Thanks. A friend told me about it the other day. I found this from the Miami Herald...
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/wrestl...53776.html
Heartthrob plans run for mayor
BY MIKE ALDREN
For The Miami Herald
Dennis McCord, better known as pro wrestler The Universal Heartthrob Austin Idol, has thrown his hat in another ring to become the next mayor of Tampa.
He will file paperwork shortly to run for office. The 59-year-old wrestling legend says he wants to follow in the footsteps of his old nemesis Jerry The King Lawler, who recently announced his candidacy for mayor of Memphis.
McCord said: ``Being a politician would be a huge disadvantage. People are fed up with lies and deception, and it's time someone stood up and told the truth.
``Every where you turn, the spin doctors are at work for their own agenda. I will take a stand to get Tampa back on top where it belongs, and hopefully other cities will stand up and take notice.
``Tampa, like so many other municipalities, is faced with budget issues, unemployment, a monster real estate foreclosure problem and a steep decline in tourism just to name a few. If I were to be elected, I would attack all of the above with a vengeance.
``The problem with most elected officials and those who are attempting to be elected is that they make promises and don't keep them. In my book, I call that lying and deceitful.
``My promise is to take the average person with me, if elected to the Mayor's office and to make decisions that effect them and not any special interest groups. Can I walk on water? No, of course not. Can I be fair and honest? Absolutely.
``There is one thing for sure, and that is I can't be intimidated, and no one is going to play me. My new slogan is `Tampa's Pet, Politician's Regret' and they better bring their A game, when debate time rolls around.
``Just call me Mr. Mayor.''
McCord started wrestling in 1972. He was a passenger along with Playboy Gary Hart during a fatal plane crash. The pilot was wrestler Buddy Colt, and the plane plunged into Tampa Bay in 1975, killing wrestler and good friend Bobby Shane.
McCord had two broken ankles but survived. In 1978, he emerged with bleach-blond hair under the new moniker of The Universal Heartthrob Austin Idol. His flamboyant personality and muscular physique led him to a successful career.
Idol challenged for the NWA title several times against Harley Race and Ric Flair in the 1980s. He had a long running feud with Jerry Lawler in Memphis. During a 1981 angle, Idol dressed as a Mexican wrestler in a mask. He presented the Top Rated Wrestler in Mexico award to Lawler on TV and then sucker-punched him.
Afterward, Idol delivered a memorable interview, vowing to clean up Memphis and get rid of Lawler. He later defeated Lawler in a hair vs. hair cage match with the assistance of Tommy Rich, who hid underneath the ring, causing Lawler to lose his hair.
Idol is currently penning his memoirs. Visit austinidollive.com.