Segunda Caida: El Deporte de las Mil Emociones: The Man They Call TNT

Week 5: The Man They Call TNT

EB: As Steve Strong’s feud with Invader #1 was winding down, another member of El Ejercito de la Justicia started appearing on Strong and Chicky’s radar. We previously saw TNT appear with Invader #1 during the death match between Carlos Colon and Steve Strong, trying to help Carlos with his injured shoulder. He had also teamed up with Carlos and Invader #1 a few weeks before to take on Strong, Chicky and Rip Rogers in a six man tag, so TNT does have some familiarity with Strong and has seen first hand the devastation he has caused among the tecnicos (and specifically Carlos Colon). And while TNT had not yet really interacted too directly with Steve Strong, events would unfold that would push TNT into being Strong’s next challenger. But in order to better understand those events, we need to explain who TNT is and understand the context behind his Cobra Dinamita hold (it’s what his cobra sleeper is called).

Let’s go back to October 1986, where CSP is coming off their Aniversario 86 weekend event (highlighted by a three day tournament for the Universal title which was won by Carlos Colon). On TV, a mysterious unknown wrestler debuted in the promotion. He had a shaved head, wore face paint and did not speak. This wrestler appeared to be a martial arts practitioner and he was accompanied by an equally mysterious masked manager named El Profe (who spoke with an affected Mexican accent). This wrestler was named TNT.

There was intrigue about who these two people were, especially since TNT was very impressive in his TV matches, including obtaining some wins over wrestlers such as Super Medico. During that time, one of the weekend tv shows (CSP would air shows on Saturday and Sunday) had an interview segment named ‘Asi Soy Yo’ (which translates to That’s How I Am), a segment hosted by reporter Lysette Santiago. A few weeks into their run, El Profe and TNT appeared as the guests of the segment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llzA9OcmZCs

From the interview there are a few things that are established about who these men are. In the interview, TNT sits in the back without saying a word as El Profe does all the talking. From the interview, the fans learn that TNT is Puerto Rican (although Profe refuses to specify from what part) and that Profe claims to be Toluca, Mexico. Profe also claims that he is a phys ed and self defense teacher (hence the name El Profe). TNT and Profe have been in Puerto Rico three weeks at this point. Since TNT is just sitting back not saying a word, Lysette at one point tries to ask some questions directly to him. However, Profe interjects saying that he’s the only one allowed to talk for TNT.

Lysette mentions that TNT has caused a sensation because he has only been wrestling on TV and not at the arenas. El Profe says that their main motive for coming to Puerto Rico is the Universal title; they have issued a challenge to the champion Carlos Colon that has not been answered yet. Profe hopes Carlos answers it soon because this man (TNT) will soon be the new Universal champion. We will later learn that they are refusing to appear at the arenas until Colon answers their challenge. El PRofe mentions that TNT is a black belt in tae kwon do, has been wrestling five years and is the man Profe sees that can dethrone Carlos Colon. That is their goal. Lysette promises that next time she’ll try to get some words out of TNT.

And that is how Puerto Rico fans first met TNT and El Profe. TNT was presented as a dangerous martial arts expert with a signature kick named La Patada Dinamita (or Dynamite Kick), sold as being devastating. TNT was also the master of a cobra sleeper they dubbed the Cobra Dinamita. One thing about sleeperholds in Puerto Rico, they are treated as a potentially dangerous hold, holding to the logic that the move cuts off the air supply to the brain and the opponent needs to be woken up in order to stop the effects of the hold. If you recall, during the Colon vs Strong street fight, Chicky called in Pogo to help revive Strong from the sleeper Carlos had put on Strong, it’s because of this logic being in play.

During that first month or so, TNT would only wrestle on TV and win with his Cobra Dinamita, with his opponents being left unconscious from the hold. Afterwards, El Profe would come into the ring with a towel that he carried and cover the downed opponent with it so that no one could see how TNT revived the opponent (so no one would know the pressure point that would counter the effects). As an example, here is a TV match vs someone who will likely be familiar to many of you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdD7tlByNPY

TNT ends up winning with the Cobra Dinamita and it’s a good example of how the move was sold and how the need to revive the downed opponent is highlighted. On commentary they mention that TNT’s run through several wrestlers (including Super Medico) and that he and El Profe have issued a challenge to Carlos Colon for the Universal title. They are refusing to appear at the arenas unless Colon answers the challenge. Keep in mind TNT has been around a month or so to this point.

MD: I was not expecting to hear Come On Eileen on a Puerto Rican interview segment from 1986, especially one introducing El Profe and TNT, but there we have it. I liked the air of respectability here with Profe being polite and composed, almost like you’d expect a (masked) teacher to be. For the squash, I liked that Dean got a few solid wrestling moves (generally single leg takedowns, but not just) in early. On the one hand, maybe it makes your new monster look a bit more vulnerable against enhancement talent, even one with the last name of Dean, but it also set things up for a wrestling vs martial arts showcase. The way the back half went, with a lot of downwards chops to the back of the head and TNT being absolutely dominant overall, showed that supremacy of TNT’s style even over a wrestler who could use foundational skills to take him down a couple of times. The towel gimmick doesn’t make a lot sense as it doesn’t obscure too much, but it does make for a nice, memorable visual overall.

EB: Eventually, due to the run TNT has been on and the insistent challenge being thrown out by El Profe, Carlos Colon accepts the challenge. This match would take place on TV, a very rare occurrence for the Universal title to be defended at the TV tapings. We go to the November 15 tv episode for this match.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMeM2HiZrBE

As the match begins, the commentators (Joaquin Padin, hijo and Hector Moyano) talk about how TNT had been very anxious in getting this match and he's finally gotten it. Carlos is coming off a tough title defense (Carlos had just wrestled Stan Hansen that previous weekend). It's youth vs. experience. TNT comes out firing and this match is basically a sprint, with both men exchanging blows. Carlos takes control with some dropkicks and a butterfly suplex, but TNT uses his martial arts prowess to cut Carlos off with a thrust kick. TNT puts Carlos in the Cobra Dinamita (cobra sleeperhold) and Carlos tries to fight out of it. Carlos pushes off the turnbuckle but accidentally knocks down referee Ricky Vargas. Carlos pushes off again and the hold is still not broken. A third attempt to kick off the ropes fails, but Carlos manages to get out by elbowing TNT. As Carlos struggles to get his bearings, a desperate Profe jumps into the ring and wallops Carlos on the head with this briefcase. TNT promptly hooks the Cobra Dinamita on him again. The referee calls for the bell and it appears we have a new Universal champion.

El Profe comes into the ring to celebrate with TNT. He also places the towel on Carlos' face in advance of TNT waking up Carlos. Profe demands the title belt as TNT continues to celebrate. The announcers start to mention that TNT has to wake Carlos up and that the ref is signaling for TNT to do so. The ref is also calling for the title belt. As the ref approaches with the title belt, he signals that Carlos is the winner via DQ, he had seen Profe hit Carlos with the briefcase. By this point, the announcers pick up on the fact that Carlos is spewing foam from his mouth. He has not been woken up from the hold! The ref is pointing at Carlos, signaling to TNT that he has to wake him up. For a brief moment it looks like TNT will do that, but instead he angrily picks up the towel and leaves the ring. El Profe follows, not before spitting on the fallen Colon. The announcers are worried, the only man who knows the technique of how to wake someone up from the Cobra Dinamita has left and Carlos is still out. A worried Joaquin Padin starts thinking that maybe they could get Victor Jovica (the master of the sleeperhold in Puerto Rico) to help. Padin sends fellow commentator Hector Moyano to go find Jovica. Moyano heads off to find Jovica, as referee Ricky Vargas is trying to think of what to do. Carlos is starting to tremble and is still foaming. Ricky Vargas tries to see if he can wake Carlos up but it's no use. Padin on commentary is saying that they're hoping that Jovica, who is an expert in the sleeperhold, might be able to do something for Carlos. Finally, Moyano returns with Jovica.

Jovica enters the ring and works on Carlos. He manages to wake him up, but with some difficulty, as the Cobra Dinamita is a different technique than his sleeperhold. Still, he manages to bring Carlos out of it. Carlos starts heaving in deep breaths and looks like he is about to hurl. Jovica and Vargas help Carlos out of the ring as Padin calls for applause for Jovica (Padin: It's a miracle, thank you Victor Jovica!). Carlos can barely stand and is still heaving in deep breaths as he is helped back to the locker room by the referees and Moyano.

MD: This was a really great 5 minute clash of the titans sprint. Colon may have been weary from battling Hansen, but he was also honed from fighting him and had every reason to look strong even against so dangerous a threat. Colon tried a waistlock takedown early, but TNT had an answer. TNT tried the chop to the skull early, but Colon had an answer (in this case effective headbutts). Colon drove things a bit more, including with a really nice looking, tight double underhook suplex, but TNT had an answer for everything. After Colon missed a corner charge, TNT hooked on the Cobra. This led to yet another excellent ref bump and the attempts to escape. Something I liked here, given the gimmick of the towel and the recovery technique was that the fans knew that even with the ref bump and a potential false finish, if Colon went out from the Cobra, there was no way for him to possibly recover, even after the ref woke up. It wasn’t a case where the ref might miss a pin but Colon could still come back. He’d just be out indefinitely. It was a tricky balance between the Hansen feud and TNT getting a phantom win, but not actually winning. Here Colon did escape the hold but was groggy. That allowed for some hope that he might have found a way to come back. Profe clobbering him with the briefcase anyway signified the overall threat of Colon but also the lack of moral fortitude of a heel. If he had just stood back and let TNT put the Cobra on once more, his man would have likely been champion. As it was, the decision was reversed. That logic may be just a little flimsy if you really pull at the threads, but with the emotions at play and the visuals of the towel and Colon seemingly near-death, it was enough to get by while keeping everyone protected and everyone over.

EB: TNT’s feud with Carlos quickly established him as a key heel in the promotion, and this feud actually happened at the same time Colon had the Hansen feud going on (in between Hansen appearances this was Colon’s main feud). After a series of matches with Colon (which would be put on hold when the Hansen feud picked back up for the year end show), TNT would face different tecnicos throughout the first couple of months of 1987 (including winning Gillette Cup tournament in February). As result of another incident of TNT refusing to wake someone up from the Cobra Dinamita (a masked wrestler which turned out to be Maelo Huertas), a feud would start with Invader #1 in March of 87. Eventually, TNT would have one more shot at Carlos Colon and the Universal title in April. Here is a highlight video for TNT promoting that match which includes many highlights of the previous months for TNT.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uedq7s-_INA

El Profe at the end runs down the list of people that have fallen to TNT (as TNT is striking a pose in full ninja garb and holding a sword), and says that Carlos Colon is next. Here is the new Universal champion, TNT. However, TNT would be unsuccessful in winning the Universal title that night. Shortly after this match, TNT formed a tag team with Mr. Pogo (who was also managed by El Profe) and together they won the World tag titles.This would also result in a chain of events that would see TNT turn to the side of the tecnicos, since problems would arise between TNT and El Profe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M31UXR85xUo

This is an interview from the summer of 87, Hugo had promised a special interview with a secret interview subject. Turns out Hugo has tracked TNT to his dojo and has managed to secure an interview to talk about what has been happening as of late (we finally hear TNT speaking). You can see on the wall that TNT has a picture of him and a bloody Invader from their feud a few months earlier. Hugo asks about what is going on with El Profe, in interviews Profe has been saying that Pogo is a better wrestler than TNT, that Pogo is a better martial artist. TNT says that Profe has a right to his opinion and he respects it. Hugo then mentions that Profe also has been saying that the only reason TNT and Pogo are the World tag champs is because of Pogo, he won those titles, he is better than TNT. and it's because of Pogo they are tag champs. TNT says that in a tag team both have to be good and he believes he is also good. Hugo then brings up an incident in Mayaguez where in a match, after Pogo had made a mistake, an irate Profe had slapped TNT for what happened in front of everyone. TNT says it was a misunderstanding but it has all been cleared up. Finally, Hugo brings up something that he found out and he has proof of this based on looking through the records of the CSP promoters, that El Profe is basically taking half of TNT’s money. TNT says he doesn't want to talk about that. Hugo doesn’t want to push that topic further, but asks TNT what is his opinion about El Profe as a manager. TNT says that there are things he is grateful to El Profe for, which is why he’s where he’s at now, but then starts shaking his head indicating he doesn’t want to answer any more.

As you may guess, Pogo and TNT would lose the World tag titles and Profe would again blame TNT for this. TNT would have enough and attack Profe, turning face as the crowd went wild. TNT’s match with Pogo would serve as the third main event of Aniversario 87 (the event aired simultaneously from three locations with each location having a specific main event).

Afterwards, TNT would slot in as the up and coming tecnico, usually teaming with Carlos Colon throughout the rest of 1987 against Hercules Ayala, Kareem Muhammad and other members of Chicky Starr’s Sports Club. He would become very popular with the fans, since his martial arts skills and being a ninja were pushed throughout special video packages and promos. Here is such a promo, called Aventura Ninja (Ninja Adventure).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8WrRe0F_RY

Throughout 1988 and 1989, TNT would win several singles titles in Puerto Rico and have feuds with different wrestlers such as Hercules Ayala, the Ninja Express (Mr. Pogo, Kendo Nagasaki and Super Black Ninja aka Great Muta), Buddy Landel, Jason the Terrible, Rip Rogers and Abudda Dein. And yes, there were still videos highlighting TNT’s martial arts skills. Here is Aventura Ninja 2, which focuses more on TNT in late 88.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqmUpWPCwNo

But soon TNT’s path would cross Steve Strong’s. We go to a joined in progress match between Steve Strong and the White Angel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZCZojgUa7I

As mentioned previously, White Angel used to wrestle for Chicky Starr, but was turned on by Chicky for not wanting to take shortcuts that Chicky insisted on doing. Strong is basically getting some revenge on White Angel for Chicky, as Strong would continue attacking White Angel after the match was over. However, TNT would come in to make the save and thus get on Strong’s radar. And since TNT interfered in Strong and Chicky’s business, Strong was going to pay him back. We go now to match that occurred between TNT and Chicky Starr in Vega Alta near the end of June 1989

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwqabW1NTbM

Chicky wastes no time as he jumps TNT while he’s entering the ring. Chicky stays on the offensive, even choking TNT with his own black belt. However, a missed clothesline allows TNT to counter and go on the offensive for the first time in the match. TNT nails Chicky with the dynamite kick and immediately slaps on the cobra sleeper. As Chicky is almost completely out, Steve Strong comes to the ring and attacks TNT from behind, causing a DQ. As Chicky rolls out to recover, Strong adjusts ‘Damien’ and attacks TNT, busting him open. Strong continues to attack TNT’s forehead, but TNT manages to duck a clothesline and knocks Strong down with three kicks to the head. TNT slaps on the Cobra Dinamita, and despite Strong’s best efforts, manages to keep the hold on Strong for quite a while. Eventually, TNT manages to completely knock out Steve Strong. The refs tell TNT he needs to revive Strong, but TNT leaves the ring. Strong starts spasming slightly as the refs try to find someone to try to revive Strong. Chicky gets in the ring to check on Strong, but we see Mr. Pogo and Rip Rogers arrive. Pogo revives Strong, who is heaving and throwing up slightly. Chicky checks on a still woozy Strong as Hugo on commentary warns the kids watching to not try these holds at home. Strong manages to leave the ring, helped by Chicky and Rip. The Universal champ has been humiliated.

We then go to a Chicky and Strong promo ,where an irate Chicky is yelling about TNT trying to kill the both of them. Strong cuts his promo promising to get his revenge on TNT. A very fired up Chicky promises that Strong will make sure TNT will end up in the hospital after tonight. We then go to Hugo for TNT’s rebuttal, but TNT storms onto the set and yanks the mic from Hugo’s hands. TNT calls out Strong, saying everyone saw how Strong tried to hurt him and put TNT out of wrestling. But he didn’t get away with it, Strong may have busted him open, but tonight its for the Universal title. Strong hurt Carlos Colon and has survived every obstacle in his path so far, he is strong, but tonight when they are face to face and Strong looks into TNT’s eyes, he will see the man who put him to sleep. None of your demons were able to save you, and tonight in Caguas, TNT is ready to avenge what he did to Carlos Colon and what Strong tried to do to him in Vega Alta. He is going to do the impossible tonight and leave as the Universal champ. As Hugo makes his closing comments, TNT lets out a loud roar. And as a bonus, we get the card rundown for July 1.

MD: One thing I love about these angles/matches is how straightforward they are. There are bits and pieces I disagree with but so often the balance is just right for what they’re trying to accomplish. This is about two minutes for the TNT/Chicky match. It starts with Chicky, in his full regalia, ambushing TNT and nailing him with the belt but it quickly turns around with TNT ducking a clothesline and taking over and quickly getting the Cobra Dinamita on and Chicky fading. It matched the hierarchy but still gave Chicky enough in an underhanded way to make it have some substance and weight.

When I was younger, I read a bunch of Edgar Rice Burroughs. It’s fun to read old science fiction because they could get away with so much more. We, both scientists and the public at large, knew less, so the breadth of fiction could be larger. Who was to say that there weren’t hidden civilizations on Mars, right? In some ways, it’s the same thing with the Cobra Dinamita. We know a lot more about how actual fights go and while wrestling has kept some of its rules and norms (at least we still have the Irish Whip), there’s no way a secret chokeout technique from the Orient that an equally secret counter to then wake someone up would fly today. The world’s less interesting for it. This was classic vulnerable champion stuff, which is always all the more potent when the champion is also a monster.

EB: On July 8, a tag match happened between TNT and Invader #1 vs Strong and Chicky (you can watch on the following two links).

Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHlt0iddO1c

Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58vJoBhYFe0

Strong and TNT immediately get into it at the start, before TNT can get his gi and title belt off. TNT manages to fight Strong off and the match properly starts. Invader #1 starts gesturing that Chicky has an object on him and goes to the commentary table to call this out. Two refs check Chicky and find an object on him. TNT and Chicky start the match, with TNT and Invader getting the best of Chicky and keeping him in the ring. Chicky does manage to tag in Strong, who presents a bigger challenge. We come back to Chicky bloodied in the ring as Invader attacks him. A battered Chicky manages to make the tag but is kicked out of the ring by Invader. Chicky is laid out on the floor. This allows Invader and TNT to team up against Strong. Some fellow rudos come out to carry Chicky to the back, leaving Strong alone against TNT and Invader. Strong withstands several hits, but eventually is knocked down by a TNT kick. Strong still holds his own vs the two tecnicos but eventually succumbs to a heart punch / dynamite kick combo. TNT pins the Universal champ.

MD: Different ways to get to similar places. In this case, we don’t have just two minutes of them beating up on Chicky. We have closer to ten. They hold their own against Strong to start and when it’s Chicky’s turn, he gets everything that’s coming to him. Just a beautiful, bloody mauling by TNT and Invader. Once they open him up, they start focusing on the wound and never look back. Chicky takes and takes, ending up like the corpse in Weekend at Bernie’s as they manipulate his body this way and that (or just drop a legdrop on him), selling but in a hopeless out-on-his-feet sort of way. When he tries to desperately get a tag, it’s just pathetic in the best way. When he’s finally able to collapse in the right direction to tag Strong in and his cronies carry him away, the numbers game end up clearly in TNT and Invader’s favor. Strong makes a fight of it, but he’s dragged under eventually and TNT gets a clear and clean pin on him after a kick. Strong was more or less protected as it was the numbers (and a detrimental partner) that got him and things are heated up for TNT to be able to challenge once more.

EB: Steve Strong and TNT would face each other again, eventually settling their series in a barbed wire match.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fszG3dQCYm0

EB: This match is from a tv episode some weeks after the match took place, with Hugo, Carlos Colon and Chicky Starr on commentary. As such, we are close to Aniversario 89 by this point and the commentary is more focused on talking about the upcoming Aniversario main event. It’s also why you get the Ivan Koloff insert promo discussing his match with Invader #1 for Aniversario, as well as a recent attack Koloff did on Invader in a picture in picture video. Both Carlos and Chicky remark about the dangers of being in a barbed wire match, you get scratched up, cut up, and can’t escape. As you would expect, both Strong and TNT are a bit hesitant to go after each other too hard due to the barbed wire surrounding the ring. They each try to get the other tangled in the barbed wire but both are able to avoid it. After a few minutes, Strong loads up ‘Damian’, knocks TNT down and manages to get him sliced open with the barbed wire. TNT starts bleeding from his forehead. Strong maintains the advantage until he launches TNT into the ropes, which inadvertently causes TNT to stop his momentum when hitting the barbed wire,and causing Strong to miss his move. After a bit of back and forth, TNT (who has progressively become more bloody around the face) manages to get the Cobra Dinamita on but Strong breaks the hold by ramming TNT back first onto the barbed wire. TNT makes a charge at Strong, but Strong dodges and TNT goes neck first into the barbed wire. This allows Strong to pin TNT and retain the Universal championship. Carlos on commentary says that Strong was lucky, he feels that TNT wasn’t beaten by Strong but by the barbed wire. Chicky does not agree with Carlos.
After this match, Strong would move on to some new challengers, while Chicky would have other plans for TNT.

MD: This had a big match feel, especially the back half but it was also a bit of a blowoff, it seemed. That meant it was shown on TV with a forward-looking eye to the Invader vs Ivan Koloff feud (I think) and there were some almost jarring inserts of Koloff during the violence and blood. I think a key to making a barbed match work is to spend the first few minutes building up a wariness towards the wire by staying away from it. The limitation of room to move creates for a fairly unique atmosphere and builds a sense of dread. Here, they went to it too early maybe, and the first half of the match was all about trying to press a face up against it and holding back. Making it worse was Strong’s long hair that made it hard to see if he was bleeding or not. Midway through, though, Strong really gets TNT across the wire, and once he opens up, the match opens up big as well. TNT’s big comeback was on Strong missing a move off the ropes because TNT got his back caught on the wire, which is poetically grisly stuff. They built to the cobra, but here Strong had the ultimate equalizer, the ability to charge TNT back into the wire. From there, he sidestepped a charge and dropped him neck first onto it, and I continue to be impressed by how well they protect people in these. That was a great banana peel finish where you can blame the wire, not TNT, for the loss.

EB: Next time on El Deporte de las Mil Emociones, we circle back to our original August 1989 starting point. Steve Strong faces two different challenges, one from the resident monster of Puerto Rico for the past 12 years, the other a big name that had recently arrived to Puerto Rico.