Legends House 2:
8 Potential Names
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty
It’s been one year since the world was first introduced to the WWE Network—a 24-hour streaming service featuring the best of WWE’s current product as well as unfettered access to wrestling TV from yesteryear. Among the most popular content on the ‘Network is the original material, including WWE Legend’s House. Originally produced for cable television, Legend’s House was the WWE’s answer to the ”Surreal Life”. Seven Hall of Famers and Hillbilly Jim converged in Palm Springs and proceeded to pull back the curtain like never before. Of course there were an enormity of activities to keep the Legends busy, but the real magic of the show came from the bond between eight brothers of the locker room. Since the show concluded, there’s been talk of developing a second season, but the question as to who might make up the cast remains unanswered. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and I’m here to make some predictions and suggestions as to who I’d like to see stuck inside the Legend’s House.
“The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase
Starting off our list is a man whose name was synonymous with the WWF during the late 1980s. “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase was the top-drawing villain of his day, squaring off against the likes of Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, the Ultimate Warrior, and Dusty Rhodes. He arrived in the WWE where he was outfitted with luxurious tuxedos, extravagant jewelry, and most precious of all—the Million Dollar Championship. Though never officially winning the world title, DiBiase did buy one from Andre the Giant, and even became the 1988 King of the Ring. Ted DiBiase retired from in-ring competition in 1994 and continued to work in the industry as a manager for such Superstars as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, the 1-2-3 Kid, the Steiner Brothers, and the NWO. “The Million Dollar Man” would make a fine addition to the Legend’s House based solely on his dynamic legacy, but a TV show needs more than famous wrestlers. Everybody involved needs to have a decisive quirk to set them apart—on the first season Tony Atlas was annoying, Roddy Piper was crazy, and Pat Patterson was gay. In addition to being a world-class wrestler, Ted DiBiase is also an ordained minister, and is said to be the one responsible for several wrestlers “finding Jesus.” I suggest his calm demeanor could play greatly against some of the more explosive personalities in the wrestling business.
Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat
Ricky Steamboat entered the wrestling industry in 1976, traveling the North American territory system while also learning to hone his craft overseas. “The Dragon” earned a sterling reputation specifically in the NWA promotions along the East Coast, and would eventually become an NWA/WCW Triple Crown champion when he won each the U.S., tag team, and world’s heavyweight titles. Ricky had a brief stint in the WWF during the 1980s where he was met with minimal success. However it was a match from this time with “Macho Man” Randy Savage that helped make Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat a household name. Ricky returned to his roots and the WCW where he remained until the final days of his in-ring career. In 1994, the “Dragon” received his pink-slip via FedEx—from Eric Bischoff. Ricky has remained loyal to the industry but has only stepped inside the squared-circle on rare occasion, including a pair of bouts against Chris Jericho in 2009. Ricky Steamboat is an incredibly nice guy who won’t do much to push buttons while living in the Legend’s House. At the same time however, the former NWA champion has a dry wit about him, which could make him the straight man to some of the more outrageous members of the cast.
Michael “PS” Hayes
In 1995 the WWE hired a mustachioed color commentator with sandy-colored hair and a raspy voice. I was only 9-years-old at the time, so I had no reason to think this guy was anybody other than “Dok Hendrix”—boy was I wrong! The legend of Michael “PS” Hayes began long before his time in the broadcast booth, down in the murkiest depths of America in 1977. Hayes learned to work in his home state of Florida, and soon moved on to larger markets in Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas. Hayes and his running-mates dubbed the “Fabulous Freebirds” were proud of their Southern Rock routes and chose to wear the confederate flag no matter where they performed. The ‘Freebirds engaged in landmark rivalries with the legendary Von Erich Family, most notably against David and Kerry. Over the course of his illustrious 20-year run, Michael Hayes captured tag team gold on a number of occasions in every notable promotion—except the WWF. Hayes has garnered something of a notorious reputation behind the scenes in WWE where he currently works as head-producer. It would seem that every year around Wrestlemania, Michael Hayes gets drunk and says something racist. While I’m certainly not defending racism, I’d like to remind people that he’s a sixty-year-old redneck from the Florida panhandle—I think we’re lucky he keeps those remarks to himself as often as he does. Regardless, I think a man known to make as many faux pas as Freebird is made for reality TV.
Diamond Dallas Page
Don’t knock yoga until you try it—Diamond Dallas Page is helping extend the careers and lives of legendary wrestlers and everyday people through his proven system of “DDP Yoga.” Page is an inspiration in more ways than one; after debuting well into his prime, Diamond Dallas Page went on to have an extraordinary career which included every title in WCW as well as the WWF European and tag team championships. Now at the age of 58, Page is still active and in such peak-condition that he entered the 2015 Royal Rumble just last month ago, delivering a Diamond Cutter or two along the way. He is also the man who helped deliver Jake “the Snake” Roberts from “Death’s Door” to the WWE Hall of Fame, a near impossible feat, accomplished by an unprecedented individual. Diamond Dallas Page is the most positive person on the planet, to the point where his energy is infectious and could benefit some of the other housemates who don’t possess the same sunny disposition as Page. While most members of the Legend’s House will probably find the WCW “People’s Champion” endearing, there are bound to be a few grumpy guys unwilling to do yoga in the morning, making for some hilarious repartee.
Ron Simmons
There has still never been an African-American WWE champion, unless you count the Rock—which I don’t think anybody does. But the first African-American world champion in WCW earned that honor on August 2, 1992 after defeating Big Van Vader—of course I’m talking about Ron Simmons. Unlike other names on the list, Simmons started wrestling after his football career was at an end. He debuted in 1986 and by the early ‘90s was known the world over as one-half of the dreaded tag team Doom. He and Butch Reed were managed by future Smackdown general manager Teddy Long, and held the WCW world tag titles before disbanding, leaving Simmons to try his hand at singles action. Following his title run and subsequent time with WCW, Ron Simmons moved on to ECW, but eventually arrived in the WWF as the “Modern Day Gladiator” Farooq Asaad. Farooq captained the fearsome Nation of Domination, one of the most revered stables in wrestling history, and alongside John Layfield formed the APA, an equally destructive tag duo. I think Ron Simmons would be an excellent member of the cast because he’s a WWE Hall of Famer, he’s renowned for his barrier-breaking achievements, and he’s been known to drink a beer or two. Plus—if Michael Hayes is going to be around, they’ll need somebody to keep him in line.
Jake “The Snake” Roberts
Every Legend’s House is going to need a wild card, so unless Roddy Piper wants to return, we’ve got to find a replacement. Jake “the Snake” Roberts is a fabled character in professional wrestling, whose name echoes in the ears of those who don’t even follow the sport. Jake, a second-generation wrestler, debuted in 1975 after being told repeatedly by his father Grizzly Smith NOT to become a wrestler. Jake signed with the WWF in the mid ‘80s amidst the “Rock ‘N’ Wrestling” campaign. “The Snake” wasn’t as family friendly as some of his contemporaries and made his presence felt through much darker means, including cryptic promos and threatening his opponents with fear—fear of his pet snake Damian. Although active for forty years in numerous promotions including WWF, WCW, ECW, TNA, WCCW, and others, Jake “The Snake” Roberts never won a major singles title. Jake is a very interesting character who’s managed to defeat several demons, all the while still battling with others. He had some recent health issues, but the 2014 Hall of Famer appears to be getting better than ever. If you thought it was hard keeping “Hot Rod” locked up inside a house, imagine dealing with Jake Roberts. And plus—he’ll probably bring the snake!
“The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes
Just like the Hall of Fame or Wrestlemania itself, Legend’s House needs a couple of headliners to give the people what they want! And who better than the 3-time NWA world heavyweight champion, the “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes? ‘Dream made his debut in 1968 and established himself as a cagey tag team competitor. Dusty was a long-time supporter of the National Wrestling Alliance, and remained under its promotional umbrella for most of his career. He made a brief appearance in the WWF during the early 1990s, feuding with the “Macho Man” Randy Savage and the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase. Dusty is accredited with creating some of the most spellbinding spectacles in wrestling including War Games and the Great American Bash. A highly decorated legend and WWE Hall of Famer like Dusty Rhodes has the potential to steal the show. He’s never at a loss for what to say, and seems like he can offer up some poignant knowledge to his fellow cast mates once the final episode rolls along. The Legends are quite often asked to sing and dance and act outrageous—even at 69-years old, nobody gets “funky like a monkey” quite like Dusty Rhodes.
Jesse “The Body” Ventura
I dare say Jesse “The Body” Ventura would be the most entertaining cast member of Legends House: Season 2 POSSIBLE. Jesse started his wrestling career after serving his country during the Vietnam War. He received his training in his home state of Minnesota from the iconic trainer of superstars, Eddie Sharkey. Jesse Ventura’s career would only last eleven years, but in that time he managed to create a legacy that would extend more than forty years. In 1986 Jesse joined the announce desk where he was most remembered by people from my generation; he served as color-commentator at the first several WWF pay-per-views such as Summerslam, Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and Wrestlemania. Jesse moved on to do the same type of work for WCW before leaving the industry all-together. In 1998 Ventura, now known as the “Mind,” won the Minnesota gubernatorial election and served from 1999 until 2003. In addition to his public service and professional wrestling careers, the former Navy Seal is also an author, actor, and—oh yeah, he’s absolutely insane. Jesse hosts a podcast every week where he describes his life living off the grid, without cell phones or computers, and ridiculing everyone who trusts in technology. I would very much like to see a show where Michael Hayes and Dusty Rhodes, two WWE employees required to carry cell phones, get lectured by the “Body” over government surveillance. Now that’s good TV!
Whether you agree with me or not, I think I made some valid arguments as to why these eight individuals belong trapped together in the middle of the Southern California desert. I hope the WWE Network decides to order a second season of Legend’s House, or at the very least, introduces a similar behind-the-scenes program to satiate my appetite when I’m not keen on Kayfabe. Until next time, this has been Mark Haggerty, reminding you to check out www.Cheap-Heat.com for all the latest and greatest news, columns, countdowns and coverage.
