10 Things You Didn't Know About Balls Mahoney

10. Chris Candido Was His Best Friend

Way before he became Balls Mahoney, Jonathan Rechner was a slightly overweight kid who had one real obsession; professional wrestling. There isn't anything particularly unusual about this, but as with many stories one chance meeting would change his life forever.

Aged 10 (or 11, Balls was a little fuzzy on this), Rechner met a kid by the name of Chris Candido. The two were on opposite teams in a game of baseball, but neither wanted to be there. They were there because their parents wanted them to pursue a sport that wasn't wrestling. Maybe it was fate, divine intervention or even just a foul ball, but the two started talking and happened upon their connection.

It transpired that they lived only five blocks apart from each other, and a friendship was born. Candido was the grandson of 'Popeye' Chuck Richards, and as a result the two worked on ring crew in New Jersey promotions. Their careers would mirror each other, through the halls of New Jersey to Smokey Mountain Wrestling and eventually to ECW.