The Truth Commission

Last updated

The Truth Commission
Stable
Members The Commandant [1]
Kurrgan the Interrogator [1]
Recon [1]
Sniper [1]
Tank [1]
The Jackyl [1]
Billed from South Africa
Debut1997
Disbanded1999 [1]
Years active1997–1999 [1]

The Truth Commission was a professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and the United States Wrestling Association (USWA). Their label "Truth Commission" was a take on the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. [1]

Contents

History

The Truth Commission debuted in the USWA in 1997, where Recon and Kurrgan (then known as The Interrogator) captured the USWA Tag Team Championship and Tank briefly captured the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship. [2] Their manager, the Commandant, was an actor who had met Bret Hart while Hart was filming in South Africa. Hart recommended him to the WWF as a manager for the Truth Commission. It was rumored in 1997 that Truth Commission would be the bodyguards and hired guns of The Hart Foundation. During a 1997 WWE tour of South Africa, The Commandant, stated during a promo that he was going to unleash his Commandos and Militia upon WWF by bringing glory to the South African nation.

Upon moving to the WWF, the Commandant was quickly replaced by Truth Commission member The Jackyl because the Commandant wasn't trained to wrestle or take bumps and Vince McMahon wanted a manager who could take bumps and wrestle. Incidentally, Jackyl was initially more interested in being a wrestler than the group's manager, but WWF booker Vince McMahon convinced him to cut promos on behalf of the Truth Commission because of his verbal talent. Tank departed from the WWF after two matches. [1] The Interrogator name was changed to Kurrgan in November 1997 and he was pushed as a monster heel while Recon and Sniper competed as a tag team. [1]

The stable started to fall apart when Jackyl expressed how disappointed he was with Recon and Sniper, who had little success in their matches. [1] During this time, Jackyl would pay more attention to Kurrgan's career than Recon and Sniper. [1] He would enter the ring when one or both of them lost a match, berated and slapped them, then ordered the towering Kurrgan to attack them. [1] Eventually, Recon and Sniper formed the team of Armageddon (under their real names of Buchanan and Poirier), but left the WWF after several matches. [1] They continued to work together as Recon and Sniper in other promotions until disbanding in 1999.

Kurrgan remained a part of The Jackyl's new stable, The Oddities. [1] Jackyl would later manage The Acolytes and left WWF in December 1998 and went to Extreme Championship Wrestling as Cyrus the Virus. Kurrgan would stay with the Oddities until they disbanded on 28 February 1999, and he was released in March 1999. Sniper would return to Germany for Catch Wrestling Association and then retired from wrestling in 1999. In 2000 Recon would later return to the WWF as Bull Buchanan, first as a tag team partner of the Big Bossman, then later as a member of Right to Censor. He later teamed up with John Cena until his release from the company in 2003. He would make a final appearance in March 2011 as part of a "This is Your Life, John Cena" segment featuring Mick Foley, in which he began by remembering his time as Cena's tag team partner at first fondly, but on an increasingly-sour note until concluding by accusing Cena of ruining his life.[ citation needed ]

Tank died on 11 July 2023 from a fall and complications from diabetes at 55. [3]

Championships and accomplishments

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Lawler</span> American professional wrestler and color commentator

Jerry O'Neil Lawler, better known as Jerry "the King" Lawler, is an American color commentator and professional wrestler currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Wrestling Association</span> American professional wrestling promotion

The United States Wrestling Association (USWA) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. The company was founded when the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association merged with the Dallas-based World Class Championship Wrestling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Godfather (wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler (born 1961)

Charles Wright, better known under his ring name The Godfather, is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, and underwent several gimmick changes; the most notable were Papa Shango, Kama, Kama Mustafa, The Godfather and The Goodfather.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bull Buchanan</span> American professional wrestler

Barry Buchanan is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment (WWF/WWE) under the ring names Recon, Bull Buchanan and B² and for his appearances with All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and Pro Wrestling Noah (NOAH) as Buchanan. Primarily a tag team wrestler, Buchanan is a former WWF World Tag Team Champion, All Asia Tag Team Champion, GHC Tag Team Champion and USWA World Tag Team Champion.

John Anthony Tenta Jr. was a Canadian professional wrestler and sumo wrestler (rikishi) best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation as Earthquake, though initially known as Canadian Earthquake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koko B. Ware</span> American professional wrestler

James W. Ware Jr., better known by his ring name Koko B. Ware, is an American retired professional wrestler. He debuted in 1978 and became widely popular in 1986. He later went on to the World Wrestling Federation, where he went from strong mid-carder to jobber to the stars. "The Birdman" came to the ring with a blue-and-yellow macaw named Frankie, both flapping and dancing before and after his matches. Before joining the WWF, he was in several tag teams, most notably with Bobby Eaton in Memphis and with Norvell Austin in several promotions. In 1993, during the premiere episode, he lost the first Monday Night Raw match to Yokozuna. In 2009 he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. His Hall of Fame induction has been critiziced over the years, since he was inducted before world champions like Randy Savage or Ivan Koloff, pointing him as the "floor for inductees".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Prichard</span> American professional wrestler and trainer

Thomas Prichard is an American retired professional wrestler and author better known by the ring name Dr. Tom Prichard. He is the older brother of Bruce Prichard.

Anthony Norris is an American retired professional wrestler and football player. He is best known for his appearances with the professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1995 to 1998, under the ring name Ahmed Johnson. He was one of the most prominent stars in the WWF in the early Attitude Era. In the WWF, he held the WWF Intercontinental Championship. He also headlined the In Your House 9: International Incident pay-per-view event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Callis</span> Canadian professional manager

Donald Callis is a Canadian professional wrestling manager, color commentator, actor, and former professional wrestler and business executive. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he works as the on-screen manager and leader of The Don Callis Family ; as well as working as a backstage consultant for the company. He also works for Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling (MLP) as a color commenator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thrasher (wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler (born 1969)

Glenn Ruth is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name, Thrasher. For much of his career he has teamed with Mosh, most famously as The Headbangers, a pair of metal-heads known for their outrageous costumes such as nose rings and kilts. Thrasher is best known for his stints in the World Wrestling Federation between 1990 and 2000, where he held the WWF World Tag Team Championship and WWF Hardcore Championship.

Brian Lee Harris is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling, Smoky Mountain Wrestling, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Brian Lee and with the World Wrestling Federation as Chainz and an impersonator version of The Undertaker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolfie D</span> American professional wrestler (born 1973)

Kelly Warren Wolfe is an American retired professional wrestler. Wolfe is perhaps best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) under the ring name Wolfie D, as well as for his appearances with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Slash. He is a former NWA World Tag Team Champion and one-half of the reigning Traditional Championship Wrestling tag team champions.

The Oddities were a professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) during the Attitude Era of the late 1990s.

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

The Headbangers are a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Mosh and Thrasher. They are currently signed to WWE as ambassadors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Maillet</span> Canadian professional wrestler and actor

Robert Maillet is a Canadian actor and retired professional wrestler. He is known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1997 to 1999, where he performed under the ring name Kurrgan and was a member of The Truth Commission and The Oddities. He is also known for his roles in films such as 300 (2007), Sherlock Holmes (2009), Immortals (2011), Pacific Rim (2013), Brick Mansions (2014), Hercules (2014), and Deadpool 2 (2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mo (wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler

Robert Lawrence Horne is an American semi-retired professional wrestler who is most famous for his time in the World Wrestling Federation from 1993 to 1996 under the ring name Mo, where he held the WWF World Tag Team Championship with Mabel as "Men on a Mission".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mantaur</span> American professional wrestler (1968–2023)

Mike Halac was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation in the mid-1990s under the ring name Mantaur, and briefly as Tank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luc Poirier</span> Canadian professional wrestler

Luc Poirier is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Catch Wrestling Association (CWA) under the ring name Rambo and with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring name Sniper. Rambo was pushed as the top star of CWA after the departure of the promotion's owner Otto Wanz and became a major main event star. He headlined the company's flagship event Euro Catch Festival twelve times between 1991 and 1999, with his each match for the CWA World Heavyweight Championship. He is overall a four-time world champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owen Hart</span> Canadian-American professional wrestler (1965–1999)

Owen James Hart was a Canadian-American professional wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He received most of his success in the WWF, where he wrestled under both his own name and the ring names The Blue Angel and The Blue Blazer.

Robin Beauclerk Smith is a South African actor whose professional career began in theater whilst still in high school in 1970. He attended the University of Cape Town Drama School after school and worked at The Space Theater in Cape Town doing Socio Political shows during apartheid. He moved to Johannesburg in 1979 to continue his career in theatre, and to get into television, which was based there. He broke into movies during the heyday of the B grade action movies in the 1980s, and was for a short time in 1997, a wrestling manager for the then WWF now WWE. He was known in the World Wrestling Federation as The Commandant, who managed the South African Truth Commission for 9 months in 1997.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Cawthon, Graham (2013). the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 2: WWF 1990 - 1999. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ASIN   B00RWUNSRS.
  2. 1 2 Duncan, Royal; Gary Will (2006). "(Memphis, Nashville) Memphis: USWA Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 200–202. ISBN   0-9698161-5-4.
  3. ↑ Evans, Greg (12 July 2023). "Mike 'Mantaur' Halac Dies: WWE Wrestler Who Donned Bull Costume Was 55". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "Unified World Heavyweight Title (USWA)". Wrestling-Titles.com.
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.