The Bushwhackers

Infobox Wrestling team
article_name=The Bushwhackers
type=T
members=Luke Williams Butch Miller
names=The Kiwis The Kiwi Sheepherders The New Zealand Sheepherders
The Sheepherders
Los Pastores (in Puerto Rico) The Bushwhackers Los Sacamantecas (in Spain)
|former_members=Jonathan Boyd Rip Morgan
heights=height|cm= 183- Luke height|cm= 185
weights=convert|225|kg|lb st|abbr=on
debut=1964
retired=2002
promotions=AWA NWA WWF ECW Stampede FCW UWF SWCW WWWA WWC Indies|

The Bushwhackers are a former professional wrestling tag team that also competed as The Sheepherders during their long career. They wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation and Jim Crockett Promotions as well as a long run on the independent wrestling circuit for almost 40 years. The Bushwhackers consisted of Luke Williams and Butch Miller while the Sheepherders also saw Jonathan Boyd and Rip Morgan perform under that name.

History

Luke Williams and Robert Miller started wrestling as The Kiwi Sheepherders for NWA New Zealand (later known as All-Star Pro Wrestling) in 1964 where they achieved a great deal of regional successcite book | author=Greg Oliver and Steve Johnson | title= The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams | publisher=ECW Press | year=2005| id=ISBN 978-1-5502-2683-6] . The duo was brought to America in 1965 by fellow New Zealander Steve Rickard who was also the booker for “NWA Hawaii”. cite web| url = http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/s/sheepherders.html | title = Online World of Wrestling: The Sheepherders | accessmonthday = April 22 | accessyear = 2007]

Luke and Butch initially worked in Canada among others for Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling billed as The Kiwis (Butch was known as “Nick Carter” and Luke was known as “Sweet Williams”). The first recorded title that the Kiwis won was in 1974 when the duo beat Bob Pringle and Bill Cody for the Stampede International Tag Team Championship on January 6, 1974 cite book | author=Royal Duncan & Gary Will | title=Wrestling Title Histories | publisher=Archeus Communications | year=4th Edition 2006 | id=ISBN 0-9698161-5-4 ] . The Kiwis would go on to lose the titles to Tokyo Joe and the Great Saki only to regain them a short time later. The Kiwis lost the titles for good when Stan Kowalski and Duke Savage defeated them and kept the titles away from them in subsequent rematches.The Sheepherders began working for the World Wrestling Council as Los Pastores. Only a short time into their run with WWC Luke and Butch defeated Puerto Rican legends Carlos Colon and Invader I for the WWC North American Tag Team Championship, defending them for a month and a half until they were defeated by “Los Medicos”. Los Pastores regained the North American tag team title on May 22 and reigned until they came up against Jack and Jerry Brisco on August 8, 1981.

The New Sheepherder

After the team left WWC Butch decided that he wanted to return closer to home and went to Australia to wrestle. Luke remained in the United States determined to keep the “Sheepherders” name on everyone’s lips by teaming up with “Lord” Jonathan Boyd (Formerly of the Royal Kangaroos). The duo of Williams and Boyd quickly gained a reputation of one of the most violent, hard hitting teams in the business. One of the first people to feel the wrath of the “new and improved” Sheepherders was Robert Fuller in South Eastern Championship Wrestling. In later 1981 Robert Fuller and Jose LeDuc had split up when LeDuc turned on Fuller during a match. LeDuc brought in the Sheepherders to be a part of his “Commonwealth Connection” to fight against Robert Fuller and the entire Fuller family. In December 1981 the Sheepherders won the NWA Southeast Tag Team Championship that had been vacated when Fuller and LeDuc split and defended the titles against Robert Fuller and various partners including his brother Ron Fuller and his cousin Jimmy Golden (later known as Bunkhouse Buck). One act that made the Sheepherders the most hated men in SECW for a while was when the duo attacked and injured (storyline) Jimmy’s father Billy Golden. Williams and Boyd kept the upper hand for months as Robert Fuller recruited partner after partner to defeated the dastardly duo. On September 11, 1982 the Sheepherders were finally defeated by Fuller and Golden ending the feud on a high for the face duo as the Sheepherders were “run out” of the territory.

Boyd and Williams moved slightly more north as they began to work in the Memphis, TN based promotion Continental Wrestling Association owend and operated by Jerry Jarrett and Jerry Lawler. Making their debut in October 1982 [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/memphis/jarrett/1982.html#101182
title = Mid-South Coliseum Results 1982 | date = October 11 1982 | quote = Steve Regal & Spike Huber beat The Sheepherders (Boyd & Williams)] the team quickly became involved in a heated feud with Jacques Rougeau (who wrestled in Memphis as Jerry Roberts at that point) and Terry Taylor, clashing week after week at the Mid-South Coliseum [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/memphis/jarrett/1982.html#110182
title = Mid-South Coliseum Results 1982 | date = November 1 | Year = 1982 | quote = The Sheepherders (Boyd & Williams) beat Jacques Rougeau & Terry Taylor ] [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/memphis/jarrett/1982.html#110182
title = Mid-South Coliseum Results 1982 | date = November 8 | Year = 1982 | quote = The Sheepherders (Boyd & Williams) beat Jacques Rougeau & Terry Taylor ] with the Sheepherders brawling their way to victory time and again. Taylor and Rougeau redeemed themselves in the end by defeating the Sheepherders in a brutal “Coal Miner’s Glove” match [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/memphis/jarrett/1982.html#101182
title = Mid-South Coliseum Results 1982 | date = November 15 1982 | quote = Jacques Rougeau & Terry Taylor beat The Sheepherders (Boyd & Williams) in a "coalminer’s glove" match] . Showing how incredibly resilient the duo was they returned to the ring later in the night and defeated the territory’s main stars Jerry Lawler and Bill Dundee [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/memphis/jarrett/1982.html#101182
title = Mid-South Coliseum Results 1982 | date = November 15 1982 | quote = The Sheepherders (Boyd & Williams) beat Jerry Lawler & Bill Dundee ] .

The next feud for Boyd and Williams stands as their most memorable and certainly their most bloody and brutal as the team kicked off a long running feud with The Fabulous Ones (Stan Lane and Steve Keirn). The “pretty boy”, well-polished Fabulous Ones and the ugly, brawling savage Sheepherders made for perfect opponents and repeatedly drew big gates all over the country . The matches started out pretty evenly with the Fabulous Ones and the Sheepherders splitting the decisions [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/memphis/jarrett/1982.html#101182
title = Mid-South Coliseum Results 1982 | date = December 5 | Year = 1982 | quote = The Fabulous Ones beat The Sheepherders (Boyd & Williams).] [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/memphis/jarrett/1982.html#101182
title = Mid-South Coliseum Results 1982 | date = December 13 1982 | quote = The Sheepherders (Boyd & Williams) beat The Fabulous Ones] but soon turned brutal and often without a definite winner. In late 1982 the Sheepherders won the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship from Lane and Keirn which only turned the intensity of the matches up a notch. Between late December and Mid February the two teams traded the belts back and forth 4 times with the Fabulous Ones ending up with possession of them in the end. On March 28 the Sheepherders wrestled their last match in the Mid-South Coliseum before leaving the CWA [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/memphis/jarrett/1982.html#101182
title = Mid-South Coliseum Results 1983 | date = March 28 1983 | quote = The Fabulous Ones, & Steve O, & Dutch Mantel beat The Sheepherders (Boyd & Williams), Jesse Barr, & Adrian Street] .

Boyd and Williams resurfaced in Southwest Championship Wrestling only weeks later, continuing their brutal and destructive ways. Their first target was the reigning Southwest Tag Team Champions “The Grapplers” (Len Denton and Tony Anthony. In May the Sheepherders won the gold from the duo through nefarious means, before the match Williams and Boyd had bribed the Grapplers’ manager Don Carson and promised he would become a tag team champion, Carson turned on the Grapplers mid match to ensure the Sheepherders’ victory. The Sheepherders run with the gold was short lived, in June Jonathan Boyd legitimately broke his leg in a car accident which forced the SWCW to name Bobby Jaggers as a replacement for Boyd. After Williams and Jagger lost a non-title match to Bob Sweetan and Sweet Brown Sugar Williams turned on Jaggers and the titles were vacated. While Boyd was out with the broken leg Williams was reunited with his old tag-team partner, Butch straight in from Australia.

Butch Returns

Luke and Butch stayed with the SWCW through the rest of 1983, into 1984 where the two came head to head with the Fabulous Ones once again, this time the prize was the SWCW World Tag Team Championship. The Fabulous Ones had supposedly won the titles in Australia, which is generally believed to be a fictitious tournament invented by the SWCW. The Sheepherders defeated the Fabs on March 4 and would hold the titles until the SWCW abandoned the tag team titles in September 1984. The next major stop for the Sheepherders is a return to Puerto Rico and the WWC, this time competing as “The Sheepherders” instead of “Los Pastores”. On January 6, 1985 the team defeated Invader I and Invader III for the WWC North American Tag Team Championship in Bayamon, PR . Butch and Luke would lose and then regain the titles from Invaders I & III in March and then hold on to the gold until August where the Invaders won the tag team title back for good.

While the Sheepherders were enjoying the weather and the action in Puerto Rico the Sheepherders were spreading destruction all over the CWA in Memphis. For the first time ever a Sheepherder team existed without Luke Williams on it as Jonathan Boyd teamed up with Rip Morgan (former flag bearer for the Sheepherders) and continues the Sheepherder legacy of violence under the name “The Kiwi Sheepherders”. Boyd and Morgan quickly made a mark on Memphis by beating their long time opposition the Fabulous Ones for AWA Southern Tag Team Championship on June 17 1985. The team was soon stripped of the titles due to excessive cheating but had the titles returned to them when Boyd and Morgan threatened to sue CWA management. Instead of taking the titles from the Sheepherders by stripping them the Fabulous Ones took the Southern tag team titles from them the old fashioned way – 4 times in a row between September 5 and October 12. After the series of violent matches with the Fabulous Ones came to an end the Sheepherders came face to face with another team that would turn out to be a constant thorn in their side: the Fantastics (Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers). In the winter of 1985 the Kiwi Sheepherders and the Fantastics traded wins back and forth [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/memphis/jarrett/1985.html#120985
title = Mid-South Coliseum Results 1985 | date = December 2 | Year = 1985 | quote = The Fantastics beat The Kiwi Sheepherders ] [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/memphis/jarrett/1985.html#120985 | title = Mid-South Coliseum Results 1985 | date = December 9 | Year = 1985 | quote = The Kiwi Sheepherders beat The Fantastics] with no side gaining a clear advantage in their feud. In January 1986 the Kiwi Sheepherders defeated the teams of Koko Ware and Rick Casey [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/memphis/jarrett/1986.html#011386 | title = Mid-South Coliseum Results 1986 | date = January 13 1986 | quote = The Sheepherders beat Koko Ware & Rick Casey ] and also the team of Tojo Yamamoto and Dirty Rhodes [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/memphis/jarrett/1986.html#011386 | title = Mid-South Coliseum Results 1986 | date = January 13 1986 | quote = The Sheepherders beat Tojo Yamamoto & Dirty Rhodes] to reach the finals of a tournament to crown new Southern Tag Team Champions, but in the finals they fell to the Fantastics [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/memphis/jarrett/1986.html#011386 | title = Mid-South Coliseum Results 1986 | date = January 13 1986 | quote = The Fantastics beat The Sheepherders to win the vacant Southern Tag Title] . The loss to the Fantastics only intensified the Sheepherders’ anger bringing the feud to it’s high point as the two teams clashed in a “No DQ Loser Leaves Town” match on January 20 1986. The Kiwi Sheepherders lost and left Memphis while the Fantastics rode a wave of popularity thanks to the feud.

When Luke and Butch returned to main land USA they quickly reminded everyone who the original Sheepherders were by beating Ted DiBiase and Steve Williams for the UWF Tag Team Championship on March 16 1986, but fell to their namesake’s enemies the Fantastics on March 30 in Tulsa, OK . The Sheepherders would work for Bill Watts UWF on and off over the next couple of years, taking time out to participate in the first ever Jim Crockett Memorial Tag Team Cup where they beat Hector and Chavo Guerrero in the first round, then downed The Rock 'n' Roll Express in the second round. In the third round the Sheepherders clashed with the Fantastics in an out of control brawl that ended in a double DQ. The winners of this match would have gone on to face eventual tournament winners the Road Warriors in the next round [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/cup.html#1st | title = 1st Annual Jim Crockett,Sr. Memorial Tag Team Tournament Cup | date = April 19 1986 | author = prowrestlinghistory.com] . Back in the UWF for their big “Mid South Superdome Show” the Sheepherders clashed with the Fantastics once more, this tile Luke and Butch lost in a “New Zealand Boot camp” match to the UWF Tag champs [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/misc/midsouth/cards2.html#dome686 | title = Mid South Superdome Shows (1986) | date = June 14 1986 | quote = UWF Tag Champs The Fantastics beat The Sheepherders in a "New Zealand boot camp" match] .

After being unable to beat the Fantastics on several occasions the Sheepherders traveled back to Puerto Rico during the summer and beat the Rock’N’Roll RPMs (Mike Davis and Tommy Lane) for the WWC World Tag Team Championship on August 3. Luke and Butch defended the titles for about 6 weeks before being beaten by the RPMs on September 21. When their short run with WWC ended Luke and Butch sought new challenges and travelled to Florida where they worked for Championship Wrestling from Florida. In Florida the Sheepherders came across their old arch enemies the Fabulous Ones, instantly rekindling their violent feud. On October 7 the Sheepherders ended the Fabulous Ones’ first reign with the NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship and would keep them away from the Fabs until Lane and Keirn finally got the better of them on November 30 where they regained the belts.

In late November the Kiwi Sheepherders returned to the CWA, Boyd and Morgan (Now billed as “Bigfoot”) cut through the competition [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/memphis/jarrett/1986.html#111086 | title = Mid South Coliseum Shows (1986) | date = November 10 1986 | quote = The Sheepherders (Boyd & Bigfoot) beat Paul DeMann & Ric McCord] [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/memphis/jarrett/1986.html#111086 | title = Mid South Coliseum Shows (1986) | date = November 10 1986 | quote = The Sheepherders (Boyd & Bigfoot) drew Jerry Lawler & Tommy Rich] and won a 4th Southern Tag Team championship when they beat Jeff Jarrett and Billy Joe Travis in a tournament to crown new tag team champions [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/memphis/jarrett/1986.html#111086 | title = Mid South Coliseum Shows (1986) | date = November 10 1986 | quote = The Sheepherders (Boyd & Bigfoot) beat Jeff Jarrett & Billy Joe Travis to win the vacant Southern Tag Title] . Their run with the titles was brief as Jarrett and Travis won the titles a week later and then ran the Kiwi Sheepherders out of the area in a “Loser Leaves Town” match a week after beating them for the title.

The Kiwi Sheepherders had hardly left the Memphis area before Luke and Butch, the real Sheepherders entered the federation. On January 10 the New Zealanders beat the up and coming team of Badd Company (Pat Tanaka and Paul Diamond for the CWA/AWA International Tag Team Championship but lost them back to Badd Company as fast as they had won them. After the quick run with Badd Company the Sheepherders once again became entangled in a feud with the Fabulous Ones in a rivalry that seemingly would never end. In what would turn out to the last series of matches between the Sheepherders and the Fabulous Ones the Fabs dominated the matches [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/memphis/jarrett/1987.html#020987 | title = Mid South Coliseum Shows (1987) | date = February 9 | Year = 1987 | quote = The Fabulous Ones beat The Sheepherders in a "massacre" match.] and once again “Ran off” the Sheepherders [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/memphis/jarrett/1987.html#020987 | title = Mid South Coliseum Shows (1987) | date = February 16 1987 | quote = The Fabulous Ones & Paul Diamond beat The Sheepherders & Jonathon Boyd in a "barbed wire cage" match] .

After leaving Memphis the Bushwhackers was invited to participate in New Japan Pro Wrestling’s “IWGP Tag Team Title League 1987”, making one of their infrequent appearances in the orient. The tournament took place from February 23 until March 20 with the Sheepherders finishing in the bottom three of the tournament [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/japan/newjapan/tagtitle.html#iwgp87 | title = IWGP Tag Team Title League (1987) | date = February 23-March 20 | Year = 1987 ] . Butch and Luke only made a brief stay in NJPW opting to return to Puerto Rico and the WWC. Here the Sheepherders started a bloody feud with Chris and Mark Youngblood that drew big crowds in Puerto Rico. The feud saw Luke and Butch win the WWC World Tag Team titles on April 4 and then defend them tooth and nail until the Youngbloods regained the gold on May 10 in a brutal cage match.

After their spring run with WWC the Sheepherders returned to Florida and instantly became challengers for Mike Graham and Steve Keirn’s NWA Florida Tag Team Championship. On June 26 Luke and Butch added that title to their collection by brawling and cheating. A month later the Sheepherders defended their Florida tag team titles at the Great American Bash from the Miami Orange Bowl, brawling to a Double DQ with Jimmy and Ron Garvin [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/gabash.html#87c | title = NWA Great American Bash Results (1987) | date = July 31 1987 | quote = NWA Florida Tag Champs The Sheepherders DDQ Jimmy & Ronnie Garvin] . Their run with the Florida titles came to an end on August 29 when Keirn and Graham regained the titles.

After losing the Florida titles Luke and Butch returned to the UWF and started a second run with the UWF World Tag Team Championship after beating Lightning Express (Brad Armstrong and Tim Horner) on October 16. The Sheepherders held the UWF tag team titles until the UWF was bought out by Jim Crockett and merged into Jim Crockett Promotions to form the forerunner of WCW. When the UWF merged Luke and Butch began working for JCP, participating in the third Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial, Tag Team Tournament Cup. Luke and Butch beat the “Cruel Connection” in the first round, then defeated Tim Horner and Brad Armstrong in the second round. For some reason the Sheepherders then faced and lost to The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane) Also in the second round [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/cup.html#3rd | title = 3rd Annual Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Tag Team Tournament Cup | date = April 22-23 | Year = 1987] . At the Sheepherders faced off against the NWA United States Tag Team Champions Fantastics, but did not win the gold. At the Sheepherders lost to Steve Williams and Nikita Koloff despite the interference of Rip Morgan. Just as it looked like the Sheepherders were going to face the Fantastics in the finals of a tournament to crown new United States tag team champions Luke and Butch signed with Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation.

The Bushwhackers

Luke and Butch signed on with the WWF in the midst of its aggressive national expansion giving them a national and international exposure unlike anything they had ever had before. The team changed their name to The Bushwhackers and changed their violent style to a comedic style which was an instant hit with the fans. The comedy act involved licking, arm motions and more. The Bushwhackers made their debut on January 3, 1989 on a WWF Superstars of Wrestling taping [cite web | url = http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/89.htm | title = WWF Show Results | date = January 3 | Year = 1989 | quote = The Bushwhackers defeated Tom Stone & Jerry Price at 3:07 when Luke pinned Price following the double gutbuster (the Bushwhackers' debut on Superstars)] .

Only a few days into their run with the WWF the Bushwhackers have their first match with a team they would encounter repeatedly over the next year and a half: The Bolsheviks (Boris Zhukov & Nikolai Volkoff) [cite web | url = http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/89.htm | title = WWF Show Results | date = January 13 1989 | quote = The Bushwhackers defeated Nikolai Volkoff & Boris Zhukov at 9:29 when Butch pinned Zhukov following the battering ram and a double gutbuster] . In February the Bushwhackers began a feud with The Fabulous Rougeaus, the first feud to really feature the Bushwhackers on WWF television [cite web | url = http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/89.htm | title = WWF Show Results | date = February 11 1989 | quote = (shown February 20) Jacques & Raymond Rougeau defeated the Bushwhackers via disqualification at 14:04 after Luke shoved the referee to the mat] . The two teams would take their conflict to WrestleMania V which saw the Bushwhackers victorious in their WWF Pay Per View debut as a team [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/mania.html#V | title = WWF WrestleMania Results (V) | author = prowrestlinghistory.com] . The WrestleMania match was not the end of the Bushwhackers/Rougeau feud as the teams clashed again at Saturday Night's Main Event on October 14 (taped September 21), once again the Bushwhackers were victorious [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/snme.html#23 | title = WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event Results (23) | author = prowrestlinghistory.com] . The Bushwhackers and the Rougeaus would clash twice more, first at the 1989 Survivor Series [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/survivor.html#89 | title = WWF Survivor Series Results (1989) | author = prowrestlinghistory.com] and again at the 1990 Royal Rumble [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/rumble.html#90 | title = WWF Royal Rumble Results (1990) | author = prowrestlinghistory.com] both times with the Bushwhackers getting the best of the Rougeau brothers.

During this time the Bushwhackers began to feature in a long series of comedic vignettes, usually subjecting ”Mean” Gene to their wild and wacky ways (and sardine eating antics). These vignettes were often featured on Coliseum Home Video releases where they served as the “link” between matches.

The Bushwhackers quickly became one of the most popular duos among the viewers, chiefly due to the wildly comedic nature of their antics (including their trademark "Bushwhacker Walk"), their catchy faux-Australian musical theme, and the high level of their friendly interaction with the audience. By 1990 the Bushwhackers were established as a solid mid-card comedy act feuding with the newly establish heel team known as Rhythm and Blues (The Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine). The Bushwhackers’ WrestleMania VI appearance came at the expense of Rhythm and Blues as they showed up during a segment, attacked Honky Tonk Man and Valentine and then broke R & B’s guitars to the delight of the crowd [cite web | url = http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/90.htm | title = WWF Show Results | date = April 1 | Year = 1990 | quote = featured a performance by the Honkytonk Man & Greg Valentine of their new single ‘Hunka, Hunka, Hunka, Honky Love’; after the performance, they were attacked by the Bushwhackers inside the ring, who then destroyed their equipment] . Later on the team would be used to help establish newcomers The Orient Express (Pat Tanaka and Akio Sato) [cite web | url = http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/90.htm | title = WWF Show Results | date = September 8 | Year = 1990 | quote = The Orient Express defeated the Bushwhackers] . The feud with the Orient Express culminated at Survivor Series 1990 where Luke and Butch teamed up with Nikolai Volkoff and Tito Santana to form “The Alliance” and take on Sgt. Slaughter, Boris Zhukov and the Orient Express team dubbed “The Mercenaries”. The Bushwhackers eliminated the Orient Express but were eliminated themselves as well [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/survivor.html#90 | title = WWF Survivor Series Results (1990) | author = prowrestlinghistory.com] .

At the 1991 Royal Rumble, Luke set a rather unfortunate record as he lasted a total of 4 seconds. Using the trademark arm-swing walk, he climbed into the ring, walked across in a straight path, was thrown over the top rope by Earthquake, and proceeded to leave the arena--without missing a beat--using the trademark arm-swing walk. [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/rumble2.html#91 | title = Royal Rumble Elimination Info (1991) | date = January 19 1991] . The Bushwhackers received a shot at the WWF World Tag Team title Saturday Night's Main Event April 27 against The Nasty Boys, but on that night Luke and Butch were not able to add the gold to their impressive collection as the Nasty Boys retained their titles through underhanded tactics [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/snme.html#29 | title = WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event Results (#29) | author = prowrestlinghistory.com] . In a televised 6 man tag-team match the Bushwhackers teamed with Tugboat against Earthquake and the Nasty Boys, Tugboat turned on his partners after a few minutes of action and joined Earthquake in laying the two New Zealanders out cold [cite web| url = http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/91.htm | title = WWF Show Results 1991 | date = May 28 1991 | author = Graham Cawthon | quote = (Shown: June 15, 1991)Earthquake & WWF Tag Team Champions the Nasty Boys (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated Tugboat & the Bushwhackers at 4:05 when Earthquake pinned Luke with a sit-down splash after Tugboat attacked both of his teammates; after the match, Tugboat embraced with his new friends] . After the heel turn Tugboat changed his name to Typhoon and together they became known as “The Natural Disasters” [cite web| url = http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/91.htm | title = WWF Show Results 1991 | accessmonthday = April 21 | accessyear = 2007| author = Graham Cawthon | quote = (Date: May 28, 1991 Shown: June 26, 1991) The Natural Disasters (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated Bob Abbott & Bill Sampson at 2:30 when Earthquake pinned Sampson with the sit-down splash following a regular splash from Typhoon (the debut of the Natural Disasters as a tag team)] one of the heaviest tag-teams in the world. The Bushwhackers demanded a chance to get even with the big team but were easily defeated at the 1991 SummerSlam PPV [cite web| url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/summer.html#91 | title = WWF Summer Slam Results (1991) | accessmonthday = April 21| accessyear = 2007| author = prowrestlinghistory.com] . After destroying the Bushwhackers the Disasters targeted André the Giant who was at ringside on crutches due to an earlier attack from Earthquake. The assault was stopped by the Legion of Doom who ran off the Natural Disasters

After the Natural Disasters began feuding with the Legion of Doom the Bushwhackers came across a team that was the total opposite of what they were. Luke and Butch the fun loving, “working class” guys started a feud with the rich, snobby bratty Beverly Brothers (Blake and Beau. The two teams first clashed at the 1991 Survivor Series where they were on opposite sides in a 4 on 4 elimination match. On the night the Beverly Brothers got the upper hand and eliminated both Luke and Butch [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/survivor.html#91 | title = WWF Survivor Series Results (1991) | author = prowrestlinghistory.com] . The Beverly Brothers’ manager The Genius kept interfering in the matches so the Bushwhackers brought in a manager of their own, the nerdy Jamison [cite web | url = http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/91.htm | title = WWF Show Results 1991 | date = November 13 1991 | quote = (Shown December 14, 1991) The Bushwhackers (w/ Jamison) defeated Barry Hardy & Brian Donahue] . Unfortunately even the addition of Jamison was not enough to prevent the Beverly Brothers from winning at Royal Rumble 1992 [cite web| url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/rumble.html#92 | title = WWF Royal Rumble Results (1992) | date = January 19 1992 | author = prowrestlinghistory.com] . The Bushwhackers did gain some small measure of revenge on the Beverly Brothers when they defeated the team in a “dark match” at WrestleMania VIII [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/mania.html#VIII | title = WWF WrestleMania Results (VIII) | author = prowrestlinghistory.com] . The Bushwhackers’ next PPV was at Summer Slam 1992 where they teamed up with Jim Duggan to defeat “The Mountie” Jacques Rougeau and the Nasty Boys in a dark match. In 1993 the Bushwhackers were used to “Put over” the newly signed team the Headshrinkers (Fatu and Samu) [cite web | url = http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/93.htm | title = WWF Show Results 1993 | date = February 7 | Year = 1993 | quote = The Headshrinkers defeated the Bushwhackers] and made a few appearances in comedy matches alongside midget “Tiger” Jackson (later Dink “The Clown”) against the Beverly Brothers and “Little” Louie [cite web | url = http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/93.htm | title = WWF Show Results 1993 | date = March 7 | Year = 1993 | quote = The Bushwhackers & Tiger Jackson defeated the Beverly Brothers & Little Louie at 9:57 when Tiger pinned Louie with a crossbody off the top] .

In August the Bushwhackers made a quick trip to Puerto Rico to appear at the WWC 20th Anniversary show on August 8 where they defeated the monstrous team of Mr. Hughes and The Warlord [cite web| url = http://www.accelerator3359.com/Wrestling/bios/warlord.html | title = Warlord Profile | quote = WWC 20th Anniversary Show (August 8, '93) = The Warlord & Mr. Hughes lost to the Bushwhackers] . When the team returned to US soil Luke and Butch helped Doink the Clown in the clown’s feud with Bam Bam Bigelow. Luke and Butch, as well as Mo and Mabel, all appeared at Survivor Series 1993 wearing the trademark green wig and face paint associated with Doink the Clown. The Bushwhackers and Men on a Mission defeated Bigelow, Bastion Booger and the Headshrinkers [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/survivor.html#93 | title = WWF Survivor Series Results (1993) | author = prowrestlinghistory.com] in a match that played more for laughs than serious wrestling. In 1994 the Bushwhackers started feuding with The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray), losing to the team in a dark match at WrestleMania X [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/mania.html#X | title = WWF WrestleMania Results (X) | author = prowrestlinghistory.com] The team also faced another recently signed team: Stephen Dunn and Timothy Well also known as Well Dunn [cite web | url = http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/94.htm | title = WWF Show Results 1994 | date = August 17 1994 | quote = The Bushwhackers defeated Well Dunn (w/ Harvey Wippleman)] . By 1995 the Bushwhackers are used almost exclusively to put over teams such as The Blu Twins [cite web | url = http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/95.htm | title = WWF Show Results 1995 | date = August 17 1995 | quote = The Blu Twins defeated the Bushwhackers] .

In March 1996 the Bushwhackers return to the WWF after a 6 month break to participate in a tournament to crown new tag team champions. The Bushwhackers were beaten in the first round by eventual winners The Bodydonnas (Skip and Zip [cite web | url = http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/96.htm | title = WWF Show Results 1996 | date = March 10 1996 | quote = (Shown March 16) WWF Tag Team Title Tournament Quarter-Finals: Skip & Zip (w/ Sunny) defeated the Bushwhackers when Zip pinned Butch after coming off the top behind the referee's back, moments after Skip sustained the battering ram and was covered] . When the Bushwhackers returned in 1996 it was a slightly revamped version that ignored the fact that both members were from New Zealand as they displayed traditional Australian Stereotypes, including being accompanied to the ring by a giant kangaroo mascot [cite web | url = http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/96.htm | title = WWF Show Results 1996 | date = April 30 1996 | quote = (Shown May 4) Mankind defeated Scott Taylor via submission with the Mandible ClawThe Bushwhackers (w/ someone in a kangaroo costume) defeated WWF Tag Team Champions Skip & Zip (w/ Sunny) in a non-title match at around 5:16] . On September 14 the Bushwhackers made their last appearance while under contract with the WWF [cite web | url = http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/96.htm | title = WWF Show Results 1996 | date = September 14 1996 | quote = The Bushwhackers defeated Justin Bradshaw & Uncle Zebakiah]

After leaving the WWF the team made special appearances in the independent circuit including a return to WWC for it’s 24th Anniversary show where they were billed as the Sheepherders and took on old rivals Invaders I & II [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/misc/wwc/anniv.html#24 | title = WWC Anniversary Show Results (24) | date = August 15 1997 | Author = prowrestlinghistory.com] . They also appeared at a special event in Amarillo to celebrate “50 years of Funk” where they lost to old rivals Mark and Chris Youngblood [cite web | url = http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/97.htm | title = WWF Show Results 1997 | date = September 11 1997 | quote = Mark & Chris Youngblood (w/ Rick Romero) defeated the Bushwackers at 10:20 when Mark pinned Williams] .

In 1999 the Bushwhackers participated in a “wrestling nostalgia” PPV called Heroes of Wrestling, Luke and Butch took on and defeated former WWF Tag Team Champions the Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff [cite web | url = http://www.solie.org/newsletter/svwn514.html | title = Heroes of Wrestling PPV Report | date = October 10 1999 ] . Luke and Butch made one of their last appearances as active wrestlers on April 1, 2001 when they participated in the WrestleMania X7 ”Gimmick Battle Royal” [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/mania.html#17 | title = WWF WrestleMania Results (X7) | author = prowrestlinghistory.com] . On June 15 the team returned to Memphis one last time, fighting The Moondogs to a double disqualification on a special ”Mid-South Clash of the Legends” show [cite web | url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/memphis/others/miscmemphis.html#061501 | title = Mid-South Coliseum Results (2001-2002) | author = prowrestlinghistory.com]

Both Williams and Miller have retired from professional wrestling but work behind the scenes in Puerto Rico and New Zealand respectively.

Other media

The Bushwhackers appeared as themselves in a 1994 episode of the sitcom "Family Matters", wrestling against Carl Winslow and Steve Urkel, who are forced to fill in for and wrestle as "The Psycho Twins." []

In wrestling

*Finishing and signature movesoves
**Battering ram
**Double gutbuster

*Managers
**Jonathan Boyd
**Billy Golden
**Ox Baker
**Lady Maxine
**Don Carson
**Jamison
**André the Giant

*Flag Bearers
**Jack Victory
**Rip Morgan
**Johnny Ace

Championships and accomplishments

*Allied Powers Wrestling Federation
**APWL Tag Team Championship (1 time)
*American Wrestling Association
**AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (2 times)
*Championship Wrestling from Florida
**NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time)
**NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship (1 time)
*International All-Star Wrestling
**International All-Star Wrestling Tag Team Championship (1 time)
*NWA All-Star Wrestling
**NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship ("Vancouver version") (1 time)
*Pacific Northwest Wrestling
**NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (3 times)
*NWA Mid-Atlantic
**NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship (1 time)
*Southeast Championship Wrestling
**NWA Southeast Tag Team Championship (1 time)
*Stampede Wrestling
**Stampede International Tag Team Championship (2 times)
*Southwest Championship Wrestling
**SWCW World Tag Team Championship (1 time)
**SWCW Southwest Tag Team Championship (1 time)
*Universal Wrestling Federation
**UWF Tag Team Championship (2 times) (First and Last)
*"'World Wide Wrestling Alliance
**WWWA Tag Team Championship (2 times)
*World Wrestling Council
**WWC North American Tag Team Championship (1 time)
**WWC World Tag Team Championship (2 times)

*Pro Wrestling Illustrated:*PWI ranked them # 71 of the best 100 tag teams of the "PWI Years".
*Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards:*5 Star Match (1986) vs. The Fantastics at the Crockett Cup Tournament on April 19:*Worst Tag Team (1992, 1994):*Worst Worked Match of the Year (1993) with Men on a Mission vs. The Headshrinkers, Bastion Booger, and Bam Bam Bigelow at Survivor Series

References

External links

* [http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/s/sheepherders.html OWW Profile of the Sheepherders]
* [http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/b/bushwhackers.html OWW Profile of the Bushwhackers]