twin wrestlers from the '70s

As the match got underway, it could have been anybodys win; until the grand finale. Over the next few years, Rikishi's twin competed in a few other promotions, including WCW. 1960. When it comes to pro-wrestling, weve seen twins trick their opponents, help one another out, and dish out the punishment on foes that take their adversaries for granted. Andre the Giant won his only world title in 1988, but he was a man who never needed a title to be the biggest star in any company he wrestled in. Terry Funk had memorable matches in the 1980s and 90s. ( 1990) AWA All-Star Wrestling was a syndicated television series featuring wrestling matches as promoted by the American Wrestling Association (AWA). The sport reached an outrageous and never before seen numbers of viewers. Nonetheless, Richter won championships around the globe before her retirement in 2005. In the '70s, he had a chance to work title matches in the WWWF against Bruno Sammartino and Pedro Morales before returning to the AWA, where he finally became a babyface.He ended up feuding with former allies Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens. In the '70s, he was part of the WWE and was still on top of the world until his retirement in 1977. Terrys wrestling career spanned for more than 50 years, enabling the wrestler to compete in all the well-established promotions. Bobo Johnson also wrestled under the name the Brown Panther. Best known for his tag performances with Louie Louie and later Rocky Johnson, Bobo was one of the earliest Black midget wrestlers alongside Haiti Kid. Twin brothers Jimmy and Jey Uso are the sons of former wrestler Rikishi and members of the Anoa'i wrestling family. However, in 1985 she was forced to vacate her championship due to an injury, which prompted an early retirement in 1986 at the age of 24. He retired in 1970 and moved to Las Vegas where he became a blackjack dealer. Gorgeous George gained epic mainstream popularity, followed in the Second Golden Age in the 1980s and 1990s by the likes of Ric Flair, Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Sting, The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Kurt Angle, and Triple H. By way of the beginning of television in the 1950s and, subsequently cable television in the 1980s, professional wrestling began appearing in powerful, multiple media outlets. Years later, the brothers appeared on WWE programming, this time accompanied by fitness freak Simon Dean as Gymini, an offshoot from the mythical Gemini twins. To show dominance over the American, Inoki applied a real submission move that Sammartino somehow managed to overpower. One of the first true giants in professional wrestling, Haystacks Calhoun weighed more than 600 pounds making him one of the biggest wrestlers of all time. Certainly, the drug-fueled charms of the salacious and ostentatious Ric Flair are indelibly imbued into our collective memories. You can also support us by signing up to our Mailing List. Unfortunately, though, some twins have been more successful than others, and while a number of twins have set foot in WWE and other major promotions, most are easily forgotten. Little Bruiser and Billy the Kid, September 23, 1972. He was born Roland Barriault in Sudbury, Ontario on July 22, 1946. Though their reign was short, it affirmed them as true legends of Tag Team Wrestling. Impresarios were the managers who chose how a wrestler could gain fame and interest among the fans, creating personas and improvising matches to make them more interesting. He dropped out of West Texas State College in 1953 to take up the fight game. After being rebranded as The Arabian Butchers (a team managed by Jim Cornette), the Santiago brothers wrestled against teams such The Dudley Boyz, The Gangstas, and The Bruise Brothers (who come up shortly on this listing) in ECW. They were victims of some of the worst gimmicks in the history of the business. 17.10.2020. Neither of the brothers has competed since 2019. The Usos also went to war with another brother duo in Goldust and Stardust, where they lost their belts to the Rhodes brothers at Night of Champions 2014. He was a clever and wily opponent who brought considerable showmanship to the arena. Whod be a Midget Wrestler during the 1960s and 1970s? Fans and pundits even began referring to him as the 8th Wonder of the World, thanks to his colossal size and ability to attract the masses. However, when picking out the best wrestlers of the decade, a fan will always find more names to add to the list of the best of the best. A key member of The Hart Foundation faction, Niedhart ran roughshod through the WWF with his pink-clad partners throughout the 1980s. I believe this was broadcast on 26 August 1997. They never won WWE gold, but the brothers did win the WCW Tag Team titles three times as Creative Control, as well as the USWA World Tag Team Championship five times. His reputation for playing mind games with his opponents never superseded his actual in-ring acumen. These wrestlers of the 70s were violent and dangerous men who had no problem beating up the wrestler across the ring from them, and most had no problem stepping in the ring with other athletes. The Golden Era and the Attitude Era gave wrestling fans some of the most electrifying matches in WWEs history. In 1965, Mascaras made his professional debut in Guadalajara, Mexico. NEXT: The 10 Greatest 80s Wrestlers of All Time, The 25 Greatest WWE Wrestlers of All Time, WWE Salary: Highest Paid Wrestlers, Richest Wrestlers, Lowest Paid Wrestlers, Referee Earnings. He started his career as a circus acrobat before taking up wrestling in the 1950s. He died aged 75 on June 24, 2010 in Amarillo, Texas. Little Beaver was born Lionel Giroux in Saint-Jrme, Quebec in 1935. he began his wrestling career at the age of fifteen and teamed up with fellow Canadian Sky Low Low, the pair going on to become two of the most famous wrestlers in history. Along with Ronnie himself and his, "It is time for art to flow into the organisation of life." As you will notice, this list features some of the biggest wrestlers in the history of wrestling, a trend that the WWF adopted back in its early years. One of the greatest Japanese wrestlers of all time, Antonio Inokis contribution to the world of wrestling cannot be ignored. The twin brothers founded Phoenix Championship Wrestling together in 2001. In the 1960s and 1970s, Kowalski became a great tag team wrestler, while also becoming a top rival for world champion Bruno Sammartino. Although she was far more active in All Japan Womens Wrestling, she made brief appearances in the WWF in 1986. While Terry Funk had many classic singles matches, it is his tag team matches that stood out. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sportlister_com-narrow-sky-2','ezslot_18',121,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-narrow-sky-2-0'); However, accolades alone cannot describe Inokis contributions and accomplishments in sports entertainment. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. However, the company released him and his brother from their contracts in mid-2005. In relative terms, a wrestler breaking kayfabe during a show would be likened to an actor breaking character on-camera. Ive played a lot of evil, ball-breaking women. There have often been times where female twins are signed by wrestling companies not because of their in-ring skills, but more so their ability to make the sleazy male demographic drool. Antonio Inoki. In the early-1990s, The Cole Twins became a tag team to keep an eye on in WCW, competing regularly on shows such as WCW Worldwide and WCW Saturday Night. It doesnt matter if its Throwback Thursday or Flashback Friday, every day of the week, people are taking the opportunity to look back and reminisce about the glory days. RELATED: 10 Best WWE Wrestlers Of All-Time, According To Cagematch.netMost wrestlers didnt have the physiques or follow the diet and workout regimen that many athletes follow today, but make no mistake, that didnt mean the action wasnt good. Billy Leon McCrary (December 7, 1946 - July 14, 1979) and Benny Loyd McCrary (December 7, 1946 - March 26, 2001), known together as The McGuire Twins, were American professional wrestlers listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "World's Heaviest Twins" (328 kilograms (723 lb) and 338 kilograms (745 lb), respectively). All-Star Wrestling footage (and AWA footage as a whole) is now owned by World Wrestling Entertainment . Later, he would join AJPW where he feuded with The Destroyer. The twins are former CMLL World Tag Team Championship, but wrestling fans will most likely remember them for appearing in the 1996 Royal Rumble Match as The Squat Team. A gimmick that kind of worked out but was really cheesy. Several pairs of twins have worked in Vince McMahon's company over the years, including The Bellas and The Usos. 10. In the latter half of the decade, the Sheik teamed with Abdullah the Butcher in a string of matches against the Funks in what can be described as complete insanity. During his stint with JWA, Antonio Inoki faced Bruno Sammartino in one of the most controversial matches of all time. June 7, 2022; id10t podcast cancelled . In 1955, she began working for Vince McMahon Sr. as Fabulous Moolah. Farmer Pete wrestling in Milwaukee, December 3, 1972. Little Bruiser in action against Bobo Johnson in Chicago, September 1972. Meanwhile, The Tonga Kid lost his final match at an independent event when he teamed up with Angel Blanco Jr. to face Solar and Solar Jr. Earl Hebner joined WWE in 1988 and spent over a decade and a half in the company, during which he became well-known to the WWE Universe. In it there are many variations of the species, each peculiar to its own terrain and indigenous populous. Welcome to professional wrestling in the 1970s, where anything goes and grapplers werent participating in sports entertainment. The Dynamite Kid was one of the most innovative wrestlers of the 1980s. When it comes to the division, Jimmy and Jey have shared rings with WWEs best, and even though the Samoans havent rejuvenated since losing to Kidd and Cesaro back in February at Fast Lane, they should be resuming where they left off once Jey is cleared to compete again from shoulder surgery. The world of sports has seen its fair share of successful twin tandems, including NHL's Sedin brothers, MMA's Nogueira brothers, football's Pouncey brothers, and the Lopez brothers competing in the NBA, to name a few. He lost it to Pedro Morales but cemented his place in history. [5], From 1974 to 1978, they participated in several matches in Japan, organized by New Japan Pro-Wrestling, defeating other notable wrestling tag teams including Kantaro Hoshino and Seiji Sakaguchi as well as Osamu Kido and Riki Choshu. Used primarily for their looks, these two glamour models -- Brie and Nikki -- often competed as a tag team and even had an onscreen breakup not long ago. Although he was often relegated to WWFs midcard, he garnered immense popularity as a working mans hero. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. Dynamite Kid. As much a wrestler as a cultural ambassador, Mscaras starred in over 20 films. Having made appearances in Japan, Mexico and North America, The Headhunters (consisting of twins Manuel and Victor Santiago) are best known for their stints in WWE and ECW. The 56-year-old also entered the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015. Although they are famous wrestlers, some WWE Superstars have twin siblings that fans may not know of. For a while Race was a record holder as far as World Heavyweight Title reigns went until he was bested by Ric Flair. His career finally came to an end in the '80s when he worked with his son. Why have one when you could have two?The world of sports has seen its fair share of successful twin tandems, including NHLs Sedin brothers, MMAs Nogueira brothers, footballs Pouncey brothers, a. The Niedhart legacy these days is carried on through current WWE superstar Natalya, but her father frequently known as The Anvil had cemented his heroic status long before she began fighting. Good luck trying to get that out of some of todays professional wrestlers. Ed Farhat, uncle and trainer of Sabu and trainer of Rob Van Dam, held a number of regional titles across the Midwest in the 70s. Upon joining WWE, Bruno Sammartino would become an instant hit and the companys biggest star at the time. Bucci (AKA Donnie B.) Carnies, who traveled and wrestled at these events, used tricks to protect their money and reputations during competitions, devising little-known and often dangerous wrestling moves, called "hooks." Earl is notorious for ringing the bell at Survivor Series 1997, costing Bret Hart the WWE Championship against Shawn Michaels in an episode titled the Montreal Screwjob.. It turns out Earl was hired by The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase, which introduced the Hebner twins to the world of pro-wrestling. At one point she even worked as Nature Boys valet. Remembered for his hardcore style of wrestling, Terry Funk became an inspiration to many up and coming wrestlers at the time like Mick Foley. In fact, it was the Crush Gals that catalyzed All Japan Pro Wrestlings international following. Little Tokyo (aka Shigeri Akabane) who was inspired to quit homeland and join Lord Littlebrook and his troupe after they visited Japan in the 1960s. twin wrestlers from the '70s. Rhodes made some appearances in the WWWF in the 70s, but it was the NWA where he had his biggest success. Here are the top 15 twins in wrestling, with the majority of the selections guaranteed to pick your brain: The Phoenix Twins were regulars on the independent circuit, feuding with The House of Truth approximately half a decade ago, which means theyve shared rings with Jimmy Jacobs and current WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins. Rhodes ended up as a multi-time NWA World Champion and is a WWE Hall of Fame superstar. Apart from being charismatic, Billy Graham was also smart, creative, and engaging. 10 Best WWE Wrestlers Of All-Time, According To Cagematch.net, 10 Things Fans Should Know About Curt Hennig, The Russian Bear beat Bruno Sammartino for the WWE Championship in 1971, a win that almost caused a riot, 10 Best Pat Patterson Moments In WWE History, first Triple Crown Champion in company history, The 10 Best Wrestlers In The World Outside WWE, 10 Greatest WWE Golden Era Wrestlers, Ranked. Jimmy and Jey Uso, for example, joined WWE in 2009 and have achieved a lot throughout their 13 years with the company. In his debut night, Tito Santana and Ivan Putski would win the World Tag Team Titles from Johnny and Jimmy Valliant. Television also helped many wrestlers break into mainstream media, becoming influential celebrities and icons of popular culture. Whatever the roles may be, theres no overlooking the upper hand some identical siblings have over their rivals. Mercedes Kaestner-Varnado is an American professional wrestler and actress who also known as her ring names Sasha Banks (in WWE) and Mercedes Mon (in other promotions). The world of sports has seen its fair share of successful twin tandems, including NHLs Sedin brothers, MMAs Nogueira brothers, footballs Pouncey brothers, and the Lopez brothers competing in the NBA, to name a few. Although the conceit might seem silly, Sayama had the skill to back up the story: his match at NJPW Sumo Hall Show in 1983 (against Dynamite Kid Thomas Billington) was the first fight Meltzer ever granted a 5 Star rating. Their second reign would last approximately 6 months. During her wrestling career in the WWE, Fabulous Moolah won various Womens World Championship titles. While Mascaras received several shots at the title, he always came shot and thus never won any title with the WWE. Superstar Billy Graham dropped it nearly a year later to Bob Backlund, PWIs 1978 Match of the Year. While the WWE continues to evolve and incorporate new ideas and aspects into its production, we can attribute the success that the company currently to the foundations laid by these wrestlers during its formation years. Bob Backlund was as different from Bruno as anyone. - Douglas Percy Bliss on his friend Eric Ravilious from their time at the Royal College of Art Eric Ravilious loved. Their parents bought a farm to increase their physical activity and they ate only 1,000 calories per day but could not stop gaining weight. They dropped out of high school and moved to Texas, where they had jobs livestock branding. Feuding with teams such as The Road Warriors and The Nasty Boys, Mike and Todd caught a big break winning the NWA World Tag Team Championship, which lead to a stint in TNA Wrestling, where they appeared on the very first pay-per-view (PPV) event. Many fans may not know that Rikishi has a twin brother, The Tonga Kid (AKA Sam Fatu). 28. Audiences believed the violent action they were seeing and took it for gospel! The company released Dean from his contract in 2007. She also likes to stay away from the public eye. But the thing about nostalgia is that it tends to whitewash some of the darker parts of history in favor of a rose-tinted rearview. They dont quite look alike, but to the Olsens credit, they often wore matching outfits, which facilitated the gimmick, also helping tag teams like The Fabulous Ones, The Dicks, and The Basham Brothers to look like similar siblings in the past. Frenchy Lamonte heading for the ring in Tampa 1970. When they returned to WWE, they adopted the names 8-Ball and Skull, joining their real-life cousin Brian Lee (as Chainz) and Crush in The Disciples of Apocalypse. There have also been twins who haven't worked together on camera. RELATED: The 10 Best Wrestlers In The World Outside WWEHe later went to the WWE where he would become the first masked wrestler to appear at Madison Square Garden while working alongside legends like Superstar Billy Graham, Andre the Giant, and Dusty Rhodes. And of course, the omnipresence of Hulk Hogans red and yellow logo will forever be etched into wrestling history. Meanwhile, his brother continued refereeing in several companies, including IMPACT Wrestling and AEW. We could always count on a suplex, a body slam or a chair over the head. Some twins rose to prominence by being glamour models inside and out of the squared circle, while other duos shared a common goal of calling matches down the middle. Inspired by the legendary Muhamad Ali, Billy Graham would step in front of a microphone and deliver a promo that is full of rhyming words. DiBiase ran rampant in NWA, NJPW, and WWF throughout the '80s and proved himself to be a paragon of in-ring excellence in each federation. Prior to The Model, Rick Martel was one half of Strike Force along with Tito Santana. [4][3], The twins often used a finishing move called the "Tupelo Splash", which involved one of the twins diving belly-first onto a prone opponent; they would follow this with "The Steamroller", where the twin would roll back and forward over the opponent. RELATED: 10 Things Fans Should Know About Curt Hennig. Times have changed and its increasingly difficult to view grapplers like The Ultimate Warrior without thinking of his appalling and bigoted worldviews. Competing in Ohio Valley Wrestling for five years with a combined four title reigns, Hannah and Holly made a name for themselves wrestling under TNA, first appearing on TNA Wrestling: British Bootcamp, where Rockstar Spud and Mary Scurll were also discovered. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. He continued wrestling until the late 1980s, when he was enshrined into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. Professional wrestling in the 1970s was huge! While he never beat Bruno for the world title, Kowalski teamed up with Gorilla Monsoon and Big John Studd to win tag team titles. For a time, Hart was considered the most famous person in Canada and is quite often regarded as the greatest wrestler of all time. In addition, some spectators capable of beating the carnies roamed the country to compete in open challenges, setting side bets to make money. Both flashy and furious, Mil Mscaras is considered one of Mexican wrestlings first international stars. All of this when the AWA sported one of the deepest rosters in territorial wrestling. Born and raised in a small Italian town, Bruno Sammartinos childhood was quite tough. Hansen went on to become a major star in Japan as well, starting in 1977 and winning several titles overseas, including the PWF World Championship four times. Make no mistake, though, that didnt mean the action wasnt good. worlds heaviest twins were wrestlers "the mcguire twins" - bigtime memories clip - wrestling legends. Pedro Morales was the perfect champion for Vince McMahon Sr.'s New York territory in the 70s. During his first reign as WWE tag champion, Mr Fuji and Tanaka reigned supreme in WWEs tag team division for more than a year. Only Keith would be given PPV time, competing in the Lethal Lottery alongside Ron Simmons at Battlebowl 1993. Widely respected for his integrity and personal principles, Sammartino was one of the most popular wrestlers in the 60s and 70s. Billy the Kid born John William Guillot in Waco, Texas in 1936. While Inoki never accepted nor denied these claims, however, this is just but one of the many incidences that took place back in 70s that fans were never aware of. via twitter.com. Billy and Benny werent exactly the most talented superstars in wrestling history, yet the business was different in their days, which ultimately led them to matches in NJPW and Canadas very own Stampede Wrestling. Because of his in-ring skills, Big John Studd had some amazing matches with some considered to be the greatest at the time. Being a Luchador, Mascaras has never stepped into the squared circle without a mask.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'sportlister_com-sky-3','ezslot_23',116,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-sky-3-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'sportlister_com-sky-3','ezslot_24',116,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-sky-3-0_1');.sky-3-multi-116{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:50px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. Pat Patterson was the first man to hold the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Morales also became the first Triple Crown Champion in company history after winning the World Tag Team and Intercontinental Championships. Although the world of 80s pro-wrestling was filled with neon tiger stripes and cocaine dreams that decade was also a time of immense athleticism, over-the-top characters, and intrepid innovation in the art of combat sports. With the sex appeal of a Chippendales performer, this Ravishing fighter was a WCW legend before career-ending injuries forced him to stop performing in 1997. These portrait photographs of Russia's ruling Romanovs were taken in 1903 at the Winter Palace in majestic. Here are four WWE Superstars you may not know have twin siblings. During their reign as tag team champions, the Wild Samoans would go head to head with various teams including Rick Martel & Tony Garea, Tony Atlas & Rocky Johnson, and The Strongbows. Sammartino would then go ahead and beat Inoki bloody. Played by Satoru Sayama, who Bret Hart once called the Bruce Lee of professional wrestling, Tiger Mask I was both a real-life wrestling character and the star of a popular Japanese cartoon. Prior to his professional wrestling debut, Giant Baba was a professional pitcher for one of the biggest baseball teams in Japan. The nature of professional wrestling dramatically changed in order to better suit television audiences. Honored as the best tag team of 2014 by Pro Wrestling Illustrated, the brothers had a lengthy feud with Luke Harper & Erick Rowan and its safe to say both teams delivered in some incredible matches. He later briefly returned to WWE to compete in a few matches between 1992 and 1994. And although his identity is now known worldwide, hes one of the few masked wrestlers to have never revealed his face to the public. Funk was the PWI Wrestler of the Year in 1976 and won the inaugural AJPW Real World Tag League tournament in 1977 and won it again in 79. Randy Savage was an iconic wrestler back in the 1980s all thanks to his impressive ring attire, distinctive and raspy voice as well as unmissable intensity. Thanks to his massive size, Haystacks Calhoun became an instant hit during the golden era. Because of his ability to stand out and cut amazing promos, many WWE fans flocked to the ring to see the superstar in action. Her garish fashion statements have since inspired a new generation of sartorial outsiders. He started the decade as a heel, but in 1974 he turned babyface and shot to the top. The barnstormers competed as traveling wrestlers did and often cooperated with the carnies to stage the matches, providing enormous profits for both sides in betting. And you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Since leaving Vince McMahon's company, Dave Hebner has become a wrestling manager and has appeared in a few other promotions. Its almost impossible to overstate the precision and crispness of Harts technical abilities and his resilience in the face of some very real tragedies is beyond admirable. DiBiase ran rampant in NWA, NJPW, and WWF throughout the 80s and proved himself to be a paragon of in-ring excellence in each federation. The prototypical arrogant pretty boy, Rude was known for insulting the mostly-male crowds before enticing women with promises of sexual promiscuity. Although she was often teaming with her mentor, Dump Matsumoto, she also held the All Japan Pro Wrestling womens title for three years starting in 1985 she was only 16 years old at the time. The Big Cat was an AFL All-Pro before he had a Hall of Fame career as a professional wrestler. He moved to the US in the early 1960s, where he became NWA World Midget Championwinning a record three times (tied with Little Tokyo). Both Hebners served as referees, with Dave taking on more of the backend stuff like promoting and working as a road agent. In 1960, Giant Baba left Baseball and began training in Mitsuhiro Momotas dojo as the legend identified him as his successor. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sportlister_com-leader-2','ezslot_5',112,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-leader-2-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sportlister_com-leader-2','ezslot_6',112,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportlister_com-leader-2-0_1');.leader-2-multi-112{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. He later moved to Walkertown, North Carolina and worked for the Christian Golfers Ministry. In the 70s, he also worked matches against boxer, Chuck Wepner. Bruno Sammartino is the greatest 70's wrestler of all time. Arguably the most popular set of twins in wrestling today, The Bellas arent everyones forte, but theyve been at the forefront of WWEs Divas division for quite some time. If you enjoy what we do, please consider becoming a patron with a recurring monthly subscription of your choosing. This, and a ton of hard work, became the blueprint to win championships for specific sets of twins in WWE. Be the first one to comment on this story. Born in England, Robinson is one of the godfathers of strong style and is considered one of the best ever by Japanese fans. During his heyday in the '60s and '70s, Calhoun feuded with men like Dick the Bruiser and battled Bruno Sammartino. Even when he fell in love - and that was frequently - he was never submerged by disappointment.