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The Dream Team (professional wrestling)
Encyclopedia
The Dream Team was a World Wrestling Federation
tag team
from 1985 to March 29, 1987 consisting of Brutus Beefcake
and Greg Valentine
managed by ”Lucious” Johnny Valiant
. The New Dream Team, also managed by Johnny Valiant, saw Dino Bravo
replace Brutus Beefcake and competed from March 1987 until the winter of 1987/1988.
from Tito Santana
and was in the middle of a brutal feud with Santana. Brutus Beefcake had entered the WWF in 1984 under the management of Johnny Valiant.
and Mike Rotunda
).
Not long after Johnny Valiant became the sole manager of the Dream Team as the two started to team more and more regularly. Their initial shots at the tag team champions were unsuccessful but on August 24 the Dream Team won the tag team titles from the U.S. Express when Beefcake rubbed Valiant’s lit cigar in Windham’s eye (only a storyline
).
Immediately after their title win, the Dream Team were challenged by the British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith
and the Dynamite Kid
), often escaping with their titles due to underhanded means. Besides defending against the Bulldogs the Dream Team also put the gold on the line against such teams as The Killer Bees as well as the former champions the US Express (both versions). The Bulldogs remained a constant threat to the Dream Team as 1985 turned to 1986, finally the Dream Team agreed to give the Bulldogs one final tag team title shot at WrestleMania 2
. On April 7, 1986 the two teams met in the Chicago section of WrestleMania broadcast from the Rosemont Horizon
, with the addition of “Prince of Darkness” Ozzy Osbourne
in the Bulldogs’ corner the Dream Team finally ran out of tricks and lost the gold.
Finding themselves in the challengers position the Dream Team now chased the Bulldogs in the months following WrestleMania 2 climaxing in a series of steel cage matches during the summer of 1986. As the summer passed the Dream Team found themselves facing the Killer Bees and the 2nd version of the US Express instead of challenging for the gold. As 1986 turned to 1987 the Dream Team found themselves feuding with The Fabulous Rougeaus
(Jaques
and Raymond
). The team was also joined by Johnny Valiant’s newest addition Dino Bravo
in six-man tag matches. Lack of championship success, not to mention Beefcake feeling muscled out by Bravo, began tension within the team.
At WrestleMania III
the Dream Team and the Rougeaus clashed once again with the Dream Team winning due to Dino Bravo’s interference. After the match Dino Bravo and Greg Valentine argued with Brutus Beefcake, kicking him off the team.
(Bret Hart
and Jim Neidhart
) but did not manage to repeat the success of the original Dream Team
The New Dream Team's last major appearance as a team was at the inaugural Survivor Series
where they took part in a 10 team, tag team elimination match. Valentine was pinned by Paul Roma
of the Young Stallions
, eliminating the team from the match.
After Survivor Series the New Dream Team broke up quietly, they simply stopped teaming up and went their separate ways. One of the main reasons for this split was because Valentine and Bravo legitimately did not get along outside the ring. Johnny Valiant left the WWF, Greg Valentine began working as a singles wrestler reuniting with Jimmy Hart, and Dino Bravo
came under the guidance of Frenchy Martin
.
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...
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...
from 1985 to March 29, 1987 consisting of Brutus Beefcake
Edward Leslie
Edward Harrison "Ed" Leslie is an American professional wrestler, best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Brutus The Barber Beefcake. He later worked for World Championship Wrestling under a variety of names, mainly as "The Disciple" of real-life best friend...
and 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:...
managed by ”Lucious” Johnny Valiant
John L. Sullivan (wrestler)
John L. Sullivan is a retired professional wrestler better known as Johnny Valiant. He competed in the World Wide Wrestling Federation , which became the World Wrestling Federation during his time with the promotion. He won the World Tag Team Championship two times...
. The New Dream Team, also managed by Johnny Valiant, saw 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:...
replace Brutus Beefcake and competed from March 1987 until the winter of 1987/1988.
History
Prior to creation of the Dream Team, Greg Valentine, managed by Jimmy Hart, had won the WWF Intercontinental ChampionshipWWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
from Tito Santana
Tito Santana
Merced Solis better known by his ring name Tito Santana, is an American professional wrestler whose heyday spanned from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, though he continues to appear on the independent circuit. He is best known from his time in the World Wrestling Federation...
and was in the middle of a brutal feud with Santana. Brutus Beefcake had entered the WWF in 1984 under the management of Johnny Valiant.
The Dream Team
Managers Johnny Valiant and Jimmy Hart first put Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake together in May 1985.. Early on Beefcake teamed with Valentine to fight off Tito Santana and the Junkyard Dog, both high ranked contenders for Valentine's Intercontinental title. On July 6, 1985 Santana regained the Intercontinental Title in a steel cage match and shortly afterwards the Dream Team set their sights on the reigning WWF World Tag Team champions, the US Express (Barry WindhamBarry 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 ....
and Mike Rotunda
Mike Rotunda
Lawrence Michael "Mike" Rotunda is a former American professional wrestler, perhaps best known under the name Irwin R. Schyster or I.R.S. for short. He is currently signed with WWE working as a road agent and making occasional appearances on WWE shows as Irwin R...
).
Not long after Johnny Valiant became the sole manager of the Dream Team as the two started to team more and more regularly. Their initial shots at the tag team champions were unsuccessful but on August 24 the Dream Team won the tag team titles from the U.S. Express when Beefcake rubbed Valiant’s lit cigar in Windham’s eye (only a storyline
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...
).
Immediately after their title win, the Dream Team were challenged by the British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith
Davey Boy Smith
Davey Boy Smith was a British professional wrestler, better known as "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, who was born in Golborne in North West England, United Kingdom. Smith is known for his appearances with Stampede Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling...
and the Dynamite Kid
Dynamite Kid
Thomas Wilton Billington , best known by the ring name Dynamite Kid, is a retired British professional wrestler who competed in the World Wrestling Federation, Stampede Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling in the mid- to late-1980s...
), often escaping with their titles due to underhanded means. Besides defending against the Bulldogs the Dream Team also put the gold on the line against such teams as The Killer Bees as well as the former champions the US Express (both versions). The Bulldogs remained a constant threat to the Dream Team as 1985 turned to 1986, finally the Dream Team agreed to give the Bulldogs one final tag team title shot at WrestleMania 2
WrestleMania 2
WrestleMania 2 was the second annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation...
. On April 7, 1986 the two teams met in the Chicago section of WrestleMania broadcast from the Rosemont Horizon
Allstate Arena
Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena, in Rosemont, Illinois.It is home to the Chicago Rush, of the Arena Football League, DePaul University's men's basketball team, the Chicago Wolves, of the AHL, and the Chicago Sky, of the WNBA.It is located near the intersection of Mannheim Road and...
, with the addition of “Prince of Darkness” Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
in the Bulldogs’ corner the Dream Team finally ran out of tricks and lost the gold.
Finding themselves in the challengers position the Dream Team now chased the Bulldogs in the months following WrestleMania 2 climaxing in a series of steel cage matches during the summer of 1986. As the summer passed the Dream Team found themselves facing the Killer Bees and the 2nd version of the US Express instead of challenging for the gold. As 1986 turned to 1987 the Dream Team found themselves feuding with The Fabulous Rougeaus
The Fabulous Rougeaus
The Fabulous Rougeaus was the professional wrestling tag team of real-life brothers, Jacques Rougeau and Raymond Rougeau, best known from their time in the World Wrestling Federation , from 1986 to 1990....
(Jaques
Jacques Rougeau
Jacques Rougeau Jr. is a retired French-Canadian professional wrestler from Saint-Sulpice, Quebec, best known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s with the World Wrestling Federation under his own name, and as The Mountie. Rougeau has held fifteen championships during his career...
and Raymond
Raymond Rougeau
Raymond "Ray" Rougeau is a former Canadian professional wrestler and French language television presenter and commentator.-Career:...
). The team was also joined by Johnny Valiant’s newest addition 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:...
in six-man tag matches. Lack of championship success, not to mention Beefcake feeling muscled out by Bravo, began tension within the team.
At WrestleMania III
WrestleMania III
WrestleMania III was the third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . The event was held on March 29, 1987 at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan....
the Dream Team and the Rougeaus clashed once again with the Dream Team winning due to Dino Bravo’s interference. After the match Dino Bravo and Greg Valentine argued with Brutus Beefcake, kicking him off the team.
The New Dream Team
After dumping Beefcake, Valentine and Bravo began wrestling as “The New Dream Team” , starting out strong by defeating The Islanders in a series of house show matches after which they continued the long running feud with the Rougeau brothers splitting matches between them over the summer, often in six man matches with Beefcake joining the Rougeaus to take on Valentine, Bravo and Valiant. The Dream Team also had a couple of shots at the world tag team champions The Hart FoundationThe Hart Foundation
The Hart Foundation referred to several teams or stables in the World Wrestling Federation , usually consisted of members or close friends of the Hart wrestling family from Canada....
(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...
and Jim Neidhart
Jim Neidhart
James Henry "Jim" Neidhart is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation as Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. Jim is the father of WWE Diva Natalya...
) but did not manage to repeat the success of the original Dream Team
The New Dream Team's last major appearance as a team was at the inaugural Survivor Series
Survivor Series (1987)
Survivor Series was the first Survivor Series pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1987 and was held at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio....
where they took part in a 10 team, tag team elimination match. Valentine was pinned by 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...
of the Young Stallions
The Young Stallions
The Young Stallions was a professional wrestling tag team composed of Jim Powers and Paul Roma who competed in the World Wrestling Federation from 1987 to 1989.-Career:...
, eliminating the team from the match.
After Survivor Series the New Dream Team broke up quietly, they simply stopped teaming up and went their separate ways. One of the main reasons for this split was because Valentine and Bravo legitimately did not get along outside the ring. Johnny Valiant left the WWF, Greg Valentine began working as a singles wrestler reuniting with Jimmy Hart, and 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:...
came under the guidance of Frenchy Martin
Jean Gagné
Jean Gagné is a Québécois retired professional wrestler and manager, best known under the ring name Frenchy Martin. During his World Wrestling Federation heyday in the 1980s as the manager of Canadian wrestler Dino Bravo, he was known for his trademark sign that read "USA is not OK"...
.
Championships and accomplishments
The Dream Team- World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld 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...
- WWF World Tag Team Championship (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...
' - Ranked # 94 of the 100 best Tag teams during the "PWI" years in 2003.