No, this isn't a mistake. Tonya Harding actually
belongs on this page!
In the summer of 1994, Harding was still in the average person's mind. The ice-skating scandal she had been part of was still fresh on peoples' minds (for the three of you unfamiliar with it, Harding had a guy take out the knee of her rival Nancy Kerrigan).
So, naturally, everyone wanted a piece of the media blitz. Reports I've read had her being offered by a Japanese wrestling company over a million dollars to work for them. She turned it down, and opted to work at a soup kitchen instead (though her parole officer had a bit of a say about that).
However, when a promoter in Oregon came calling, Harding agreed to be there as manager. It was probably the most bizarre show in the history of wrestling (or at least until the HEROES OF WRESTLING PPV).
Ok, a bit of a recap. The show was done in Oregon, but in Lucha Libre style. In Oregon. Lucha.
At one point in the show, Billy Jack Haynes teamed with Rey Mysterio Jr and CW Bergstrom against Colonel DeBeers, Ryuma Go and Psicosis. Now, this wouldn't be so bad until you start realizing:
A): the babyface
Billy Jack had already wrestled on the card as Black Blood, his heel
persona. During that match, there were more than enough "Go Billy!"
chants.
B): Just the sight of Haynes and little Rey Mysterio teaming
C): DeBeers, whose character is a militant bigot, teaming with the Mexican
Psicosis and the Japanese Go. Not only that, but they entered the ring
to a KISS song ("I Love It Loud")
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The heels walk out, Tonya walks around the ring once, and then....heads back up the aisle, taking a seat about halfway up....whaaaat???
Well, turns out due to ultra-strict Oregon sports commission rules, she couldn't be at ringside during the actual bout (apparently, they didn't bother to get her a legit manager's license), so she had to sit at a distance. Like I said folks, it was a bizarre night all around.
To make matters more ludicrous, Tonya appeared to be utterly and completely bored by the going-ons, and sat there looking like she wished she was anywhere else. On top of that, Art and Eddie (Los Gringos Locos) had to keep walking up the aisle to get "advise" from her. Again, she didn't seem too interested.
Long story made short, Harding made a one-time wrestling appearance, and it was one of the weirdest nights ever. The next sport she took up was boxing, 8 years later.
Oh, and if you can't find video of this show, there's always Harding's other..."wrestling"....match on tape.
Thanks to MarkFromWA for the footage. |