Hollywood Blondes
Encyclopedia
The Hollywood Blonds is a name used by several professional wrestling
tag team
s over the years. The original “Blonds” were Buddy Roberts
and Jerry Brown who used the name in the 1970s. Rip Rogers
and Ted Oates wrestled as The Hollywood Blonds in the mid 1980s in the National Wrestling Alliance
's Jim Crockett Promotions
. The most well known team to use the moniker “the Hollywood Blonds” was ”Stunning” Steve Austin
and ”Flyin” Brian Pillman
who used the name as a heel
tag team in World Championship Wrestling
in 1992 and 1993 and is often mentioned when talking about great tag teams.
(billed as "Dale Valentine") and Jerry Brown were the first to adopt the name "The Hollywood Blonds" in wrestling when they began teaming together in 1970 in the “NWA Tri-State” territory (NWA Tri State promoted in Oklahoma
, Arkansas
, Louisiana
and Mississippi
). The two quickly became one of the top heel
acts in the territory with their “Hollywood superstar” arrogance and cheating ways. On May 8, 1970, the Blonds won their first title when they won a tournament to crown new NWA United States Tag Team Champions (Tri State version). Their first run with the title was short as Luke Brown and Danny Hodge
defeated them three weeks later, but the Blonds managed to regain the gold days after being defeated for them. For the rest of 1970, Roberts and Brown dominated the Tri State tag team scene until losing to Bill Watts
and Billy Red Lyons
in January 1971. In early 1973, the Blonds became three-time NWA United States Tag Team champions by defeating Dennis Stamp and Bull Bullinski for the straps. The Blonds held on to the titles until sometime April, when they lost the gold to Rip Tyler and Eddie Sullivan before leaving the promotion by mid-1973.
After leaving the Tri State area, Roberts and Brown next popped up in Florida working for Eddie Graham
’s Championship Wrestling from Florida. After working their way up the ranks, the duo challenged for and won the top tag team title in the promotion, the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship
, from the team of Dick Slater
and Stan Vachon in March 1974. The Blonds ruled the tag team division over the summer of 1974 until dropping the gold to Dick Slater and Toru Tanaka in the fall (either September or October). After their run with the titles ended, the Blonds moved on to another territory, the most natural territory for the team – NWA Hollywood Wrestling in Los Angeles
. The Gene and Mike LeBell territory saw Roberts and Brown win the NWA Americas Tag Team Championship
four times between December 1974 and August 1975, defeating such teams as Victor Rivera and Louie Tillet, Porkchop Cash and S.D. Jones
, John Tolos
and Louis Tillet, and the promotion's biggest tag-team attraction Black Gorman and Goliath. During their time in Los Angeles, the Hollywood Blonds were also involved in an angle that saw the Los Angeles version of the NWA North American Tag Team Championship shift over to New Japan Pro Wrestling
as their main tag-team title of that day. On August 1, 1975, reigning champions Antonio Inoki
and Seiji Sakaguchi
fought the Hollywood Blonds to a no-contest, after which the titles were declared vacant. A rematch in Nagoya, Japan saw the Blonds win the North American Tag Team titles on September 22. On October 2, Inoki and Sakaguchi regained the titles and they became more or less exclusive to NJPW after that date.
When the Blonds' time in Los Angeles ended near the end of 1975, they returned “home” to the Tri State promotion and immediately targeted the United States Tag Team championship. On March 18, 1976, the duo defeated Greg Valentine
and Gorgeous George, Jr. Due to disputes over pay and billing the Blonds’ time in Tri State was short lived, they quickly dropped the tag team title to Buck Robley and Bob Slaughter
only eleven days after they won them. The Blonds next appeared in Championship Wrestling from Florida once more, winning the Florida Tag Team titles from Steve Keirn
and Bob Backlund
not long after arriving in the territory. Just like with Tri State, their stay in Florida was short, as they dropped the titles to Mike Graham and Ken Lucas only a few months later and left. After a short stay in Florida, the duo began working for Jim Crockett
’s Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
. On January 17, 1977, Roberts and Brown defeated the team of Dino Bravo
and Tim Woods
for the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship
and held on to it for three months until Bravo and new partner Tiger Conway Jr. beat them for the gold. During the summer of 1977, the Hollywood Blonds moved from Mid-Atlantic to Memphis and the NWA Mid-America promotion (later Continental Wrestling Association
). In Memphis, the Blonds shot up the tag-team ranks right off the bat defeating Bob Ellis and Jim Garvin
for the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship
on July 25. The Blonds lost the gold to Norvell Austin
and Pat Barrett
on August 15. After holding the gold two more times, the team lost the gold for good to Austin and Barrett on September 25, 1977.
Shortly after losing the Southern Tag Team titles, Brown and Roberts split up, with Roberts going on to form the Fabulous Freebirds
with Terry Gordy
and Michael Hayes
while Brown kept working as a singles wrestler mainly in the south.
and Ted Oates adopted the Hollywood Blonds moniker and “Superstar” gimmick for a run in the National Wrestling Alliance
's Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
territory. Rogers had previously teamed up with Gary Royal
and Pez Whatley
in a Hollywood Blonds inspired team known as The Convertible Blondes in Angelo Poffo’s International Championship Wrestling
.
The arrogant heel
team defeated Ron Garvin
and Oates' storyline brother, Jerry, to win the NWA National Tag Team Championship
on September 20, 1984. Rogers and Oates held on to the gold for a little over a month. They lost the titles to the Lightning Express
(Brad Armstrong and Tim Horner
) on November 1. Not long after losing the titles, Rogers and Oats split up when Rip Rogers left the area to pursue a singles career.
version of the Blonds consisting of "Stunning" Steve Austin
and "Flyin'" Brian Pillman
. In late 1992, the recently heel
turned Brian Pillman had been teaming with another recently-turned-heel in Barry Windham
, but when Windham was groomed for a singles push and a run with the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
, the WCW bookers put Steve Austin together with Brian Pillman since management didn’t have any other immediate plans for Austin.
After one last unsuccessful attempt at winning the WCW
/ NWA World Tag Team Championship
from Ricky Steamboat
and Shane Douglas
at Starrcade 1992, Austin replaced Windham on a permanent basis. At first, the two were just billed as ”Steve Austin and Brian Pillman” but the two (with input from Scotty ”Flamingo” Levy) came up with the idea of ”the Hollywood Blonds” complete with matching trunks and vests. The duo was immediately thrust into a feud with Shane Douglas and Ricky Steamboat over the NWA and WCW World Tag Team titles, which gave the duo a chance to show off their team work and their trademark “mock filming” pose that they invented. After a successful move, one of the Blonds would move his hands like he was turning the handle on an old film camera. After winning a match, Pillman or Austin would arrogantly state that “Your brush with greatness is over” to further annoy the fans.
On the March 27, 1993 edition of WCW Power Hour
, Austin and Pillman cheated their way to the gold as they defeated Steamboat and Douglas for the WCW/NWA Tag Team Titles. The Blonds held off Douglas and Steamboats challenges by hook or by crook. On one night, Austin and Pillman faced an unknown masked team known as "Dos Hombres" (literally ”two guys”) who they assumed were a couple of luchadores
from Mexico. The match started out rather inconspicuously, until the two masked men started showing moves more consistent with Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas than two luchadores. Dos Hombres won the match, earning them a shot at the world tag team titles at Slamboree 1993
. However, by the time Slamboree came about, Douglas had been fired by WCW and Steamboat was without a partner. Instead of canceling the already announced Steel Cage match, Tom Zenk
was made to wear the mask of “Hombre Uno” and work the match without anyone realizing it wasn’t Douglas under the red and green hood. The Blonds won at Slamboree ending the “Dos Hombres” angle.
After the feud with Steamboat and Douglas ended, the Blonds were programmed with the recently reformed Four Horsemen
, who at the time consisted of Ric Flair
, Paul Roma
, and Ole
and Arn Anderson
. Flair had recently returned from a run with the World Wrestling Federation
and been given a talk show segment called ”A Flair for the Gold” to give Flair television time before his WWF release allowed him to wrestle for WCW. Playing off their image of believing they’re the best thing in wrestling, Pillman and Austin started to target Flair and Anderson by mocking them through their own segment called “A Flare for the Old”. Austin would stand in the background with a pillow under his shirt for a gut while slowly stroking his chin imitating Arn Anderson. Pillman dressed up in an old bathrobe, put on reading glasses and a grey wig and then cut into Flair for being too old and too scared of the Hollywood Blonds. The impersonation drew Ric Flair back in the ring making his “Big Show” wrestling return at Clash of Champions XXIII where Flair and Anderson challenged the Blonds for the tag team titles. Despite winning the two out of three falls match, they did not win the titles since the Blonds were disqualified after Barry Windham interfered.
Windham’s attack shifted Flair’s focus away from the Hollywood Blonds, which in turn meant that Arn Anderson needed a new tag team partner. Not long after the Clash, Paul Roma
was introduced as the fourth Horseman and would team with Anderson in the Horseman/Blonds feud. On July 18, at WCW’s Beach Blast 1993, Roma and Anderson were beaten by the Blonds who cheated to retain their titles. Not long after Beach Blast, Pillman injured his ankle and was unable to compete at a scheduled title match at Clash of Champions XXIV. However, due to WCW taping policies
, Arn Anderson and Paul Roma had already been taped as the World Tag Team champions so the title change had to happen despite Pillman being injured. Austin teamed with ”Lord” Steven Regal
at the Clash where they dropped the gold to Roma and Anderson.
As soon as the Blonds dropped the titles, the team was split up. Austin and Pillman both claimed that it was for political reasons. Austin was given a singles push challenging Dustin Rhodes for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship
. When Pillman finally recovered, Austin (along with his new manager Col. Rob Parker
) turned on Pillman, turning Pillman face. This took place on the October 30, 1993 edition of WCW Saturday Night. Parker came to ringside to congratulate Austin (and not Pillman) on winning a tag team match. Pillman took exception to Parker snubbing him. Parker brought up Pillman's bad leg and said if he was a race horse, he'd put him down. Pillman attacked Parker, which in turn led to Austin attacking Pillman.
The Austin/Pillman feud was never pushed intensely and at times played more for comedy than emotion, a fact underscored by Pillman being more interested in putting Parker in a chicken suit than getting back at Austin.
They would briefly reunite in the World Wrestling Federation
in 1996, but not as the Blonds. Austin by then was using his new "Stone Cold" persona, and an injured Pillman was "the Loose Cannon" and acted primarily as his sidekick, until Austin turned on Pillman for showing his admiration for Austin's nemesis, Bret Hart
.
In 1999, Lenny Lane and Lodi
used the name the West Hollywood Blonds
as a play off the old name.
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...
tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
s over the years. The original “Blonds” were Buddy Roberts
Dale Hey
Dale Hey is a retired professional wrestler better known as Buddy Roberts.-Professional wrestling career:Dale Hey grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia. He started wrestling in 1965 as Dale Valentine, the "brother" of Johnny Valentine...
and Jerry Brown who used the name in the 1970s. Rip Rogers
Rip Rogers
Mark Sciarra whose professional name is Rip Rogers is a former professional wrestler and trainer for Ohio Valley Wrestling. He is currently a trainer for Derby City Wrestling in Louisville, Kentucky.-Career:...
and Ted Oates wrestled as The Hollywood Blonds in the mid 1980s in the National Wrestling Alliance
National 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:...
. The most well known team to use the moniker “the Hollywood Blonds” was ”Stunning” Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
and ”Flyin” Brian Pillman
Brian Pillman
Brian William Pillman was an American football player and professional wrestler best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling....
who used the name as a heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
tag team in World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. 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...
in 1992 and 1993 and is often mentioned when talking about great tag teams.
Buddy Roberts and Jerry Brown
The team of Buddy RobertsDale Hey
Dale Hey is a retired professional wrestler better known as Buddy Roberts.-Professional wrestling career:Dale Hey grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia. He started wrestling in 1965 as Dale Valentine, the "brother" of Johnny Valentine...
(billed as "Dale Valentine") and Jerry Brown were the first to adopt the name "The Hollywood Blonds" in wrestling when they began teaming together in 1970 in the “NWA Tri-State” territory (NWA Tri State promoted in Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
). The two quickly became one of the top heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
acts in the territory with their “Hollywood superstar” arrogance and cheating ways. On May 8, 1970, the Blonds won their first title when they won a tournament to crown new NWA United States Tag Team Champions (Tri State version). Their first run with the title was short as Luke Brown and Danny Hodge
Danny Hodge
Daniel "Danny" Allen Hodge is a retired American wrestler and boxer. He is renowned for his wrestling career, both amateur and professional, and has also been a boxer. Hodge was born, grew up, and still lives in Perry, Oklahoma...
defeated them three weeks later, but the Blonds managed to regain the gold days after being defeated for them. For the rest of 1970, Roberts and Brown dominated the Tri State tag team scene until losing to Bill Watts
Bill Watts
William F. "Bill" Watts is a former American professional wrestler and promoter. Watts was famous under his "Cowboy" gimmick in his wrestling career, and then as a tough, no-nonsense promoter in the Mid-South area of the United States, which grew to become the UWF.In 1992, he was the Executive...
and Billy Red Lyons
Billy Red Lyons
William Snip was a Canadian professional wrestler, who used the stage name Billy Red Lyons. He was an active wrestler between 1956 and 1984, and won numerous championship throughout his career. He worked for promotions in both Canada and the United States, particularly in Ontario, California,...
in January 1971. In early 1973, the Blonds became three-time NWA United States Tag Team champions by defeating Dennis Stamp and Bull Bullinski for the straps. The Blonds held on to the titles until sometime April, when they lost the gold to Rip Tyler and Eddie Sullivan before leaving the promotion by mid-1973.
After leaving the Tri State area, Roberts and Brown next popped up in Florida working for Eddie Graham
Eddie Graham
Edward Gossett was a professional wrestler. He was also the promoter and booker for Championship Wrestling from Florida and President of the NWA in the 1970s. His son, Mike Graham, was also a professional wrestler.-Career:Edward F...
’s Championship Wrestling from Florida. After working their way up the ranks, the duo challenged for and won the top tag team title in the promotion, the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship
NWA Florida Tag Team Championship
The NWA Florida Tag Team Championship is the primary tag team title in Pro Wrestling Fusion. It started out in 1968 as the main tag team title in Championship Wrestling from Florida and lasted until 1990 when it was abandoned. It was picked back up in 1997 by NWA Florida, where it was the primary...
, from the team of Dick Slater
Dick Slater
Richard Van Slater , better known by his ring name "Dirty" Dick Slater, is a retired 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...
and Stan Vachon in March 1974. The Blonds ruled the tag team division over the summer of 1974 until dropping the gold to Dick Slater and Toru Tanaka in the fall (either September or October). After their run with the titles ended, the Blonds moved on to another territory, the most natural territory for the team – NWA Hollywood Wrestling in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The Gene and Mike LeBell territory saw Roberts and Brown win the NWA Americas Tag Team Championship
NWA Americas Tag Team Championship
The NWA Americas Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title in the National Wrestling Alliance's NWA Hollywood Wrestling based out of Los Angeles, California....
four times between December 1974 and August 1975, defeating such teams as Victor Rivera and Louie Tillet, Porkchop Cash and S.D. Jones
Conrad Efraim
Conrad Efraim was a former professional wrestler best known as Special Delivery Jones or S.D. Jones from his time in the World Wrestling Federation...
, John Tolos
John Tolos
John Tolos, nicknamed "The Golden Greek", was a Canadian professional wrestler, and professional wrestling manager.-Canadian Wrecking Crew:...
and Louis Tillet, and the promotion's biggest tag-team attraction Black Gorman and Goliath. During their time in Los Angeles, the Hollywood Blonds were also involved in an angle that saw the Los Angeles version of the NWA North American Tag Team Championship shift over to New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
as their main tag-team title of that day. On August 1, 1975, reigning champions Antonio Inoki
Antonio Inoki
is a Japanese professional wrestling promoter and retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist who now resides between New York City and Tokyo. He was also the founder and former owner of New Japan Pro Wrestling before selling his controlling share in the promotion to Yukes...
and Seiji Sakaguchi
Seiji Sakaguchi
is a retired Japanese professional wrestler who was a mainstay of New Japan Pro Wrestling and also competed for the World Wide Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance....
fought the Hollywood Blonds to a no-contest, after which the titles were declared vacant. A rematch in Nagoya, Japan saw the Blonds win the North American Tag Team titles on September 22. On October 2, Inoki and Sakaguchi regained the titles and they became more or less exclusive to NJPW after that date.
When the Blonds' time in Los Angeles ended near the end of 1975, they returned “home” to the Tri State promotion and immediately targeted the United States Tag Team championship. On March 18, 1976, the duo defeated Greg Valentine
Greg Valentine
John Wisniski, Jr. is an American professional wrestler, better known as Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. He is the son of wrestler Johnny Valentine.-Training:...
and Gorgeous George, Jr. Due to disputes over pay and billing the Blonds’ time in Tri State was short lived, they quickly dropped the tag team title to Buck Robley and Bob Slaughter
Sgt. Slaughter
Robert Remus , better known by his ring name Sgt. Slaughter, is an American former WWE personality and semi-retired professional wrestler. From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, Slaughter had success in the National Wrestling Alliance, American Wrestling Association, and World Wrestling...
only eleven days after they won them. The Blonds next appeared in Championship Wrestling from Florida once more, winning the Florida Tag Team titles from Steve Keirn
Steve Keirn
Stephen "Steve" Paul Keirn is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for being part of the tag team The Fabulous Ones, with Stan Lane, and later for a run in the World Wrestling Federation as Skinner, a gimmick that portrayed him as a tobacco spitting alligator hunter from...
and Bob Backlund
Bob Backlund
Robert Lee "Bob" Backlund is an American professional wrestler with an in ring career that spanned over 30 years. Over that time, he went on to become a two-time WWWF/WWF Champion...
not long after arriving in the territory. Just like with Tri State, their stay in Florida was short, as they dropped the titles to Mike Graham and Ken Lucas only a few months later and left. After a short stay in Florida, the duo began working for Jim Crockett
Jim Crockett
James Allen Crockett was a professional wrestling promoter sometimes known as Jim Crockett, Sr. or to people within the business simply as "Big Jim".-Early life:...
’s Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
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:...
. On January 17, 1977, Roberts and Brown defeated the team of Dino Bravo
Dino Bravo
Adolfo Bresciano was an Italian-born Canadian professional wrestler, best known for his work as Dino Bravo, self-proclaimed as "Canada's Strongest Man".-Territories:...
and Tim Woods
Tim Woods
George Burrell "Tim" Woodin was an American former professional wrestler. He was best known under his ring name Mr. Wrestling.-Professional wrestling career:...
for the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship
NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship
The NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship is the tag team title currently defended in the National Wrestling Alliance's NWA Mid-Atlantic territory. The championship was originally created in the summer of 1968 and was originally named the NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team Championship...
and held on to it for three months until Bravo and new partner Tiger Conway Jr. beat them for the gold. During the summer of 1977, the Hollywood Blonds moved from Mid-Atlantic to Memphis and the NWA Mid-America promotion (later Continental Wrestling Association
Continental Wrestling Association
The Continental Wrestling Association was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually referred to as Mid-Southern Wrestling...
). In Memphis, the Blonds shot up the tag-team ranks right off the bat defeating Bob Ellis and Jim Garvin
Jimmy Garvin
James Williams is a retired American professional wrestler. He is best known by his ring name "Gorgeous" Jimmy "Jam" Garvin and as a member of the legendary Fabulous Freebirds....
for the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship
AWA Southern Tag Team Championship
The AWA Southern Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title in the Tennessee area from the 1940s through the late 1980s. It was originally named the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship from its inception through 1977, when it was renamed the AWA Southern...
on July 25. The Blonds lost the gold to Norvell Austin
Norvell Austin
Norvell Austin is a retired American professional wrestler who made his debut in the late 1960s. Austin worked for most of his career in the Southern United States, most often in tag team competition. Norvell Austin is most famous for teaming with Sputnik Monroe in one of the first "mixed races"...
and Pat Barrett
Pat Barrett
Patrick "Pat" Barrett is a former Irish professional wrestler who is best known for his time with NWA and WWWF. He has wrestled in many areas which include Ireland, Pacific Islands, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and United States of America.-Career:The Irish wrestler Pat Barrett started wrestling...
on August 15. After holding the gold two more times, the team lost the gold for good to Austin and Barrett on September 25, 1977.
Shortly after losing the Southern Tag Team titles, Brown and Roberts split up, with Roberts going on to form the Fabulous Freebirds
Fabulous Freebirds
The Fabulous Freebirds were a professional wrestling tag team that attained fame in the 1980s, performing into the 1990s. The team usually consisted of three wrestlers, although in different situations and points in its history, just two performed under the Freebirds name.-History:The Fabulous...
with Terry Gordy
Terry Gordy
Terry Ray 'Bam Bam' Gordy, Sr. was a professional wrestler who was best known in North America for being a member of the Fabulous Freebirds.-Career:...
and Michael Hayes
Michael Hayes (wrestler)
Michael Seitz is a retired American professional wrestler and former musician. Seitz is best known for leading The Fabulous Freebirds under the ring name Michael "P.S." Hayes and for his role as the announcer Dok Hendrix in the World Wrestling Federation...
while Brown kept working as a singles wrestler mainly in the south.
Rip Rogers and Ted Oates
In 1984, Rip RogersRip Rogers
Mark Sciarra whose professional name is Rip Rogers is a former professional wrestler and trainer for Ohio Valley Wrestling. He is currently a trainer for Derby City Wrestling in Louisville, Kentucky.-Career:...
and Ted Oates adopted the Hollywood Blonds moniker and “Superstar” gimmick for a run in the National Wrestling Alliance
National 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 Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
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:...
territory. Rogers had previously teamed up with Gary Royal
Gary Royal
"Gorgeous" Gary Royal was a professional wrestler in the United States. In the early part of his career, he was a member of the Convertible Blonds, a heel stable with Rip Rogers and Pistol Pez Whatley.-In wrestling:*Finishing moves...
and Pez Whatley
Pez Whatley
Pezavan Whatley was a professional wrestler in the 1980s and early 1990s who wrestled primarily under the ring name Pez Whatley.-Career:...
in a Hollywood Blonds inspired team known as The Convertible Blondes in Angelo Poffo’s International Championship Wrestling
International Championship Wrestling
International Championship Wrestling was an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Lexington, Kentucky that operated from 1978 until 1984. It was run by WCW Hall of Famer Angelo Poffo, the father of Randy Savage and "The Genius" Lanny Poffo...
.
The arrogant heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
team defeated Ron Garvin
Ron Garvin
Ron Garvin is a Canadian former professional wrestler and referee most known for his time in the National Wrestling Alliance.-Early career:...
and Oates' storyline brother, Jerry, to win the NWA National Tag Team Championship
NWA National Tag Team Championship
The NWA National Tag Team Championship was the major tag team title in the NWA-affiliated Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1980 until 1986.The championship was introduced in November 1980 when Georgia Tag Team Champions the Fabulous Freebirds won a tournament to determine the first champions,...
on September 20, 1984. Rogers and Oates held on to the gold for a little over a month. They lost the titles to the Lightning Express
Lightning Express
The Lightning Express was a professional wrestling tag team that worked for World Championship Wrestling. It was composed of Brad Armstrong and Tim Horner.-History:...
(Brad Armstrong and Tim Horner
Tim Horner
Tim Horner is a professional wrestler best known for his "Lightning Express" tag team with Brad Armstrong.-Career:Tim Horner started wrestling in 1982 in the Alabama territory. He formed a tag team called the "Lightning Express" with Brad Armstrong and they had a lot of success. They won the...
) on November 1. Not long after losing the titles, Rogers and Oats split up when Rip Rogers left the area to pursue a singles career.
Steve Austin and Brian Pillman
The most famous version of the Hollywood Blonds and the team with the greatest exposure worldwide was the World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. 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...
version of the Blonds consisting of "Stunning" Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
and "Flyin'" Brian Pillman
Brian Pillman
Brian William Pillman was an American football player and professional wrestler best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling....
. In late 1992, the recently heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
turned Brian Pillman had been teaming with another recently-turned-heel in Barry Windham
Barry Windham
Barry Clinton Windham is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and the son of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan. He is best known for his appearances with the National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling ....
, but when Windham was groomed for a singles push and a run with the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
, the WCW bookers put Steve Austin together with Brian Pillman since management didn’t have any other immediate plans for Austin.
After one last unsuccessful attempt at winning the WCW
WCW World Tag Team Championship
The World Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling...
/ NWA World Tag Team Championship
NWA World Tag Team Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Championship is the professional wrestling world tag team championship within the NWA framework.-History:...
from Ricky Steamboat
Ricky Steamboat
Richard Henry Blood , better known by his ring name Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, is a retired American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE working as a road agent. He was one of the few wrestlers who stayed a babyface throughout his career...
and Shane Douglas
Shane Douglas
Troy Alan Martin is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name "The Franchise" Shane Douglas. In the course of his career, which has spanned nearly three decades, Douglas has wrestled in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling and briefly...
at Starrcade 1992, Austin replaced Windham on a permanent basis. At first, the two were just billed as ”Steve Austin and Brian Pillman” but the two (with input from Scotty ”Flamingo” Levy) came up with the idea of ”the Hollywood Blonds” complete with matching trunks and vests. The duo was immediately thrust into a feud with Shane Douglas and Ricky Steamboat over the NWA and WCW World Tag Team titles, which gave the duo a chance to show off their team work and their trademark “mock filming” pose that they invented. After a successful move, one of the Blonds would move his hands like he was turning the handle on an old film camera. After winning a match, Pillman or Austin would arrogantly state that “Your brush with greatness is over” to further annoy the fans.
On the March 27, 1993 edition of WCW Power Hour
WCW Power Hour
WCW Power Hour was the original Friday night wrestling show for World Championship Wrestling, airing on TBS.Unlike most television shows that started their program either at the top or bottom of the hour, WCW Power Hour aired 10 minutes before the bottom of the hour at 10:20 p.m...
, Austin and Pillman cheated their way to the gold as they defeated Steamboat and Douglas for the WCW/NWA Tag Team Titles. The Blonds held off Douglas and Steamboats challenges by hook or by crook. On one night, Austin and Pillman faced an unknown masked team known as "Dos Hombres" (literally ”two guys”) who they assumed were a couple of luchadores
Lucha libre
Lucha libre is a term used in Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, for a form of professional wrestling that has developed within those countries...
from Mexico. The match started out rather inconspicuously, until the two masked men started showing moves more consistent with Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas than two luchadores. Dos Hombres won the match, earning them a shot at the world tag team titles at Slamboree 1993
Slamboree (1993)
Slamboree 1993: A Legends' Reunion was the first annual Slamboree professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by World Championship Wrestling...
. However, by the time Slamboree came about, Douglas had been fired by WCW and Steamboat was without a partner. Instead of canceling the already announced Steel Cage match, Tom Zenk
Tom Zenk
Thomas Erwin "Tom" Zenk is a former Mr. Minnesota Bodybuilder, and most notably a American professional wrestler, also known by his nickname Z-Man.-Early career:...
was made to wear the mask of “Hombre Uno” and work the match without anyone realizing it wasn’t Douglas under the red and green hood. The Blonds won at Slamboree ending the “Dos Hombres” angle.
After the feud with Steamboat and Douglas ended, the Blonds were programmed with the recently reformed Four Horsemen
Four Horsemen (professional wrestling)
The Four Horsemen were a professional wrestling stable in the National Wrestling Alliance and later World Championship Wrestling that was disbanded in 1999. The original group featured Ric Flair, Arn and Ole Anderson, and Tully Blanchard...
, who at the time consisted of Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
, Paul Roma
Paul Roma
Paul Roma is a professional wrestler who is known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling primarily as a tag-team wrestler alongside such partners as Jim Powers, Hercules, Arn Anderson and Paul Orndorff.-World Wrestling Federation :Paul Roma entered...
, and Ole
Ole Anderson
Alan Robert Rogowski , better known by his ring name of Ole Anderson, is a retired professional wrestler and a promoter. He held numerous NWA World Tag Team Championships with Gene Anderson, who was portrayed as his brother...
and Arn Anderson
Arn Anderson
Martin Anthony Lunde better known by his ring name Arn Anderson, is a former American professional wrestler and author. His career has been highlighted by his alliances with Ric Flair and various members of the wrestling stable, The Four Horsemen, in the NWA/WCW...
. Flair had recently returned from a run with the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
and been given a talk show segment called ”A Flair for the Gold” to give Flair television time before his WWF release allowed him to wrestle for WCW. Playing off their image of believing they’re the best thing in wrestling, Pillman and Austin started to target Flair and Anderson by mocking them through their own segment called “A Flare for the Old”. Austin would stand in the background with a pillow under his shirt for a gut while slowly stroking his chin imitating Arn Anderson. Pillman dressed up in an old bathrobe, put on reading glasses and a grey wig and then cut into Flair for being too old and too scared of the Hollywood Blonds. The impersonation drew Ric Flair back in the ring making his “Big Show” wrestling return at Clash of Champions XXIII where Flair and Anderson challenged the Blonds for the tag team titles. Despite winning the two out of three falls match, they did not win the titles since the Blonds were disqualified after Barry Windham interfered.
Windham’s attack shifted Flair’s focus away from the Hollywood Blonds, which in turn meant that Arn Anderson needed a new tag team partner. Not long after the Clash, Paul Roma
Paul Roma
Paul Roma is a professional wrestler who is known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling primarily as a tag-team wrestler alongside such partners as Jim Powers, Hercules, Arn Anderson and Paul Orndorff.-World Wrestling Federation :Paul Roma entered...
was introduced as the fourth Horseman and would team with Anderson in the Horseman/Blonds feud. On July 18, at WCW’s Beach Blast 1993, Roma and Anderson were beaten by the Blonds who cheated to retain their titles. Not long after Beach Blast, Pillman injured his ankle and was unable to compete at a scheduled title match at Clash of Champions XXIV. However, due to WCW taping policies
WCW Disney tapings
The WCW Disney tapings were a series of television tapings of professional wrestling matches conducted by World Championship Wrestling at the Disney-MGM Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.-History:...
, Arn Anderson and Paul Roma had already been taped as the World Tag Team champions so the title change had to happen despite Pillman being injured. Austin teamed with ”Lord” Steven Regal
Darren Matthews
Darren Kenneth Matthews , is an English professional wrestler, author and color commentator currently signed to WWE and competing on the SmackDown brand under the ring name William Regal. He is also known for his time in World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Steven Regal...
at the Clash where they dropped the gold to Roma and Anderson.
As soon as the Blonds dropped the titles, the team was split up. Austin and Pillman both claimed that it was for political reasons. Austin was given a singles push challenging Dustin Rhodes for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
. When Pillman finally recovered, Austin (along with his new manager Col. Rob Parker
Robert Fuller
Robert Welch is a professional wrestler and manager better known by his ring names Robert Fuller and Col. Robert Parker. Robert and his brother Ron co-owned Continental Championship Wrestling for a time.-Career:...
) turned on Pillman, turning Pillman face. This took place on the October 30, 1993 edition of WCW Saturday Night. Parker came to ringside to congratulate Austin (and not Pillman) on winning a tag team match. Pillman took exception to Parker snubbing him. Parker brought up Pillman's bad leg and said if he was a race horse, he'd put him down. Pillman attacked Parker, which in turn led to Austin attacking Pillman.
The Austin/Pillman feud was never pushed intensely and at times played more for comedy than emotion, a fact underscored by Pillman being more interested in putting Parker in a chicken suit than getting back at Austin.
They would briefly reunite in the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
in 1996, but not as the Blonds. Austin by then was using his new "Stone Cold" persona, and an injured Pillman was "the Loose Cannon" and acted primarily as his sidekick, until Austin turned on Pillman for showing his admiration for Austin's nemesis, Bret Hart
Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
.
In 1999, Lenny Lane and Lodi
Brad Cain
Bradley "Brad" Cain is an American professional wrestler, author and personal trainer, better known by his ring name, Lodi...
used the name the West Hollywood Blonds
Lenny and Lodi
Lenny and Lodi are a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Lenny Lane and Lodi. During their later careers in World Championship Wrestling, they were billed as "brothers" and had several team gimmicks. The first one had them dubbed the West Hollywood Blondes...
as a play off the old name.
Roberts and Brown
- Continental Wrestling AssociationContinental Wrestling AssociationThe Continental Wrestling Association was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually referred to as Mid-Southern Wrestling...
- AWA Southern Tag Team ChampionshipAWA Southern Tag Team ChampionshipThe AWA Southern Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title in the Tennessee area from the 1940s through the late 1980s. It was originally named the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship from its inception through 1977, when it was renamed the AWA Southern...
(1 time)
- AWA Southern Tag Team Championship
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Florida Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Florida Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Florida Tag Team Championship is the primary tag team title in Pro Wrestling Fusion. It started out in 1968 as the main tag team title in Championship Wrestling from Florida and lasted until 1990 when it was abandoned. It was picked back up in 1997 by NWA Florida, where it was the primary...
(2 times)
- NWA Florida Tag Team Championship
- Mid-Atlantic Championship WrestlingJim Crockett PromotionsJim 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:...
- NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship is the tag team title currently defended in the National Wrestling Alliance's NWA Mid-Atlantic territory. The championship was originally created in the summer of 1968 and was originally named the NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team Championship...
(1 time)
- NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship
- NWA Hollywood Wrestling
- NWA Americas Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Americas Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Americas Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title in the National Wrestling Alliance's NWA Hollywood Wrestling based out of Los Angeles, California....
(4 times)
- NWA Americas Tag Team Championship
- NWA Tri-State
- NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version) (3 times)
- New Japan Pro WrestlingNew Japan Pro Wrestlingis a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
- NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Los Angeles/Japan version)NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Los Angeles/Japan version)This version of the NWA North American Tag Team Championship was a major tag team championship that was primarily defended in the National Wrestling Alliance affiliated New Japan Pro Wrestling and NWA Hollywood Wrestling. The title essentially served as New Japan's primary tag team title though it...
(1 time)
- NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Los Angeles/Japan version)
Rogers and Oates
- National Wrestling AllianceNational Wrestling AllianceThe 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...
- NWA National Tag Team ChampionshipNWA National Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA National Tag Team Championship was the major tag team title in the NWA-affiliated Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1980 until 1986.The championship was introduced in November 1980 when Georgia Tag Team Champions the Fabulous Freebirds won a tournament to determine the first champions,...
(1 time)
- NWA National Tag Team Championship
Austin and Pillman
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked them # 50 of the 100 best tag teams during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
- World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling, Inc. 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...
- NWA World Tag Team ChampionshipNWA World Tag Team ChampionshipThe National Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Championship is the professional wrestling world tag team championship within the NWA framework.-History:...
(1 time) - WCW World Tag Team ChampionshipWCW World Tag Team ChampionshipThe World Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling...
(1 time)
- NWA World Tag Team Championship
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Tag Team of the Year (1993)
See also
- The Fabulous Freebirds
- Four HorsemenFour Horsemen (professional wrestling)The Four Horsemen were a professional wrestling stable in the National Wrestling Alliance and later World Championship Wrestling that was disbanded in 1999. The original group featured Ric Flair, Arn and Ole Anderson, and Tully Blanchard...
- Stud StableStud StableThe Stud Stable was a professional wrestling heel stable in World Championship Wrestling, Southeast Championship Wrestling and the Continental Wrestling Association.-History:...