old.
5. Michelle McCool
Long before she was Mrs. Undertaker—even prior to her tenure as the first WWE Diva’s Champion—Michelle McCool portrayed a sexy school teacher, who managed a duo of dudes known as Teacher’s Pets. McCool was given the gimmick based upon her real-life experience as a middle school teacher. In fact both of Michelle’s parents are educators; her mother is a teacher and her father is a superintendent. While the character didn’t last very long, it made a lasting impression—certainly one that had an effect on yours truly. Among her ‘Pets’ were the Illinois-based KC James, and a somewhat familiar-looking fellow named Idol Stevens, who would one day become Damian Sandow. In addition to becoming the very first Diva’s Champion in company history, she was the final Women’s Champion, and unified the belts at Night of Champions in 2010.
4. The Genius
If you’re wondering who took on the responsibility of furthering the Beverly Brothers and their education, look no further than Number Four on our Countdown! The Genius Lanny Poffo is often times remembered for being the younger brother of “Macho Man” Randy Savage. But fans of the World Wrestling Federation in the early 1990s know that “Leaping Lanny” had an identity all his own. The Genius dressed in a graduation gown with a matching mortarboard, and began his matches—and the bouts of Superstars he managed—with poems written specifically for the occasion. In reality, Lanny Poffo is a published poet and celebrated academic who isn’t shy about sharing a few lines off the top of his head. It’s unclear whether or not the Genius was intended to be a student in perpetual graduation mode, or a member of the faculty involved with the ceremony. With a name like THE GENIUS, I suspect he’s a “professional commencement speech pontificator”, and wears his robe and graduation cap so as to always be ready. Lanny was an integral component in the production of the Macho Man documentary available on DVD and the WWE Network. If you haven’t had the chance to check it out, it’s most certainly a must-see with candid comments provided by a man who can truly be called the Genius—Lanny Poffo.
3. The Varsity Club
There are plenty of teachers on this countdown—how about some students? The Varsity Club was an NWA faction that existed from 1987 to 1989 with a modest resurgence at Starrcade 1999. Headed up by Kevin Sullivan, this collection of heels included college athletes-turned-professional wrestlers such as: Rick Steiner from The University of Michigan; Mike Rotunda from Syracuse University; Dan Spivey from The University of Georgia; and “Dr. Death” Steve Williams from The University of Oklahoma. The stable captured numerous championships including the NWA World TV title, the Florida Heavyweight Championship, and various tag team honors. In 2000, following the reunion at Starrcade, Mike Rotunda and Steve Williams competed in All Japan’s Real World Tag League. After tying with three other teams for first place, the Varsity Club vanquished their younger adversaries in semi-final competition to win the event. Unfortunately Dr. Death passed away in December 2009, almost 2-months to the day of his retirement match. Rick Steiner currently works in the real-estate market, and also serves on the Board of Education in his hometown. Kevin Sullivan works with MLW Radio and hosts a weekly podcast alongside Mister Saint Laurent, where they watch old Monday Nitros and talk about decisions that were made. And Mike Rotunda, as we all know, is a WWE Road Agent, and travels the world with his main roster sons—Bo Dallas and Bray Wyatt.
2. Dean Douglas
“The Franchise” Shane Douglas is one of the most intelligent men to ever lace up a pair of wrestling boots. Shane graduated cum laude from Bethany College of West Virginia in 1986, with his bachelors in history and political science. Douglas was even considering enrolling in med school, but declined in order to become a professional wrestler. Douglas was a former ECW—technically NWA—world champion by the time he reached Vince McMahon and the WWE. When he arrived in Stamford, the creative forces that be decided to play upon his exceptional intellect and higher education. They christened him “The Dean,” and scripted him in a number of cheesy backstage promos and mind-numbing vignettes. But that was the point! Arriving in Dean Douglas’s classroom was not unlike sitting down for the first few minutes of a two-hour math class—it was excruciating! Especially when Douglas ran his nails across the chalkboard to open the clip. Dean was a one-time WWE Intercontinental Champion; he was handed the championship when Shawn Michaels became unable to compete in 1995, but lost it later that very night to the “Bad Guy” Razor Ramon. Rumor has it WrestleMania 34 will take place in Philadelphia—the former home of Extreme Championship Wrestling. I would hope WWE could get past his shortcomings under their watch, and induct Shane Douglas into the Hall of Fame. He was the man who started the ‘Era of Extreme’ when he tossed the NWA belt to the ground in 1994. He’s also the longest reigning champion in company history; both combined [874 – 4 reigns] and for a single run [406 days]. We’re talking about going Back to School—these are the things kids need to be learning.
1. Matt Striker
The most famous wrestling educator of all time is undoubtedly Matt Striker. Experts say that the best gimmicks are those drawn upon real life, wherein the wrestler is merely exaggerating his or her own personality. Matt Striker was indeed a real life high school teacher! Striker was a social studies teacher at Benjamin N. Cardoza High School in Queens New York until 2005, coincidentally the same year he debuted for the WWE. Striker was so committed to his craft, that he claimed 11 sick days from December 2004 to February 2005, so that he could travel to Japan for Zero-1. Striker made an impact in the WWE as part of the New Breed—a short-lived foursome of wrestling heels hell-bent on dismantling any and all ECW Originals. Striker soon transitioned into the broadcast position, and even hosted the first season of NXT. Striker has since gone on to achieve stardom outside of the WWE; he was the color commentator for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom on January 4th 2015, and served as the play-by-play analyst for Lucha Underground’s inaugural season. His knowledge and passion for the industry have allowed Striker the opportunity to educated millions of people around the world, proving the adage: “You can take the teacher out of the classroom, but you can’t take the classroom out of the teacher.”
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