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Harlem Heat was a
professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establish ...
composed of two brothers, Booker and Lash Huffman (better known as Booker T and Stevie Ray). The team achieved their greatest success in
World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nati ...
(WCW), where they won the
WCW World Tag Team Championship The WCW World Tag Team Championship (previously NWA (Mid-Atlantic) World Tag Team Championship) was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) ...
a record ten times. Kevin Powers of
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
remarked: "When debating the greatest tag team in WCW history, Harlem Heat and
The Steiner Brothers The Steiner Brothers are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Robert "Rick Steiner" Rechsteiner and Scott "Scott Steiner" Rechsteiner. The brothers wrestled as amateurs at the University of Michigan. The team ma ...
are more or less interchangeable." Harlem Heat was inducted into the
WWE Hall of Fame The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when André the Giant was posthumously i ...
on April 6, 2019 as part of the 2019 class.


History


Western Wrestling Alliance (1989–1991)

Booker T and Stevie Ray started to team together as The Huffman Brothers in
Ivan Putski Józef Bednarski (born January 21, 1941) is a Polish former professional wrestler and bodybuilder, best known by the ring name Ivan Putski. He was given the nicknames "The Polish Hammer" and "Polish Power". Putski is a former WWF World Tag Team ...
's Western Wrestling Alliance after a brief feud with each other. Soon after, the WWA ceased operating and the brothers started touring the Texas independent circuit.


Global Wrestling Federation (1992–1993)

Huffman Brothers caught the eye of
Skandor Akbar Jimmy Saied Wehba (September 29, 1934 – August 19, 2010) was an American professional wrestler and manager better known by his ring name Skandor Akbar, which translates as "Alexander the Great". Akbar led the villainous stable Devastation, Inc. ...
who was involved with the
Global Wrestling Federation Global Wrestling Federation was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Dallas, Texas. It started in June 1991 and folded in September 1994. At one time its shows were presented on the ESPN television network. Often the promotion pr ...
out of
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
in 1992. The brothers were repackaged as The Ebony Experience and quickly rose through the ranks of the GWF tag team division under the guidance of Gary Hart, defeating Skandor Akbar's "Goodfellows" ("Gorgeous" Gary Young and Steve Dane) for the
GWF Tag Team Championship The GWF Tag Team Championship was the tag team title in the Global Wrestling Federation in Texas. The title existed from 1991 until 1994, when GWF closed. The title was featured on the promotion's show that aired nationally on ESPN. It is known a ...
on July 31, 1992. Their first run with the GWF tag title lasted only a week before they were defeated by The Blackbirds ( ”Iceman” King Parsons and Action Jackson). Booker and Stevie Ray made a comeback and defeated the cheating birds in September. The second run with the title lasted a bit longer than a week, but was ultimately short lived as the Rough Riders (Black Bart and Johnny Mantell) won the gold on October 23. The title loss was forced due to Booker T suffering a knee injury that needed surgery and time off to recover. In early 1993 the Ebony Experience returned to action and started to chase
The Bad Breed The Bad Breed was the professional wrestling tag team of Axl Rotten with his storyline brother/real life protégé Ian Rotten. The team achieved their greatest fame in the Philadelphia professional wrestling promotion Extreme Championship Wrestli ...
( Axl and
Ian Rotten John Benson Williams (born June 1, 1970) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Ian Rotten. He has wrestled in the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), the United States Wrestling As ...
) who had won the titles while Booker T recovered. On February 26 the Ebony Experience won their third GWF Tag Team championship, becoming the only team to hold that title three times. Their third run with the title proved to be their longest as they held them until May 7 where Guido Falcone and Vito Mussolini (known as The Sicilian Stallions) defeated them for the titles. Not long after this Booker T and Stevie Ray left the GWF, having signed with
World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nati ...
(WCW).


World Championship Wrestling


Early years (1993–1994)

On June 22, 1993, the brothers debuted in WCW as the tag team Harlem Heat, with Booker renamed Kole and Lash renamed Kane. They were then billed from Harlem. Originally, they were supposed to be a pair of wrestling slaves won in a card game by manager Col. Rob Parker, but was changed due to racial sensitivity based on their look, coming out to the ring in wrist and foot shackles. Harlem Heat debuted on WCW television by defeating local wrestlers Dave Hart and Mike Thor on the August 14 episode of ''
WorldWide Worldwide may refer to: * Pertaining to the entire world * Worldwide (rapper) (born 1986), American rapper * Pitbull (rapper) (born 1981), also known as Mr. Worldwide, American rapper * ''Worldwide'' (Audio Adrenaline album), 2003 * ''Worldwide' ...
''. On the August 21 episode of '' Saturday Night'', Harlem Heat became
villains A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...
by teaming with
Sid Vicious John Simon Ritchie (10 May 1957 – 2 February 1979), better known by his stage name Sid Vicious, was an English musician, best known as the bassist for the punk rock band Sex Pistols. Despite dying in 1979 at age 21, he remains an icon of the ...
to defeat
Ron Simmons Ronald Nasir Simmons (born May 15, 1958) is an American retired professional wrestler and football player. He performed for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) under his real name, and in the World Wres ...
,
2 Cold Scorpio Charles Bernard Scaggs (born October 25, 1965) is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name 2 Cold Scorpio (sometimes spelled Too Cold Scorpio). He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling, Extrem ...
and
Marcus Alexander Bagwell Marcus Alexander Bagwell (born January 10, 1970) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Buff Bagwell. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1991 to 2001, where he was a fi ...
in a six-man tag team match. Harlem Heat made their pay-per-view debut at
Fall Brawl Fall Brawl was an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and was held in September from 1993 through 2000. The name was derived from the fall edition of ''Clash of the Champions'', ca ...
on September 19 by teaming with Vader and Sid Vicious against Sting,
Davey Boy Smith David Smith (27 November 1962 – 18 May 2002) was an English professional wrestler. Born in Golborne, Lancashire, Smith is best known for his appearances in the United States with the World Wrestling Federation under the ring names Davey Bo ...
,
Dustin Rhodes Dustin Patrick Runnels (born April 11, 1969) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Dustin Rhodes. He is best known for his multiple tenures with WWE ...
, and The Shockmaster in the
WarGames match WarGames is a specialized steel cage match in professional wrestling. The match usually involves two teams of either four, five, or more wrestlers locked inside a steel cage that encompasses two rings placed side by side. The cage may or may not ...
. They lost the match but were over as villains because of the caliber of fan favorites they wrestled. Harlem Heat suffered their first televised loss in WCW against Sting and
Dustin Rhodes Dustin Patrick Runnels (born April 11, 1969) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Dustin Rhodes. He is best known for his multiple tenures with WWE ...
on the September 25 episode of ''Saturday Night''. Shortly after, Harlem Heat ended their association with Col. Robert Parker. The following month, at
Halloween Havoc Halloween Havoc is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE for the company's developmental brand, NXT. As the name implies, it is a Halloween-themed show held in October. It was originally produced as an annual pay-per-view ...
, Harlem Heat teamed with The Equalizer against The Shockmaster,
Ice Train The Intercity Express (commonly known as ICE ()) is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany. It also serves some destinations in Austria, Denmark (ceased in 2017 but planned to resume in 2022), France, Belgium, Switzerla ...
and
Charlie Norris Charles Norris (born October 21, 1965) is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his tenure in the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1993. He spent the majority of his career in Minnesota-based Pro Wrestling America (PWA), w ...
in a losing effort. At
Battlebowl BattleBowl was a one-time professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The show took place on November 20, 1993, at the Pensacola Civic Center in Pensacola, Florida. The event featured only the ...
, Kane was randomly partnered with Charlie Norris in a Lethal Lottery qualifying match against Big Van Vader and Cactus Jack in a losing effort. Kane was paired with Davey Boy Smith against
Road Warrior Hawk Michael Hegstrand (January 26, 1957 – October 19, 2003) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known as Road Warrior Hawk, one half of the tag team known as The Road Warriors (The Legion of Doom in WWF), with Road Warrior Animal. ...
and
Rip Rogers Mark Sciarra (born February 7, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Rip Rogers. Early life Sciarra was born in Seymour, Indiana on February 7, 1954. He graduated from Seymour High School in 1972 an ...
in a losing effort. At
SuperBrawl IV SuperBrawl IV was the fourth SuperBrawl professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The event took place on February 20, 1994 from the Albany Civic Center in Albany, Georgia. This event, along wi ...
on February 20, 1994, Harlem Heat defeated Thunder and
Lightning Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous release of an avera ...
. Shortly after, Harlem Heat engaged in a feud with Marcus Alexander Bagwell and 2 Cold Scorpio which led to the two teams exchanging wins with one another. Harlem Heat were soon joined by Ron Simmons while Ice Train joined Bagwell and Scorpio. Both teams traded wins in six-man tag team matches. In July, Kole and Kane changed their names back to Booker T and Stevie Ray.


World Tag Team Champions (1994–1996)

At Clash of the Champions XXIX, Sensuous Sherri joined Harlem Heat as their
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...
by helping them in defeating
The Nasty Boys The Nasty Boys are a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags. The team were active from the mid-1980s through the 1990s. Their gimmick was that of anti-social punks who specialized in hardcore wrestling and br ...
(
Brian Knobbs Brian Yandrisovitz (born May 6, 1964), better known as Brian Knobbs, is an operatic tenor and an American professional wrestler best known as half of the tag team The Nasty Boys with his partner Jerry Sags. Early life Knobbs was born on May 6 ...
and
Jerry Sags Jerome Saganowich (born July 5, 1964) is an American professional wrestler best known by his wrestling name Jerry Sags. He is a member of the tag team The Nasty Boys with partner and long-term friend Brian Knobbs. Early life and education Sags w ...
). On the December 3 episode of ''WorldWide'', Harlem Heat renamed her Sister Sherri. The alliance with Sherri led to Harlem Heat being elevated in the tag team division. Harlem Heat faced Nasty Boys in a rematch at
Starrcade Starrcade was a recurring professional wrestling event, originally broadcast via closed-circuit television and eventually broadcast via pay-per-view. It was originally held from 1983 to 2000, first by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) from 1 ...
, which Harlem Heat lost via disqualification. On December 8, Harlem Heat defeated Stars and Stripes ( The Patriot and
Marcus Alexander Bagwell Marcus Alexander Bagwell (born January 10, 1970) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Buff Bagwell. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1991 to 2001, where he was a fi ...
) to win their first
WCW World Tag Team Championship The WCW World Tag Team Championship (previously NWA (Mid-Atlantic) World Tag Team Championship) was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) ...
, which aired on the January 14, 1995 episode of ''Saturday Night''. Harlem Heat retained the titles against Stars and Stripes in a rematch at
Clash of the Champions XXX ''Clash of the Champions'' is an American series of professional wrestling television specials that were produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) in conjunction with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). T ...
. They continued their feud with the Nasty Boys, leading to a title defense against Nasty Boys at SuperBrawl V. Harlem Heat retained the titles via a disqualification win. At Uncensored, Harlem Heat lost to Nasty Boys in a non-title
falls count anywhere match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
. Harlem Heat finally lost the titles to Nasty Boys at
Slamboree Slamboree was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event from World Championship Wrestling (WCW) held from 1993 through 2000. It was originally billed as "A Legends' Reunion" because many retired legends from Jim Crockett Promotions attend ...
. Harlem Heat became tweeners and entered a feud with Col. Parker's Stud Stable of "Dirty" Dick Slater and
Bunkhouse Buck James "Jimmy" Golden (born August 1, 1950) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under the ring name Bunkhouse Buck. He also appeared in WWE as Jack Swagger Sr. A member o ...
. Harlem Heat defeated the team of Slater and Buck at
The Great American Bash The Great American Bash is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. Created by Dusty Rhodes, the event was established in 1985 and was originally produced by the National Wr ...
. On the June 24 episode of ''WorldWide'', Harlem Heat defeated Nasty Boys to win their second World Tag Team Championship after interference by
The Blue Bloods The Blue Bloods was a heel professional wrestling stable in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) that consisted of "Lord" Steven Regal, "Earl" Robert Eaton, and "Squire" David Taylor, along with their butler Jeeves, who operated in the middle to ...
(
Lord Steven Regal Darren Kenneth Matthews (born 10 May 1968), better known by the ring name William Regal, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is known for his over 20 years spent in WWE, as both a performer and an on-screen authority, and for his t ...
and Earl Robert Eaton). The title win was taped on May 3. At Bash at the Beach, Harlem Heat retained the titles against Nasty Boys and Blue Bloods in a triangle match. Harlem Heat lost the tag team titles to Slater and Buck on the July 22 episode of ''Saturday Night'', thanks to interference from Parker. At Clash of the Champions XXXI, Harlem Heat and Sherri defeated Slater, Buck and Parker in a six-person tag team match. As a result, Harlem Heat earned a tag team title shot against Slater and Buck at
Fall Brawl Fall Brawl was an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and was held in September from 1993 through 2000. The name was derived from the fall edition of ''Clash of the Champions'', ca ...
. Harlem Heat defeated Slater and Buck with help from Nasty Boys to win their third World Tag Team Championship. Parker and Sherri were carrying on a love affair and Parker eventually left the Stud Stable in favor of the Heat to be with Sherri. Just one night later, on ''
Monday Nitro ''WCW Monday Nitro'', also known as ''WCW Nitro'' or simply ''Nitro'', is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and broadcast weekly every Monday night on TNT in the United ...
'', Harlem Heat lost the tag team titles to The American Males (
Marcus Alexander Bagwell Marcus Alexander Bagwell (born January 10, 1970) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Buff Bagwell. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1991 to 2001, where he was a fi ...
and Scotty Riggs). On the October 28 episode of ''Saturday Night'', Harlem Heat defeated American Males to win their fourth World Tag Team Championship. This title change was taped on October 11. Harlem Heat lost the titles to
Lex Luger Lawrence Wendell Pfohl (born June 2, 1958), better known by the ring name Lex Luger, is an American retired professional wrestler, bodybuilder, and football player. In 2011 he began working with WWE on its wellness policy. He is best known for ...
and Sting on January 22, 1996 episode of ''Nitro''. Harlem Heat unsuccessfully challenged Luger and Sting for the titles at SuperBrawl VI. At Uncensored, Booker T teamed with Sting to defeat
The Road Warriors The Road Warriors, also known as the Legion of Doom, were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Road Warrior Hawk (Michael Hegstrand) and Road Warrior Animal (Joseph Laurinaitis).. They performed under the name "The Road Warriors" in t ...
( Hawk and
Animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Kingdom (biology), biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals Heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, are Motilit ...
) in a street fight to earn Harlem Heat, a title shot against Luger and Sting on the April 22 episode of ''Nitro'', which Harlem Heat lost. On the June 24 episode of ''Nitro'', Harlem Heat defeated Luger and Sting and
Steiner Brothers The Steiner Brothers are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Robert "Rick Steiner" Rechsteiner and Scott "Scott Steiner" Rechsteiner. The brothers wrestled as amateurs at the University of Michigan. The team ma ...
(
Rick Rick may refer to: People *Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name *Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality *Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...
and Scott) in a triangle match to win their fifth World Tag Team Championship. Harlem Heat lost the tag team titles to Steiner Brothers at a
live event A house show or live event is a professional wrestling event produced by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive du ...
on July 24. However, just three days later on July 27, Harlem Heat defeated Steiner Brothers to win their sixth World Tag Team Championship. Harlem Heat successfully defended the titles against Steiner Brothers at Hog Wild. At Clash of the Champions XXXIII, Harlem Heat retained the titles against Steiner Brothers and the team of Sting and Lex Luger in a triangle match as the match ended in a no contest when the referee Nick Patrick abruptly ended the match due to The Outsiders (
Kevin Nash Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959) is an American actor and retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) where he performed under his ...
and Scott Hall) just appearing at ringside. At
Fall Brawl Fall Brawl was an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and was held in September from 1993 through 2000. The name was derived from the fall edition of ''Clash of the Champions'', ca ...
, Harlem Heat successfully defended the titles against Nasty Boys. On the September 23 episode of ''Nitro'', Harlem Heat lost the titles to
Public Enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe ...
(
Rocco Rock Theodore James Petty (September 1, 1953 – September 21, 2002) was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name "Flyboy" Rocco Rock. Rock is best known for his appearances in Eastern Championship Wrestling / Extreme Champion ...
and
Johnny Grunge Michael Lynn Durham (July 10, 1966 – February 16, 2006) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Johnny Grunge. He is known for his appearances with Eastern/Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestli ...
). On the October 5 episode of ''Saturday Night'', Harlem Heat defeated Public Enemy in a rematch to win their seventh World Tag Team Championship. This match was taped on October 1. Harlem Heat lost the titles to The Outsiders at
Halloween Havoc Halloween Havoc is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE for the company's developmental brand, NXT. As the name implies, it is a Halloween-themed show held in October. It was originally produced as an annual pay-per-view ...
.


Managerial changes (1996–1997)

On the November 9 episode of ''Saturday Night'', Harlem Heat became full-fledged faces when they fired Col. Robert Parker and beat him up to rescue Sister Sherri. They briefly feuded against Parker's newest team The Amazing French Canadians, defeating them in a match at World War 3. At
Clash of the Champions XXXIV ''Clash of the Champions'' is an American series of professional wrestling television specials that were produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) in conjunction with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). T ...
on January 21, 1997, Harlem Heat defeated the team of The Renegade and Joe Gomez. Soon after, Harlem Heat took on The Public Enemy and
The Faces of Fear The Faces of Fear was a professional wrestling tag team of The Barbarian and Meng in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) that existed between 1996 and 1999. The two were first paired together in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as part of Th ...
(
Meng Meng may refer to: * Meng (surname) (孟), a Chinese surname * Master of Engineering (MEng or M.Eng.), an academic or professional master's degree in the field of engineering * , "M with hook", letter used in the International Phonetic Alphabet * ...
and The Barbarian) in a three-way dance at SuperBrawl VII, which Public Enemy won. The following month, at Uncensored, Harlem Heat defeated Public Enemy in a
Texas Tornado match Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder m ...
. At Spring Stampede, both members of Harlem Heat competed in a four corners match for a WCW World Heavyweight Championship title match. Lex Luger won the match. Shortly after, Harlem Heat got involved in a feud with the Steiner Brothers over contention for the World Tag Team Championship, leading to a match between the two teams at
The Great American Bash The Great American Bash is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. Created by Dusty Rhodes, the event was established in 1985 and was originally produced by the National Wr ...
, which Harlem Heat won by disqualification after New World Order (nWo) member
Vincent Vincent ( la, Vincentius) is a male given name derived from the Roman name Vincentius, which is derived from the Latin word (''to conquer''). People with the given name Artists *Vincent Apap (1909–2003), Maltese sculptor *Vincent van Gogh ...
interfered by attacking them. On the July 7 episode of ''Nitro'', they fired Sherri after her interference backfired, costing them a match against Public Enemy. Vincent's repeated interferences in matches resulted in Harlem Heat beginning a feud with nWo's Vicious and Delicious (Buff Bagwell and
Scott Norton Scott Norton (born June 15, 1961) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in World Championship Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, in which he was a member of the New World Order and nWo Japan. He ...
), leading to a match between the two teams at
Road Wild Road Wild (originally known as Hog Wild) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) that was held in the month of August from 1996 to 1999. It was a free event held in Sturgis, South Dakot ...
. During this match, Harlem Heat added
Jacqueline Jacqueline may refer to: People * Jacqueline (given name), including a list of people with the name * Jacqueline Moore (born 1964), ring name "Jacqueline", American professional wrestler Arts and entertainment * ''Jacqueline'' (1923 film), ...
as their new manager, who helped them in defeating Vicious and Delicious. After that, Harlem Heat resumed their feud with the Steiner Brothers, losing to them at
Fall Brawl Fall Brawl was an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and was held in September from 1993 through 2000. The name was derived from the fall edition of ''Clash of the Champions'', ca ...
.


Split and reunion (1997–1999)

By the end of 1997, Booker began transitioning into the singles competition as he won the World Television Championship, while continuing to team with Ray as well. However, in 1998, Harlem Heat quietly disbanded. Harlem Heat reunited once on the June 15 episode of ''Nitro'', where they unsuccessfully challenged Sting and Kevin Nash for the World Tag Team Championship. During this time, Stevie began attacking
Chris Benoit Christopher Michael Benoit (; May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career including most notably the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestlin ...
on several occasions, against whom Booker had recently competed in a best-of-seven series to determine the #1 contendership for the World Television Championship. This led to Harlem Heat reuniting once more on the June 29 episode of ''Nitro'', where they lost to Benoit and
Steve McMichael Stephen Douglas McMichael (born October 17, 1957), nicknamed "Mongo", "Ming" and "Ming the Merciless", is an American former professional football player, sports broadcaster, and professional wrestler. McMichael played college football for the U ...
. On the July 13 episode of ''Nitro'', Ray claimed the World Television Championship and began defending it by saying that Booker gave him the power of attorney to defend the title as Booker got injured due to being attacked by
Bret Hart Bret Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legend's contract. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling back ...
, the previous night at Bash at the Beach. Soon after, Ray joined the nWo. Despite being on opposite sides they managed to peacefully co-exist (despite Booker expressing dismay at Stevie for joining the nWo). In the summer of 1999, Booker began feuding with
The Jersey Triad The Jersey Triad was a triumvirate stable active in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from mid-to-late 1999. The group consisted of Diamond Dallas Page, Chris Kanyon and Bam Bam Bigelow. Their name came from the members being billed from New Jer ...
. On the July 29 episode of ''
Thunder Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...
'', the Jersey Triad triple-teamed Booker during his match against the Triad member
Bam Bam Bigelow Scott Charles Bigelow (September 1, 1961 – January 19, 2007) was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Bam Bam Bigelow. Recognizable by his close to 400-pound frame and the distinctive flame tattoo that spanned most ...
until Stevie made the save. After the match, Booker convinced Stevie to tear up the nWo shirt and reform Harlem Heat. On the August 2 episode of ''Nitro'', Harlem Heat competed in its first match as a team in over a year as the duo defeated Bigelow and
Kanyon The Poseidon (russian: Посейдон, "Poseidon", NATO reporting name Kanyon), previously known by Russian codename Status-6 (russian: Статус-6), is an autonomous, nuclear-powered unmanned underwater vehicle under development by Rub ...
, with assistance from Chris Benoit. This led to Harlem Heat challenging Bigelow and Kanyon for the World Tag Team Championship at
Road Wild Road Wild (originally known as Hog Wild) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) that was held in the month of August from 1996 to 1999. It was a free event held in Sturgis, South Dakot ...
. Harlem Heat won the match to begin their record-setting eighth tag team title reign. Harlem Heat lost the titles to
Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 19 ...
and
Kendall Windham Kendall Wayne Windham (born December 15, 1967) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is the son of Blackjack Mulligan and the brother of Barry Windham. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling. Professi ...
on the August 23 episode of ''Nitro''. The following month, at
Fall Brawl Fall Brawl was an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and was held in September from 1993 through 2000. The name was derived from the fall edition of ''Clash of the Champions'', ca ...
, Harlem Heat defeated the Windhams in a rematch to win their ninth World Tag Team Championship and retained the titles against Windhams on the September 27 episode of ''Nitro''. On the October 18 episode of ''Nitro'', Harlem Heat lost the tag team titles to
The Filthy Animals The Filthy Animals were a professional wrestling faction in World Championship Wrestling from 1999 until 2001. Concept The plan for the stable was to be WCW's version of the World Wrestling Federation's D-Generation X.Guerrero, Eddie. ''Cheatin ...
members
Konnan Charles Ashenoff (born Carlos Santiago Espada Moises; January 6, 1964),''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'', Dave Meltzer, ed., May 10, 2010, issue.Sims, Steve"Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame/Founded by Dave Meltzer - Konnan". Accessed August 1, 2016. O ...
and
Rey Mysterio Jr. Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Widely regarded as one of the greatest profe ...
However, six days later, at
Halloween Havoc Halloween Havoc is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE for the company's developmental brand, NXT. As the name implies, it is a Halloween-themed show held in October. It was originally produced as an annual pay-per-view ...
, Misterio was stripped off the title due to injury and the vacant title was put up in a
three-way dance Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
pitting Harlem Heat against Filthy Animals' Konnan and Kidman and The First Family (
Hugh Morrus William Charles DeMott II (born November 10, 1966) is an American retired professional wrestler and road agent and trainer. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as Hugh Morrus and World Wrestling Federatio ...
and
Brian Knobs Brian Yandrisovitz (born May 6, 1964), better known as Brian Knobbs, is an operatic tenor and an American professional wrestler best known as half of the tag team The Nasty Boys with his partner Jerry Sags. Early life Knobbs was born on May ...
). Harlem Heat defeated the two teams to win their record-setting tenth and final World Tag Team Championship. However, Harlem Heat lost the titles to Konnan and Kidman, the following night on ''Nitro''.


Harlem Heat 2000 (1999–2000)

On the November 1 episode of ''Nitro'', Creative Control (Gerald and Patrick) arrived in WCW and cost Stevie Ray, his match against Buff Bagwell in the tournament for the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship by attacking Bagwell causing Ray to get disqualified. However, Booker T rescued Ray from Creative Control. Later that night, Creative Control interfered in Booker's tournament match against
Jeff Jarrett Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett (born July 14, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and promoter. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he also serves as Director of Business Development. Beginning his career in his father ...
, allowing Jarrett to win. The following week, on ''Nitro'', Ray was suspended by "Powers That Be". Booker challenged Jarrett and Creative Control to a handicap Harlem Street Fight, which ended in a no contest after a female bodybuilder named Midnight made her WCW debut to rescue Booker. Midnight would rescue Booker again from Jarrett and Creative Control, after they cost him, his match against Scott Hall at Mayhem. She subsequently joined Harlem Heat. Stevie returned from suspension on the November 29 episode of ''Nitro'' to rescue Midnight from an assault by
Curt Hennig Curtis Michael Hennig (March 28, 1958 – February 10, 2003) was an American professional wrestler. He performed under his real name for promotions including the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF; now WWE) ...
. Dissension within the team began over Midnight on the December 13 episode of ''Nitro'', where Harlem Heat competed against The Revolution (
Dean Malenko Dean Simon (born August 4, 1960), better known by the ring name Dean Malenko, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a senior producer. He is best known for his time with Extreme ...
,
Perry Saturn Perry Arthur Satullo (born October 25, 1966) is an American retired professional wrestler known by his ring name, Perry Saturn. Since debuting in 1990, Saturn wrestled for promotions including Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Champions ...
and Asya) in a handicap match, which they lost when Booker tended to an injured Midnight while ignoring Ray, leaving him to get pinned by Malenko. Booker liked the addition of Midnight while Stevie neglected her help and started arguing with Booker. This difference within the group would cause Harlem Heat and Midnight to lose a six-person tag team match to Curt Hennig and Creative Control at
Starrcade Starrcade was a recurring professional wrestling event, originally broadcast via closed-circuit television and eventually broadcast via pay-per-view. It was originally held from 1983 to 2000, first by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) from 1 ...
. On the December 27 episode of ''Nitro'', Harlem Heat lost a match to
Lash LeRoux Mark LeRoux (born November 22, 1976) is an American cartoonist, caricature artist and retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Lash LeRoux. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling from the late- ...
and Midnight in a Lethal Lottery tournament for the vacant World Tag Team Championship, after Ray grew tired of Booker's affection towards Midnight and delivered '' Slapjacks'' to Booker, LeRoux and Midnight and walked out on the match. Ray eventually challenged Midnight to a match on the January 6, 2000 episode of ''Thunder'' that would decide whether she would stay with Harlem Heat. After being defeated with a surprise
small package In wrestling, a pin is achieved by holding an opponent's shoulders to the mat for a three count. Pinfall is the term used in professional wrestling which is a way to win the match for that person or team. Background A pinfall is a victory condi ...
, Stevie Ray turned on both Booker T and Midnight by attacking both of them. At
Souled Out Souled Out was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in January from 1997 through 2000. The 1997 and 1998 WCW Souled Out PPV events were held on Saturdays due to the Super Bowl played ...
, a match took place between Booker and Stevie, which ended in a disqualification when Big T made his WCW debut and attacked Booker. Stevie would form the new Harlem Heat with Big T and begin feuding with Booker and Midnight. Ray and Big T referred their new team as Harlem Heat 2000. On the January 30 episode of ''Nitro'', Harlem Heat acquired J. Biggs as their manager, who prevented Booker from using the "Rap Sheet" entrance music and "T" in his name. At
SuperBrawl 2000 SuperBrawl 2000 was the tenth SuperBrawl professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The event took place on February 20, 2000 from the Cow Palace in Cassius (formerly known as 4x4 from The No Limit Soldiers). From then on, Booker T would simply be referred to as "Booker" and began using a cartoonish theme called "The Woodchuck's Game" before eventually adopting the moniker of G.I. Bro as the leader of Misfits in Action. Stevie Ray subsequently formed Harlem Heat, Inc. with Big T, J. Biggs and Kash. Harlem Heat 2000 continued to feud with Booker as they lost to Booker and Kidman at Uncensored. Harlem Heat 2000 did not find much success as they lost most of their matches including the semifinal match in the tournament for the vacant World Tag Team Championship against the eventual tournament winners
Shane Douglas Troy Allan Martin (born November 21, 1964) is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (W ...
and Buff Bagwell at Spring Stampede and a handicap match against
Terry Funk Terrence Funk (born June 30, 1944) is an American retired professional wrestler, rapper, disc jockey and actor. Funk is known for the longevity of his career – which spanned more than 50 years and included multiple short-lived retirements – ...
for the Hardcore Championship on the May 10 episode of ''Thunder''. The team ultimately disbanded in June 2000 when Big T was released by WCW. This would result in Booker getting the "Rap Sheet" theme song and "T" name back. The original Harlem Heat duo of Booker T and Stevie Ray had one final reunion in WCW on the July 19 episode of ''Thunder'' where they defeated Jeff Jarrett and Rick Steiner in a tag team match. This marked their final time teaming in WCW before the promotion disbanded.


The Final Heat

On February 21, 2015, Booker T and Stevie Ray reunited as Harlem Heat for one last match at Booker T's promotion,
Reality of Wrestling Reality of Wrestling (ROW) is an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Houston, Texas. It was established as Pro Wrestling Alliance (PWA) in 2005 by Booker T. History Pro Wrestling Alliance The Pro Wrestling Alliance's first s ...
's The Final Heat event, where they defeated The New Heavenly Bodies for the ROW Tag Team Championship.


Championships and accomplishments

*
Cauliflower Alley Club The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America. Established in 1965 by Mike Mazurki and Art Abra ...
**Tag Team Award (2018) *
Global Wrestling Federation Global Wrestling Federation was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Dallas, Texas. It started in June 1991 and folded in September 1994. At one time its shows were presented on the ESPN television network. Often the promotion pr ...
**
GWF Tag Team Championship The GWF Tag Team Championship was the tag team title in the Global Wrestling Federation in Texas. The title existed from 1991 until 1994, when GWF closed. The title was featured on the promotion's show that aired nationally on ESPN. It is known a ...
( 3 times) * ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
'' ** Tag Team of the Year (1995, 1996) ** Ranked No. 62 of the 100 best tag teams of the ''PWI Years'' in 2003 *
Reality of Wrestling Reality of Wrestling (ROW) is an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Houston, Texas. It was established as Pro Wrestling Alliance (PWA) in 2005 by Booker T. History Pro Wrestling Alliance The Pro Wrestling Alliance's first s ...
** ROW Tag Team Championship (1 time) *
World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nati ...
**
WCW World Tag Team Championship The WCW World Tag Team Championship (previously NWA (Mid-Atlantic) World Tag Team Championship) was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) ...
( 10 times) **
WCW World Television Championship The WCW World Television Championship was a professional wrestling television championship owned by the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling (WCW) promotion. The title was created in 1974 by Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (MACW) as a ...
( 7 times) – Booker T (6), Stevie Ray (1) *
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
**
WWE Hall of Fame The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when André the Giant was posthumously i ...
( Class of 2019)


References


External links


Harlem Heat on Online World of Wrestling
{{WWE Hall of Fame Independent promotions teams and stables New Japan Pro-Wrestling teams and stables World Championship Wrestling teams and stables WWE Hall of Fame team inductees