The Blue Bloods was the name of the
professional wrestlingProfessional wrestling, or pro wrestling, is an athletic performing art where matches are prearranged by the promotion's booking staff. It is a non-competitive sport which contains strong elements of theatre, mock combat, and catch wrestling. Wrestling's origins date to 19th-century carnival...
stable in
World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and his...
that consisted of
"Lord" Steven RegalDarren Nathaniel Matthews also known by his ring names Steven Regal and William Regal, is an English professional wrestler, currently signed to the World Wrestling Entertainment where he is performing on its ECW brand....
,
"Earl" Robert EatonRobert Lee "Beautiful Bobby" Eaton , is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, who made his debut in 1976. Eaton is most famous for his work in tag teams, especially his days as one-half of the team the Midnight Express. Under the management of Jim Cornette, Eaton originally teamed with...
, and "Squire" David Taylor, along with their butler Jeeves that operated in the late '90s.
In 2006, Regal (with his
ring nameA ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer.-Wrestling:Ring names were developed as a defense mechanism to keep kayfabe and allow wrestling performers to hide their true identities from the wrestling fanbase, or because their real name is considered...
changed to William) and Taylor reunited as a
tag teamIn professional wrestling, a tag team consists of two wrestlers who are working together as a team . Often, they are close partners and backstage friends who team with each other almost exclusively, while other times they are singles competitors who are booked together for just one match...
on the SmackDown
brandThe World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment Brand Extension was a process first used in 2002 by said professional wrestling promotion as a means of providing separate brands of wrestling through its two top shows, Raw and SmackDown!, with the addition of ECW in 2006.- Background :After acquiring...
of
World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is a publicly-traded, privately-controlled integrated media and sports entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
, without the "Blue Blood" name.
In May 2002, Taylor, Regal and Irish wrestler
Dave FinlayDavid J. Finlay, Jr. is a professional wrestler and road agent. He currently wrestles on the SmackDown brand of World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Finlay. He has held both the WCW World Television Championship and the WWE United States Championship...
opened the Atlanta Blue Bloods Wrestling Academy, a professional wrestling school.
The Blue Bloods was the name of the
professional wrestlingProfessional wrestling, or pro wrestling, is an athletic performing art where matches are prearranged by the promotion's booking staff. It is a non-competitive sport which contains strong elements of theatre, mock combat, and catch wrestling. Wrestling's origins date to 19th-century carnival...
stable in
World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and his...
that consisted of
"Lord" Steven RegalDarren Nathaniel Matthews also known by his ring names Steven Regal and William Regal, is an English professional wrestler, currently signed to the World Wrestling Entertainment where he is performing on its ECW brand....
,
"Earl" Robert EatonRobert Lee "Beautiful Bobby" Eaton , is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, who made his debut in 1976. Eaton is most famous for his work in tag teams, especially his days as one-half of the team the Midnight Express. Under the management of Jim Cornette, Eaton originally teamed with...
, and "Squire" David Taylor, along with their butler Jeeves that operated in the late '90s.
In 2006, Regal (with his
ring nameA ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer.-Wrestling:Ring names were developed as a defense mechanism to keep kayfabe and allow wrestling performers to hide their true identities from the wrestling fanbase, or because their real name is considered...
changed to William) and Taylor reunited as a
tag teamIn professional wrestling, a tag team consists of two wrestlers who are working together as a team . Often, they are close partners and backstage friends who team with each other almost exclusively, while other times they are singles competitors who are booked together for just one match...
on the SmackDown
brandThe World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment Brand Extension was a process first used in 2002 by said professional wrestling promotion as a means of providing separate brands of wrestling through its two top shows, Raw and SmackDown!, with the addition of ECW in 2006.- Background :After acquiring...
of
World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is a publicly-traded, privately-controlled integrated media and sports entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
, without the "Blue Blood" name.
In May 2002, Taylor, Regal and Irish wrestler
Dave FinlayDavid J. Finlay, Jr. is a professional wrestler and road agent. He currently wrestles on the SmackDown brand of World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Finlay. He has held both the WCW World Television Championship and the WWE United States Championship...
opened the Atlanta Blue Bloods Wrestling Academy, a professional wrestling school. The Academy closed in 2005, after having trained wrestlers such as
Chris HeroChris Spradlin is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Chris Hero. He is a mainstay of many independent wrestling promotions, including Ring of Honor, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, and Jersey All Pro Wrestling as well as Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan...
.
World Championship Wrestling
The Blue Bloods were formed in 1995 in
World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and his...
(WCW) by Regal after he split with his manager,
Sir WilliamWilliam "Bill" Crookshanks is a professional wrestler better known by his stage name "Superstar" Bill Dundee. Crookshanks is the father-in-law of wrestler Bobby Eaton & father of Jamie Dundee.-Career:...
and became a tag team wrestler. Regal recruited
AlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its...
-born
Bobby EatonRobert Lee "Beautiful Bobby" Eaton , is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, who made his debut in 1976. Eaton is most famous for his work in tag teams, especially his days as one-half of the team the Midnight Express. Under the management of Jim Cornette, Eaton originally teamed with...
, renaming him "Earl Robert Eaton", and taking it upon himself to teach himself the finer points of the
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
lifestyle; including the
Queen's EnglishReceived Pronunciation , also called the Queen's English and BBC English, is the accent of Standard English in England, with a relationship to regional dialects similar to that of other European languages...
and proper dining etiquette.
The team
feudedA professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with
Harlem HeatHarlem Heat was a professional wrestling tag team made up of two real-life brothers, Booker and Lane Huffman. Booker Huffman took the ring name of Booker T, and Lane Huffman took the ring name of Stevie Ray...
(
Booker TBooker Tio Huffman , better known by his ring name Booker T, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently wrestling for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
and
Stevie RayLane Steven Huffman is a American professional wrestler who is better known as Stevie Ray. He is best known as being part of the tag team Harlem Heat with his younger brother Booker Huffman . With his brother, he held the WCW World Tag Team Championship a record ten times...
) and the team of
Bunkhouse BuckJames "Jimmy" Golden is an American professional wrestler, who is better known as Bunkhouse Buck.Golden has many relatives in wrestling: his cousins are Robert & Ron Fuller, his father is Billy Golden and his uncle is Buddy Fuller and his nephew is Eddie Golden. His grandfather is Roy Welch...
and
Dick SlaterRichard Van Slater , better known by his ring name "Dirty" Dick Slater, was an American professional wrestler who wrestled in the 1970s, 1980s, and mid 1990s for various promotions including Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling .Slater began wrestling with Mike...
over the
WCW World Tag Team ChampionshipThe World Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling...
but never got their hands on the titles. Soon they were joined by
"Squire" David TaylorDavid Taylor is an English professional wrestler best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment . He also worked as a trainer for the Deep South Wrestling promotion, a subsidiary of WWE.-Career:A third-generation wrestler, Taylor was trained by his...
and a butler named Jeeves whom they openly abused. Eaton eventually left the group, leaving Taylor and Regal to feud with him.
Taylor and Regal continued to team together until Regal was released from WCW in 2000, at which point Taylor also left the promotion.
World Wrestling Entertainment
Regal went to the
World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is a publicly-traded, privately-controlled integrated media and sports entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWF) and by 2001, Taylor joined him in the company, acting as a trainer and wrestler in the
Heartland Wrestling AssociationThe Heartland Wrestling Association is a Midwestern independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cincinnati, Ohio. A former developmental territory for both World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation during the 1990s, it was listed as one of the top independent...
, a subsidiary of the WWF for a brief period before leaving the company. In January 2006, Taylor was hired by
World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is a publicly-traded, privately-controlled integrated media and sports entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
to train wrestling students in their Deep South Wrestling (DSW) training territory, and on March 23 returned to the DSW ring to team with former partner Regal.
Meanwhile, Regal was being mocked and made to look foolish on
SmackDown!. On the October 20 episode he announced that he was sick of being a "laughing stock" on the brand and re-introduced the national audience to Taylor, who was joining him as a tag team partner. The two debuted as a team the same night, defeating the team of Scotty 2 Hotty and
Funakiis a Japanese/American professional wrestler currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment wrestling on its SmackDown brand as Kung Fu Naki...
easily. Though they had reunited, they used no parts of their previous "Blue Bloods" gimmick, instead becoming sadistic fighters, willing to go to just about any lengths for a win.
The team was quickly put into jeopardy, however, when in their second match Taylor suffered a (legitimate) torn
meniscusIn anatomy, a meniscus is a crescent-shaped fibrocartilaginous structure that, in contrast to articular disks, only partly divides a joint cavity. In humans it is present in the knee, acromioclavicular, sternoclavicular, and temporomandibular joints; in other organisms they may be present in other...
in his left knee, leaving him injured and on the shelf for a number of weeks. Unable to wrestle, Taylor took a more relaxed role as something of a
cornermanA cornerman, or simply corner, is a combat sports term for a coach or team mate assisting a fighter during the length of a bout. The cornerman remains outside the combat area during the fight, but in proximity, and can assist the fighter through instruction. This instruction can take place in...
for Regal until he healed enough to wrestle again. While he was out, Regal began the opening stages of a
feudA professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with the
WWE Tag Team ChampionsThe World Wrestling Entertainment Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Wrestling Entertainment. The title is currently unified with the World Tag Team Championship, and defended together as the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship...
,
Paul London and Brian KendrickPaul London and Brian Kendrick were a professional wrestling tag team in World Wrestling Entertainment and are both former students of Shawn Michaels' Texas Wrestling Academy...
, by defeating both men in singles matches, and upon Taylor's return, they beat the champions in non-title tag team competition. Having proven their worth, they earned a title shot at December's
ArmageddonArmageddon was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on December 17, 2006 at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia. The event starred wrestlers from the SmackDown! brand.The main event was a tag team match, in which the team...
pay-per-view, but just beforehand it was changed to a fatal-four way
ladder matchA ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling that is most commonly used to describe a match where an item is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item...
also involving
MNMMNM was a professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Entertainment and Ohio Valley Wrestling that consisted of Joey Mercury , Johnny Nitro, and their manager Melina Perez....
(
Joey MercuryAdam Birch is a retired American professional wrestler. Birch is best known for his time on the independent circuit under the name Joey Matthews, and his time in World Wrestling Entertainment , where he competed as Joey Mercury.Birch was trained by fellow wrestler Jimmy Cicero and made his...
and
Johnny NitroJohn Randall Hennigan is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names John Morrison and Johnny Nitro...
) and
The HardysThe Hardy Boyz were a professional wrestling tag team in World Wrestling Entertainment that consisted of real life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy....
(
MattMatthew "Matt" Moore Hardy is an American professional wrestler. He is currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment on their SmackDown brand....
and
JeffJeffrey "Jeff" Nero Hardy is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in World Wrestling Entertainment....
), in which London and Kendrick retained their titles. In a subsequent regular tag rematch on
SmackDown! Regal and Taylor came up short of winning the titles. The team split when Regal was selected by
RawWWE Raw is a professional wrestling television program for World Wrestling Entertainment that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States. The show's name, which is sometimes stylized as RAW, is also used to refer to the Raw brand, in which WWE employees are assigned to work and perform...
in the supplemental draft on June 17, 2007.
In wrestling
- Finishing and signature moves
- Fireman's carry by Taylor followed by a running high knee strike to the side of the opponent's exposed head by Regal
Championships and accomplishments
- World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and his...
- WCW World Television Championship
The World Championship Wrestling World Television Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Championship Wrestling....
(4 times) - Regal