The Blade Runners

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This article is about pro-wrestling. For other uses, see Blade Runner (disambiguation).
The Blade Runners
Tag team
MembersBlade Runner Rock/Freedom Fighter Justice
Blade Runner Sting/Freedom Fighter Flash
Name(s)Powerteam USA
The Freedom Fighters
The Blade Runners
Billed heightsRock:
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Sting:
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Combined
billed weight		530 lb (240 kg; 38 st)
Debut1985
Disbanded1986
Years active1985–1986, 1998
TrainerRick 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 look was from the new wave music scene with black eye paint and spiked hair with a rattail (Borden's bleached blonde and Hellwig's dyed black). The two men would go on to individual success under the ring names of Sting and the Ultimate Warrior, respectively.

History[]

Steve Borden and Jim Hellwig originally teamed as part of Powerteam USA, a group of four wrestlers who debuted in 1985 after being trained by Red Bastien and Rick Bassman. In addition to Borden and Hellwig, the group consisted of Garland Donoho and Mark Miller.[1] The team was managed by Bassman as they tried to break into the wrestling business. After only a short time in the business both Donoho and Miller quit due to lack of success and business savvy.[1]

Initially, Hellwig and Borden wrestled as The Freedom Fighters (Justice and Flash, respectively)[2] in Jerry Jarrett's Continental Wrestling Association[3] initially as fan favorites then later as villains, first led by "coach" Buddy Wayne,[4] then later under manager Dutch Mantel.[5] 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.[6]

On December 28 1985, the duo gave a TV interview with Lance Russell in which they wore black makeup and announced that they would henceforth be known as The Blade Runners (Hellwig was called Rock and Borden became Sting).[7] Shortly afterwards the team began working for Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling (renamed the Universal Wrestling Federation soon after) in early 1986.[8] 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.[9] In his autobiography The Road Warriors: Danger, Death, and the Rush of Wrestling, Joseph Laurinaitis (aka Road Warrior Animal) stated that Watts was the actual creator of the Blade Runners and that he brought them into Mid-South Wrestling with the intent of presenting them as a parody of The Road Warriors.[10]

Less than six months after arriving in Mid-South, Hellwig and Borden split up with Hellwig moving on to World Class Championship Wrestling, where he became known as The Dingo Warrior,[11] laying the foundation for his famous Ultimate Warrior gimmick in the WWF. Laurinaitis further stated that Hellwig kept the Warrior gimmick to present himself as an offspring of the Road Warriors.[10]

Borden remained in the UWF and under the tutelage of Eddie Gilbert for a while before turning face. As Sting, Borden was among the wrestlers whose contracts were acquired by Jim Crockett Jr. when he bought the UWF in 1987.

Reunion[]

The two men reunited for one match on WCW Monday Nitro on October 12, 1998, against Hollywood Hogan and Bret Hart of nWo Hollywood. However, the Blade Runners name was not used for this appearance. Sting and Warrior won the match via disqualification due to interference from the nWo.[12]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Power Slam Staff (March 2000). "In His Prime: Sting". Power Slam. SW Publishing LTD. p. 36. When Powerteam members Garland Donoho and Mark Miller...
  2. ^ Power Slam staff (March 2000). "In His Prime: Sting". Power Slam. SW Publishing LTD. p. 36. Known as The Freedom Fighters, Flash (Borden) and Justice (Hellwig)
  3. ^ Power Slam Staff (March 2000). "In His Prime: Sting". Power Slam. SW Publishing LTD. p. 36. Borden formed a tandem with the remaining member - Jim "Warrior" Helwig - and headed to Memphis
  4. ^ "January, February and March 1986 ... In the area at this time were such stars as .. The Blade Runners (eventually to become The Ultimate Warrior and Sting) with manager Buddy Wayne" - Kayfabe Memories Memphis/CWA 13 p2
  5. ^ "The Blade Runners – Rock aka Jim Justice & Sting aka Flash Borden under the management of Dutch Mantel" Pro Wrestling Stories
  6. ^ Power Slam staff (March 2000). "In His Prime: Sting". Power Slam. SW Publishing LTD. p. 36. the two greenhorns were completely clueless in the ring, and were soon sent on their way
  7. ^ Power Slam staff (March 2000). "In His Prime: Sting". Power Slam. SW Publishing LTD. p. 36. as The Blade Runners, Sting (Borden) and Rock (Hellwig)
  8. ^ "In His Prime: Sting". Power Slam. SW Publishing LTD. March 2000. p. 36. Arriving in the Mid-South in 1986
  9. ^ "In His Prime: Sting". Power Slam. SW Publishing LTD. March 2000. p. 36.
  10. ^ a b Laurinitis, Joe "Animal"; with Wright, Andrew William (2001). The Road Warriors – Danger, Death and the Rush of Wrestling. Medallion Press. ISBN 978-1-60542-142-1.
  11. ^ Power Slam staff (March 2000). "In His Prime: Sting". Power Slam. SW Publishing LTD. p. 36. When Rock moved on to World Class...
  12. ^ Black Pants, Inc (October 11, 1998). "Online World of Wrestling: Nitro Results 1998". WCW Results. onlineworldofwrestling.com. Retrieved June 23, 2007. Sting and The Warrior b Hollywood Hogan and Bret Hart by Disqualification
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