Harlem Heat 2000 & Mark Madden are brothas

Stevie Ray & Big T. Gangstas Fo' Life.

This idiot column was straight from WCW during the middle of January 2000. Mark Madden, the big-fat, red-headed big whale, said he grew up with Harlem Heat and Big T, in New York. Say who? Both members of Harlem Heat grew up in Houston and Ahmed grew up in Lousiana, if I can remember. I know, I know wrestling is fake, blah blah, and the writers create stories, but this jabronie passes himself off as a legit "mark" for wrestling insiders. Me ask you, "Wha dee ass, he write dis fah?" Anyways, without further adieu; here is the dumbest article I've read to date:

A lot of Harlem Heat fans are upset with Stevie Ray for turning on his brother Booker T and bringing in the larger-than-life Big T to form the new and improved Harlem Heat.

Not me. I'm proud of Stevie Ray and Big T. These are two guys who stayed true to their roots, who don't forget their real friends, who come back to the neighborhood.

I know, because I'm from the same neighborhood.

Not many know this, but I grew up around 110th Street in Harlem myself. I lived on 108th Street, to be exact. My family moved to Pittsburgh when I was just out of high school, but I grew up with the Harlem Heat guys. No big thing, just a chicken wing on a string at Burger King, but I'm from the 'hood.

So I've known Stevie, Booker and Big T my whole life. I can honestly say that the recent happenings with Harlem Heat haven't surprised me at all.

Stevie and Big T never wanted to leave Harlem. Oh, they wanted to be successful. They wanted to make money. They wanted all of life's luxuries. But they wanted to share those luxuries with the 'hood. Stevie has been giving back to the community ever since he hit it big as a wrestler.

Stevie wouldn't want me to tell you this, but did you see the cardboard-box shelter that Stevie walked by during that vignette on Souled Out? After the cameras were turned off, Stevie gave the bum who lives in that box an alarm clock. That way he would know when to wake up and go back to sleep.

Big T is of a similar charitable nature. When he rolls drunks, he always helps them home after he relieves them of their wallet and valuables.

Me, Stevie Ray and Big T have always done it OG style. Can you dig it, sucker?

But Booker T wants to do it GQ style. If you can't dig that, you are a sucker.

Look at Midnight. Midnight isn't from the 'hood. She's a rich debutante from Houston who met Booker T at some society get-together. Booker was already out of the 'hood by then, at least physically. But Booker looked at Midnight as a way to escape the 'hood emotionally and mentally. As a way to forget he was ever in Harlem. By bringing Midnight into the mix, he was taking the Harlem out of Harlem Heat.

** Side note-He actually was finding his own Houston roots **

In fact - and again, Stevie Ray wouldn't want me to tell you this - Booker T once proposed changing the name of the team to Houston Heat. That is disgusting.

Stevie Ray gave Booker T every chance to make things right. Stevie gave Booker every chance to keep Harlem Heat together. All he had to do was dump the chick.

Booker wouldn't do it. He stuck by Midnight instead of his own brother.

So, since Booker wouldn't dump Midnight, Stevie and Big T dumped Booker on his head.

As a guy who grew up in the 'hood myself, I'd rather forget that Booker T was ever in Harlem Heat. I'd like to forget that he was ever in Harlem. I'd rather look ahead.

I'd rather consider the prospects of the new and improved Harlem Heat.

Stevie Ray is obviously the same superstar he always was. Huge. Powerful. Merciless. Cerebral. Stevie Ray carried Booker T all those years. He carried Booker to all those tag-team championships.

Now Stevie Ray won't have to carry anyone. Big T is a monster of a man. He may not be a polished technical wrestler, but he's polished at beating people up. He learned that on the streets.

This isn't to say that Booker T won't be a very accomplished singles wrestler. He will be. Booker will win many championships. But he should be on his own. He's an egomaniac who's forgotten who he is and where he comes from. Master P may miss his homies. Booker T doesn't.

But Booker T's accomplishments will pale next to the accomplishments of the new Harlem Heat.

The old Harlem Heat may have been the greatest tag team of all time.

The new Harlem Heat will be better.

And when the new Harlem Heat wins the world tag-team championship, they will hold the biggest party 110th Street has ever seen. Admission will only be $15 a head to keep it reasonably priced.

The new Harlem Heat will go on and on. Go to it, my brothers. Steal the gold. I mean, get the gold.

** Did you even read this far? I know it is a joke, but it's not funny unless you are like 15 years old and one of those "Wrestling Marks". It's like something one of the WWF Magazine writers of early 90's would have written, you know when wrestling was for kiddies. Wait a minute, isn't that what WCW is trying to do now? Oh I see, I guess this was a great article by that standard! Hey WCW, if the WWF already tried that angle and it did not work (and they have a billion times more talent with no competion, than you have, with unbelievable competion), why are you doing this. Does McMahon own Ted?