Editor's Notes: You may have noticed that there are multiple columns up on the website about the rumored return of Degeration-X. If you read a column (ANY column) and decide to send in feedback, PLEASE be sure to indicate which column you are responding to by typing the TITLE of the column in the subject line. Also, DO NOT FORGET to sign your name. Thanks!

Some would say that professional wrestling is nothing more than mindless entertainment. An easy escape from the everyday worries of work and home that doesn't require much thinking. Put two guys that hate each other in a ring and you have ten minutes of television nirvana. But there was one man that entertained and educated wrestling fans all at the same time. A man who made poetry cool by writing his verses on a frisbee and then throwing it out to the crowd before a match. You know him as "The Genius" Lanny Poffo. A member of the famed Poffo family that included his father Angelo and brother "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Lanny combined style and substance into one complete package. Not only could he infuriate fans with his intellectual prowess, but he could put on a pretty good match every time. In fact, he was one of the first North American wrestlers that I can remember performing a moonsault. It was pretty innovative stuff at the time.

The first time I can remember seeing Lanny Poffo was as a heel in the Memphis territory in 1984. He would compete in both singles and tag matches with his brother Randy. They had just come from the rival ICW promotion, a territory that the family owned and operated. Of course since they were the "outsiders", they were heels, feuding with the likes of Jerry Lawler, The Rock N' Roll Express and others. The quality of matches that the Poffo brothers were having left the other competitors in the dust. No one could do the moves they were doing. When Randy finally left Memphis and went to the WWF in 1985, Lanny came along.

While Randy was pushed as a main-eventer, Lanny was involved in the mid-card scene, but became a cult hero with his unusual persona. After he would be announced by Howard Finkel, he would proceed to read a poem from a frisbee, then throw it into the crowd. Since frisbees were immensely popular in the 80's, this made Poffo stand out even though he never got a shot at being a contender for any major title.

After four years of being used as an enhancement talent, Poffo got a big break in 1989 when he transformed his "Leaping Lanny" character into the villainous "Genius", a wrestler designed to not only be ring savvy, but make his opponents and fans know that he was the smartest man on Earth. He would split his time between competing in the ring, and also managing the likes of Mr. Perfect and The Beverly Brothers (Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom). "The Genius" had memorable feuds with WWF Champion Hulk Hogan, and Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, thus culminating in a match where Beefcake cut Poffo's hair. For weeks, "The Genius" would come to the ring in a wig, which was so ridiculous it was funny. The feud ended when Beefcake beat Mr. Perfect at WrestleMania 6 in Toronto.

When Wayne Bloom and Mike Enos completed stints in the AWA and WCW, they came to New York with a new gimmick and a new attitude. They were given the gimmick "The Beverly Brothers", a team that was supposed to be out of this world with grace and excellent wrestling ability. It was a given that "The Genius" would become their manager. Even though the team came in with some good momentum, they eventually starting losing to the Bushwhackers on a regular basis. It was kind of a shock, considering they were voted Tag Team of the Year by Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 1989, and were AWA Tag Champs for almost a year.

In 1992, Poffo left the WWF, and didn't resurface in the wrestling eye until 1996, when it was reported that he was going to debut in WCW as Gorgeous George, a remake of the famous wrestling star from the 50's and 60's. But the gimmick never came to fruition, and Poffo never showed up on WCW Television.

These days, Lanny is keeping busy as the author of the children's book "Limericks from the Heart and Lungs". Also, he is a credit counselor helping people keep a healthy credit rating and financial structure. It would be interesting to see if one day "The Genius" will ever make his way into the WWE Hall of Fame. It would be well deserved since he was one of the most colorful characters in wrestling during sports entertainment's boom period.

by Jake Hamar ..