The Bushwhackers

Real name: Brian Wickens
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 247 lbs.
Date of birth: January 8, 1947
From: Wellington, New Zealand
Pro debut: 1962
Trained by: NWA New Zealand
Finishing move: Battering Ram

Real name: Robert Miller
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 249 lbs.
Date of birth: October 21, 1944
From: Auckland, New Zealand
Pro debut: 1964
Trained by: NWA New Zealand
Finishing move: Battering Ram

Biography

– Williams & Miller began teaming in their native New Zealand in the mid-1960s. At the time, New Zealand had an NWA promotion, known as All-Star Pro Wrestling, which gave them most of their exposure
– In 1972, the duo made their first foray into North America, competing for Canada’s Grand Prix Wrestling promotion
– On January 6, 1974, The Kiwis defeated Bob Pringle & Bill Cody to win the Stampede International Tag Team Titles
– In May 1979, The Kiwis toured Japan with All Japan Pro Wrestling-
– Upon their second venture to North America, Luke & Butch became known as The Kiwi Sheepherders
– On July 21, 1979, The Kiwi Sheepherders defeated Adrian Adonis & Ron Starr to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Titles
– A week later, The Kiwi Sheepherders defeated Matt Borne & Sal Martino to retain the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Titles
– On August 18, 1979, The Kiwi Sheepherders defeated Dutch Savage & Sal Martino to retain the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Titles
– On September 29, 1979, The Kiwi Sheepherders defeated Dutch Savage & Stan Stasiak to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Titles
– On December 8, 1979, The Kiwi Sheepherders defeated Dutch Savage & Stan Stasiak to retain the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Titles
– On December 29, 1979, The Kiwi Sheepherders defeated Stan Stasiak & Ron Starr to retain the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Titles
– On February 11, 1980, The Kiwi Sheepherders defeated Dutch Savage & Stan Stasiak to win the NWA Vancouver Tag Team Titles
– On May 12, 1980, The Kiwi Sheepherders defeated Roddy Piper & Rick Martel to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Titles
– On September 28, 1980, The Sheepherders defeated Matt Borne & Buzz Sawyer to win the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Titles
– On October 4, 1980, The Sheepherders defeated Borne & Sawyer to retain the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Titles
– A week later, The Sheepherders defeated George Wells & Johnny Weaver to retain the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Titles
– On November 2, 1980, The Sheepherders defeated Nick DeCarlo & SD Jones to retain the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Titles
– Over the next week, The Sheepherders retained the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Titles against various combinations of George Wells, Matt Borne, SD Jones and Johnny Weaver
– On November 16, 1980, The Sheepherders defeated Johnny Weaver & SD Jones to retain the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Titles
– Over the next week, The Sheepherders retained the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Titles against various combinations of Matt Borne, SD Jones, Don Kernodle and Johnny Weaver
– On November 27, 1980, The Sheepherders defeated Matt Borne & Dewey Robertson to retain the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Titles
– In 1981, the duo moved to Puerto Rico, competing as Los Pastores
– On February 28, 1981, Los Pastores defeated Carlos Colon & Invader I to win the NWA Puerto Rico Tag Team Titles
– In early 1982, Butch left the team to move back to New Zealand. Williams replaced him with Jonathan Boyd, formerly of The Royal Kangaroos
– On December 27, 1982, The Sheepherders defeated The Fabulous Ones (Steve Keirn & Stan Lane) to win the AWA Southern Tag Team Titles
– On February 7, 1983, The Sheepherders defeated The Fabulous Ones to regain the AWA Southern Tag Team Titles
– In May 1983, The Sheepherders defeated The Grapplers (Len Denton & Gino Hernandez) to win the SCW Southwest Tag Team Titles
– In June 1983, Boyd broke his leg in a car accident. As it happened, Miller had recently returned to the US and he and Williams re-united as ‘The Sheepherders’
– On March 4, 1984, The Sheepherders defeated The Fabulous Ones (Stan Lane & Steve Keirn) to win the SCW World Tag Team Titles. This was the last reign before the titles were abandoned in September
– On March 16, 1986, The Sheepherders defeated Ted DiBiase & Steve Williams to win the UWF Tag Team Titles
– On August 3, 1986, Los Pastores defeated The Rock n Roll RPMs to win the WWC Tag Team Titles
– On October 7, 1986, The Sheepherders defeated The Fabulous Ones (Stan Lane & Steve Keirn) to win the NWA Florida United States Tag Team Titles
– In February 1987, The Sheepherders returned to Japan, this time competing for New Japan
– On April 4, 1987, Los Pastores defeated The Youngbloods (Chris & Mark) to win the WWC Tag Team Titles
– On June 23, 1987, The Sheepherders defeated Mike Graham & Steve Keirn to win the NWA Florida Tag Team Titles
– On October 16, 1987, The Sheepherders defeated The Lightning Express (Brad Armstrong & Tim Horner) to win the UWF Tag Team Titles. This was the last reign before UWF was bought by Jim Crockett
– In late 1988, Williams & Miller signed with the WWF and began competing as The Bushwhackers
– On December 30, 1988, The Bushwhackers made their televised WWF debuts, defeating The Bolsheviks (Boris Zhukov & Nikolai Volkoff)
– At WrestleMania V, The Bushwhackers defeated The Fabulous Rougeaus (Jacques & Raymond)
– At Royal Rumble ’90, The Bushwhackers defeated The Fabulous Rougeaus
– At Survivor Series ’90, The Alliance (The Bushwhackers, Nikolai Volkoff & Tito Santana) defeated The Mercenaries (Sgt Slaughter, Sato, Tanaka & Boris Zhukov)
– At Survivor Series ’93, The Bushwhackers & Men On A Mission (Mabel & Mo) defeated Bam Bam Bigelow, Bastion Booger and The Headshrinkers (Samu & Fatu)
– The Bushwhackers appeared on Family Matters on February 18, 1994
– In September 1996, The Bushwhackers’ WWF contracts expired and were not renewed
– On February 19, 1999, The Bushwhackers defeated The House of Kane (Muhammad Kane & The Combat Kid) to win the APWF Tag Team Titles
– At WrestleMania X-7, The Bushwhackers competed in the Gimmick Battle Royal
– In 2001, Miller retired from the ring due to illness and returned to New Zealand, though Williams would remain in the US and continue his independent appearances
– In 2008, Williams took a backstage role with Carlos Colon’s WWC promotion
– On March 16, 2008, Williams made a suprise appearance for ROH, defeating Shane Hagadorn. He would continue to compete sporadically for ROH through the rest of the year
– On August 20, 2010, Williams defeated Syko to win the SPW Provincial Title, but would lose it to Ike Idol the next day
– On April 27, 2013, Williams (aged 66) defeated Jeff Black in a No Rope Barbed Wire Match
– As of 2014, Williams continues to make occasional independent appearances, whilst Miller writes a regular wrestling column and is involved in a backstage role with Kiwi Pro Wrestling
– On February 23, 2015, it was announced that The Bushwhackers would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame
– On October 1, 2018, Luke and Butch were voted into the GERWECK.NET Hall of Fame