WWE Hall of Famers The Bushwhackers discuss their new book ‘Blood, Sweat & Cheers’

WWE Hall of Famers The Bushwhackers (Luke and Butch) have a new book “Blood, Sweat & Cheers: The Bushwhackers,” chronicling their illustrious 36-year pro wrestling career as a tag team.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BushwhackersBook/

In my video interview with WWE Hall of Famers The Bushwhackers (Luke and Butch), they discuss their new book, wrestling hardcore, wrestling comedy, working Championship Wrestling from Florida with Johnny Ace (now WWE Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis), Portland wrestling for Promoter Don Owens, Mean Gene Okerlund and more.

Luke, 74, lives in Clearwater Beach, Florida and Butch, 76, in their native New Zealand.

Known as the New Zealand Kiwis and The Sheepherders, they brought a hardcore style (bloody and vicious) to American wrestling long before the ECW days.

During their Championship Wrestling from Florida run, they recruited American Johnny Ace (now WWE Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis) to be their New Zealand flag bearer. A shrewd heel move, that upset American fans while helping elevate Ace’s persona.

In Portland, Oregon, for promoter Don Owens, they angered and shocked fans by placing a New Zealand flag over an American flag while burying a wrestler in the ring. Owens and area TV execs upset, too, until they saw the TV ratings.

In Florida and Oregon and all points above, below, in between, they portrayed tremendous heels, legitimate targets of infuriated fans. They made a turn in Portland, too, becoming fan favorites. They starred in Canada, Japan, Puerto Rico and the United States.

When they signed with WWE on the big stage and became The Bushwhackers, a fun-loving, fan-friendly, comedic tag team, it gave them new life, prolonging their careers. Their popular strutting and licking and chanting generated into mega merchandising dollars. Don’t forget the ice cream bars.

The Bushwhackers’ promos with Mean Gene Okerlund were gold.

For information on their new book or for virtual bookings, email bushwhackers@gmail.com.

Also: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BushwhackersBook/

https://www.the-sun.com/sport/2238671/wwe-royal-rumble-the-bushwhackers-returns/

https://www.wwe.com/superstars/the-bushwhackers

My Pro Wrestling and MMA Talk on the Web and Social Media

Web:

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/fighting/

Twitter: @jimmyv3

YouTube: jim varsallone (jimmyv3 channel)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProWrestlingSouthFlorida/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WWE-WrestleMania-28-Miami-241160769255279/

Jim Varsallone

Miami Herald

305-376-3621

Jim Varsallone writes a high school sports column twice a week, featuring top performers in all varsity sports (boys and girls) in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. He also covers pro wrestling, something he’s done since his college days in the late 1980s. Now in his fifth decade of coverage, he currently follows WWE (Raw, SmackDown and NXT), AEW, Ring of Honor, TNA Impact Wrestling, MLW, WOW, NWA, and the South Florida indies, mainly CCW. He writes MMA, too -- mostly profile stories and video interviews with American Top Team and Sanford MMA fighters in South Florida. As for pro wrestling, he writes feature stories and profile pieces, updates upcoming show schedules in South Florida, photographs the action and interviews talent (audio and video) -- sharing the content here and via social media on his Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channel: jim varsallone (jimmyv3 channel). Support my work with a digital subscription