RIP: Sid Eudy
Former WWE and WCW Heavyweight Champion Sid Eudy passed away at 63. According to his son, Gunnar, he died following a long battle with cancer.
Standing 6’9” and over 300 pounds of muscle, Sid looked like he was built in a workshop. Making his pro wrestling debut in 1987, he entered WCW two years later as one-half of the Skyscrapers with Danny Spivey. An injury to Sid ended the tag team, but he returned as a member of the Four Horseman and would challenge Sting for the WCW World Title at Halloween Havoc. When his contract ended in 1991, he signed with the WWF, and changed his name from Sid Vicious to Sid Justice, and was immediately a main event player. Sid eliminated Hulk Hogan from the 1992 Royal Rumble, and would face him in a DQ loss in the main event of Wrestlemania 8. Sid was, however, suspended for failing a drug test, and rather than serve it, he quit the company.
Sid returned to WCW as a surprise in 1993 and again was thrust into the main event scene. Months in, it was alleged that he was set to win his first World Title at that year’s Starrcade, but he was fired after stabbing Arn Anderson with scissors over an argument in England. It looked like Sid’s career was over, but when you look like he did, he was going to get another shot in the big time.
Prior to Wrestlemania 11, he returned to the WWF as Shawn Michaels’ bodyguard. Now named “Psycho Sid”, he inadvertently cost Michaels his match against Diesel for the World Title, and on the night after on Monday Night Raw, he turned on Michaels and joined the Million Dollar Corporation. Sid competed for the World Title but could not dethrone Diesel and a neck injury saw him leave again in early 1996.
Sid returned in the summer of ’96, replacing The Ultimate Warrior in a six-man tag team main event on a PPV, and he went on the best face run of his life. Sid became super popular with the WWE audience and beat Michaels in front of a hot crowd at the Survivor Series to win his first World Title. He lost it back to Michaels at the 1997 Royal Rumble but regained it shortly after in a match against Bret Hart, who won it the day before in a four-man match. Sid went on to defend his title against the Undertaker in the main event of Wrestlemania 13. He lost and was released by the WWF months later.
Sid came back to wrestling, joining WCW in 1999, though it had significantly lost its luster. He won multiple world titles there, but his career came to an abrupt end when he broke his leg in a gruesome injury while attempting a second rope kick. Sid appeared sparingly in wrestling after, making his last major appearance on Monday Night Raw in 2012.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to Sid Eudy's fans, friends, and family.
Teddy Long named to the WWE HOF
Getting his start in Georgia Championship Wrestling as part of the ring crew, Long got into the ring as a last minute replacement for a referee, a role he would have for years and was regular fixture at NWA events. Long would segue into managing after a fast count pin costing the Road Warriors the Tag Team Championship. He was fired as a referee and became the manager of the Skyscrapers, the tandem of Danny Spivey and Sid Vicious who would feud with the Road Warriors.
Long would later manage Norman and following the dismantling of the Skyscrapers, he took over the reigns of Ron Simmons and Butch Reed (Doom) who would become the first African-American World Tag Team Championship. Doom would break up in early 1991 and after the his remaining protégé, Johnny B. Badd turned face, Long would occasionally be used as a broadcaster.
Long would be in the corner often for Ron Simmons during his championship run and in the mid 90’s he was a face manager for lower card workers, but was never in another major angle in WCW again. He would leave WCW for the WWF and would become a referee again.
History would repeat itself as after four years, Long would once again come back as a heel manager. His charges included D-Lo Brown, Rodney Mack, Jazz, Christopher Nowinski, Mark Henry and Mark Jindrak. While Long was entertaining, he did not have any major storylines, but in 2004, that would change when he would be named the General Manager of Smackdown.
Often, these positions don’t last long, but Teddy was in that role off and on for nearly ten years. He was involved in major angles with Edge, Vickie Guerrero, the Undertaker and John Laurinitis. It is unlikely if we will ever see a non-McMahon in an on-screen authority role longer with a tenure that reached Teddy Long’s.
We here would like to congratulate Teddy Long on earning this honor.
The Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were the band that defined Punk Rock and they kept that attitude by refusing to attend their induction ceremony by calling the Hall a “piss stain”. Maybe we agree on some level as we created this website after all.
144. Siouxsie & the Banshees
If you take one look at the Siouxsie & the Banshees the quick reaction is to view them as a Goth Band. Looks are certainly deceiving in this case, and though that does describe their look and a component of their music that is hardly all that they were.
22. “Psycho” Sid
Many times, wrestling promoters talk of someone who has the “look” of a wrestler. Looking back in the past twenty five years or so, it seems difficult to find anyone who had the designation more than Sid Eudy.