The Brain Busters | |
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Arn Anderson (left) and Tully Blanchard
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Tag team | |
Members |
Arn Anderson Tully Blanchard |
Name(s) | The Brain Busters Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard |
Heights | Arn: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Tully: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
Combined weight |
475 lb (215 kg; 33.9 st) |
Debut | 1986 |
Disbanded | 1989 |
Years active | 1986-1989 |
Promotions |
NWA WWF |
The Brain Busters was the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) name for the professional wrestling tag team of Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard. Anderson and Blanchard adopted this name after joining the WWF in 1988 from Jim Crockett Promotions, where the two men had wrestled as part of the Four Horsemen stable and had won the NWA World Tag Team Championship twice. As a team, Anderson and Blanchard are regarded by WWE as three-time world tag team champions, having won the WWF Tag Team Championship during their time in the WWF.
Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard were founding members of the Four Horsemen, and often teamed up for six and eight man tag team matches with Ric Flair and Ole Anderson. Blanchard was the number two heel in the NWA, behind only NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair, winning the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship, the NWA National Heavyweight Championship and the NWA World Television Championship. Meanwhile, Anderson was designated as the "Enforcer" of the stable, and teamed with Ole Anderson as the final version of The Minnesota Wrecking Crew. In the spring of 1987, Ole was kicked out of the Four Horsemen, and was replaced with associate member Lex Luger. Shortly after losing the Television Title, Blanchard quickly began teaming with Arn and targeted the NWA World Tag Team titles.
Tully and Arn won the NWA World Tag Team Championship on September 29, 1987 by defeating The Rock 'n' Roll Express after The Midnight Express attacked Ricky Morton prior to the match. They were immediately challenged by The Road Warriors to a title match at Starrcade '87 in the LOD hometown of Chicago. Despite a hostile pro LOD crowd, the Horsemen retained the titles on a reverse decision. The Horseman would next receive a stiff challenge from ex-Horsemen Lex Luger, and longtime Horseman rival Barry Windham, who were dubbed the Twin Towers. The teams met at the 1st ever Clash of the Champions live on TBS and the challengers upset the Horsemen, when heel miscommunication caused Anderson to get hit by a chair from Horsemen manager J.J. Dillon, and pinned by Luger.