The Last Match: 80's Big Men

It has been a very long time since I wrote a The Last Match blog post.  Recently though I came across match footage of The Big Boss Man's last match and it was in Japan.  So I took a look see and sure enough he did, so I thought it was time a new The Last Match post.

Big Boss Man Ray Traylor

August 31, 2004 Tokyo, Japan IWA Japan 10th Anniversary Show

Semi Final: defeated Freddy Krueger

Finals: was defeated by "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan for the vacant IWA World Heavyweight Championship

Hard to believe the final matches of Ray Traylor's career were in Japan, although at only age 41 when he passed away less than a month after these matches, I don't think he intended them to be.  After his WWE fun finished in 2002 he didn't wrestle again until March 2004 when he was brought to Japan for IWA.  His final tour was August 28th through the 31st.  You can find his last match on YouTube. 

"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan

May 12, 2019 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada Destiny World Wrestling

defeated by Gursinder Singh

In a career that spanned 40 years I best know Hacksaw for the 2 x 4 carrying, cross eyed, flag carrying all American WWF mid card guy.  It wasn't until many years later that I saw his Mid-South run where he was on top of the territory.  When he entered WCW I would have like to have seen him return to his Mid-South style rather than continue his WWF character.

One Man Gang

March 28, 2009 Franklin, Pennsylvania International Wrestling Cartel: Night of Legends

defeated by "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan

Also known as Akeem the African Dream, Gang wrestled for 32 years debuting in 1977 with runs in Mid-South, World Class, before going to the WWF.  He debuted as the One Man Gang in 1987 and in 1988 debuted the Akeem character, joining the Big Boss Man as the team the Twin Towers.  He left the WWF in 1990 wrestling on the independents until 2001 with a couple of short stints in WCW where he won the WCW United States Championship.

Earthquake

July 19, 2003 Tokyo, Japan All Japan Pro Wrestling

teamed with George Hines & Robbie Brookside defeated Hiroshi Hase, Masayuki Kono & Shigeo Okumura

John Tenta ending his career in Japan is fitting as he began combat sports career as a sumo wrestler in the Japan Sumo Association and in pro wrestling with All Japan Pro Wrestling.  He joined the WWF in 1989 in a very memorable segment sitting on Dino Bravo while he did pushups and then attacking the Ultimate Warrior when he attempted the same.  After a good run with the WWF he followed Hogan to WCW where he had a string of gimmick names and then had to walk around with half  beard for a few months.  His last WWF run was a member of the oddities under a mask as Golga before ending his career back in Japan with All Japan. 

Until Next Time!

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The Natural Disasters: Tag Team Champions?

During a recent episode of my wrestling podcast Podcast of 1,000 Holds it was brought up about the Natural Disasters: Earthquake & Typhoon being Tag Team Champions and I refuted it because I honestly had no memory of them wearing the gold.

Contributor of this blog Roy of Roy's Reviews brought it to my attention that they did in fact hold the titles.  So I did a quick search and sure enough in 1992 they held the titles for 85 days.  Because of my error in knowledge I'm dedicating a blog post to the former Tag Team Champions.

Earthquake, John Tenta, joined the WWF in 1989 initially as the Canadian Earthquake before dropping the geographical location from his name. In 1990 he began a feud with Hulk Hogan culminating at SummerSlam 1990 where Hogan won by count-out.

Typhoon, Fred Ottman, also joined the WWF in the summer of 1989 working house shows until he TV debut in 1990 as Tugboat.  He would eventually team with Hogan in tag matches against Earthquake and Dino Bravo.

Tugboat turned heel in June 1991 deserting The Bushwhackers in a six man tag team match against The Nasty Boys and Earthquake.  Shortly thereafter he would change his name to Typhoon and join forces with Earthquake as The Natural Disasters.

Their first big match was at SummerSlam 1991 where they defeated The Bushwhackers who had Andre the Giant in their corner.  Post match they advanced on Andre but where stopped by the Legion of Doom.  They began a feud with Hawk & Animal that lead to a Championship match at Royal Rumble 1992 that the Natural Disasters won by count out.

Money Inc: Ted DiBiase & IRS w/ Jimmy Hart

This victory lead to their eventual face turn as their manger "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart used their guaranteed for his other team of Money Inc: "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase & IRS who defeated the Legion of Doom for the Tag Team Championships February 7, 1992 at a house show in Denver, Colorado.

The Natural Disasters defeated Money Inc by count out at WrestleMania VIII and won many matches by DQ on the house show loop.  Finally on July 20, 1992 in Worcester, Massachusetts in Superstars TV taping dark match they defeated Money Inc for the tag team championships.

Over the next 85 days they defended the titles at house shows against Money Inc then later The Beverly Brothers: Beau & Blake, while squashing jobbers on TV.

The only pay-per-view match as champions was at SummerSlam 1992 at Wembley Stadium in London, England against The Beverly Brothers.  This is also the only match on the WWE Network with them as champs.  I recently re-watched this match and it was terrible, just awful.  However, the fans were popping huge for them.  I truly cannot believe it or understand why.  I guess wrestling was simpler then, cheered for the good guys and booed the bad guys,

The Beverly Brothers: Beau & Blake

On October 13, 1992 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada Money Inc defeated The Natural Disasters to win the titles in a match that aired November 1st on Wrestling Challenge.  The Disasters would win several house show matches but never regained the gold.

Their last match as a team in the WWE was a house show loss to the Headshrinkers: Fatu & Samu on December 12, 1992 in San Diego, California.  At the Royal Rumble in 1993 Typhoon entered at number 21 and when Earthquake entered at number 23 he attacked his partner eliminating him.

Moments after Earthquake eliminated Typhoon

There was no follow up to their dissolved partnership as Tenta would leave the WWF in 1993 then return for a Sumo feud with Yokozuna in 1994 before joining WCW later that year.  Ottman would join WCW in 1993 as the Shockmaster.

Ottman and Tenta would team up one more time as The Natural Disasters in a six man tag April 29, 2000 at a Future of Wrestling show where they teamed with Bobby Rogers in a losing effort to Larry Lane & The Suicidal Tendencies Dennis & Sean Allen.

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Later Readers!

Bonus:

Super World of Sports was a wrestling promotion in Japan that was started in 1990 by Genichiro Tenryu and they had a working relationship with the WWF before folding in mid 1992.  On April 17, 1992 in Yokohama, Japan The Natural Disasters defeated George & Shunji Takano to win the SWS Tag Team Championships.  They would lose the titles the next day on April 18th to King Haku & Yoshiaki Yatsu in Tokyo.

Follow this link to watch: The Natural Disasters vs. King Haku & Yoshiaki Yatsu

King Haku & Toshiaki Yatsu

This has nothing to do with anything, I just though Tenta throwing a drop kick was impressive!