Cook’s Top 5: Pro Wrestling Flies

I was going to try and not write anything of a political nature leading towards Election 2020.

There were a couple of reasons for this. For one thing, I am sensitive to readers’ concern that my work gets a bit too political from time to time. Which is bound to happen considering how WWE’s owners are deeply involved in American politics. However, I realize that a lot of you come to websites like this because you’re sick of looking at your Facebook feed, so I’m trying to do my best to appease you.

Also, the political climate is playing a role in my current state of depression. So I’m trying to avoid aggravating my own mental health issues here.

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how many people end up reading this), something happened on Wednesday night at the Vice Presidential Debate that gave me an idea for a wrestling list.

Indeed, the show was stolen by a fly that sat on Mike Pence’s head for a little over a minute. You know what this got me thinking about, right? That’s right…the Top 5 Pro Wrestling Flies!

5. Dragonfly

You had to know CHIKARA would figure into this list. They had so many ants you can’t possibly keep track of them all. As for Dragonfly, he was part of the original class of CHIKARA students, playing a big role in their first year of activity. He didn’t appear much afterwards. One match in 2003, one match in 2008, 2009 & 2010, followed by a three-show run in 2012. Outside of a random show in Pennsylvania in 2018, I can’t find much else on Dragonfly. Unlike many former CHIKARA insects, he isn’t one of the top stars in AEW. To the best of my knowledge, at least. Have we ever seen Dragonfly & Kenny Omega in the same place?

4. X-Fly

X-Fly has been a luchador since October 1995, starting out as the original Mosco de la Merced in AAA. He made a couple of appearances on Shotgun Saturday Night in 1997 as part of AAA’s agreement with WWE at the time, but left the company months later. AAA put a new wrestler in the persona, and X-Fly changed his name. X-Fly would go on to other runs with AAA & membership in Los Perros del Mal, but I feel his 2-19 record in luchas de apuestas matches bears noting. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t bother going to the barber, he just books himself in hair matches.

3. Eli Everfly

I just pinned @mikethemiz on #SDLIVE…does this make me the best in the world? Should I be @shanemcmahon’s tag team partner 🤔 pic.twitter.com/9Ew5ae2pPn

— WAKE-UP THE DRAGONFLY (@EliEverfly) November 21, 2018

This SoCal wrestling staple has gotten himself all sorts of work across the independent scene over the past few years. He’s a charismatic kid and a bit of a high-flyer, as one might expect. His biggest victory took place on SmackDown Live in November 2018, where Eli, as one-half of the Bryant Brothers, got a rollup victory over The Miz in a tag team match where Miz was teaming with Shane McMahon. Since they were sharing the title of Best Wrestler in the World at the time, one would think that would put Eli Everfly in the conversation for that title.

2. “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka

Jimmy’s certainly more of a controversial figure now after his death than he was back when he was wowing crowds with his “Superfly” splash. I remember a time when WWE was hyping Snuka as the man that brought high flying to the forefront and had all their superstars talk about how those splashes made them want to be pro wrestlers. You haven’t seen much of that since the situation with Snuka & Nancy Argentino back in May 1983 became public knowledge. We don’t know with 100% certainty what happened that night, but Snuka still has to be considered one of the most notable flies in wrestling history.

1. Flyin’ Brian

OK, I know we’re stretching the term on this one. Brian Pillman was never portrayed as an insect of any type. However, in his early days in WCW, we never heard his last name used. He was always Flyin’ Brian due to his aerial ability & unparalleled athleticism at the time. I have no doubt that Flyin’ Brian would have been able to fly onto Mike Pence’s head at some point during a debate. The thought of Flyin’ Brian landing a body press onto Mike Pence’s head brings a smile to my face.

This might be the dumbest Top 5 I’ve done yet. Thanks for reading!