Brutus Beefcake had enjoyed success as Greg “The Hammer” Valentine’s tag team partner (The Dream Team), winning the Tag Team Championship at one point, but his career would take off on February 16, 1987 with the birth of Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, one of the most popular gimmicks of the 1980s.
Once a heel
Brutus Beefcake was one of the best heels in the WWE, and he never got as much heat or success in that role than when he was teamed with Greg “the Hammer” Valentine to form The Dream Team. They were a constant nightmare for the British Bulldogs as the two teams met nearly every week on Saturday Night’s Main Event and WWF Superstars of Wrestling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxQOszq6dJg
At the time, the WWE had little to no recognizable tag teams aside from the above mentioned pairing and Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik. At the time, the tag team division was still under construction as Vince McMahon toyed with various combinations to find the right chemistry. While these three teams met each week like clockwork and usually in 2 out of 3 fall matches, they laid the groundwork for what would become a flourishing division in a few years.
The pompous way Beefcake carried himself (his name says it all) just made us want to hate him. And let’s be honest, those leggings didn’t do him any favors.
The combination of him and Valentine struck gold as their chemistry was impossible to ignore, and each match they had against the Bulldogs was a fun ride and really put the British Bulldogs over so well that it also raised them and Volkoff and Sheik teams into the stratosphere while other tag teams came and went.
In time, the tag division started to grow with some amazing teams as McMahon continued to hit the mark with proven singles stars. One of those teams were a personal favorite of mine called the Can-Am Connection made up of Rick Martel and Tom Zenk (Zenk would later be replaced by Tito Santana).
Little did we know this new team would provide the catalyst for a new uber popular face.
Cuttin’ and Struttin’
At a taping of the WWF Superstars of Wrestling, a routine six-man tag team match where the Can-Am Connection and Lanny Poffo beat Adrian Adonis and the Dream Team.
Leading up to this, “The Adorable” Adrian Adonis had been cutting his opponents’ hair to “prepare” himself for his upcoming hair versus hair match with “Rowdy” Roddy Piper at WrestleMania 3.
While Beefcake was beating on Martel in The Dream Team and Adonis’ corner, Jimmy Hart handed Adonis scissors to cut Martel’s hair. Martel reversed their positions and Adonis cut Beefcake’s hair by accident.
Of course, Adonis didn’t realize it until afterwards and Beefcake flipped out. Distracted, beefcake was rolled up by Martel for the win.
Beefcake would repair Adonis at WrestleMania 3 by helping Piper shave Adonis’ hair.
What made The Barber gimmick so memorable was Beefcake could act borderline psychotic during his promos and it made it must see.
Over the years, The Barber survived where Brutus Beefcake may not have, making the birth of Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake memorable for so many that loved the over the top promos and in ring action.
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