Bunkhouse Stampede
Encyclopedia
The Bunkhouse Stampede was a professional wrestling
show held annually by Jim Crockett Promotions
from 1985 through 1988.
's Jim Crockett Promotions
came up with a new match to increase the fans' interest in their product. The Bunkhouse Stampede was a regular battle royal
where the wrestlers wore "bunkhouse gear" (blue jeans and cowboy boots, etc.) to the match, similar to 'street fight' matches. Weapons were also allowed. For example, Ivan and Nikita Koloff
brought their "Russian" chains to the ring, and the Road Warriors
brought their spikes, others used trash can lids and leather straps. To win this match, a wrestler had to be the last one in the ring, with all of the other wrestlers having been thrown over the top rope. These were most often bloody matches, as there were several weapons involved.
Each year, there were several Bunkhouse Stampedes held in the prior weeks, with the winners of each one going to the final Bunkhouse Stampede to battle for the championship. They began in 1985, and the last was held in 1989, after which it was abandoned. The winner was awarded a large bronze cowboy boot.
and Big Bubba Rogers ended up tied after the final match in San Francisco
(itself marred by the fact that the last two wrestlers in the ring were the Road Warriors
, but they tossed a coin and the loser jumped out of the ring), a two-man steel cage bunkhouse match (where one wrestler had to throw the other out of the cage) between the two determined the overall winner, over Jim Cornette
's protests that Rogers should have been declared the winner because, while Rhodes had won as many of the matches, Rogers had won more money (because while most of the matches had $25,000 prizes, Rogers won a $100,000 match in Atlanta).
on January 24, 1988 in Uniondale, New York
at the Nassau Coliseum.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
show held annually by Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
from 1985 through 1988.
Concept
In 1985, the NWANational Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
's Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
came up with a new match to increase the fans' interest in their product. The Bunkhouse Stampede was a regular battle royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
where the wrestlers wore "bunkhouse gear" (blue jeans and cowboy boots, etc.) to the match, similar to 'street fight' matches. Weapons were also allowed. For example, Ivan and Nikita Koloff
Nikita Koloff
Nikita Koloff is a retired American professional wrestler,. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, he wrestled as "The Russian Nightmare" Nikita Koloff, which was a play on the nickname of fan favorite "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes .Nikita was brought into the National...
brought their "Russian" chains to the ring, and the Road Warriors
Road Warriors
The Road Warriors were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Michael "Hawk" Hegstrand and Joseph "Animal" Laurinaitis. They performed under the name "Road Warriors" in the American Wrestling Association, the National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling, and the name Legion...
brought their spikes, others used trash can lids and leather straps. To win this match, a wrestler had to be the last one in the ring, with all of the other wrestlers having been thrown over the top rope. These were most often bloody matches, as there were several weapons involved.
Each year, there were several Bunkhouse Stampedes held in the prior weeks, with the winners of each one going to the final Bunkhouse Stampede to battle for the championship. They began in 1985, and the last was held in 1989, after which it was abandoned. The winner was awarded a large bronze cowboy boot.
1986 format
The format was slightly different in 1986; rather than have all of the champions meet in a final match, it was decided that whoever won the most matches during the tour would be declared the champion. When Dusty RhodesDusty Rhodes (wrestler)
Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...
and Big Bubba Rogers ended up tied after the final match in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
(itself marred by the fact that the last two wrestlers in the ring were the Road Warriors
Road Warriors
The Road Warriors were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Michael "Hawk" Hegstrand and Joseph "Animal" Laurinaitis. They performed under the name "Road Warriors" in the American Wrestling Association, the National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling, and the name Legion...
, but they tossed a coin and the loser jumped out of the ring), a two-man steel cage bunkhouse match (where one wrestler had to throw the other out of the cage) between the two determined the overall winner, over Jim Cornette
Jim Cornette
James Mark "Jim" Cornette is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation and from 1991 to 1995, was the owner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling...
's protests that Rogers should have been declared the winner because, while Rhodes had won as many of the matches, Rogers had won more money (because while most of the matches had $25,000 prizes, Rogers won a $100,000 match in Atlanta).
Broadcasts
Only one of the earlier Bunkhouse Stampedes, on December 28, 1985, was broadcast on NWA Television, but it was cut off after only a few minutes of action. The 1988 Championship was held on pay-per-viewPay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
on January 24, 1988 in Uniondale, New York
Uniondale, New York
Uniondale is a hamlet as well as a suburb of New York City in Nassau County, New York, United States, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead. The population was 24,759 at the 2010 United States Census.-Geography:...
at the Nassau Coliseum.
Bunkhouse Stampede winners
- 1985: Dusty RhodesDusty Rhodes (wrestler)Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...
- 1986: Dusty Rhodes
- 1987: Dusty Rhodes
- 1988: Dusty Rhodes