The Contentious Ten 09.17.12: The Top 10 Brother Combinations

Welcome back to the Contentious Ten. I’m on a roll, with two consecutive weeks of mostly positive feedback on my lists. Something tells me that this week’s list may generate a little more debate, but that’s okay. Debate is good. I enjoy debate. Obviously, I’m partial to my own opinions, but I can be swayed with sufficient logic and factual evidence. Last week it was wrestling magazines, this week something a little more serious.Here is my criteria for The Top 10 Brother Combinations In Wrestling History so that we’re all on the same page:

-They have to be brothers.
-No kayfabe relationships.
-Success inside the wrestling ring or as an on screen character
-Contributions to the business beyond performing .

The requirement of actually being brothers and not just siblings was created with one thing and one thing only in mind. Shane and Stephanie McMahon can’t be on this list. I feel like including them would be entirely cheap. Stephanie is a former women’s champion, Shane has turned in some great performances, and they just so happened to be born into the most powerful wrestling family of all time. If and when I get around to the top wrestling families, they’ll get their due respect then. For now, though, I’m drawing a clear, sexist line. That also eliminates Eddie and Chavo Guerrero, because they’re cousins. Again, if this were a list of the top wrestling families, the Guerreros would be very high on the list. Eddie and Chavo, Sr. don’t quite make the cut, though.

The lack of kayfabe relationships on the list is to help narrow down the contenders. It eliminates the Fargos and the Garvins, as well as Fritz and Waldo Von Erich. That’s not to say that all legitimate brother combinations were considered, though. Ron and Don Harris just didn’t quite make the list. Sorry, guys. Personally, I was a mark for them, but I want to be careful not to overstate their “greatness.”

Success inside the wrestling ring or as an on screen performer is important to define. Significant championship title wins and reigns, as well as prolonged success goes a long way in finding a place for people on this list. However, there’s more to wrestling than just wrestling. In the event that there have been significant managers, referees or commentators, among brother combinations, then they deserve to be recognized. In theory, had Earl and Dave Hebner had a brother that was a successful wrestler, they may have been higher on the list.

Finally, there’s an entire world of wrestling beyond what we see on camera. There are men who are legendary as much for their minds and ability to put together matches and angles as they were for their in ring ability. Pat Patterson and Dusty Rhodes are two prime examples of such men. Both men would be remembered fondly for their in ring careers alone. However, the fact that they’re two of the most influential bookers of all time bumps them up a few spots. For brother combinations that feature such men, there’s a place on the list.

Here are the brother combinations that just missed the cut, and a short explanation of why:

Randy and Bill Mulkey – I’m assuming they were real brothers. I can’t find any verification. Still, they were the single greatest jobber tag team of all time. That’s worth something.

Ricky and Vic (Blood) Steamboat – Ricky is obviously one of the greatest workers of all time, and a fine road agent. Unfortunately, the highlight of Vic’s career was wrestling Tony Atlas about 3,000 times for IWCCW.

Jacques and Raymond Rougeau – A great tag team, but Raymond left the business pretty quickly and quietly once WWE stopped French broadcasts of their programming.

Mark and Jay Briscoe – Ring of Honor’s greatest tag team has yet to branch out from RoH, and it’s still a little early for them to be making significant backstage contributions.

Dustin and Cody (Runnels) Rhodes – Dustin never broke through to a world title, but has one of the greatest gimmicks of all time with Goldust. Come back to this in five years, and I’m betting Cody’s success moves them easily into the top 10.

Barry and Kendall (Mulligan) Windham – Barry might be the best all around worker ever. Kendall might be the most disappointing wrestling sibling ever.

Brad, Steve, Joseph “Scott,” and Brian “Road Dogg” (James) Armstrong – All good hands in the ring, with one true superstar among them. Brad was an excellent midcard talent, Steve was a part of the Young Pistols, Scott is a featured referee for WWE and Road Dogg is Road Dogg. Their name doesn’t get the attention that the Von Erich clan does, but they’ve also missed the tragedies.

Booker T and Lash R “Stevie Ray” Huffman – The brothers teamed up to win a boatload of WCW World Tag Team titles before Stevie Ray moved into the commentary booth. Booker T would go on to win multiple singles titles, including six world championships.

Randy (Poffo) Savage and Lanny Poffo – I tried to figure out a way to put them on the list. I genuinely did. Randy is one of the all time greats and one of the biggest names in the sport’s industry. Lanny Poffo never really got off the ground after Savage left the territories. He was mostly a jobber in the WWF, both heel and face, before managing Mr. Perfect briefly. One notable win, by countout, over Hulk Hogan doesn’t make a career. Had he had a bigger hand backstage, creatively, or in terms of promotions, then these two would certainly be much higher on the list. Easily the toughest call I had to make.

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Jeff and Matt Hardysize=6>

It’s easy to forget how significant they are in wrestling history.
-6 time WWE World Tag Team Champions as a team, 1 time WCW (WWE Version) World Tag Team Champions as a team
-Jeff: 1 time WWE Champion, 2 time World Heavyweight Champion, 2 time TNA World Heavyweight Champion, 4 time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 1 time WWE European Champion, 3 time WWE Hardcore Champion, 1 time WWE Light Heavyweight Champion
-Matt: 1 time ECW (WWE Version) Heavyweight Champion, 1 time WWE Tag Team Champion (with MVP), 1 time WWE US Champion, 1 time WWE European Champion, 1 time WWE Cruiserweight Champion, 1 time WWE Hardcore Champion
-Founders of OMEGA

With all of the brothers Hardy’s off camera issues, it’s easy to forget how significant they are in wrestling history. Never mind the fact that Jeff Hardy has been one of the biggest merchandise movers of the last decade for both WWE and TNA. Never mind that Matt Hardy fought to remain relevant after the team split and created an IWC friendly gimmick with “Version 1.0.” These two, along with Edge and Christian and The Dudleys, helped to usher in a revival of WWE tag team wrestling in the early 2000’s. They also helped expand the horizons of exactly what could be done with tables, ladders, chairs and “extreme” wrestling in general. They also defy the whole “don’t try this at home” mantra, as well. Not only did they try this at home, they became superstars because of it. Their OMEGA promotion also served as a nice little training ground for several guys that would eventually find their way to wrestling on television. Shane Helms, Shannon Moore, Christian York, Joey Matthews, CW Anderson and Joey Abs all spent significant time during the early part of their careers there.

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Joe “Animal” and John Laurinaitissize=6>

What an unlikely pair these two make, no?
-Joe: 2 time WWE Tag Team Champion with Hawk, 1 time WWE Tag Team Champion with John Heidenreich, 1 time NWA World Tag Team Champion with Hawk, 3 time NWA Six Man Tag Team Champion with Hawk, Dusty Rhodes, and Tenryu, 1 time AWA World Tag Team Champion,
-John: 4 time All Japan World Tag Team Champion with Kenta Kobashi (2), Steve Williams and Bart Gunn
-John Laurinaitis served as Vice President of Talent Relations and/or Senior Vice President of WWE from 2001 through 2012

What an unlikely pair these two make, no? One looks like a powerlifter covered in grease paint that may or may not have walked off the set of Mad Max. The other sported a trademark blonde ultra-mullet and found success mostly in Japan. While Animal was putting the finishing touches on a career that saw him become half of one of the greatest tag teams of all time, though, the artist formerly known as Johnny Ace was pulling strings behind the scene. Unlikely as it seems, John Laurinaitis became a power player in the backstage world of WWE after coming over in Vince McMahon’s purchase of WCW in 2001. To that point, Laurinaitis had served briefly as head booker for WCW to largely positive reviews. While his tenure in WWE didn’t receive the same praises, the fact that he maintained a stable position under Vince McMahon for over a decade speaks to his ability to operate at the corporate level of professional wrestling. That job, combined with Animal’s part in the Road Warriors, bump them up over some of the other candidates.

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Tom and Bruce Prichardsize=6>

Tom and Bruce Prichard are likely the most influential brothers in wrestling history.
-Tom: 1 time WWE Tag Team Champion with Chris Candido, WWE’s head trainer from 1997-2004, 2007-2012
-Bruce: Host of the Brother Love segment on WWF programming, writer and producer for WWE for over 20 years, current Senior Vice President of Programming and Talent Relations for TNA

If this were a list of families that could produce the most obnoxious voices, Tom and Bruce Prichard would be the undisputed winners. Dr. Tom always sounds like he’s unintentionally doing a Roddy Piper impression, and Bruce’s “Brother Love” affectation is one of the most recognizable voices in wrestling history. These two hold another distinction, though. Tom and Bruce Prichard are likely the most influential brothers in wrestling history. Bruce was a longtime writer for WWE, and was the writer for several years before being released by Stephanie McMahon. He had a hand in the Attitude Era, the PG Era and everything between, and his value to the company cannot be overstated. On the flip side, all Tom Prichard did was help train virtually everyone you’ve seen in a WWE Ring over the last 15 years. John Cena, Randy Orton, Batista, Kurt Angle, The Rock, Brock Lesnar, Shelton Benjamin, Mark Henry, Kofi Kingston, The Miz – Dr. Tom Prichard had a part in preparing all of them for WWE. When one brother is sending superstars up on a regular basis and the other is mapping out their storylines, then it’s hard to argue against their placement on such a list.

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Arthur “Afa” and Leata “Sika” Anoa’isize=6>

Afa and Sika have produced more than their fair share of stars.
-3 time WWF World Tag Team Champions,
-Owners and operators of the Wild Samoan Training Facility

Most modern fans are too young to remember The Wild Samoans firsthand. I’m 32 and I’m too young to remember them firsthand. I heard accounts of them when I was growing up from my father and my uncles who remembered them vividly. It wasn’t until the advent of the internet, though, that I was able to watch them on my own. The Samoans, especially considering the era they competed in, were outstanding wrestlers. They were menacing, they were convincing in the ring, and they made teams look like world beaters when they finally were able to beat them. Their greatest contributions, though, have come long after their retirement from the ring. As owners and operators of the Wild Samoan Training facility, Afa and Sika have produced more than their fair share of stars. Obvious graduates include Umaga, Rikishi, Samu and Yokozuna, all who share the Samoan bloodline. However, Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy also trained there, as did Billy Kidman and Chris Kanyon. The facility is still in operation, and remains one of the finest training facilities for young wrestlers in North America.

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Rick (Robert) and Scott (Rechsteiner) Steinersize=6>

Together, these two were magic.
-2 time WWE World Tag Team Champions, 7 time NWA/WCW World Tag Team Champions, 1 time NWA/WCW United States Tag Team Champions, 2 time IWGP Tag Team Champions
-Rick: 1 time NWA/WCW World Tag Team Champion with Kenny Kaos, 1 time NWA/WCW United States Tag Team Champion with Eddie Gilbert, 1 time WCW United States Heavyweight Champion, 3 time NWA/WCW World Television Champion
-Scott: 1 time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, 2 time WCW United States Champion, 2 time NWA/WCW Television Champion, 1 time TNA World Tag Team Champion with Booker T

I remember one of the Apter mags back in the 1990’s that ran a story that likened wrestling The Steiners to being in a car crash. Watching them on television, it seemed like an accurate description. They were high impact and fast paced, and they were altogether different from everyone else. Teams generally went one of two ways in the early 1990’s. They were either powerhouses like The Road Warriors, or they were “fancy” like the Midnight Express. The Steiners combined the best of both worlds. They spent several years being the best team on the planet, and nobody else was really even close. Rick had a fairly successful career before Scott broke in, and Scott became a main eventer and a world champion once Rick started to fade out. Together, though, these two were magic. For fans 35 and under, they’re likely one of the first two names that spring to mind when brothers in wrestling are mentioned.

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Aaron “Mil Mascaras,” Jose “Dos Caras,” and Pablo “Sicodelico” Rodriguezsize=6>

This family has influenced wrestling on a global level.
-Mil Mascaras: 2 time WWA World Heavyweight Champion
-Dos Caras: 3 time UWA World Heavyweight Champion, 1 time WWA World Heavyweight Champion, 1 time EMLL King of Trios Champion with Hector Garza and La Fiera

Many American fans likely only know Mil Mascaras by name and from a none to friendly description in Mick Foley’s autobiography, Have A Nice Day. I vaguely remember seeing him compete in World Class Championship Wrestling, and that’s more than I can say for Dos Caras. However, this family has influenced wrestling on a global level. Mil Mascaras was among the first luchadoras to introduce a high flying style to Japan, and is credited with the advent of such masked stars as Tiger Mask and Jushin “Thunder” Liger. He was the first masked wrestler to ever compete in Madison Square Garden, and was a legitimate international superstar during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, garnering fame in Mexico, the United States and Japan. For Dos Caras’ part, he is generally referred to as the greatest heavyweight in Mexican wrestling history, and is just as much of an icon in his home country as Mascaras is. You also may have heard of his son, Alberto Del Rio, who formerly competed as Dos Caras, Jr. Sicodelico never experienced the fame that his brothers did, however his son, Sicodelico, Jr., has done very well for himself in Mexico.

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Kerry, Kevin, David, Mike, and Chris (Atkisson) Von Erichsize=6>

This is the most heartbreaking legacy in sports.
-Kerry: 1 time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, 1 time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 4 time World Class Heavyweight Champion, 3 time World Class Tag Team Champion
-Kevin: 1 time World Class Heavyweight Champion, 3 time World Class Tag Team Champion
-David: 1 time NWA Missouri Heavyweight Champion
-Mike: 1 time NWA American Heavyweight Champion

It’s hard to find something new to write about the Von Erich family. Their tragedies have been detailed so many times, that it seems like there’s no stone left unturned. This is, easily, the most heartbreaking legacy in sports. The Von Erich family were rock stars, sports stars, and hometown heroes all rolled into one in Texas in the 1980’s. Of the five that broke into the business, only Kevin remains. No other sports family can say that they’ve lost four of five brothers under such tragic circumstances while in the prime of their lives, if not their careers. David almost certainly would have been NWA World Heavyweight Champion had he not passed away. Kerry always had the right look for the “big time.” Kevin and Mike could have been midcard players in any promotion in the world. The Von Erichs’ feud with the Freebirds remains one of the greatest in wrestling history, and a four on four feud with the Horsemen a few years later would have been a natural fit. The potential that went unrealized because of the twists that fate took is breathtaking. Their legacy endures, with Kerry’s daughter Lacey appearing as a part of The Beautiful People in TNA, and Kevin’s two sons breaking into the business. It’s easy to underestimate the impact the Von Erichs had on the sport as the years go by. They were a genuine phenomenon in the world of professional wrestling in the 1980’s, and could have stood a real chance at the number one spot on this list had their tragedies been limited to only one, or even two.

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Bret, Owen, Smith, Bruce, Keith, Wayne, Dean, and Ross Hartsize=6>

As brothers go, few have ever been better.
-Bret: 5 time WWE World Heavyweight Champion, 2 time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 1 time WWE United States Champion, 2 time WWE World Tag Team Champion, 2 time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, 4 time WCW United States Heavyweight Champion, 1 time WCW World Tag Team Champion
-Owen: 4 time WWE World Tag Team Champion with Yokozuna (2), The British Bulldog, and Jeff Jarrett, 2 time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 1 time WWE European Champion, 1 time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion

Bret and Owen get the lion’s share of the attention, and with good reason. The entire Hart family, though, has been dedicated to professional wrestling for decades. That shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that knows anything about Stu Hart or The Dungeon, or the pride that Canada has in the Hart family. Their efforts go far beyond Bret and Owen’s highly successful careers, and include referees and wrestlers in regional promotions throughout the 70’s and 80’s, including Calgary Stampede Wrestling. Bret usually ranks pretty highly on the list of all time greats, and plays a big part in the Hart family coming in this high. They would be a respectable wrestling family without him. With him, they’re near the top of the class. Owen tends to be subject to a bit of wishful thinking from a lot of people that think he would have become a world champion had he not died in the infamous accident that took his life. I understand that Owen was great, but I’m not sure that he would have enjoyed that level of singles success. Smith, Bruce, Keith and the rest of the Hart brothers all had respectable careers within the wrestling business. However, the Hart family is more than just having careers. The Harts represent a dynasty. When you add in their brother in laws – Dynamite Kid, Davey Boy Smith and Jim Neidhart – as well as further generations of wrestlers that have come from them – Tyson Kidd, Natalya Neidhart – there’s little doubt that the Harts are one of the greatest families in wrestling history. As brothers go, few have ever been better.

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Jack and Gerald Briscosize=6>

The Brisco Brothers are far and away the greatest brother tag team of all time.
-3 time NWA World Tag Team Champion, 5 time NWA United States Tag Team Champions, 8 time NWA Florida Tag Team Champions
-Jack: 2 time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, 1 time NWA National Heavyweight Champion,
-Gerald: 1 time NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion, 1 time NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion, 2 time WWE Hardcore Champion

Jack and Gerald Brisco are among the greatest pure wrestlers that have ever been a part of this sport. Realistically, only Danny Hodge and Kurt Angle have credentials that can match them in terms of amateur background. Jack in particular was dominant, winning the 1965 NCAA National Championship, and went through the entire season without having a single takedown recorded against him. He transferred seamlessly into the ranks of professional wrestling, and brought his brother along with him. The two had great success together, capturing a plethora of tag team championships across various territories that were associated with the National Wrestling Alliance. The two would collect the world tag team titles three times, and eventually Jack branched out to singles competition. He would collect two NWA World Titles at a time when the NWA title was considered the most prestigious title in all of wrestling. The legendary Don Leo Jonathan called Brisco the “greatest champion of the 20th century.” Gerald was an outstanding competitor in his own right, dominating the light heavyweight scene in the NWA. For all of their success in the ring, though, the Brisco Brothers made enormous contributions outside of it. They were responsible for discovering a guy named Terry Bollea and directing him to Hiro Matsuda to be trained. They acquired minority shares of Georgia Championship Wrestling and convinced other shareholders to sell to Vince McMahon, allowing him to further his dominance of wrestling in the 1980’s. Gerald would become a longstanding road agent and booker for Vince McMahon, finally retiring after suffering three strokes in June of 2009. He returned about a year later to be a talent scout for Vince. Given that first big discovery, I’d say he has a pretty good eye for talent.

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Dory, Jr. and Terry Funksize=6>
Dory and Terry remain the only brothers to hold a major world heavyweight title.
-3 time All Japan World’s Strongest Tag League champions, 1 time NWA Florida Tag Team champions
-Dory: 1 time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, 4 time NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion, 2 time NWA Mid Atlantic Heavyweight Champion
-Terry: 1 time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, 1 time NWA Television Champion, 1 time NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion, 2 time NWA/WCW United States Champion, 3 time WCW Hardcore Champion, 1 time ECW World Heavyweight Champion, 1 time ECW Television Champion, 1 time WWE World Tag Team Champion

This is wrestling royalty. Odds are very much against ever seeing another combination of brothers be as successful as Dory, Jr. and Terry Funk were. Dory and Terry remain the only brothers to hold a major world heavyweight title, but that’s only part of the story. You can see the list of titles that I went through for them, and that’s only a drop in the bucket. Had I listed all of their championships instead of only the major ones, then the list would have taken up more space than most of the blurbs for the brothers listed in spots two through ten. Dory Funk, Jr. was one of the greatest world champions of all time, reigning for four years. Terry’s reign didn’t last as long, but he was impressive both as NWA and ECW World Champion. More impressive is the fact that those reigns came twenty years apart. The brothers were also a great tag team, winning the All Japan Tag League championship three times.

Both men were huge stars in Japan, with Dory, Jr. capturing the NWA International Title after plans to put the belt on Bruiser Brody fell through due to an injury. That title win led to nearly an hour long classic defense against Terry that remains a master class in wrestling psychology. The two were so well respected in Japan that they became bookers for All Japan under Shohei “Giant” Baba, and were instrumental in several top American stars signing with the promotion.

While in Japan, Terry Funk was involved in a match against Abdullah the Butcher that many point to as the “birth of hardcore wrestling.” It involved Funk being gashed open by Abdullah’s infamous fork, a display unheard of at the time in Japan. That incident would evolve into a style all its own that would lead to Extreme Championship Wrestling, which many observers say revolutionized the entire industry in the late 1990’s. WWE and WCW introduced Hardcore Championships, and independent promotions such as CZW, XPW and IWA used the evolved hardcore style as their main selling point.

Dory and Terry also train wrestlers at the Funking Conservatory, with Dory having a much larger hand in the training. A who’s who of professional wrestling have gone through the Conservatory, and the list keeps growing. Chris Sabin, Christian, Gail Kim, Kurt Angle, Lita, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Mickie James, Paul London, Rhino, Steve Corino and William Regal have all spent time there, with guest instructors such as Rob Van Dam and Bobby Heenan dropping in to offer advice and training to current students.

For their accomplishments in the ring, stardom on two continents, influence over the modern wrestling product, and efforts in training new generations of stars, Dory and Terry Funk remain the greatest brother combination in wrestling history.

If you disagree, feel free to let me know in the comment section below. I don’t mind discussion about my lists, so feel free to let me know if I missed anyone, have things in the wronga order, or if you think I’m just plain wrong. I’ll join the discussion at some point, and by then you may have convinced me. See you in 7.