Blade Runners

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The Bladerunners
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Tag Team
Members Rock
Sting
Name(s) The Freedom Fighters (Justice & Flash)
Heights Rock:
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Sting:
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Combined weight 530 lb (240 kg/38 st)
Debut 1985
Disbanded 1986
Promotions Continental Wrestling Association
UWF
Trainer Rick Bassman
Red Bastien

The Blade Runners were a professional wrestling tag team consisting of future superstars, Steve Borden and Jim Hellwig, that existed in 1985 and 1986. Their name may have been derived from the 1982 neo-noir science fiction film, Blade Runner.

[edit] History

Hellwig and Borden started teaming in 1985 after Powerteam USA, which they were both members of, disbanded. Initially they, they wrestled as The Freedom Fighters (Hellwig was known as Justice and Borden was called Flash)[1] in Memphis' Continental Wrestling Association[2] under manager Dutch Mantel. Because they were essentially bodybuilders and lacked thorough training, the team was raw and brutal, easily hurting opponents with their stiff maneuvers which led to their stay in Memphis being a short one[3].

The team began working for Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling (renamed the Universal Wrestling Federation shortly after) in early 1986[4]. In Mid-South they became known as The Blade Runners (Hellwig was called Rock and Borden got the name he's most known as: Sting)[5]. The Blade Runners were managed by "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert and as part of "Hot Stuff International, Inc." the team feuded with Ted DiBiase and Steve Williams[6].

Less than 6 months after arriving in Mid-South, Hellwig and Borden split up with Hellwig moving on to World Class Championship Wrestling, where he became known The Dingo Warrior[7], laying the foundation for his famous Ultimate Warrior gimmick in the WWF.

Sting remained in Mid-South and under the tutelage of Eddie Gilbert for a while before turning face.

[edit] Reunion

They reunited, although not officially under the Blade Runners name, for one match on WCW Monday Nitro on October 11, 1998 against Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart of nWo Hollywood. Since the two had become very popular on their own and in entirely different promotions, during this event, Mike Tenay referred to them as "teaming up for the first time since 1985." The match was initially boasted as one of the biggest tag team matches in Nitro history; however, it featured little variety or in-ring use of Warrior. Sting and Warrior won the match via disqualification due to interference from the nWo[8].

[edit] References

  1. ^ Power Slam Staff. "In His Prime: Sting", Power Slam, SW Publishing LTD, March 2000, p. 36. Retrieved on 2007-06-23. (English) "Known as The Freedom Fighters, Flash (Borden) and Justice (Hellwig)" 
  2. ^ Power Slam Staff. "In His Prime: Sting", Power Slam, SW Publishing LTD, March 2000, p. 36. Retrieved on 2007-06-23. (English) "Borden formed a tandem with the remaining member – Jim ”Warrior” Hellwig – and headed to Memphis" 
  3. ^ Power Slam Staff. "In His Prime: Sting", Power Slam, SW Publishing LTD, March 2000, p. 36. Retrieved on 2007-06-23. (English) "the two greenhorns were completly clueless in the ring, and were soon sent on their way" 
  4. ^ Power Slam Staff. "In His Prime: Sting", Power Slam, SW Publishing LTD, March 2000, p. 36. Retrieved on 2007-06-23. (English) "Arriving in the Mid-South in 1986" 
  5. ^ Power Slam Staff. "In His Prime: Sting", Power Slam, SW Publishing LTD, March 2000, p. 36. Retrieved on 2007-06-23. (English) "as The Blade Runners, Sting (Borden) and Rock (Hellwig)" 
  6. ^ Power Slam Staff. "In His Prime: Sting", Power Slam, SW Publishing LTD, March 2000, p. 36. Retrieved on 2007-06-23. (English) 
  7. ^ Power Slam Staff. "In His Prime: Sting", Power Slam, SW Publishing LTD, March 2000, p. 36. Retrieved on 2007-06-23. (English) "When Rock moved on to World Class..." 
  8. ^ Black Pants, Inc (October 11). Online World of Wrestling: Nitro Results 1998 (English). WCW Results. onlineworldofwrestling.com. Retrieved on June 23, 2007. “Sting and The Warrior b Hollywood Hogan and Bret Hart by Disqualification”