The Terminator (wrestler)

Last updated
The Wrecking Crew (Terminator)
Marcus Laurinaitis.jpeg
Laurinaitis, circa 1988
Birth nameMarcus Laurinaitis
Born (1965-02-21) February 21, 1965 (age 59)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Family John Laurinaitis (brother)
Road Warrior Animal (brother)
James Laurinaitis (nephew)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Fury
The Terminator
The Wrecking Crew
Billed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Billed weight270 lb (120 kg; 19 st)
Trained by Road Warrior Animal
John Laurinaitis
Nelson Royal
Gene Anderson
Ric Flair
Dusty Rhodes
[1]
Debut1987
Retired1998

Marcus Laurinaitis (born February 21, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, The Wrecking Crew (Fury) & Terminator. He wrestled primarily in Florida (FCW), Japan (All-Japan Pro Wrestling & New Japan Pro Wrestling), and Europe (CWA), as well with World Championship Wrestling (WCW). He is the brother of fellow professional wrestlers John Laurinaitis and Road Warrior Animal.

Contents

Professional wrestling career

Marcus made his debut in 1987 after being trained by his brothers Joseph and John, as well as by Gene Anderson and Nelson Royal, [1] and initially worked for Dusty Rhodes in Texas for a new NWA under the name The Terminator. He joined Devastation Incorporated managed by Skandor Akbar and tagged with The Angel of Death and Black Bart. He made a run with The Fabulous Freebirds, Sting, Rick Steiner and the Brad Armstrong & Tim Horner tag team. One of his earliest encounters with the Fabulous Freebirds was at the New Orleans Superdome in a First Blood cage match where The Terminator was one of the last to survive the blood bath until Terry Gordy eventually defeated him. In late 1987 Marcus toured with All Japan Pro Wrestling in November and December. While in Japan he teamed up with Tom Zenk to participate in the 1987 version of the World's Strongest Tag Determination League where he competed against such teams as Jumbo Tsuruta and Yoshiaki Yatsu (the winners), Jimmy Snuka and Bruiser Brody, The Great Kabuki and John Tenta, [2] and Terry and Dory Funk, Jr. The Terminator and Zenk finished in 11th place only ahead of Mark and Chris Youngblood. [3]

After the tour Marcus returned to Florida where he participated in a tournament to crown a new NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship, losing in the final to Mike Graham. [4] When Marcus returned he also teamed up with his brother Johnny to challenge for the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship chasing the champions Mike Graham and Steve Keirn until September 20, 1988, where the Laurinaitis brothers won the gold. [4] Marcus and Johnny defended the titles for over 3 months until they came across Florida newcomers The Nasty Boys (Jerry Sags and Brian Knobs) who took the gold from them. The brothers would come back strong only 3 weeks later to regain their gold and hold on to it until March 24, 1989, where the Nasty Boys once again beat them for the gold. [4] During their second run with the gold Marcus and Johnny also toured with All Japan Pro Wrestling as a team. [5] Shortly afterwards Johnny Ace left Florida Championship Wrestling to compete in Jim Crockett Promotions as one of the “Dynamic Dudes” (with Shane Douglas). The team known as the Bounty Hunters won the Florida tag team titles in November, but when one of the Bounty Hunters was injured Marcus stepped in and teamed up with the other Bounty Hunter to defend the tag team titles. The team held the gold until the Nasty Boys beat them on a card in Nassau, Bahamas on January 6, 1990. [4]

The Wrecking Crew

While competing in Florida Marcus ended up teaming with Al Green (who was known as “The Bounty Hunter”), initially as a makeshift team because Green’s other partner got injured but soon the two started teaming regularly first under the name The Terminators then later on as The Wrecking Crew where Laurinaitis became known as "Fury" and Green was renamed “Rage”. The team competed for the International Wrestling Federation based in Florida showing themselves to be a force in the tag team division. On May 28, 1992, the duo beat IWF Tag Team Champions The Long Riders (Brett Colt and Kip Winchester). [4] By late 1992 the Wrecking Crew got signed by World Championship Wrestling, making their debut in January 1993. [6] Shortly after their debut the Wrecking Crew got national exposure by competing at Clash of the Champions XXII on January 13 where they defeated Tom Zenk and Johnny Gunn. [7] After their success at the clash the team rode on a wave of success defeating Gunn and Zenk repeatedly [8] [9] as well as looking impressive against temporary teams such as 2 Cold Scorpio & Johnny B. Badd [10] and Marcus Bagwell & Joey Maggs. [11] By March the team was contesting a series of matches with future WCW World Tag Team Champions 2 Cold Scorpio and Marcus Alexander Bagwell [12] as well as feuding with the identical twin duo known as The Cole Twins (Keith and Kent Cole). [13] The feud with the Cole Twins was soon expanded to also include Bagwell and Scorpio as well as Tex Slazenger and Shanghai Pierce. [14] As the feud wore on the Cole Twins got the upper hand in the feud over the two big men. [15] The Wrecking Crew also faced ”Cactus” Jack and The Barbarian in a series of house show matches. [16] As summer turned to fall, the Wrecking Crew’s time with WCW ended, returning to the independent scene. In 1994 the Wrecking Crew traveled to Europe to work for Otto Wanz’ Catch Wrestling Association. On July 24 they defeated David Finlay and John Hawk in the finals of a tournament to crown new CWA Tag Team Champions after Larry Cameron had died during a match. [4] Rage & Fury held the belts for only 3 weeks before being unseated by CWA regulars August Smisl and Ulf Herman in Vienna, Austria. [4] The Wrecking Crew also worked in South Africa at this time for promoter Paul Lloyd touring through Johannesburg, Durbin and Cape Town. In 1995 the Wrecking Crew toured with All Japan Pro Wrestling over the summer being put over young teams like Kentaro Shiga and Maunakea Mossman. [17] The highlight of their summer tour was a clash with multiple time All Asia Tag Team Champions Doug Furnas and Dan Kroffat which the Wrecking Crew lost. [18]

Championships and accomplishments

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Road Warrior Animal</span> American professional wrestler (1960–2020)

Joseph Michael Laurinaitis, better known by his ring name Road Warrior Animal, was an American professional wrestler. Along with Road Warrior Hawk, he was one half of the tag team The Road Warriors/The Legion of Doom. He headlined multiple pay-per-view events for the WWF and WCW, competing for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship at 2001's Sin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Orndorff</span> American professional wrestler (1949–2021)

Paul Parlette Orndorff Jr., nicknamed "Mr. Wonderful", was an American professional wrestler and football player, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buff Bagwell</span> American professional wrestler

Marcus Alexander Bagwell is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Buff Bagwell. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1991 to 2001, where he was a five-time World Tag Team Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kendall Windham</span> American professional wrestler (born 1967)

Kendall Wayne Windham is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling. He is the son of Blackjack Mulligan and the brother of Barry Windham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Green (wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler (1955–2013)

Alfred Dobalo was an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Al Green. In his career, he performed in North America, Europe, and Japan under a variety of gimmicks, including in multiple stints in World Championship Wrestling as Rage as one half of the team The Wrecking Crew with Fury, Blade as one half of the Master Blasters with Steel, and finally as a singles wrestler as The Dog.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Williams (wrestler)</span> American professional and amateur wrestler, football player and author

Steve Williams, better known by his ring name, "Dr. Death" Steve Williams, was an American professional wrestler, collegiate football player, and amateur wrestler. He was best known for his time in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.

The Hollywood Blonds is a name used by several professional wrestling tag teams over the years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Laurinaitis</span> American professional wrestler

John Hodger Laurinaitis, also known by his former ring name Johnny Ace, is an American retired professional wrestler and business executive.

Thomas Erwin Zenk was an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder. He was best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation from 1986 to 1987, American Wrestling Association (AWA) 1988 to 1989 and with World Championship Wrestling from 1989 to 1994, as well for his tours of Japan with All Japan Pro Wrestling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Spivey</span> American professional wrestler

Daniel Eugene Spivey is an American retired professional wrestler best known under the ring names "Dangerous" Dan Spivey, Dangerous Dan, The Left Hand Man, Danny Spivey, Mr. America, and Waylon Mercy, initially working under the name Starship Eagle. Throughout his career, he has worked extensively for World Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation, and All Japan Pro Wrestling. He retired from wrestling in 1995 due to injuries and now works in alcoholism counselling in his native Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steiner Brothers</span> Professional wrestling tag team

The Steiner Brothers are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Robert "Rick Steiner" Rechsteiner and Scott "Scott Steiner" Rechsteiner.

The American Males were a professional wrestling tag team in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) composed of Marcus Bagwell and Scotty Riggs. Their gimmick was of two "pretty boys" who were fond of their own bodies and popular with women. Riggs was Bagwell's third partner with whom he won the WCW World Tag Team Championship, the previous two being 2 Cold Scorpio and The Patriot. The American Males won the tag team title soon after they began teaming together but soon dropped the belts back to Harlem Heat, the previous champions. Bagwell and Riggs did not return to main-event status, and they eventually split up and feuded with each other.

<i>WCW Saturday Night</i> Former professional wrestling television series

WCW Saturday Night was an American weekly Saturday night television show on TBS that was produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Launched in 1971 initially by Georgia Championship Wrestling, the program existed through various incarnations under different names before becoming WCW Saturday Night in 1992. Although initially the anchor show of the Turner Broadcasting-backed wrestling company, the September 1995 premiere of WCW Monday Nitro airing on sister station TNT usurped the show's once preeminent position in the company, as the primary source of storyline development and pay-per-view buildup.

<i>WCW WorldWide</i> American television series

WCW WorldWide is an American syndicated television show that was produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) that aired from October 8, 1975, to March 31, 2001. At the time of its cancellation, WorldWide was the longest-running, uninterrupted weekly syndicated show of any kind on the air in the United States.

Scott Thompson is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the professional wrestling promotion World Championship Wrestling under the ring name King Kong in the early 1990s and later worked as Krusher Kong on the wrestling independent circuit. Thompson teamed up with another wrestler, Dwain McCullough, known as Awesome Kong to form a regular tag team known as The Colossal Kongs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey Maggs</span> American professional wrestler

Joseph Magliano, better known by the ring name "Jumping" Joey Maggs, was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1991 to 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Road Warriors</span> Professional wrestling tag team

The Road Warriors, also known as the Legion of Doom, were a professional wrestling tag team originally composed of Road Warrior Hawk and Road Warrior Animal. They performed under the name "The Road Warriors" in the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), and World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and the name "Legion of Doom" (LOD) in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Under either name, their gimmick was the same – two imposing wrestlers in face paint. For brief periods, other wrestlers were added as stand-in partners for both men. In Japan in the 1990s, Kensuke "Power Warrior" Sasaki often teamed with Hawk and Animal, separately and together, while in WWE were joined by Ahmed Johnson and Droz in the 1990s and Heidenreich in the 2000s. The team also had three managers: Sunny in the 1990s, Christy Hemme in the 2000s, and Paul Ellering, the manager associated with the original team.

The Miracle Violence Connection was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of "Dr. Death" Steve Williams and Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy.

The Cole Twins were a professional wrestling tag team consisting of twin brothers Kent and Keith Cole. They competed in North American regional and independent promotions, however the twins were best known for their stint in World Championship Wrestling during the early 1990s. During their time in WCW, they feuded with several tag teams including Tex Slazenger and Shanghai Pierce, The Wrecking Crew, Harlem Heat and The Hollywood Blonds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fall Brawl '93: War Games</span> 1993 World Championship Wrestling pay-per-view event

Fall Brawl '93: War Games was the inaugural Fall Brawl professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). It took place on September 19, 1993 from the Astro Arena in Houston, Texas. As of 2014 the event is available on the WWE Network.

References

  1. 1 2 Steve Johnson (2009). "NWA Wrestling Legends Hall of Heroes: Nelson Royal". MidAtlanticWrestling.net. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  2. ↑ prowrestlinghistory.com (December 11, 1987). "AJPW Budokan Show results (1986–1990)". The Great Kabuki & John Tenta beat Tom Zenk & The Terminator (9:30) when Tenta pinned Terminator
  3. ↑ Strong Style Spirit (November 21 – December 11, 1987). "AJPW Real World Tag League results (1987)". 11. Tom Zenk & The Terminator [2]
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN   0-9698161-5-4.
  5. ↑ prowrestlinghistory.com (March 8, 1989). "AJPW Budokan Show results (1986–1990)". Toshiaki Kawada & Samson Fuyuki beat Johnny Ace & The Terminator (15:20) when KAwada pinned Terminator
  6. ↑ "WCW Show Results 1993". January 1993. (shown on WCW World Wide January 16) The Wrecking Crew defeated Joey Maggs & Johnny Rich at 4:24 when Rage pinned Maggs following their finishing move the "Wrecking Ball" (Back Breaker over the shoulder with an elbow off the top rope)
  7. ↑ prowrestlinghistory.com (January 13, 1993). "WCW Clash of the Champions Results (XXII)". Archived from the original on September 26, 2007.
  8. ↑ "WCW Show Results 1993". February 2, 1993. (shown on WCW Saturday Night on February 20) The Wrecking Crew defeated Johnny Gunn & Tom Zenk
  9. ↑ "WCW Show Results 1993". February 19, 1993. The Wrecking Crew defeated Johnny Gunn & Tom Zenk
  10. ↑ "WCW Show Results 1993". January 24, 1993. 2 Cold Scorpio & Johnny B. Badd fought the Wrecking Crew to a draw
  11. ↑ "WCW Show Results 1993". January 28, 1993. The Wrecking Crew defeated Marcus Alexander Bagwell & Joey Maggs
  12. ↑ "WCW Show Results 1993". March 3, 1993. 2 Cold Scorpio & Marcus Alexander Bagwell defeated the Wrecking Crew
  13. ↑ "WCW Show Results 1993". March 8, 1993. (shown on WCW Saturday Night on March 13) Keith & Kent Cole defeated Tex Slazenger & Shanghai Pierce when Pierce was pinned following a double dropkick at around the 3:30 mark; after the bout, the Coles avoided an attack from the Wrecking Crew, Tex & Shanghai
  14. ↑ "WCW Show Results 1993". April 27, 1993. (shown on WCW Saturday Night on May 1) The Wrecking Crew, Tex Slazenger & Shanghai Pierce defeated 2 Cold Scorpio & Marcus Alexander Bagwell, Keith & Kent Cole via disqualification
  15. ↑ "WCW Show Results 1993". May 2, 1993. Keith & Kent Cole defeated the Wrecking Crew
  16. ↑ "WCW Show Results 1993". April 2, 1993. Cactus Jack & the Barbarian defeated the Wrecking Crew when Cactus pinned Rage
  17. ↑ "AJPW Budokan Hall Show Results (1991–1995)". March 4, 1995. The Wrecking Crew beat Kentaro Shiga & Maunukea Mossman (7:41)
  18. ↑ "AJPW Budokan Hall Show Results (1991–1995)". July 24, 1995. Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas beat The Wrecking Crew (10:49)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.