Wednesday, June 15, 2016

The Fabulous Freebirds unique WCW Championship reign


Recently while researching my blog post One Day Champions I came across a very odd match listing and I just had to share it here.

On February 18, 1991 in Montgomery, Alabama The Fabulous Freebirds: Michael PS Hayes and Jimmy "Jam" Garvin lost the WCW World Tag Team Championships to Rick and Scott The Steiner Brothers.


I know what you are thinking, one team losing tag titles to another team isn't that unusual, in fact it has happened several times.  What makes this unique is the next entry in the title lineage.


February 24, 1991 Wrestle War 91 Phoenix, AZ Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Michael Hayes & Jimmy Garvin (w/ Big Daddy Dink) defeated WCW Tag Team Champions Doom (w/ Teddy Long) to win the titles at 6:57 when Garvin pinned Simmons after Reed accidentally hit his partner with a foreign object thrown in the ring by Long, with Dink then shoving Garvin onto Simmons for the win; prior to the bout, the challengers were escorted to the ring by Diamond Dallas Page who then introduced Dink as the Freebirds' "road boss" before leaving ringside; after the match, DDP and the Diamond Dolls returned ringside and celebrated with the new champions as Reed assaulted Simmons with the weapon and left the ring with Long


Yes you read that correctly they lost the titles 6 days before they won them making the Fabulous Freebirds that only Champions whose title run was negative days.  It was literally over before it began!

I realize that the match that was held on February 18th was taped for television and didn't air until March 9th, however they still technically lost the titles before even winning them.

This incident is a result of WCW and they odd televisions taping schedule for their syndicated shows which they taped several weeks in advance.  I recall reading in Mick Foley's book about how he watched the team of Pretty Wonderful: Paul Roma & Paul Orndorff cutting a promo about beating Cactus Jack & Kevin Sullivan for the tag team championships before Cactus and Sullivan had even won them.


What's even more interesting to me is that according to The History of WWE Doom would defend the titles at house shows between the 18th & 24th while The Freebirds were billed as tag team champions at house shows between the February 24th and March 9th.

At the end of the day though,officially the Fabulous Freebirds were Tag Team Champions for negative six days.

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Later Readers!

The entire television taping held on February 18, 1991 thanks to www.thehistoryofwwe.com

WCW @ Montgomery, AL - Civic Center - February 18, 1991 (1,500)
TV taping:
Included the debut segments of the Diamond Mine, Larry's Legends, and the first appearance of Tracy Smothers & Steve Armstrong as the Young Pistols
Bobby Eaton defeated Buddy Landel via disqualification when Terry Taylor interfered; after the bout, Tom Zenk made the save only to be knocked down by Eaton
Tom Zenk & Bobby Eaton defeated Terry Taylor & Buddy Landel
Sting & WCW US Champion Lex Luger defeated two unknowns; the bout didn't air due to a blown spot in which Luger was to have press slammed Sting onto the opponents outside the ring; Sting hit the apron on the way down and the two opponents were out of position to make the catch
Worldwide - 3/9/91:
Sting & El Gigante vs. Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker & Lt. James Earl Wright
Dan Spivey vs. Tim Parker
Tracy Smothers & Steve Armstrong vs. Jim Boss & Pat Rose
Sid Vicious vs. David Isley
Bobby Eaton vs. Terrence Taylor
Barry Windham vs. Brad Armstrong
WCW World Champion Ric Flair vs. Tim Horner
Pro - 3/9/91 - featured Tony Schiavone & Larry Zbyzsko on commentary:
Rick & Scott Steiner defeated WCW Tag Team Champions Michael Hayes & Jimmy Garvin to win the titles at 4:06 when Scott pinned Garvin with the Frankensteiner after Rick hit a clothesline on Garvin, knocking Garvin backwards into Hayes on the top, causing Hayes to crotch himself; Hayes & Garvin did not win the titles until 2/24
Worldwide - 3/16/91:
Bobby Eaton & Tom Zenk vs. Terrence Taylor & Buddy Landel
WCW Tag Team & US Tag Team Champions Rick & Scott Steiner vs. Rob Morgan & John Peterson
Big Josh, & WCW Six-Man Tag Team Champions Ricky Morton, Tommy Rich, & the Junkyard Dog vs. Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker, Lt. James Earl Wright, & Magnum Force
Ron Simmons vs. Joe Bruce
Tracy Smothers & Steve Armstrong vs. Doug Vines & Jeff Sword
Sid Vicious vs. Larry Santo
El Gigante vs. Joe Cruz
3/91 - featured Lance Russell & Diamond Dallas Page on commentary:
Brian Pillman defeated WCW TV Champion Arn Anderson via disqualification in a non-title match at 3:04 when Barry Windham and Sid Vicious interfered after Pillman hit a clothesline off the top; Pillman's shoulder was taped as a result of his injury sustained by the Horsemen; after the bout, Pillman fought off Anderson and Vicious, and avoided Vicious' powerbomb, but was eventually beaten down
Dark match: Barry Windham & WCW TV Champion Arn Anderson defeated Doom in a streetfight after Butch Reed accidentally hit Ron Simmons with a shoulderblock; after the bout, the two partners brawled around ringside 

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