Minnesota Wrecking Crew
Encyclopedia
The Minnesota Wrecking Crew was originally a professional wrestling
tag team that was formed by Gene
and Lars Anderson
but since then has featured a number of wrestlers who wrestled under the Anderson family
name despite not being blood related.
formed the original Minnesota Wrecking Crew with Lars Anderson
in 1966. They wrestled throughout the country in the late 60's until Lars left to live in Hawaii. In 1969 Gene then brought in Alan Rogowski, and renamed him Ole Anderson
. They dominated tag team wrestling in the 1970s, winning the NWA
World Tag Team Titles 8 times. Over those years, Lars Anderson
was on occasion brought back in as part of this team.
When Gene stopped wrestling in 1981 to manage, the team was disbanded.
In 1985, Ole reformed the Crew with Arn Anderson (his kayfabe
nephew) as his partner. They won the NWA National Tag Team Titles and were members of the original Four Horsemen
as the Wrecking Crew. They disbanded in 1987 when Ole was kicked out of the Horsemen.
Arn and Ole revived the Wrecking Crew in 1990 but it lasted for only a few months before Ole retired.
Ole managed the Minnesota Wrecking Crew 2
in NWA in 1990 while Arn was out injured. It was two wrestlers from Minnesota
in masks, Mike Enos
and Wayne Bloom
. They were former AWA World Tag Team Champions
and they did get beat by NWA World Tag Team Champions Rick
and Scott Steiner
in the NWA.
, Brock Lesnar
and Shelton Benjamin
(once teammates on the University of Minnesota
wrestling team) formed the Minnesota Stretching Crew in honor of the Wrecking Crew.
More recently, independent women wrestlers Lacey
and Rain have started using the name Minnesota Home Wrecking Crew
in homage to the Andersons' classic tag team.
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 that was formed by Gene
Gene Anderson
Gene Anderson was an American professional wrestler best known for his days of teaming with his brother Ole Anderson.-Career:...
and Lars Anderson
Lawrence Heinemi
Larry Heinemi is a retired professional wrestler better known by the name of Lars Anderson. His career spans over a decade of performing in National Wrestling Alliance territories as well as American Wrestling Association .-Career:...
but since then has featured a number of wrestlers who wrestled under the Anderson family
Anderson family
The Anderson family is a group of professional wrestlers, a fictitious extended family largely consisting of brothers and cousins. It started in the Minnesota area in the late 1960s with a tag team called The Minnesota Wrecking Crew, consisting of "brothers" Lars Anderson and Gene Anderson...
name despite not being blood related.
History
Gene AndersonGene Anderson
Gene Anderson was an American professional wrestler best known for his days of teaming with his brother Ole Anderson.-Career:...
formed the original Minnesota Wrecking Crew with Lars Anderson
Lawrence Heinemi
Larry Heinemi is a retired professional wrestler better known by the name of Lars Anderson. His career spans over a decade of performing in National Wrestling Alliance territories as well as American Wrestling Association .-Career:...
in 1966. They wrestled throughout the country in the late 60's until Lars left to live in Hawaii. In 1969 Gene then brought in Alan Rogowski, and renamed him Ole Anderson
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...
. They dominated tag team wrestling in the 1970s, winning the NWA
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...
World Tag Team Titles 8 times. Over those years, Lars Anderson
Lawrence Heinemi
Larry Heinemi is a retired professional wrestler better known by the name of Lars Anderson. His career spans over a decade of performing in National Wrestling Alliance territories as well as American Wrestling Association .-Career:...
was on occasion brought back in as part of this team.
When Gene stopped wrestling in 1981 to manage, the team was disbanded.
In 1985, Ole reformed the Crew with Arn Anderson (his kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
nephew) as his partner. They won the NWA National Tag Team Titles and were members of the original 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...
as the Wrecking Crew. They disbanded in 1987 when Ole was kicked out of the Horsemen.
Arn and Ole revived the Wrecking Crew in 1990 but it lasted for only a few months before Ole retired.
Ole managed the Minnesota Wrecking Crew 2
Beverly Brothers
The Beverly Brothers were a professional wrestling tag team comprising Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom in the World Wrestling Federation. They were also known as The Destruction Crew in the American Wrestling Association and the Minnesota Wrecking Crew 2 in the National Wrestling Alliance...
in NWA in 1990 while Arn was out injured. It was two wrestlers from Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
in masks, Mike Enos
Mike Enos
Mike Enos is a retired professional wrestler who wrestled mainly as a tag-team wrestler in World Championship Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association and the World Wrestling Federation between 1989 and 2000....
and Wayne Bloom
Wayne Bloom
Wayne Bloom is a former professional wrestler who wrestled in World Championship Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association, and the World Wrestling Federation between 1988 and 1999....
. They were former AWA World Tag Team Champions
AWA World Tag Team Championship
The American Wrestling Association World Tag Team Championship was professional wrestling world tag team championship in the American Wrestling Association from 1960 until the promotion folded in 1991.-History :...
and they did get beat by NWA World Tag Team Champions Rick
Rick Steiner
Robert Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler, better known under his ring name Rick Steiner.Steiner is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling, where he was an eight time World Tag Team Champion...
and Scott Steiner
Scott Steiner
Scott Carl Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Scott Steiner. Steiner is perhaps best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling alongside his older brother Rick as the Steiner Brothers and as a member of the New World Order...
in the NWA.
Legacy
In 2001 in Ohio Valley WrestlingOhio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
, Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar
Brock Edward Lesnar is an American mixed martial artist, actor and a former professional and amateur wrestler. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and is ranked the No.5 Heavyweight in the world by Sherdog...
and Shelton Benjamin
Shelton Benjamin
Shelton James Benjamin is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment. Benjamin has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling in high school and at the University of Minnesota. In addition, Benjamin has acted...
(once teammates on the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
wrestling team) formed the Minnesota Stretching Crew in honor of the Wrecking Crew.
More recently, independent women wrestlers Lacey
Lacey (wrestler)
Lacey is an American former professional wrestler, most known for working with numerous promotions throughout Northern America career such as Ring of Honor, Shimmer, IWA-Mid South, Full Impact Pro, and NWA Midwest. She has also wrestled for Chikara, ChickFight, and was part of Wrestling Society X...
and Rain have started using the name Minnesota Home Wrecking Crew
The International Home Wrecking Crew
The International Home Wrecking Crew is a professional wrestling stable, or alliance, that appears primarily in Shimmer Women Athletes but also other independent promotions...
in homage to the Andersons' classic tag team.
Lars and Ole
- Mid-South SportsGeorgia Championship WrestlingGeorgia Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta, U.S., superstation WTBS. Though based in Atlanta, the company also ran live wrestling shows throughout its geographic "territory" of Georgia Georgia...
- NWA Georgia Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Georgia Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship was the top tag team championship in Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1968 to 1980, when it was replaced with the NWA National Tag Team Championship....
(2 times) - NWA World Tag Team Championship (Georgia version)NWA World Tag Team Championship (Georgia version)The Georgia version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1954 until 1969.-Title history:-See also:*National Wrestling Alliance*NWA World Tag Team Championship*Georgia Championship Wrestling...
(1 time)
Gene and Ole
- Georgia Championship WrestlingGeorgia Championship WrestlingGeorgia Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta, U.S., superstation WTBS. Though based in Atlanta, the company also ran live wrestling shows throughout its geographic "territory" of Georgia Georgia...
- NWA Georgia Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Georgia Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship was the top tag team championship in Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1968 to 1980, when it was replaced with the NWA National Tag Team Championship....
(7 times) - NWA Macon Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Macon Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Macon Tag Team Championship was a tag team professional wrestling championship in Georgia Championship Wrestling, defended exclusively on events held at the Macon City Auditorium and Macon Coliseum in Macon, Georgia. The title lasted from 1969 to 1975....
(1 time) - NWA Columbus Tag Team Championship (11 times)
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Georgia version)NWA World Tag Team Championship (Georgia version)The Georgia version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1954 until 1969.-Title history:-See also:*National Wrestling Alliance*NWA World Tag Team Championship*Georgia Championship Wrestling...
(1 times)
- 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 Atlantic Coast 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...
(3 times) - 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...
(2 times) - NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version)WCW World Tag Team ChampionshipThe World Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling...
(7 times)
- 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 Tag Team of the Year (1975)
- PWI Tag Team of the Year (1977)
Ole and Arn
- Jim Crockett PromotionsJim 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 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)
- 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 Ole and Arn Anderson # 79 of the best 100 tag teams during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
Further reading
The Minnesota Wrecking Crew’s history is covered in a chapter dedicated to the team in the book The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag TeamsSee also
- Anderson familyAnderson familyThe Anderson family is a group of professional wrestlers, a fictitious extended family largely consisting of brothers and cousins. It started in the Minnesota area in the late 1960s with a tag team called The Minnesota Wrecking Crew, consisting of "brothers" Lars Anderson and Gene Anderson...
- Brain BustersBrain BustersThe Brain Busters was the World Wrestling Federation name for the professional wrestling tag team of Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard. Anderson and Blanchard adopted this name after joining the WWF in 1988 from Jim Crockett Promotions, where the two men had wrestled as part of the Four Horsemen...
- EnforcersEnforcersThe Enforcers were a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszko. This unit is best known for their run in World Championship Wrestling from 1991-1992.-History:...
- 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...