Few terms in entertainment bother me more than the phrase “sold out.”
It irritates me when an artist is accused of having sold out, just because he or she decides to seek a greater return from their work. And yet, I can see where those accusers are coming from, because there are many cases when that greater return leads to said artist compromising his or her style (or scruples) in exchange.
Generally, though, I don’t like to begrudge a performer the opportunity to make a better living.
However, if I had to apply the term, I would attach it right away to Butch Miller and Luke Williams. The pair of native New Zealanders of them got started in professional wrestling as the Sheepherders, and wrestled the bulk of their joint career–with an incredibly violent style– under that name, all over the world.
But once they arrived in the World Wrestling Federation, the Sheepherders toned down the violence and reshaped themselves as a comedy tandem, a pair of lovable losers. They were renamed the Bushwhackers, and the repackaging worked.
It worked so well, in fact, that Luke and Butch landed a guest spot on Family Matters because of it.
As the Sheepherders, Miller and Williams were renowned for their characteristically violent matches and their backwoods barbarism. In the old school world of professional “‘rasslin,” they fit in quite well, as vicious, brawling heels.
But they didn’t just throw fists; the Sheepherders were adept at the psychology of the business. They would work over their opponents with relish, with a sort of controlled chaos.
The team engaged in bloody feuds with the likes of the Fantastics, the Fabulous Ones, Rick Martel and Roddy Piper. They tore themselves and their opponents apart in barbed-wire matches. Luke and Butch battled from Stampede Wrestling (where they were simply dubbed the Kiwis) to Puerto Rico’s WWC (as Los Pastores), and all through the Mid-South territory, known as the Universal Wrestling Federation.
But after wrestling across the NWA, Luke and Butch signed with Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation, and were renamed the Bushwhackers. It was here they found their greatest fame, simply by default as the WWF’s size and marketing muscle was unmatched. (It would remain that way until Ted Turner bought World Championship Wrestling, but that’s another story).
During this time, McMahon was pushing a family-friendly product, still buoyed by the likes of Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior. The Bushwhackers were reimagined as a pair of dimwitted but earnest cousins who marched to the ring, arms flailing, and licked their fans on the forehead. They were lost causes who backed other lost causes, be they a near-immobile Andre the Giant or social outcast Jamison. They never won tag team gold in thw WWF, but that wasn’t their point. They were big with kids and moved merchandise, so they were promoted less like contenders and more like mascots.
But how can two Kiwis with twenty-five years of experience at the time really argue with Vince McMahon money?
Much like Vader in subsequent years, the Bushwhackers guest starred on an TGIF sitcom. In this case, it was Family Matters, with Carl and Urkel getting into some strange adventure again.
I’ll let T.J. take this one.
It’s Season 5, Episode 18 of Family Matters entitled “Psycho Twins.” Anytime WWF wrestlers made a cameo appearance on a 90s show I was thrilled. I was obsessed with wrestling and corny TV (which you could argue was one and the same) at the time so to put the two together was such a treat for my elementary aged self.
The show kicks off with Eddie asking Waldo who he thought the toughest wrestler is. Waldo says it’s some character named Hurricane Al because, “he was shot once and didn’t know for two days.” New Jack anyone?
Carl sees a wrestling magazine that Eddie is reading. The tag team “The Psycho Twins” are on the cover and Carl says he knows one of them, Lyle Hopkins. Apparently Carl went to high school and was on the wrestling team with the big man (The other Psycho Twin is a really skinny guy. Both are dressed in S&M-esque masks with black and red tights.)
Apparently the twins are in town for “Wrestle Rama.” Carl agrees to take Eddie and Waldo so he can catch up with his old high school friend. They all agree and seal it with a three-man handshake that apparently existed between Carl, Eddie and Waldo Geraldo Faldo. As they leave, Steve comes in, and hits Carl in the face with the door. Steve has a water bottle and tells them he invented “snooze juice,” as a cure for insomnia. Steve, snooze juice in hand, goes with the three to Wrestle Rama.
Back from the break, Richie lied to his teacher and Harriett and Laura tell him that lying is not a good idea. This little plot line was largely insignificant as most of the episode takes place at the arena and in the squared circle. Back from the break and we see the generic sports arena exterior shot to establish that Carl, Eddie, Waldo and Steve are at the site of Wrestle Rama.
As the Psycho Twins, one who kind of looks like Carl, the other kind of looks like Steve, pose for pictures, Carl yells out at Lyle, who recognizes him, thus not creating an awkward moment when you say you recognize someone but they have no idea who you are. I love how four random guys (Carl and the gang) can just go right near the ring without any concern from security, especially during Wrestle Rama, the biggest event of the year!
Carl and Lyle get reacquainted, apparently they haven’t seen each other since high school. Lyle shakes the kids’ hands.
Waldo: “Wow, a Psycho Twin touched my flesh. Sir, would you do me the honor and autograph my boxer shorts?”
Oh Waldo. Lyle won’t do that but he is nice enough to offer the group front row seats. The guys leave for dinner and Steve, to the surprise of no one, leaves his snooze juice, which is in a sports bottle, in the ring. Lyle sees it and just starts to drink out of it. Who does that? Who just drinks out of a random bottle like that? His partner, the little Psycho Twin, doesn’t want to hog it, so he drinks some too. Both are going to town on the snooze juice!
Back from the commercial break, Lou, the promoter, comes out with the water bottle in his hand. Steve recognizes it as the snooze juice bottle and tells him what was in it. Lou is freaked out because both Psycho Twins downed the entire bottle and are sleeping like babies. “The big one’s sucking his thumb,” the promoter said to emphasize just how out cold the two wrestlers are. He asks Steve how long he expects the champs to be asleep and Steve says Thursday.
That’s not good because the show is starting in 10 minutes and Lou is threatening to sue Carl and the gang. Carl asks him what they could do? We come back from the break with the main event and we’ll find out exactly what Carl and the rest do. First introduced are The Bushwhackers who are met with a ton of boos from the crowd. That confused me as a kid because I never remembered Luke and Butch to be bad guys, but the goofy tag-team who keeps moving their arms up and down. Butch licks some woman’s face reminding me of thinking, as an 8-year-old, of how I would handle the disgusting threat of one of The Bushwhackers licking my face. Their opponents, the Federation of World Wide Wrestling Champions (I love the title of the organization. Wonder what the inspiration was?) Psycho Twins!! They’re rolled out in straightjackets by hot nurses and are…Carl and Steve! To quote Good Old J.R, “Business is about to pick up!”
Carl and Steve, the Psycho Twins redux, are going nuts, throwing chairs and causing general mayhem outside of the ring. The announcer tells the crowd to get ready for the match of the century. I’m pretty sure this won’t live up to the hype.
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| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP_erMZYcZY |
Carl and Steve go to the corner and prepare. Steve is worried that they’ll get decimated by the pros on the others side. Carl says the promoter told Luke and Butch that he and Steve weren’t real wrestlers, thus promising to go easy on them.
Match is off and Carl starts with Luke. They lock up and Luke has Carl put him in a headlock and sells Carl’s weak offense.
Carl tags in Urkel who can’t get through the ring without tripping on the ropes. Urkel is still scared and Luke jumps into the turnbuckle face first and Urkel them hip tosses him a couple of times. Luke is in trouble but Urkel celebrates in the corner with Carl so Luke has time to tag in the fresh Butch.
Urkel runs into Luke and falls down. Urkel even puts him in some kind of leg lock and snarls at the camera for everyone to see, including, of course Richie at home. He tells Harriett and Laura who drop their laundry and are stunned to see them as the Psycho Twins.
As Carl has Butch in a submission hold, Luke tells Urkel they’re not so bad for guys off the street. Luke asks Steve what they do, Steve lets him know that Carl is a cop. “A What?!” Butch said. (Oh God.)
Apparently, The Bushwackers hate cops. Luke tells Steve a cop had arrested his mother the night before. When asked “Why?” he said, “They couldn’t catch her til then.”
All of a sudden this whole thing goes off script. The Psycho Twins double team Carl. Butch is throwing some serious blows. Butch then back body drops Carl. Luke then drops an elbow off the turnbuckle while Butch holds his legs down. Steve jumps in and gets some offense in. Carl regains composure and holds off one of the Bushwhackers while Steve jumps off the turnbuckle to attack. However, the Bushwhacker breaks loose and Steve knocks Carl down. Butch then brings out the monstrous airplane spin on Steve and accidentally knocks out the referee. Butch tosses Steve out into the crowd, conveniently falling in Eddie and Waldo’s laps. The two jump in and the entire crowd leave their seats and surround the ring, some jump in the ring as well and get tossed. This is insane, like an ECW show, but it’s Wrestle Rama!
Cut back from the break and Carl and Steve are back at the Winslow residence, beat up and blaming each other for the mess. Harriett tells them Lou, the promoter, called and ask them to come back to get in the ring again…with the nurses. Of course, Carl is all about it, Harriett gives her disgusted look, and Urkel laughs, does his trademark snort, which causes him pain and ends the episode.
A huge chunk of this episode was the actual wrestling match between Carl and Steve vs. The Bushwhackers, which was longer than 90 percent of wrestling matches on Raw these days. It was a fun episode, The Bushwhackers, who I always thought were completely insane, seemed to be good sports.
I mean, they sold to Urkel! I seriously doubt The Sheepherders would have done the same!
F13: I mentioned Vader earlier, and this reminds me a lot of Vader’s appearances on Boy Meets World, where the monster heel was almost entirely defanged appearing in a comedic role on a family show. Again, this had a lot to do with WWF’s family image at the time, especially for the Bushwhackers, who made their appearance farther ahead of the Attitude Era.
The Bushwhackers did show a natural affinity for comedy, and admittedly, they did it very well in the WWF. Luke and Butch wouldn’t have been nearly as fondly remembered otherwise. I’ll admit, I was a fan myself, and marked out for the Bushwhacker Battering Ram on several occasions.
Still, I wonder what the Sheepherders of old would have made of this. They probably would have approved, so long as they got over and the money was good. In that case, mission accomplished.
