The Minnesota Wrecking Crew (professional wrestling)

For the sketch comedy troupe, see The Minnesota Wrecking Crew.
The Minnesota Wrecking Crew
Tag team
Members Gene Anderson[1]
Lars Anderson[1]
Ole Anderson[1]
Arn Anderson[1]
Heights Gene:
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Lars:
??
Ole:
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Arn:
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Billed from Minnesota
Debut 1966
Disbanded 1990
Years active 1986-1990
Promotions NWA
WCW
Indies

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.

History

Gene Anderson formed the original Minnesota Wrecking Crew with Lars Anderson in 1966. They wrestled throughout the country in the late 60s 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.[1]

When Gene stopped wrestling in 1981 to manage, the team was disbanded.[1]

In 1985, Ole reformed the Crew with Arn Anderson (his kayfabe nephew) as his partner.[2] 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.[2]

Arn and Ole revived the Wrecking Crew in 1990 but it lasted for only a few months before Ole retired.[3]

Ole managed the Minnesota Wrecking Crew 2 in NWA in 1990 while Arn was out injured.[3] 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.[3]

Legacy

In 2001 in Ohio Valley Wrestling, 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.

Championships and accomplishments

Lars and Ole

Gene and Ole

Ole and Arn

  • PWI ranked Ole and Arn Anderson # 79 of the best 100 tag teams during the "PWI Years" in 2003.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Greg Oliver and Steve Johnson (2005). "Top 20: #6 The Minnesota Wrecking Crew". The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-55022-683-6.
  2. 1 2 Cawthon, Graham (2013). the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 3:Jim Crockett and the NWA World Title 1983-1989. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 149480347X.
  3. 1 2 3 Cawthon, Graham (2014). the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 4: World Championship Wrestling 1989-1994. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 1499656343.
  4. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Georgia: NWA Georgia Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  5. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Georgia: NWA Macon Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  6. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Georgia: NWA Columbus Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  7. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Georgia: NWA World Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  8. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "North Carolina: NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  9. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "North Carolina: NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  10. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "North Carolina: NWA World Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  11. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "NWA National Tag Team Title [Crockett]". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.

See also

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