Cousin Junior Explained

Cousin Junior
Birthname:Lanny Neal Kean Jr.
Names:Big Daddy Cyrus
Cousin Junior
King Harley Hogg
Lanny Kean
Moondog Cujo
Ox Brody
Weight:354lb
Birth Date:19 March 1960
Birth Place:Jamestown, Kentucky, U.S.
Death Place:Franklin, Indiana, U.S.
Death Cause:Heart attack
Children:1
Billed:Mudlick, Kentucky
(as Cousin Junior)
Debut:1983

Lanny Neal Kean Jr. (March 19, 1960 – January 13, 2009) was an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation from 1985 to 1986 under the ring name Cousin Junior, as well as for his appearances on the independent circuit as Moondog Cujo, a member of The Moondogs.

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1983–1984)

Kean made his professional wrestling debut in Kentucky in 1983, where he competed as "Luscious" Lanny Kean.

World Wrestling Federation (1984–1986)

In 1984, Kean began wrestling for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as a jobber, performing as Lanny Kean. In 1985, he was given the gimmick of Cousin Junior, a member of Hillbilly Jim's hillbilly family stable. The Hillbilly family were portrayed as simple rural Southerners who performed square dances in the ring.[1] They feuded with wrestlers including Jesse Ventura, Bob Orton, Jr., and Roddy Piper.[2] Kean's character was modeled on the character of Jethro Bodine from the television program The Beverly Hillbillies. Kean left the WWF in 1986.[3]

Independent circuit and hiatus (1986–1992)

In 1986, Kean joined the Continental Wrestling Association under the ring name Hillbilly Junior, where he formed a tag team with Giant Hillbilly. The duo won the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship on August 30, 1986, by defeating the Fire and Flame.[4] Kean wrestled sporadically on the independent circuit throughout the mid-1980s, including in the NWA in 1988 under the name Cousin Junior once again.

United States Wrestling Association (1992 - 1997)

In 1992, Kean joined the United States Wrestling Association (USWA) as Moondog Cujo, a member of The Moondogs.

Later, he was renamed Big Daddy Cyrus and feuded with Jerry Lawler, who held the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship.[5] He formed a tag team with Crusher Bones in 1995, main-eventing the Mid-South Coliseum against the likes of Lawler, Bill Dundee, and Sid Vicious. In 1996 he lost to John Tenta on WCW Saturday Night.[6] In 1997, Dutch Mantel gave Kean the ring name "Bloody" Ox Brody, which was a tribute to Ox Baker and Bruiser Brody.

Hiatus and later career (2007-2008)

Kean took several years off of wrestling but decided to return to competition as Moondog Cujo. In one match on April 27, 2007, after his comeback, Moondog Cujo Managed by Sal Corrente defeated The Barbarian in a Hardcore match in Memphis Wrestling. He also resumed his feud with Lawler. Kean wrestled his last match on December 6, 2008, in a tag match.[7]

Personal life

Kean lived in Jamestown, Kentucky with his fiancée Sandra Deel. He had a daughter named Krystal.

On January 13, 2009, Kean died of a heart attack in Franklin, Indiana at age 48.[8] [9]

Championships and accomplishments

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Reynolds, R. D.. WrestleCrap: The Very Worst of Pro Wrestling. 31. ECW Press. 2003. 1-55022-584-7. registration.
  2. Web site: Cousin Luke made a lasting impression. Oliver. Greg. https://archive.today/20130101042603/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2008/05/14/5568736.html. usurped. January 1, 2013. SLAM! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. 2009-01-13.
  3. Oliver, Sean (Director) . 2012 . Timeline: The History of WWE - 1986 - George Steele . DVD . 6:23.
  4. Web site: NWA (Mid-America)/AWA Southern Tag Team Title. Wrestling Titles. 2009-01-13.
  5. Web site: Wrestler Results Archive: Jerry "The King" Lawler. SLAM! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. https://archive.today/20120713184018/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/ResultsArchive/Wrestlers/lawler-jerry.html. usurped. July 13, 2012. 2009-01-13.
  6. Web site: WCW: 1996 . Cawthon . Graham . TheHistoryOfWWE.com .
  7. Web site: In Honor of Moondog Cujo (Lanny Kean Jr) . Kelley . Brian . January 15, 2009 . MissouriWrestlingRevival.com .
  8. Web site: Lanny Kean's profile. Online World of Wrestling. 2009-09-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20090821095612/http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/b/big-daddy-cyrus.html. 2009-08-21. dead.
  9. Web site: Lanny Kean, a.k.a. Cousin Junior, dies. SLAM! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. https://web.archive.org/web/20160310090344/http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2009/01/13/8013021.html. dead. March 10, 2016. 2009-01-13. 2009-01-13. Greg. Oliver.
  10. Book: Royal . Duncan . Gary . Will . Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present . Waterloo, Ontario . 2000.. (Memphis, Nashville) Tennessee: Southern Tag Team Title [Roy Welsch & Nick Gulas, Jerry Jarrett from 1977] . 185–189. Archeus Communications . 2006 . 0-9698161-5-4.
  11. Web site: Southern Tag Team Title . Wrestling-Titles . January 19, 2020.
  12. Book: Royal Duncan & Gary Will . Wrestling Title Histories . Archeus Communications . 2000. 4th . 0-9698161-5-4 .
  13. Web site: Awards « Cousin Junior « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073127/http://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=2557&page=12. 2016-03-04.
  14. Web site: Larry Booker's profile. Online World of Wrestling. 2009-09-05.