by Robert Igoe

Created on: January 17, 2009

A lot of things came and went in 1990.

That year, James "Buster" Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson to win the undisputed World heavyweight boxing championship and was touted and the "New Rocky."

Less than a year later, he lost his first title defense.

Rapper Vanilla Ice's album (yes, they still had those) "To The Extreme" hit the charts and the Miami native seemed primed as the next great entertainer.

Several lies and countless reinventions later, he's now more likely to be seen on reality television than the pop charts.

The television show "Cop Rock" debuted on ABC, which believed the show would bring be the first of its kind and usher in a wave of high-concept musical drama.

It turned out to be the last of its kind and barely lasted three months.

Also that year, Cincinnati's Michael Hammond made his debut with the Chippendales wanting to have fun and make a living at his passion, dancing.

Lucky for him, some things do stand the test of time, as he not only has survived, but thrived as a key member of the Chippendales' East Coast touring team.

And he has no plans to stop anytime soon if for no other reason than he's having too much fun.

"You get to go onstage and perform in front of these huge crowds," he said. "A lot of women consider us an escape, but it's an escpae for us too. You don't have to think about anything else except the show. It's a two hour window to forget your problems and have fun."

It's also the chance to be part of one of the world's most iconic franchises. When the topic turns to motorcycles, the Harley-Davidson logo flashes in most people's minds. Bring up professional wrestling, and the superstars that come to mind fastest work for World Wrestling Entertainment.

The Chippendales are on that level, to the point where the name has become almost a synonym for "male dancer." Anytime a television show, be it drama series such as "NCIS" or animated shows such as "Batman: The Animated Series," wants to portray a male dancer, it's a safe bet that he'll be in the black tights and bowtie of the Chippendales.

Before earning the Chippendales' uniform, Hammond started dancing as a youth, learning ballroom and other traditional forms of dance while also studying gymnastics and organizing routines for local breakdancing crews. Eventually, as a student at Northmont High School in suburban Dayton, began winning local talent contests and soon saw signs of his future at the local shopping mall.

Hammond and his friends would regularly glance through the racks of posters

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