Minnesota Wrecking Crew (professional wrestling)

For the sketch comedy troupe, see The Minnesota Wrecking Crew.
Minnesota Wrecking Crew
Gene (left) and Ole Anderson as tag team champions, c. 1982
Tag team
MembersGene Anderson[1]
Lars Anderson[1]
Ole Anderson[1]
Arn Anderson[1]
Name(s)Andersons
Minnesota Wrecking Crew
Billed heightsGene:
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Lars:
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Ole:
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Arn:
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Billed fromMinnesota
Debut1966
Disbanded1990
Years active1966-1990

The Minnesota Wrecking Crew, also known simply as the Andersons, was originally a professional wrestling tag team who was formed by Gene and Lars Anderson, but since then has comprised a number of wrestlers. All members wrestled were presented as members of the Anderson family despite not being blood related.

History

Gene Anderson formed the original Minnesota Wrecking Crew with his kayfabe brother 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]

A young Ric Flair was promoted in the mid 1970s as being the cousin of the Andersons who fell out with them resulting in a family feud over the NWA World Tag Team Championship - with Flair enlisting Greg Valentine as his partner - throughout the late 1970s.[2]

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.[3] They won the NWA National Tag Team Titles and were members of the original Four Horsemen as the Wrecking Crew, reuniting with their kayfabe cousin Flair. They disbanded in 1987 when Ole was kicked out of the Horsemen.[3]

Arn and Ole revived the Wrecking Crew in 1990, yet again in alliance with Flair as Horsemen, but it lasted for only a few months before Ole retired.[4]

Also in 1990, Ole managed the Minnesota Wrecking Crew 2 in NWA while Arn was out injured.[4] This team consisted of Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom. Both members were from Minnesota and wore masks. The two men were the then-current AWA World Tag Team Champions, but were beaten by NWA World Tag Team Champions Rick and Scott Steiner in the NWA.[4]

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 used the name Minnesota Home Wrecking Crew in homage to the Andersons' classic tag team.

The Canadian sketch comedy troupe The Minnesota Wrecking Crew are also named in honor of the original MWC tag team.

Championships and accomplishments

Lars and Gene

Gene and Ole

Ole and Arn

  • Ranked Ole and Arn Anderson No. 79 of the best 100 tag teams during the PWI Years in 2003

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f 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. ^ Greer, Jamie (April 30, 2016). "Genetically Superior: The Story of the Anderson Family". Last Word On Sports. Archived from the original on September 6, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Cawthon, Graham (2013). the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 3:Jim Crockett and the NWA World Title 1983-1989. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1494803476.
  4. ^ a b c Cawthon, Graham (2014). the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 4: World Championship Wrestling 1989-1994. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1499656343.
  5. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Georgia: NWA Columbus Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  6. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Georgia: NWA Georgia Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  7. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Georgia: NWA Macon Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  8. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Georgia: NWA World Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "North Carolina: NWA World Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  12. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "NWA National Tag Team Title [Crockett]". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.