YouTubular: Reno Riggins

Posted by Leonard Hayhurst on 06.01.2009

The biggest little jobber in the world

Reno Riggins, 42, came into this world as Neal Hargrove. He turned pro in 1988 and spent much of his early career as enhancement talent for WWE, along with a successful stint in USWA in the early nineties. See, WWE was trying to help USWA keep its head above water some. You let us use Jerry Lawler and we’ll give your Reno Riggins, sound fair? Riggins also spent some time tagging with the departed Steve Doll as the Tennessee Volunteers and the Main Event. Riggins currently works as a commentator and marketer for Showtime All-Star Wrestling in Tennessee.

Reno Riggins vs. One Man Gang
Video Length: 2:17
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This is from Superstars in 1988 with Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura on commentary. OMG has Slick with him. I’m guessing this is shortly before his transformation into Akeem the African Dream. If you don’t know about that, you don’t want to ask. Gang beats on Riggins and hits a body slam. Gang finishes with a front suplex. Post match, Slick gets down with his bad self. Mega squash of the highest order. DUD.

Reno Riggins vs. Macho King Randy Savage
Video Length: 4:41
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This is from Superstars with McMahon and Roddy Piper on commentary. Savage is carried to the ring on a throne with Sherri walking in front. McMahon says her face makeup makes her look like Battle Kat. I would go with the ghost of Cheetarah. Sherri does an insert promo where she molests an Ultimate Warrior Wrestling Buddy. Wouldn’t be the first time, I’m sure. The guys kind of grapple around until Savage whiffs on a punch and Riggins scores a headlock. Savage gets a back elbow off the ropes and chokes Riggins out on the top strand. Savage distracts the ref and Sherri chokes Riggins with her stocking. That’s almost, kind of, but not really sexy. Savage vaults to the floor and drives an elbow to the throat with Riggins on the apron. Macho King brings Riggins back into the ring just to throw him out the other side. He comes off the top rope to the floor with a double axe handle. He throws Riggins back into the ring again and finishes with the elbow smash. When you open the wrestling textbook and look up ‘heel squash with valet’ this is the match they go over. ½ *

Reno Riggins vs. Mr. Perfect
Video Length: 3:19
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This is from Wrestling Challenge in July 1993. We have that foreign commentary here. I think I always assumed it was Spanish, but someone wrote in once that it’s Portuguese. Hey, it’s all Greek to me. Riggins has beads in his hair like he’s a junior British Bulldog. Riggins actually looks good to start with a shoulderblock and hip toss. Riggins hits a dropkick and is just out of his skull with how well he’s doing. Perfect looks stunned and decides it’s time to go to school. Perfect works him over and gets the running neck snap. A high knee lift leads to a punt in the ribs. Perfect works him over in the corner. Perfectplexes finishes. I kind of liked the little story in the opening of Perfect underestimating Riggins, but it was another trip to squash city after that. ¼*

Reno Riggins vs. 1-2-3 Kid
Vide Length: 3:40
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This is also from Superstars with the foreign commentary, also July of 1993. The video is really dark. Riggins backs Kid into the corner, but he reverses and unleashes his arsenal of kicks. He whips Riggins to the far side and comes in with a high kick. He follows with a spinning wheel kick. Talk about a limited offense. You thought Triple H overused the knee. This is like playing some fighting game with a little kid where he just smashes the A button over and over again for one move, but he kicks your ass because he’s too fast and you can’t get near him. Kids floats over on a suplex for two. He telegraphs a backdrop and Riggins knocks him down. Riggins gets a back elbow and works a chinlock. Kid works up and out of it. They go to the ropes. Riggins catches the leg on a kick, but is nailed with an enzuigiri. Kid goes up top and Riggins crotches him. He goes up for a superplex, but Kids shoves out of it and wins with a tornado DDT. Kid’s offense was a bit kicky, but there was a time when Sean Waltman was a fresh little talent. ½*

Reno Riggins vs. Earthquake
Video Length: 6:15
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This is from Superstars in 1994 with McMahon and Johnny Polo (Raven) on commentary. On his way to the ring, Earthquake has a stare down with Bam Bam Bigelow who was just leaving it. I loved the feuds where two guys would just randomly cross paths like that and realize they didn’t like each other. Polo puts over the Renoplex on commentary. I wouldn’t be surprised if that is something Polo made up on the spot. Riggins punches Earthquake early and then baseball slides under him to come up with a dropkick. Riggins celebrates and Earthquake dropkicks him in the back. Earthquake whips Riggins to the far corner. He catches himself and comes off the second rope with a turnaround crossbody, but ‘Quake just moves out of the way. Riggins rolls all the way back across the ring. Belly to belly suplex. Leg drop. He does the step over. Riggins is avalanched. This match should be over. An elbow drop leads to a bearhug. Earthquake gets a power slam and another elbow drop. This leads to the tremors and the big one for the finish. This was way too long for a squash with a lot of dead spots thanks to ‘Quake being limited in his mobility. DUD.

Reno Riggins vs. Doink the Clown
Video Length: 2:31
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This is from Superstars with McMahon, Jerry Lawler and Savage on commentary. It seems to be Doink’s debut match or close to it. That means it’s Matt Borne. Doink attacks Riggins at the bell and scores a pumphandle slam. Doink ducks on a rolling clothesline into the corner by Riggins. Doink wins with a stump puller-ish pin. Doink gives Riggins a balloon for his troubles and then busts it. Original Doink was just insane and it helped the gimmick that Borne was a real mat technician. It added some different flavor. ¼*

Reno Riggins vs. Man Mountain Rock
Video Length: 3:54
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This is from Wrestling Challenge in 1995. Gorilla Monsoon and Dutch Mantell are on commentary. Rock starts by playing in the ring. Seriously, a cat walking across the guitar would have sounded better. Rock backs Reno into the corner and he complains of phantom hair pulling. They grapple and go into the corner. Riggins tries to whip Rock out, but he blocks it and sends Reno chest first into the corner. Riggins ducks a clothesline, but eats a back elbow. Riggins eats a suplex. Rock locks in an abdominal stretch and plays air guitar on Riggins. That’s inventive to say the least. Wallapalooza wins, which is a front suplex. Monsoon enjoyed saying “Wallapalooza” way too much.

The 411: All of those squashes were way short and Riggins got very little offense in any of them. It’s hard to really judge the man from these matches as it would seem from all sources he wasn’t a bad all around wrestler. He just never got the push in the big leagues. Still, you can at least say he did his ‘enhancement talent’ job well as he made all these guys look like world beaters.

Final Score:  4.5   [ Poor ]