“The bad thing about the Bushwhackers is that win, lose or draw, you gotta have everything you’ve got fumigated”. This was a classic one liner from Bobby Heenan when talking about one of the most popular tag teams in WWE history.

The Bushwhackers were one of my favourite teams growing up at a time when tag team wrestling in the WWF. Kayfabe cousins Butch and Luke debuted in the WWF in 1988 at a time when they had already been in the business over 20 years. Despite never winning tag team gold in the WWF they can close on a number of occasions and their unique comedic style irritated their opponents and was loved by fans.

A few years after first watching the Bushwhackers, I was shocked when I saw the some clips of violent from earlier in the 1980’s of a team called the Sheepherders. Although completely different in terms of in ring style, they were in fact the same team I enjoyed watching in the WWF.

The Sheepherders had great success winning titles in promotions such as the Continental Wrestling Alliance, National Wrestling Alliance, Stampede, Universal Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Council.

In the WWF they were more limited in ring but made up for it with their charisma and ability to excite a crowd. Their antics appealed to fans young and old and included licking fans and the Bushwhacker walk which involved swinging your arms in the air. One of my favourite moments involved Luke in the 1991 Royal Rumble where he did the Bushwhacker walk towards the ring, entered, was immediately thrown and by Earthquake and then continued doing the Bushwhacker walk to the back.

My favourite Bushwhackers feuds involved them facing The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, The Nasty Boys and the Beverly Brothers. The feud with the Rougeau Brothers ended with the biggest WrestleMania moment of the Bushwhackers career. At WrestleMania V they overcame illegal double teaming and interference from Jimmy Hart to get the victory with Luke pinning Raymond Rougeau after a Battering Ram followed by a double kneedrop.

The Nasty Boys were a frequent opponent during the early 1990’s and when Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags won the tag team titles, the Bushwhackers earned a title shot on Saturday Nights Main Event. Tag team gold wasn’t to be but they pushed the champions to the limit.

Another memorable Bushwhackers feud from the early 1990’s was against the Beverly Brothers Beau and Blake. After suffering defeat in a match at the 1992 Royal Rumble, the Bushwhackers gained revenge in the dark match at WrestleMania ViII in front of over sixty thousand fans.

SummerSlam 1992 saw an even bigger crowd as the Bushwhackers teamed with Jim Duggan to defeat The Mountie and The Nasty Boys in six man tag team action.

The versatility of the Bushwhackers led to them being regularly call upon for personal appearances, media appearances and recording humorous segments for Coliseum home videos.

A key feature of the Bushwhackers matches were their interactions with heel managers such as Bobby Heenan, Jimmy Hart and The Genius. Luke and Butch always knew the best way to get the maximum reaction from the crowd as they chased and eventually caught those dastardly heels.

Whether taking part in violent feuds as The Sheepherders or whether entertaining the fans as The Bushwhackers, Luke Williams and Butch Miller were one of the greatest of the 1980’s and 1990’s.

In 2015, an emotional night saw them inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. This was a deserved honour for a career spanning 36 years which saw them wrestle across a number of continents and be a key part of the one of the biggest growth periods in WWF history.