Guest TSMAdmin Posted October 2, 2002 Report Posted October 2, 2002 Today in Wrestling History (July 18) by Jared "JHawk" Hawkins We go back 13 years to 1989, and a history-making moment that is largely forgotten by today's fans (mostly because most of today's fans weren't around in 1989 to remember it). Let's go back to the Centrum in Worcester, Massachusetts and take a look at Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson making wrestling history. The story so far: On March 27, 1988, Demolition defeated Strike Force at WrestleMania IV to win the WWF Tag Team Titles in a match one internet reporter called one of his favorite moments ever, even with a Canadian doing the job. This reign ended up becoming the longest tag team title reign in WWF history, even though that fact was never mentioned on TV. At the same time on TBS, Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard lost the NWA World Tag Team Title at the first Clash of the Champions to Barry Windham and Lex Luger. Anderson and Blanchard would regain the titles, but would lose them to The Midnight Express at a house show on September 10. Why Jim Crockett never put that on TV when it was heavily hyped for over a month is anyone's guess. Anderson and Blanchard would leave for the WWF almost immediately. Fast forward to April 25, 1989. In a match that aired a month later on Saturday Night's Main Event, Demolition successfully defended the titles against Arn and Tully, who were now called the Brain Busters under the management of Bobby Heenan. However, it was Arn and Tully who won that match by disqualification when Demolition tossed the referee aside. That leads to a somewhat famous rematch that aired 10 days later on Saturday Night's Main Event. Without any further ado... Mean Gene interviews Demolition and asks if they can hang with The Brain Busters in a best of three falls match. They assure Gene they can and it will be "Pop Goes The Weasel" if Heenan gets involved. Two out of three falls for the WWF Tag Team Championship: The Brain Busters (w/Bobby Heenan) vs. Demolition (champions) First fall: Tully and Ax start, and Jesse Ventura points out Demolition's weight advantage. Ax tries to use it to his advantage, but Tully takes a powder...but Smash cheats already and throws Tully back in. The Busters finally get Ax into their corner to double team, but Ax brawls his way out of it. The fight goes to the floor, but the Busters can't cheat without Demolition thwarting the attempt. The challengers finally go over to Heenan to regroup. Back in, and Arn and Smash are in without a tag on either side. Arn gets a knee in before Smash begins to choke Arn down, and then the power advantage comes into play. Ax is tagged in, and the champions double team Arn in the corner. And Smash stays in anyway, and he gets his knee clipped by Arn. Tully tags in, and Smash regains the advantage in short order. Tully gets a thumb to the eye in and tags Arn. Smash goes for a bodyslam, but Tully dropkicks Arn on top of Smash, but Joey Marella doesn't count. The Busters finally have an advantage, and Arn gets the spinebuster for 2. Tully in to prevent the hot tag. A Busters double team move backfires, and Smash gets Arn into a Hotshot for the pin and the fall at 4:56. That fall was all squashy and stuff. Second fall: Smash pounds away at Arn before we even come back from commercial, and now the champions are using quick tags to keep the challengers at bay. Damn, canned heat is annoying, isn't it? Smash finally slows things down with a neck vice, and back to the quick tags from the champions. Ax now with the neck vice, and smart strategy--work on one part of the body. Arn finally gets the tag to Tully, and he stomps away at Ax. Slingshot into the bottom rope! I love that move! Arn with the elbowdrop as Ax hangs over the apron. Ax is officially in Ricky Morton mode here, as the Busters now use quick tags and liberal double teaming on Ax. Hey, what goes around comes around. Tully telegraphs a backdrop, and Ax gets the hot tag in to Smash. All four men are quickly in the ring, and Arn gets sent to the floor. Heenan hits the apron, and Smash sends Heenan into the ringpost. Andre the Giant walks to ringside, the Demos hit the Demolition Decapitation...and the Busters win the second fall by DQ due to excessive double teaming at 9:22 (total time). Jesse points out that the DQ doesn't matter as long as the third fall ends by pinfall or submission (a logic gap from an older SNME, but never mind that now). Third fall: Andre has a ringside seat as Tully and Ax start. And the squash continues as Tully continually gets double teamed. More quick tags, and Ax sends Tully down with an elbow. Tully sends Ax headfirst into Arn out of desperation, and tags in a loopy Arn Anderson. Arn trades punches, which is the Demos' domain, but Arn hits the corner and bounces back...and hits Ax head to head. Tags on each end, and soon all four men are in. Ax and Arn begin to brawl on the floor. Smash goes for a suplex, but Tully floats behind and holds Smash. Arn in, but Smash moves out of the way. Heenan on the apron, and Andre slides a chair into the ring. Tully grabs the chair, gloms Smash with it, and covers for the pin and the titles at 12:26. OK match considering the squashy nature of it, but WAY too much offense for Demolition. 3/4* Jesse Ventura immediately heads to the Heenan Family locker room. Nothing of note is really said, but there is much rejoicing. Aftermath: The win made Tully and Arn the first team ever to win both the NWA and WWF Tag Team Championships, and therefore, this should have been their finest hour. However, Arn and Tully only had a one-year contract, and thus lost the titles back to Demolition less than three months later. A month after the Brain Busters were humuliated in a match taped for SNME with The Rockers, and both were gone by the end of the Survivor Series. Demolition was forced to add a third member in Crush when Ax suffered a heart attack in 1990, and that effectively killed their usefulness. Next week, we'll take a look at...um...well, something. In the meantime, let me know what you think, America. And Canada and wherever else you're reaing from.
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