Skyscrapers (professional wrestling)
Encyclopedia
The Skyscrapers were a professional wrestling
tag team in World Championship Wrestling
in 1989 and 1990 in six distinct forms with members ”Psycho” Sid Vicious
, ”Dangerous” Dan Spivey
, "Mean" Mark Callous with The Masked Skyscraper
making a one night appearance.
was a referee for the National Wrestling Alliance
but due to a series of questionable calls, including one that cost the Road Warriors their world tag-team titles Teddy Long was fired and took up managing instead. Long paired Dan Spivey with Sid Vicious, two people who had recently signed with the federation and gave them the name “The Skyscrapers” – mainly because both men were so tall.
The Skyscrapers’ first taste of success came at the 1989 Great American Bash PPV where they first co-won a Two-Ring King of the Hill Battle Royal
with Sid being the survivor in one ring and Dan surviving in the other. The rules called for the two to fight each other but manager Teddy Long convinced them to shake hands and share the prize money. Later in the night the Skyscrapers defeated The Dynamic Dudes due to their overwhelming size and power.
The Skyscrapers quickly became involved in a feud with the Road Warriors, sparked by Teddy Long’s actions while still a referee. The two teams were very evenly matched in power and intensity creating a series of matches that did not favor one team over the other. Spivey and Vicious were disqualified against the Road Warriors at Halloween Havoc 1989 but did not look like losers on the night. Shortly after Halloween Havoc the Skyscrapers faced the Steiner Brothers at Clash of the Champions IX in a hard hitting match. A match that was so hard hitting in fact that Sid Vicious suffered a punctured lung due to a broken rib.
With Vicious out of action Teddy Long brought in another tall newcomer in the same mold as Sid Vicious and Dan Spivey and dubbed him ”Mean” Mark Callous. The New Skyscrapers immediately picked up the feud with the Road Warriors and kept on having inconclusive matches with them. At Clash of the Champions X the Skyscrapers finally got the better of the Road Warriors, not in the match but afterwards when they beat the Road Warriors down. At this point in time no one had ever been able to physically dominate the Road Warriors, something that pointed that big things had been planned for the Skyscrapers. But big things never happened, in the days before the scheduled Chicago Street Fight at WrestleWar 1990 Dan Spivey suddenly left WCW leaving the bookers to scramble for a replacement. Exactly why he left the federation so suddenly has never been stated. Instead of cancelling the announced match the booking committee decided to bring in a masked man called “The Masked Skyscraper” (in reality he was half of AWA World Tag Team Champions
The Destruction Crew
: Mike Enos
). The Road Warriors made short work of Callous and the Masked Skyscraper ending the feud and ending the Skyscrapers run of domination. Callous decided to go on his own for a while but failed in a challenge to WCW United States Heavyweight Champion
Lex Luger
. He then quit and joined the WWF
.
By the end of 1990 Dan Spivey and the WCW worked out whatever differences that caused Spivey leave in the spring and Spivey returned to WCW television. The Skyscrapers briefly reunited at Starrcade 1990 as he and Sid Vicious took on and beat The Big Cat
and the Motor City Madman. Nevertheless, Vicious would go on to join Ric Flair
's Four Horsemen
stable and then follow Callous into the WWF as well.
The Skyscrapers would use "China White" by the Scorpions
as their entrance theme.
for the WWE Championship
, with Sid Vicious as the WWE Champion Sycho Sid
and Mean Mark Callous as The Undertaker, where The Undertaker won the match and the Championship. Spivey returned to the WWF in 1995 under the name Waylon Mercy, but was used as a jobber-to-the-stars and ended up retiring later in the year.
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 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 1989 and 1990 in six distinct forms with members ”Psycho” Sid Vicious
Sid Eudy
Sidney Raymond "Sid" Eudy is an American professional wrestler, best known as Sid Vicious in World Championship Wrestling, and as Sid Justice and Sycho Sid in the World Wrestling Federation...
, ”Dangerous” Dan Spivey
Dan Spivey
Daniel Eugene "Dan" Spivey is a retired professional wrestler who worked for World Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation, and All Japan Pro Wrestling between 1984 and 1995...
, "Mean" Mark Callous with The Masked Skyscraper
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....
making a one night appearance.
Career
In early 1989 Teddy LongTheodore Long
Theodore R. "Teddy" Long is an American professional wrestling manager and former referee who currently works for WWE on its SmackDown brand as its General Manager.-National Wrestling Alliance / World Championship Wrestling:...
was a referee for 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...
but due to a series of questionable calls, including one that cost the Road Warriors their world tag-team titles Teddy Long was fired and took up managing instead. Long paired Dan Spivey with Sid Vicious, two people who had recently signed with the federation and gave them the name “The Skyscrapers” – mainly because both men were so tall.
The Skyscrapers’ first taste of success came at the 1989 Great American Bash PPV where they first co-won a Two-Ring King of the Hill 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...
with Sid being the survivor in one ring and Dan surviving in the other. The rules called for the two to fight each other but manager Teddy Long convinced them to shake hands and share the prize money. Later in the night the Skyscrapers defeated The Dynamic Dudes due to their overwhelming size and power.
The Skyscrapers quickly became involved in a feud with the Road Warriors, sparked by Teddy Long’s actions while still a referee. The two teams were very evenly matched in power and intensity creating a series of matches that did not favor one team over the other. Spivey and Vicious were disqualified against the Road Warriors at Halloween Havoc 1989 but did not look like losers on the night. Shortly after Halloween Havoc the Skyscrapers faced the Steiner Brothers at Clash of the Champions IX in a hard hitting match. A match that was so hard hitting in fact that Sid Vicious suffered a punctured lung due to a broken rib.
With Vicious out of action Teddy Long brought in another tall newcomer in the same mold as Sid Vicious and Dan Spivey and dubbed him ”Mean” Mark Callous. The New Skyscrapers immediately picked up the feud with the Road Warriors and kept on having inconclusive matches with them. At Clash of the Champions X the Skyscrapers finally got the better of the Road Warriors, not in the match but afterwards when they beat the Road Warriors down. At this point in time no one had ever been able to physically dominate the Road Warriors, something that pointed that big things had been planned for the Skyscrapers. But big things never happened, in the days before the scheduled Chicago Street Fight at WrestleWar 1990 Dan Spivey suddenly left WCW leaving the bookers to scramble for a replacement. Exactly why he left the federation so suddenly has never been stated. Instead of cancelling the announced match the booking committee decided to bring in a masked man called “The Masked Skyscraper” (in reality he was half of 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 :...
The Destruction Crew
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...
: 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....
). The Road Warriors made short work of Callous and the Masked Skyscraper ending the feud and ending the Skyscrapers run of domination. Callous decided to go on his own for a while but failed in a challenge to WCW United States Heavyweight Champion
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....
Lex Luger
Lex Luger
Lawrence Wendell "Larry" Pfohl , better known by his ring name Lex Luger, is an American former professional wrestler and football player currently working with WWE on their wellness policy...
. He then quit and joined the WWF
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...
.
By the end of 1990 Dan Spivey and the WCW worked out whatever differences that caused Spivey leave in the spring and Spivey returned to WCW television. The Skyscrapers briefly reunited at Starrcade 1990 as he and Sid Vicious took on and beat The Big Cat
Curtis Hughes
Curtis Hughes is an American professional wrestler, better known under the ring name Mr. Hughes. He is best known for his stints in the World Wrestling Federation. In addition to the WWF, Hughes has also worked for World Championship Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association, the American...
and the Motor City Madman. Nevertheless, Vicious would go on to join 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....
's 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...
stable and then follow Callous into the WWF as well.
The Skyscrapers would use "China White" by the Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
as their entrance theme.
WWE
Sid Vicious and Mean Mark Callous would wrestle each other at WrestleMania 13WrestleMania 13
WrestleMania 13 was the thirteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation...
for the WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
, with Sid Vicious as the WWE Champion Sycho Sid
Sid Eudy
Sidney Raymond "Sid" Eudy is an American professional wrestler, best known as Sid Vicious in World Championship Wrestling, and as Sid Justice and Sycho Sid in the World Wrestling Federation...
and Mean Mark Callous as The Undertaker, where The Undertaker won the match and the Championship. Spivey returned to the WWF in 1995 under the name Waylon Mercy, but was used as a jobber-to-the-stars and ended up retiring later in the year.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Double Power Bomb
- ManagerManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- Teddy LongTheodore LongTheodore R. "Teddy" Long is an American professional wrestling manager and former referee who currently works for WWE on its SmackDown brand as its General Manager.-National Wrestling Alliance / World Championship Wrestling:...
- Teddy Long