The American Males

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The American Males
Tag Team
Members Marcus Alexander Bagwell
Scotty Riggs
Heights Bagwell:
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Riggs:
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Combined weight 489 lb (222 kg/34.9 st)
Debut 1995
Disbanded 1996
Promotions WCW

The American Males were a professional wrestling tag team in World Championship Wrestling comprised of Marcus Bagwell and Scott Riggs.[1] Their gimmick was of two "pretty boys", fond of their own bodies and popular with women.

[edit] History

The American Males were formed in August 1995 when Scott Antol signed a World Championship Wrestling (WCW) contract and was placed with "tag team specialist" Marcus Bagwell. In the process both men changed their ring names, Antol changing his last name to "Riggs" and Bagwell shortening his first name to simply Mark. Once together they both wore leather vests to the ring and began clapping their hands over their head in time with their entrance music, which sang their praises between choruses of the team name being repeated over and over.

Almost immediately the team won the WCW World Tag Team Championship, defeating Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray) in an upset win in an impromptu match on the third episode of WCW Monday Night Nitro[2]. Unfortunately for the team they lost the titles back to Harlem Heat one week later on WCW Saturday Night.[3] For the rest of 1995 and through most of 1996 they bounced around the tag team division, but never reached the same heights as when they were champions.

In October 1996 the team began showing (kayfabe) signs of cracking[4] which intensified over the weeks[5] until Bagwell joined the New World Order, turning on Riggs in the process, during the November 25 Nitro[6].

Following the breakup the former partners feuded for a while, with Bagwell getting the better of Riggs.[7][8][9] Riggs would go on to briefly feud with Raven, later joining The Flock, while Bagwell formed Vicious and Delicious with Scott Norton and then suffered a severe neck injury.

In 2000, when Riggs joined Extreme Championship Wrestling he did a parody of the American Males gimmick, calling himself "the U.S. Male", using their overhead clap and naming his new finisher "the Clap".

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

[edit] References

  1. ^ American Males profile. onlineworldofwrestling.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-03.
  2. ^ WCW Monday Nitro results - September 18, 1995. DDTDigest.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-03. “Your Winners: American Males via pinfall to become the new WCW World Heavyweight Tag Team Champions.”
  3. ^ a b WCW World Tag Team Title. Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-02.
  4. ^ This Week In The WCW - 10/19/96 - 10/21/96. DDTDigest.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-03. “it's looking like the American Males are heading for a split with Bagwell turning heel and Riggs staying a face”
  5. ^ This Week In The WCW - 11/16/96 - 11/18/96. DDTDigest.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-03. “This match was another in a seemingly endless string of set ups for the coming split of the American Males.”
  6. ^ This Week In The WCW - 11/23/96 - 11/25/96. DDTDigest.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-03. “Bagwell embraced the the members of the nWo. Riggs hesitated so Bagwell gave him a Rude Awakening.”
  7. ^ This Week In The WCW - 01/11/97 - 01/13/97. DDTDigest.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-02. “Scotty Riggs pinned Billy Kidman with a Perfectplex.
    Bagwell scouted the match from the entrance area.”
  8. ^ This Week In The WCW - 03/01/97 - 03/03/97. DDTDigest.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-02. “Scotty Riggs def. M. Wallstreet via DQ when Buff Bagwell ran in to break up a pin after Riggs gave Wallstreet a really lame flying forearm.”
  9. ^ This Week In The WCW - 03/01/97 - 03/03/97. DDTDigest.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-02. “Buff Bagwell defeated Scotty Riggs in a four-corners strap match.”