Death & Destruction 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 o ...
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 Frank "The Tank" Parker (March 21, 1970) and "Ruthless" Roger Anderson (September 20, 1967). They competed in numerous regional and independent promotions throughout the
Southern United States
The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
in the 1990s, and were arguably one of the region's top
"heel" teams during this period.
In their seven years as a team, Parker and Anderson competed in
Atlantic Coast Championship Wrestling,
Cueball Carmichael
Chris Jackson (born June 10, 1960) is an American professional wrestler, trainer and promoter, known by his ringname Cueball Carmichael, who competes in the Mid-Atlantic and East Coast independent circuit. He has wrestled and won titles in the ...
's
Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance
The Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance (IPWA, sometimes shortened to the Independent Pro Wrestling Alliance) was an American independent professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, ...
,
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and former professional wrestling governing body operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc.
Founded in 1948, the NWA ...
, North American Wrestling Association,
OMEGA
Omega (; capital: Ω, lowercase: ω; Ancient Greek ὦ, later ὦ μέγα, Modern Greek ωμέγα) is the twenty-fourth and final letter in the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numeric system/isopsephy (gematria), it has a value of 800. The wo ...
,
Southern Championship Wrestling
Southern Championship Wrestling (SCW) was a professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Southeastern United States, especially in eastern and central North Carolina, from November 1994 to November 2004, when it was run by Greg Mosorja ...
,
Southern States Wrestling
Southern States Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Kingsport, Tennessee. Founded by wrestler Beau James in early 1991, SSW (along with NWA Bluegrass) succeeded Smoky Mountain Wrestling as the top promo ...
,
Virginia Championship Wrestling, and the
United States Wrestling Association
The United States Wrestling Association (USWA) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. The company was founded when the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association merged with the Dallas-based World Class Wrestling ...
. They also occasionally appeared in the
World Wrestling Federation
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 vario ...
during the "
Attitude Era
The Attitude Era was a term used by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now known as World Wrestling Entertainment or WWE) to describe the company's programming from November 9, 1997 to May 6, 2002. It started during the Monday Night Wars, a pe ...
".
The two men won numerous tag titles and, among their list of accomplishments, were the first-ever
IPWA Tag Team Champions, winning the title a record 3-times, former
SCW Tag Team Champions, and 8-time
SSW Tag Team Champions. They were also the first and longest reigning VCW Tag Team Champions, defending the belts for more than two years, and the last
NWA National Tag Team Champions
NWA or Nwa most commonly refers to:
* N.W.A ("Niggaz Wit Attitudes"), a hip hop group from Compton, California, US
* National Wrestling Alliance, a professional wrestling organization
NWA or Nwa may refer to:
Music
* New Weird America, a subgenr ...
before the title was retired in 1997.
They also gained notoriety on the Southern independents feuding with the likes of
The Batten Twins
The Batten Twins were a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of twin brothers Bart and Brad Batten. They performed under the "Batten Twins" name in Central States Wrestling, Continental Wrestling Association, International Championship Wre ...
(Brad and Bart Batten), Serial Thrillaz (
Shane Helms
Gregory Shane Helms (born July 12, 1974) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed with WWE under a legends contract, as a wrestler and as a backstage producer. In WWE, Helms has wrestled as The Hurricane, Gregory Helms, and Hu ...
and Mike Maverick),
Thug Life
Thug Life was an American hip hop group that consisted of Tupac, Big Syke, Mopreme, Macadoshis, and The Rated R. They released one album, 1994's '' Thug Life: Volume 1'', before disbanding in 1995.
Etymology
According to Tupac, the name orig ...
(
Christian Cage
William Jason Reso (born November 30, 1973) is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Christian Cage. He is best known for his tenure in WWE under the ring name Christ ...
and
Sexton Hardcastle
Adam Joseph Copeland (born October 30, 1973), is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Edge. He is considered to be one of the greatest professional wr ...
), The Fantastic Express (
Ricky Morton
Richard Wendell Morton (born September 21, 1956) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, currently performing on the independent circuit. He is the current GCW Television Champion, after pinning Matt Cardona at GCW Say You Wi ...
and
Bobby Fulton
James Hines (born October 4, 1960) is a retired American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Bobby Fulton. He was one half of the tag team The Fantastics with Tommy Rogers.
Professional wrestling career
James Hines started wre ...
), and
The Rock 'n' Roll Express
The Rock 'n' Roll Express is a professional wrestling tag team consisting of professional wrestlers Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton. The duo began teaming together in Memphis in the early 1980s, followed by Mid-South Wrestling (later to be known a ...
(Ricky Morton and
Robert Gibson).
["The PWI 500." '']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 Publish ...
''. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: London Publishing Company. (Holiday 1997): pg. 50–51.["The PWI 500." '']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 Publish ...
''. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: London Publishing Company. (Holiday 1998): pg. 64, 67.["The PWI 500." '']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 Publish ...
''. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: London Publishing Company. (Holiday 1999): pg. 64, 65.
History
Early years
Frank Parker and Roger Anderson first met while competing with
Jimmy Valiant
James Harold Fanning (born August 6, 1942) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Jimmy Valiant.
Early life
Fanning was born in Tullahoma as the youngest of five children of James and Effie Fanning. He later incorpo ...
in local independent promotions in Virginia, such as Mike Sampson's United Wrestling Association, in the summer of 1994. Initially brought together by Valiant, Parker's former trainer,
the two men began teaming as "Death & Destruction" on the Southeastern independent circuit the following year.
Southern States Wrestling (1995–1996)
By mid-1995, Death & Destruction had made their debut in
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
's
Southern States Wrestling
Southern States Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Kingsport, Tennessee. Founded by wrestler Beau James in early 1991, SSW (along with NWA Bluegrass) succeeded Smoky Mountain Wrestling as the top promo ...
. They quickly captured the
promotion's tag team championship from The Young Guns (Scott Sterling and Jeff Lovin) in
Fall Branch on September 4, 1995. Their first championship reign lasted over three months until their defeat by Beau James and Dan Cooley on December 1, 1995. Although they regained it in
Princeton, West Virginia
Princeton, is a city in and the county seat of Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The city is coined the "Heart of Mercer County" or the "Jewel of the South" in past decades. The population was 6,432 at the 2010 census with approximat ...
the following night, the team dropped the belts to Beau James and
Ricky Morton
Richard Wendell Morton (born September 21, 1956) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, currently performing on the independent circuit. He is the current GCW Television Champion, after pinning Matt Cardona at GCW Say You Wi ...
a week later in
Ledger, North Carolina.
Their third reign started after beating The Beautiful Blondes (
Eddie Golden
Harold Edward Cox (born November 4, 1973) is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and trainer better known by his ring name Eddie Golden. He was one of the top junior heavyweights in the Southern United States during the 1990s and won n ...
and Stan Lee) in Fall Branch on February 16, 1996. They traded the belts with The Fantastic Express (Ricky Morton and
Bobby Fulton
James Hines (born October 4, 1960) is a retired American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Bobby Fulton. He was one half of the tag team The Fantastics with Tommy Rogers.
Professional wrestling career
James Hines started wre ...
) in
Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City is a city in Washington, Carter, and Sullivan counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, mostly in Washington County. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 71,046, making it the eighth largest city in Tennessee. John ...
during the spring before eventually losing the titles to Scott Sterling and Dan Cooley on September 2, 1996.
Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance (1996–1997)
Earlier that year, Death & Destruction began wrestling for
Cueball Carmichael
Chris Jackson (born June 10, 1960) is an American professional wrestler, trainer and promoter, known by his ringname Cueball Carmichael, who competes in the Mid-Atlantic and East Coast independent circuit. He has wrestled and won titles in the ...
's Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance in
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...
. They became the first-ever
IPWA Tag Team Champions, defeating the American Patriot and Kevin Dillon, on the promotions's first show in
Manassas on March 9, 1996.
They would go on to win the tag team titles a record 3-times during their 15 months in the IPWA.
That summer,
Wahoo McDaniel
Edward Hugh McDaniel (June 19, 1938 – April 18, 2002) was an American Choctaw-Chickasaw professional American football player and professional wrestler better known by his ring name Wahoo McDaniel. He is notable for having held the NWA United S ...
came out of retirement to team with
"Beastmaster" Rick Link against Parker and Anderson at an ACW show in North Carolina.
Their loss to
MEWF Tag Team Champions Darkside (
Glen Osbourne
Glen Osbourne (born June 5, 1971) is an American professional wrestler, perhaps best known for his appearances with Eastern Championship Wrestling in the early 1990s, where he was the second ever, and the overall second youngest holder of the pro ...
and
Rockin' Rebel
Charles Williams (January 13, 1966 – June 1, 2018) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Rockin' Rebel. He was best known for his appearances on the U.S. independent circuit with promotions such as Eastern Cham ...
) in a "champions vs. champions", occurring during the team's second run as champions, saw Darkside win both the IPWA and MEWF titles. Death & Destruction's third and final reign began following their victory over
Steve Corino
Steven Eugene "Steve" Corino (born May 29, 1973) is a Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler currently signed with WWE as a trainer and producer for their developmental territory NXT. He is best known for his tenure with Extreme Championship ...
and
Adam Flash
Douglas Adam Becker (born on October 22, 1971) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Adam Flash. Over his career, he has worked for various independent promotions, including Maryland Championship Wrestling, Independ ...
on March 22, 1997, in
Goldsboro, North Carolina
Goldsboro, originally Goldsborough, is a city and the county seat of Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 33,657 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of and is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropol ...
and lasted until the championship became vacated that summer.
It was around this time that Parker and Anderson won the briefly revived
NWA National Tag Team Championship
The NWA National Tag Team Championship was the major tag team title in the NWA-affiliated Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1980 until 1986. The championship was introduced in November 1980 when Georgia Tag Team Champions The Fabulous Freebirds ...
before it was retired that same year.
[Goodman, Larry. "5/7 Mark Curtis Memorial show report." ''DeclarationofIndependents.net.'' Ed. Sean McCaffrey. N.p., May. 2005. Web. 5 October 2011. .] A few months later, while working for Virginia Championship Wrestling, they also became the promotion's first tag team champions and held the titles over two years.
Southern Championship Wrestling (1997–1998)
Parker and Anderson spent much of 1997 in
Southern Championship Wrestling
Southern Championship Wrestling (SCW) was a professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Southeastern United States, especially in eastern and central North Carolina, from November 1994 to November 2004, when it was run by Greg Mosorja ...
with manager
Count Grog
Greg Mosorjak (born June 21, 1961), better known as Count Grog, is an American professional wrestling manager, referee, ring announcer, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Cueball Carmichael's Independent Professio ...
where they feuded with Serial Thrillaz (
Shane Helms
Gregory Shane Helms (born July 12, 1974) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed with WWE under a legends contract, as a wrestler and as a backstage producer. In WWE, Helms has wrestled as The Hurricane, Gregory Helms, and Hu ...
and Mike Maverick) and Thug Life (
Christian Cage
William Jason Reso (born November 30, 1973) is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Christian Cage. He is best known for his tenure in WWE under the ring name Christ ...
and
Sexton Hardcastle
Adam Joseph Copeland (born October 30, 1973), is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Edge. He is considered to be one of the greatest professional wr ...
).
On June 14, 1997, they won the
SCW Tag Team Titles from
C. W. Anderson and David Dawson (substituting for
Pat Anderson) in
Butner, North Carolina
Butner is a town in Granville County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,397 as of the 2020 census. Butner was managed by the state of North Carolina from 1947 through 2007.
History
A bill passed by the North Carolina General ...
and lost the belts to Northern Exposure (C. W. Anderson and
Cueball Carmichael
Chris Jackson (born June 10, 1960) is an American professional wrestler, trainer and promoter, known by his ringname Cueball Carmichael, who competes in the Mid-Atlantic and East Coast independent circuit. He has wrestled and won titles in the ...
) in
Louisburg in the fall.
On August 15, 1997, Death & Destruction lost to
"Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez and Victor Steamboat at the ''IWA Night of Legends'' show in
Kannapolis, North Carolina
Kannapolis () is a city in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, Cabarrus and Rowan County, North Carolina, Rowan counties, in the U.S. state of North Carolina, northwest of Concord, North Carolina, Concord and northeast of Charlotte, North Carolina, ...
.
Death & Destruction also received a tryout match for the
World Wrestling Federation
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 vario ...
at the end of the year. Their first WWF appearance saw them take on
The Legion of Doom
The Legion of Doom is a group of supervillains who originated in ''Challenge of the Super Friends'', an animated series from Hanna-Barbera based on DC Comics' Justice League. The Legion of Doom has since been incorporated into the main DC Univers ...
(
Hawk
Hawks are bird of prey, birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica.
* The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. Th ...
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 ...
) on the December 6th 1997 edition ''
Shotgun Saturday Night
''WWF Shotgun Saturday Night'' is a professional wrestling television program that was produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It aired from January 4, 1997 through August 21, 1999 as a syndicated broadcast. ''Shotgun Saturday Night'' ...
'' which ended in a
double-countout.
The team's name was not used, with Anderson wrestling as "Roger Hill", however
color commentator
A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The phrase "colour commentator" is primarily used in Canadian English and t ...
Jim Cornette
James Mark "Jim" Cornette (born September 17, 1961) is an American author and podcaster who has previously worked in the professional wrestling industry as an agent, booker, color commentator, manager, promoter, trainer, and occasional prof ...
made a
hidden reference to their independent work when, during the match, he commented that "the LOD
redestroying their opponents so badly, they might as well call them death and destruction."
Southern States Wrestling (1997–1998)
Back in SSW, Death & Destruction continued to dominate the tag team division. On July 4, 1997, they defeated Beau James and War Machine in
Fall Branch, Tennessee
Fall Branch is a census-designated place (CDP) in Washington County, Tennessee, Washington and Greene County, Tennessee, Greene counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The population was 1,291 at the 2010 census. Some areas in Sullivan County, Te ...
for the SSW Tag Team Championship. They lost the titles to Beau James and a new partner,
K. C. Thunder, at an October 18 show in
Mountain City, Tennessee
Mountain City is a town in and the county seat of Johnson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,383 at the 2000 census and 2,531 at the 2010 census. It is the northeasternmost county seat in Tennessee. In addition, at an elevatio ...
. The team won them back on December 19, 1997, and spent another three months as champions before losing the titles to Mike Cooper and Super Masked Man in Fall Branch on March 20, 1998.
Independent circuit (1998–1999)
By the late 1990s, Death & Destruction had established themselves as one of the top tag teams in the Southern independents and were most active in eastern Tennessee, Virginia and the Carolinas.
[Lane, Matthew. "Southern States Wrestling Friday Nov 13, Kingsport, TN." ''DeclarationofIndependents.net.'' Ed. Sean McCaffrey. N.p., 2009. Web. 5 October 2011. .] Fans appreciated their hard-hitting style and adherence to traditional
Southern-style 'Rasslin' reminiscent of
the bygone territory-era.
Dean Rasmussen, editor-in-chief of Death Valley Driver Video Review, put them in a class of modern-day Southern brawlers such as
C. W. Anderson and
Eddie Golden
Harold Edward Cox (born November 4, 1973) is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and trainer better known by his ring name Eddie Golden. He was one of the top junior heavyweights in the Southern United States during the 1990s and won n ...
. DVDVR also listed both Parker (118) and Anderson (149) in the "Death Valley Driver 500" in 2001. Their former manager, Count Grog, named both men as his top 10 favorite wrestlers of all time. He specifically named Parker as his favorite American wrestler, claiming that he would have been a major territorial star in the 1970s, and expressed his surprise that neither had yet to be signed by either WCW or the WWF.
In early-1998, they started working for
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
promoter Jim Hawkins and his
Atlantic Coast Championship Wrestling beating The Country Cousins (R.J. Stomper and Cousin Elmer) for the
ACCW Tag Team Championship on April 11, 1998, in
Buckhannon, West Virginia
Buckhannon is the only incorporated city in, and the county seat of, Upshur County, West Virginia, Upshur County, West Virginia, United States, and is located along the Buckhannon River. The population was 5,299 at the 2020 United States Census ...
. They held on to the titles for most of the year before dropping them to the Baltimore Bad Boys (Eddie Edmonds and Mike Morgan) on October 10, 1998.
Parker and Anderson also continued feuding with the Serial Thrillaz over the
OMEGA Tag Team Championship
The OMEGA Tag Team Championship is the top tag team title in the Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts independent professional wrestling promotion
Promotion may refer to:
Marketing
* Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mi ...
in
Matt and Jeff Hardy's
OMEGA
Omega (; capital: Ω, lowercase: ω; Ancient Greek ὦ, later ὦ μέγα, Modern Greek ωμέγα) is the twenty-fourth and final letter in the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numeric system/isopsephy (gematria), it has a value of 800. The wo ...
as well as in SCW.
In Appalachian Mountain Wrestling later that year, Death & Destruction defeated Bryan Wayne and Scott Sterling (substituting for Stan Lee) in
Coeburn, Virginia
Coeburn is a town in Wise County, Virginia, United States, along the Guest River. The population was 2,139 at the 2010 census.
History
The Town of Coeburn was originally named Guest Station after explorer and surveyor Christopher Gist. Gist wr ...
for the APW Tag Team Championship.
Southern States Wrestling (1999)
In January 1999, Parker and Anderson began challenging then SSW Tag Team Champions The Christian Brothers (Danny & Bam Bam Christian). The two teams battled in a memorable brawl on the January 24th "Southern States Wrestling TV Special" in
Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport is a city in Sullivan and Hawkins counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, its population was 55,442. Lying along the Holston River, Kingsport is commonly included in what is known as the Mountain Empire, w ...
before defeating them for the titles in Kingsport a week later.
While still champions, they made their second WWF appearance as a team wrestling
The Hardy Boyz
The Hardys, also known as The Hardy Boyz, are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of real-life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy, who are currently appearing in All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The team is currently inactive due to Jeff ...
(
Matt and
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero Hardy (born August 31, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and musician. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Hardy is widely considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all-time and is regarded ...
) at the sold-out
UTC Arena
McKenzie Arena (also called "The Roundhouse") is the primary basketball arena for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) in Chattanooga in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It replaced Maclellan Gymnasium, a 4,177-seat gymnasium now used fo ...
in
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...
in front of 7,900 fans; the match later aired on the February 27th edition of ''
Shotgun Saturday Night
''WWF Shotgun Saturday Night'' is a professional wrestling television program that was produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It aired from January 4, 1997 through August 21, 1999 as a syndicated broadcast. ''Shotgun Saturday Night'' ...
''.
They lost the belts back to the Christians back in Kingsport on April 25.
The feuding continued, however, and a three-way match between the Christian Brothers, Death & Destruction and Steve Flynn & K. C. Thunder on July 10 in Kingsport, saw the titles go to the third team. The titles were eventually held up and declared vacant following "a wild brawl" between the three teams, with Beau James substituting for K. C. Thunder, on September 10. Parker and Anderson won the vacant titles in a match against the Memphis Bodyguards to begin their eighth and final title reign. They regularly appeared on the promotion's short-lived television show, defending the championship against such opponents as Joe Fillers & Slammin' Sam and The British Knights, before
The New Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Ricky Harrison) defeated them for the belts in
Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City is a city in Washington, Carter, and Sullivan counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, mostly in Washington County. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 71,046, making it the eighth largest city in Tennessee. John ...
on December 12, 1999.
They also met
The Batten Twins
The Batten Twins were a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of twin brothers Bart and Brad Batten. They performed under the "Batten Twins" name in Central States Wrestling, Continental Wrestling Association, International Championship Wre ...
(Brad and Bart Batten) in Appalachia Pro Wrestling that same month.
Final years (1999–2002)
While continuing to wrestle for SSW, and after their departure, Death & Destruction continued touring the Southern independents. In the summer of 1999, Parker and Anderson were among the wrestlers who participated in the "
Curtis Comes Home" supercard, a benefit show for
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 Nation ...
referee
A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other titl ...
Brian Hildebrand
Brian Curtis Hildebrand (January 21, 1962 – September 8, 1999) was an American professional wrestling manager, wrestler and referee who sometimes went by the name of Mark Curtis. Although trained in brawling, technical, and high-flying wrestli ...
, held at the Ice Gardens in
Rostraver, Pennsylvania on July 30. The show featured wrestlers from
Extreme Championship Wrestling
HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media company that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as National Wrest ...
, World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation. They were originally scheduled to wrestle
The Public Enemy
''The Public Enemy'' (''Enemies of the Public'' in the UK) is a 1931 American all-talking pre-Code gangster film produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The film was directed by William A. Wellman and stars James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Edward ...
(
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 Championsh ...
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 Wrestl ...
), however, Beau James ended up teaming Roger Anderson while Parker wrestled
Julio Sanchez in a singles match; their longtime rival wrestled as an official member of Death & Destruction for one-night only. Like the rest of the talent, Parker and Anderson wrestled without payment in order to ensure that the maximum amount of money was raised. Parker and Anderson were both part of SSW's tribute to Mark Curtis, the
Mark Curtis Weekend of Champions, which raised funds for the
Children's Miracle Network
Children's Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN Hospitals) (French: Réseau Enfants-Santé (RES)) is a nonprofit organization that raises funds for children's hospitals in the U.S. and Canada. Donations support the health of 10 million children each ...
. The team defeated Something Else (John Noble and Ed Browning) for the NCW Tag Team Championship at the second annual Weekend of Champions.
They also wrestled for KYDA Pro Wrestling, affiliated with
Cueball Carmichael
Chris Jackson (born June 10, 1960) is an American professional wrestler, trainer and promoter, known by his ringname Cueball Carmichael, who competes in the Mid-Atlantic and East Coast independent circuit. He has wrestled and won titles in the ...
's Keep Your Dreams Alive
wrestling school
Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence o ...
in
Staunton, Virginia
Staunton ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 25,750. In Virginia, independent cities a ...
, which saw the team briefly split up. On March 11, 2000, a match between the two ended in a 10-minute time limit draw. They wrestled
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 brawl ...
(
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 ...
) in the Southeast Wrestling Alliance on May 6, 2001, the team's first appearance together since Sags suffered a career-ending neck injury several years earlier. On June 2, 2001, at the
Salem Civic Center The Salem Civic Center is a 6,820-seat multi-purpose arena in Salem, Virginia. It was built in 1967 and is part of the James E. Taliaferro Sports and Entertainment Complex (named after a former mayor of Salem), which also includes the Salem Football ...
, Death & Destruction wrestled on the North American Wrestling Association's Legends Tour which featured
Doink the Clown
Doink the Clown is a professional wrestling persona originally and most popularly portrayed by Matt Osborne, who debuted the Doink persona in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1992. Doink is a clown (or evil clown) wearing traditional clo ...
,
Boris Zhukov
James Kirk Harrell (born December 13, 1959) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the American Wrestling Association (AWA) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring name Boris Zhukov ...
,
Ivan Koloff
Oreal Donald Perras (August 25, 1942 – February 18, 2017) was a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by the ring name "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff. He was the third wrestler to hold the WWWF Championship.
Early life
Perras was b ...
,
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Richard Henry Blood Sr. (born February 28, 1953), better known by his ring name Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his work with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), Jim Crockett Promot ...
, and
Chief Wahoo McDaniel.
A month later, they won the BWF Tag Team Championship after defeating
The Bushwhackers
The Bushwhackers are a professional wrestling tag team who competed first as the New Zealand Kiwis and then as The Sheepherders during their 36-year career as a tag team. They wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation, Jim Crockett Promotions, ...
(
Luke
People
*Luke (given name), a masculine given name (including a list of people and characters with the name)
*Luke (surname) (including a list of people and characters with the name)
*Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luke. Also known as ...
and
Butch) in a tournament final held in
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
.
Death & Destruction spent their last year in various independents. Their most notable appearances were for National Pro Wrestling and Carolina Championship Wrestling. On June 22, 2002, they entered NPW's first-ever tag team tournament held at the
Mullins Elementary School in
Pikeville, Kentucky
Pikeville () is a city in and the county seat of Pike County, Kentucky, United States. During the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. Census, the population within Pikeville's city limits was 7,754.
In Kentucky's current city classification sys ...
. Their last appearance as a team was at a special CCW supercard, "Mid Atlantic Reunion", as a tribute to "the great legends of Mid Atlantic Wrestling's past". The show was held on July 6, 2002, at Uncle Bill's Flea Market in
Sylva, North Carolina
Sylva is an incorporated town located in central Jackson County, in the Plott Balsam Mountains of Western North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 2,588. It is the county seat, taking over the ro ...
and featured many former stars including
Jimmy Valiant
James Harold Fanning (born August 6, 1942) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Jimmy Valiant.
Early life
Fanning was born in Tullahoma as the youngest of five children of James and Effie Fanning. He later incorpo ...
,
The Barbarian,
Mr. Hughes,
Greg "The Hammer" Valentine
Jonathan Anthony Wisniski (born September 20, 1951) is a retired American professional wrestler, better known as Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. He is the son of wrestler Johnny Valentine.
Over five decades, Valentine held more than 40 championships ...
, 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 ...
.
Magnum T. A.
Terry Wayne Allen (born June 11, 1959) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Magnum T. A. Allen won the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship twice and was being groomed for a potential run with the N ...
also made a rare appearance in the semi-main event serving as the
cornerman
In combat sports, a cornerman, or second, is a coach or trainer assisting a fighter during a bout. The cornerman is forbidden to instruct and must remain outside the combat area during the round. In the break, they are permitted to enter the ri ...
of Ricky Morton and
The Iron Sheik
Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri ( fa, حسین خسرو علی وزیری, romanized: Hossein Xosrô 'Ali Vaziri; born March 15, 1942), better known by his ring name the Iron Sheik, is an Iranian retired professional wrestler, amateur wrestler and a ...
during their match against
Buddy Landel
William Fritz Ensor (August 14, 1961 – June 22, 2015) was an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name "Nature Boy" Buddy Landel. He was best known for his work in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) territories.
Early lif ...
and
George South
George South (born September 7, 1962) is an American professional wrestler. In the course of his career, South has wrestled for professional wrestling promotions such as Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestl ...
. Parker and Anderson beat Jason King and T.C. Carter.
Frank Parker subsequently left the business while Roger Anderson returned to SSW.
For a few years afterwards, Anderson continued wrestling on the independents as a singles wrestler
before retiring to become a
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
teacher
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...
in Tennessee.
Championships and accomplishments
*Appalachian Mountain Wrestling
**AMW Tag Team Championship (1 time)
*
Atlantic Coast Championship Wrestling
**
ACCW Tag Team Championship (1 time)
*Bruiser Wrestling Federation
**BWF Tag Team Championship (1 time)
*
Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance
The Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance (IPWA, sometimes shortened to the Independent Pro Wrestling Alliance) was an American independent professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, ...
**
IPWA Tag Team Championship
The IPWA Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team championship in the Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance (IPWA). The inaugural champions were Death & Destruction (Frank Parker and Roger Anderson), who defeated the Ame ...
(3 times)
*Mountain State Wrestling Association
**MSWA Tag Team Championship (1 time, last)
*
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and former professional wrestling governing body operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc.
Founded in 1948, the NWA ...
**
NWA National Tag Team Championship
The NWA National Tag Team Championship was the major tag team title in the NWA-affiliated Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1980 until 1986. The championship was introduced in November 1980 when Georgia Tag Team Champions The Fabulous Freebirds ...
(1 time, last)
*Nationwide Championship Wrestling
**NCW Tag Team Championship (1 time)
*New Dimension Wrestling
**NDW Tag Team Championship (1 time)
*
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 Publish ...
**PWI ranked Frank Parker # 297 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the
PWI 500
''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 Publishi ...
in 1999
**PWI ranked Roger Anderson # 317 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the
PWI 500
''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 Publishi ...
in 1999
*
Southern Championship Wrestling
Southern Championship Wrestling (SCW) was a professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Southeastern United States, especially in eastern and central North Carolina, from November 1994 to November 2004, when it was run by Greg Mosorja ...
**
SCW Tag Team Championship
The SCW Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team championship in Southern Championship Wrestling (SCW). It remained active until November 20, 2004 when SCW was closed.
The inaugural champions were The Rat Pack ( Jimmy Cicero an ...
(1 time)
*
Southern States Wrestling
Southern States Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Kingsport, Tennessee. Founded by wrestler Beau James in early 1991, SSW (along with NWA Bluegrass) succeeded Smoky Mountain Wrestling as the top promo ...
**
SSW Tag Team Championship
The Southern States Wrestling (SSW) Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship in Southern States Wrestling. It was first won by Danny and Bam Bam Christian when they defeated The Russian Assassins in Hampton, Tennesse ...
(8 times)
*
Virginia Championship Wrestling
**VCW Tag Team Championship (1 time)
*Other Titles
**NIWA Tag Team Championship (1 time)
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Frank Parkeron
MyspaceFrank "The Tank" Parker's official websiteFrank Parker at IndyWrestlingNews.comRoger Anderson at IndyWrestlingNews.comDeath & Destruction at WrestlingData.comDeath And Destruction at Cagematch.de
{{DEFAULTSORT:Death and Destruction
Independent promotions teams and stables
WWE teams and stables