Austin Idol To Be Guest On “Thinking Out Loud”

"IdolMania" is coming to Sports Radio ESPN 1420, and espn1420.com!

That's right, one of the best professional wrestlers of the 1970's and 80's, the "Universal Heartthrob", Austin Idol will be my guest on "Thinking Out Loud", on Wednesday, May 9.

This is a special thrill for me, as most of you know that I'm a big wrestling fan, and Idol is one of my favorites of all-time.

Idol was never a regular in Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling, so he may not be familiar to a large number of you in the Acadiana area, but he has an impressive resume.

I have talked to some of you about the interview, and many of you remember him from Georgia Championship Wrestling, from the early 1980's, and his notable feuds with Tommy Rich and Kevin Sullivan.

Here he is, taking on Rich, from 1980:

One of the most interesting things about Idol, who's given name is Dennis McCord, is that he survived a 1975 plane crash. Idol, along with Buddy Colt, and manager Gary Hart survived the crash, but wrestler Bobby Shane died.

I can't fathom that...either going through it, or dealing with it afterwards, but Idol will talk to me about how that tragic event changed him, and actually made him a better person in a way.

There aren't many people walking on the face of the planet that can say that they survived a plane crash, but he's one of them.

You know how some a lot of your idols (no pun intended) are disappointing when you meet them? Either they're jerks, or just are severe let downs? That wasn't my first impression of Idol. He's real cordial, intelligent, interesting, and despite his relative fame, very down-to-earth. I'm always been a fan of Austin Idol. Now, I'm a really big fan of Dennis McCord.

Idol did spend some time in The World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) as "Iron" Mike McCord, under the direction of his manager, the late-great "Captain" Lou Albano.

"Iron" Mike McCord, before he became Austin Idol

After the plane crash in 1975, McCord fought his way back from extensive injuries, lost about 100 pounds, and reinvented himself as Austin Idol.

The "Universal Heartthrob" Austin Idol

Idol was big in Georgia, but even bigger in the Memphis area, where he's a legend. When you think about the rich history of wrestling in Memphis, you have names like Jackie Fargo, Jerry Lawler, and "Superstar" Bill Dundee, but Idol should rank on anyone's Memphis Mount Rushmore.

What made Idol so great in Memphis is that he was just as good as a good  guy or a bad guy, or in wrestling terms; a "heel" or a "face".

Here's a heel promo from Idol, circa 1981:

He was also big in Alabama, in the old Southeastern Championship Wrestling promotion, primarily as a good guy, the "Boss" Austin Idol.

Here's a face promo from Idol from his days in Alabama:

In 1987, Idol was part of one of the greatest wrestling angles, ever. Idol, along with Rich, and Paul E. Dangerly (before he became Paul E. Dangerously) defeated the King, Jerry Lawler in a steel cage match, where Idol put $50,000 on the line, against Lawler's hair.

To the amazement of the crowd at the Memphis Mid-South Coliseum, Idol won, and the local hero received a haircut.

Yes, Tommy Rich was under the ring for hours before he appeared and helped Idol defeat Lawler. It is great stuff, so make sure you watch every segment. Trust me, if you're a wrestling fan, you'll be glad you did.

Listen to the promo Idol cuts in the dressing room after...it's classic Idol...one of the top guys on the mic, ever.

Scott Bowden, who has been a guest of mine, writes about the great angle, at kentuckyfriendrasslin.com.

Idol was very successful in real estate after his wrestling days. I knew that. What I didn't know was that he's a New Orleans Saints' fan. You'll here how/why he became a Saints fan, his admiration for New Orleans, and how Hurricane Katrina affected him.

You'll also hear Idol's thoughts on professional sports in Florida, including whether or not he thinks professional baseball will succeed, long-term, in his state.

We''ll discuss why he was never a regular in the Mid-South area, and what made Gordon Solie so special.

Today, Idol is co-owner of YNOT Athletics, a really cool sports apparel company.

We'll talk about YNOT Athletics, including some of the things they offer, such as these:

They can make really anything you want, with the "YNOT logo added to it.

For you UL fans: "YNOT Win The Women's College World Series"

For you LSU football fans: "YNOT Win The BCS National Championship"

For you New Orleans Saints fans: "YNOT Stick It To Roger Goodell And Win The Super Bowl"

You get the idea.

He's "often imitated, but never duplicated". He's the Universal Heartthrob, Austin Idol, and he'll be my guest on "Thinking Out Loud", on Wednesday, May 9.

We'll talk wrestling, Saints, football, and just have a whole lot of fun.

Find out more about Austin Idol, the wrestler, the man that will share his training secrets with you, and the motivational speaker, at austinidollive.com.

Next week, Sports Radio ESPN 1420, and espn1420.com, becomes "Idol Radio"!