Hollywood Blonds

The Hollywood Blonds is a name used by several professional wrestling tag teams over the years. The original “Blonds” were Buddy Roberts and Jerry Brown who used the name in the 1970s. Rip Rogers and Ted Oates wrestled as The Hollywood Blonds in the mid 1980s in the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions. The most well known team to use the moniker “the Hollywood Blonds” was ”Stunning” Steve Austin and Brian Pillman who used the name as a heel tag team in World Championship Wrestling in 1992 and 1993 and is often mentioned when talking about great tag teams.cite book|author=Greg Oliver and Steve Johnson|title=The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams|publisher=ECW Press|year=2005|isbn=9781550226836]

Buddy Roberts and Jerry Brown

Infobox Wrestling team
article_name=The Hollywood Blonds V1
type=T
members=Buddy Roberts
Jerry Brown
heights=Roberts:
height|ft=6|in=1
Brown:
???
weights=
billed=Hollywood, California
debut=1970
disbanded=1977
promotions=Tri-State
NWA Hollywood
NWA Los Angeles
NJPW|

The team of Buddy Roberts (billed as "Dale Valentine") and Jerry Brown were the first to adopt the name The Hollywood Blonds in wrestling when they began teaming together in 1970 in the “'NWA Tri-State” territory (NWA Tri State promoted in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi). The two quickly became one of the top heel acts in the territory with their “Hollywood superstar” arrogance and cheating ways. On May 8 1970, the Blonds won their first title when they won a tournament to crown new NWA United States Tag Team Champions (Tri State version). Their first run with the title was short as Luke Brown and Danny Hodge defeated them three weeks later, but the Blonds managed to regain the gold days days after being defeated for them. For the rest of 1970, Roberts and Brown dominated the Tri State tag team scene until losing to Bill Watts and Billy Red Lyons in January 1971.cite book|author=Royal Duncan & Gary Will|title=Wrestling Title Histories|publisher=Archeus Communications|year=4th Edition 2006|isbn=0969816154] In early 1973, the Blonds became three-time NWA United States Tag Team champions by defeating Dennis Stamp and Bull Bullinski for the straps. The Blonds held on to the titles until sometime April, when they lost the gold to Rip Tyler and Eddie Sullivan before leaving the promotion by mid-1973.

After leaving the Tri State area, Roberts and Brown next popped up in Florida working for Eddie Graham’s Championship Wrestling from Florida. After working their way up the ranks, the duo challenged for and won the top tag team title in the promotion, the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship, from the team of Dick Slater and Stan Vachon in March 1974. The Blonds ruled the tag team division over the summer of 1974 until dropping the gold to Dick Slater and Toru Tanaka in the fall (either September or October). After their run with the titles ended, the Blonds moved on to another territory, the most natural territory for the team – NWA Hollywood Wrestling in Los Angeles. The Gene and Mike LeBell territory saw Roberts and Brown win the NWA Americas Tag Team Championship no less than four times between December 1974 and August 1975, defeating such teams as Victor Rivera & Louie Tillet, Porkchop Cash & S.D. Jones, John Tolos and Louis Tillet, and the promotions biggest tag-team attraction Black Gorman and Goliath. During their time in Los Angeles, the Hollywood Blonds were also involved in an angle that saw the Los Angeles version of the NWA North American Tag Team Championship shift over to New Japan Pro Wrestling as their main tag-team title of that day. On August 1 1975, reigning champions Antonio Inoki and Seiji Sakaguchi fought the Hollywood Blonds to a no-contest after which the titles were declared vacant. A rematch in Nagoya, Japan saw the Blonds win the North American Tag Team titles on September 22. On October 2, Inoki and Sakaguchi regained the titles and they became more or less exclusive to NJPW after that date.

When the Blonds' time in Los Angeles ended near the end of 1975, they returned “home” to to the Tri State promotion and immediately targeted the United States Tag Team championship. On March 18 1976, the duo defeated Greg Valentine and Gorgeous George, Jr. Due to disputes over pay and billing the Blonds’ time in Tri State was only short lived, they quickly dropped the tag team title to Buck Robley and Bob Slaughter only eleven days after they won them. The Blonds next appeared in Championship Wrestling from Florida once more, winning the Florida Tag Team titles from Steve Keirn and Bob Backlund not long after arriving in the territory. Just like with Tri State, their stay in Florida was short lived as they dropped the titles to Mike Graham and Ken Lucas only a few months later and left. After a short stay in Florida, the duo began working for Jim Crockett’s Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. On January 17 1977, Roberts and Brown defeated the team of Dino Bravo and Tim Woods for the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship and held on to it for three months until Bravo and new partner Tiger Conway Jr. beat them for the gold. During the summer of 1977, the Hollywood Blonds moved from Mid-Atlantic to Memphis and the NWA Mid-America promotion (later Continental Wrestling Association). In Memphis, the Blonds shot up the tag-team ranks right off the bat defeating Bob Ellis and Jim Garvin for the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship on July 25. The Blonds lost the gold to Norvell Austin and Pat Barrett on August 15. After holding the gold two more times, the team lost the gold for good to Austin and Barrett on September 25 1977.

Shortly after losing the Southern Tag Team titles, Brown and Roberts split up, with Buddy Roberts going on to for the Fabulous Freebirds with Terry Gordy and Michael Hayes while Jerry Brown kept working as a singles wrestler mainly in the south.

Rip Rogers and Ted Oates

Infobox Wrestling team
article_name=The Hollywood Blonds V2
type=T
members=Rip Rogers
Ted Oates
billed=Hollywood, California
debut=1984
disbanded=1984
promotions=Mid-Atlantic|

In 1984, Rip Rogers and Ted Oates adopted the Hollywood Blonds moniker and “Superstar” gimmick for a run in the National Wrestling Alliance's Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling territory. Rogers had previously teamed up with Gary Royal and Pez Whatley in a Hollywood Blonds inspired team known as The Convertible Blondes in Angelo Poffo’s International Championship Wrestling.

The arrogant heel team defeated Ron Garvin and Ted’s “brother” Jerry Oates to win the NWA National Tag Team Championship on September 20 1984. Rogers and Oates held on to the gold for a little over a month. However, they lost the titles to the Lightning Express (Brad Armstrong and Tim Horner) on November 1. Not long after losing the titles, Rogers and Oats split up when Rip Rogers left the area to pursue a singles career.

teve Austin and Brian Pillman

Infobox Wrestling team
article_name=The Hollywood Blonds V3
type=T
members=Steve Austin
Brian Pillman
heights=Austin:
height|ft=6|in=2
Pillman:
height|ft=6|in=0
weights=convert|480|lb|kg st|abbr=on|lk=on
billed=Hollywood, California
debut=1992
disbanded=1993
promotions=WCW|

The most famous version of the Hollywood Blonds and the team with the greatest exposure worldwide was the World Championship Wrestling version of the Blonds consisting of "Stunning" Steve Austin and "Flyin'" Brian Pillman. In late 1992, the recently heel turned Brian Pillman had been teaming with Barry Windham but when Windham was groomed for a singles push the WCW bookers put Steve Austin together with Brian Pillman since management didn’t have any other immediate plans for Austin.cite video|people=Steve Austin|date=2006-09-26|title=Brian Pillman: Loose Cannon|medium=DVD|publisher=WWE Home Video|location=Hartford, Connecticut|accessdate=2006-05-20]

After one last unsuccessful attempt at winning the WCW / NWA World Tag Team Championship from Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas at Starrcade 1992, [cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/starrcad.html#92|title=WCW Starrcade Results (1992)|accessdate=2007-07-01|date=1992-12-28|publisher=prowrestlinghistory.com|quote=NWA & WCW Tag Champs Shane Douglas & Ricky Steamboat beat Barry Windham & Brian Pillman (20:02) when Douglas pinned Windham.] Steve Austin replaced Windham on a permanent basis. At first, the two were just billed as ”Steve Austin and Brian Pillman” but the two (with input from Scotty ”Flamingo” Levy) came up with the idea of ”the Hollywood Blonds” complete with matching trunks and vests.cite book|author=Austin, Steve and Dennis Brent|title=The Stone Cold Truth|publisher=Pocket Books|pages= 101-107|year= 2003|isbn=0743477200] The duo was immediately thrust into a feud with Shane Douglas and Ricky Steamboat over the tag-team titles, which gave the duo a chance to show off their team work and their trademark “mock filming” pose that they invented. After a successful move, one of the Blonds would move his hands like he was turning the handle on an old film camera. After winning a match, Pillman or Austin would arrogantly state that “Your brush with greatness is over” to further annoy the fans. On March 2 1993, Austin and Pillman cheated their way to the gold as they defeated Steamboat and Douglas for the WCW/NWA Tag Team Titles.cite book|author=Royal Duncan & Gary Will|title=Wrestling Title Histories|publisher=Archeus Communications|year=4th Edition 2006|isbn=0969816154] The Blonds held off Douglas and Steamboats challenges by hook or by crook. On one night, Austin and Pillman faced an unknown masked team known as Dos Hombres (literally ”two guys”) who they assumed were a couple of Luchadors from Mexico. The match started out rather inconspicuously, until the two masked men started showing moves more consistent with Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas than two Luchadors. Dos Hombres won the match earning them a shot at the world tag-team titles at Slamboree 1993. However, by the time Slamboree came about, Shane Douglas had been fired by WCW and Steamboat was without a partner. Instead of canceling the already announced Steel Cage match, Tom Zenk was made to wear the mask of “Hombre Uno” and work the match without anyone realizing it wasn’t Douglas under the red and green hood. The Blonds won at Slamboree ending the “Dos Hombres” angle. [cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/slambore.html#93|title=WCW Slamboree Results (1993)|accessdate=2007-07-01|date=1993-05-23|publisher=prowrestlinghistory.com|quote=WCW Tag Champs Brian Pillman & Steve Austin beat Dos Hombres (Steamboat & Zenk) (16:08) in a "steel cage" match when Austin pinned Zenk. Zenk was supposed to be Shane Douglas.]

After the feud with Steamboat and Douglas ended, the Blonds were programmed with the recently reformed Four Horsemen who at the time consisted of Ric Flair and Arn Anderson. Flair had recently returned from a run with the World Wrestling Federation and been given a talk show segment called ”A Flair for the Gold” to give Flair television time before his WWF release allowed him to wrestle for WCW. Playing off their image of believing they’re the best thing in wrestling, Pillman and Austin started to target Flair and Anderson by mocking them through their own segment called “A Flare for the Old”. Austin would stand in the background with a pillow under his shirt for a gut while slowly stroking his chin imitating Arn Anderson. Pillman dressed up in an old bathrobe, put on reading glasses and a grey wig and then cut into Flair for being too old and too scared of the Hollywood Blonds. The impersonation drew Ric Flair back in the ring making his “Big Show” wrestling return at Clash of Champions XXIII where Flair and Anderson challenged the Blonds for the tag team titles. Despite winning the Two out of three falls match, they did not win the titles since the Blonds were disqualified after Barry Windham interfered. [cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/clash2.html#XXIII|title=WCW Clash of the Champions Results (23)|accessdate=2007-07-01|date=June 16, 1993|publisher=prowrestlinghistory.com|quote=Ric Flair & Arn Anderson beat NWA & WCW Tag Champs Brian Pillman & Steve Austin (20:45) in two straight falls. – 1) Flair pinned Pillman (9:40). 2) Pillman & Austin were DQed (20:45).]

Windham’s attack shifted Flair’s focus away from the Hollywood Blonds, which in turn meant that Arn Anderson needed a new tag team partner. Not long after the Clash, Paul Roma was introduced as the 3rd Horseman and would team with Arn Anderson in the Horseman/Blonds feud. On July 18 at WCW’s Beach Blast 1993 Roma and Anderson were beaten by the Blonds who cheated to retain their titles. [cite web|url=http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/wcw93.htm|title=WCW Show Results 1993|accessdate=2007-07-01|date=July 18, 1993|author=Graham Cawthon|quote=WCW/NWA Tag Team Champions Steve Austin & Brian Pillman defeated Arn Anderson & Paul Roma at 26:16 when Austin pinned Roma with a roll over and grabbing the tights for leverage after Pillman hit a clothesline on Roma behind the referee's back as Roma had Austin covered] Not long after Beach Blast, Pillman injured his knee and was unable to compete at a scheduled title match at Clash of Champions XXIV, the problem was that due to WCW taping policies Arn Anderson and Paul Roma had already been taped as the World Tag Team champions so the title change had to happen despite Pillman being injured. Austin teamed with ”Lord” Steven Regal at the Clash where they dropped the gold to Roma and Anderson. [cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/clash2.html#XXIV|title=WCW Clash of the Champions Results (24)|accessdate=2007-07-01|date=1993-08-18|publisher=prowrestlinghistory.com|quote=Arn Anderson & Paul Roma beat Steve Austin & Steven Regal (9:52) to win the WCW Tag Title when Anderson pinned Austin.]

As soon as the Blonds dropped the titles, the team was split up. Austin and Pillman both claimed that it was for political reasons. Austin was given a singles push challenging Dustin Rhodes for the WCW United States Championship. When Pillman finally recovered, Austin (along with his new manager Col. Rob Fuller) turned on Pillman, turning Pillman face. The Austin/Pillman feud was never pushed intensely and at times played more for comedy than emotion, a fact underscored by Pillman being more interested in putting Parker in a Chicken Suit than getting back at Austin.

In 1999, Lenny Lane and Lodi used the name the West Hollywood Blonds as a play off the old name.

Championships and accomplishments

Roberts and Brown

*Continental Wrestling Association
**AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time)
*Championship Wrestling from Florida
**NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (2 times)
*Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
**NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship (1 time)
*NWA Hollywood Wrestling
**NWA Americas Tag Team Championship (4 times)
*NWA Tri-State
**NWA United States Tag Team Championship "(Tri-State version)" (3 times)
*New Japan Pro Wrestling
**NWA North American Tag Team Championship "(New Japan version)" (1 time)

Rogers and Oates

*National Wrestling Alliance
**NWA National Tag Team Championship (1 time)

Austin and Pillman

*National Wrestling Alliance
**NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - held jointly with WCW titles
*World Championship Wrestling
**WCW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - held jointly with NWA titles
*Pro Wrestling Illustrated
**PWI ranked them # 50 of the 100 best tag teams during the "PWI Years" in 2003.

*Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
**Tag Team of the Year (1993)

References