John's Icons of Wrestling: The Sheepherders Quiz

Answer: The Kiwis

The Kiwis first started wrestling in NWA New Zealand in the latter part of the 1960s. The team was unable to capture the territories tag titles. Butch and Luke would move to Stampede Wrestling in Canada. The late Stu Hart operated the promotion. While in Stampede wrestling, they wrestled as The Kiwis, but their names were Sweet William and Nick Carter.

They would win their first title while working for Stampede. The Kiwis would hold the Stampede International Tag Team Championships on two occasions.

Their combined days as reigning champions was ten days shy of two hundred days.

Answer: Pacific Northwest

Butch Miller and Luke Williams wrestled under the moniker The Kiwi Sheepherders while in the PNW. Butch was known as Brute Miller at the time as well. The four men were in a brutal feud that saw the title change hands four times between them. The Kiwi Sheepherders were often accompanied to the ring by Buddy Rose. Rose was instrumental in helping the team retain the titles through his outside interference. The feud would end in the latter part of August of 1980 when Miller and Williams left the territory.

NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship had a rich history of great champions. Piper and Martel would hold the title as a team on four different occasions. Buddy Rose, a mainstay in the territory, held the title a dozen times with a variety of partners. The championships were defunct when the promotion closed in 1992.

Answer: Jonathan Boyd

Butch had decided he had enough of touring and wanted to go home. Butch would wrestle in Australia and New Zealand. Luke, who stayed in the United States, was without a partner. Australian born "Lord" Jonathan Boyd was chosen as the new partner. Boyd, like both Miller and Williams, was a former tag team champion in the NWA Pacific Northwest. He, along with his partner, Norman Frederick Charles III at the time, was known as The Royal Kangaroos.

In the year 1981, the team wrestled in South Eastern Championship Wrestling. The promotion was part of the National Wrestling Alliance. The group quickly won the NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship. While in the area, the team would develop that violent reputation that would follow them throughout the majority of their careers.

Answer: Car Accident

Upon leaving South Eastern Championship Wrestling, the team would move to Memphis. The team would move to the area operated by Jerry "The King" Lawler and Jerry Jarrett. The Sheepherders would rule the tag team scene in Memphis. They would win the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship on two occasions. Their first reign would begin a few short months after they debuted in Mid-Southern Championship Wrestling. The would defeat The Fabulous Ones on two separate occasions.

Jonathan would break his leg in an automobile accident in 1983. The team had recently left Continental Wrestling Association for Southwest Championship Wrestling. Jonathan and Luke had recently won the SCW Southwest Tag Team Championship and were forced to vacate it. Butch would reunite with his old partner, Luke Williams, upon Jonathan's injury.

Answer: The Fabulous Ones

Jonathan Boyd and Butch Miller had started a rivalry between the team of Steve Keirn and Stan Lane. Lane and Keirn were known as The Fabulous Ones. They were a babyface team that was wildly popular with fans, especially female fans. The contrast in these two teams was what made the feud such a memorable one.

The feud would start in Mid-Southern Wrestling and carry over to Southwest Championship Wrestling. Boyd was sidelined with a broken leg was now out, and Williams was back in. Williams and Miller did defeat The Fabulous Ones for the titles, but they were vacated a short time later.

Answer: Flag Bearer

Rip Morgan, the former flag bearer for The Sheepherders, was chosen as Boyd's new partner. The duo wrestled under the name The Kiwi Sheepherders for Mid-Southern Championship Wrestling. Morgan was not only the former flag bearer but the nephew of Butch Miller as well.

The team would revive the feud from The Sheepherders with The Fabulous Ones. Boyd and Morgan would go onto win the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship from Lane and Keirn.

Answer: UWF

Bill Watts had transitioned the Mid-South territory into Universal Wrestling Federation. He was trying to keep up with the then World Wrestling Federation and Jim Crockett Promotions. The Sheepherders had returned to the area and quickly won the tag team championship from The Lightning Express. They were the last team to be recognized as champions officially. The organization was purchased by Jim Crockett Promotions, who did not recognize the championship after the sale was completed.

Mid-South Wrestling was, in my opinion, one of the most significant talent pools for wrestlers. The Sheepherders had defeated Steve Williams and Ted DiBiase for the Mid-South Tag Team Championship. Mid-South would bring us the beginnings of one of the greatest tag team rivalries in wrestling history. That rivalry was between The Midnight Express with Jim Cornette and The Rock 'N' Roll Express.

Answer: Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers

Rip Morgan and Jonathan Boyd would start the feud with Rogers and Fulton. The feud between the two teams began in Memphis. The Fantastics would eventually be the victors in this feud. Meanwhile, the original lineup of Butch Miller and Luke Williams had returned from wrestling in Puerto Rico. They would feud with The Fantastics in the Universal Wrestling Federation. The two teams would often beat each other senseless. It would more times than not end in several of the men bloody and hurt.

The Fantastics were a successful tag team. Rogers and Fulton would hold the United States Tag Team Titles in Jim Crockett Promotions. Their feud with Jim Cornette's Midnight Express was a very exciting one. Those two teams were very evenly matched between the four combatants of Rogers and Fulton and Eaton and Lane.

Answer: The Bushwhackers

Vince McMahon, who was at the time trying to sign all the top talent from all territories, had brought them to the W.W.F. He brought Miller and Williams in as The Bushwackers. I was quite excited about this signing. I had never had the opportunity to see Miller and Williams wrestle. I had always read about them in wrestling publications. The intenseness of their feuds with The Fantastics and The Fabulous Ones was something I had always wanted to see for myself.

They debuted in December of 1988 and were babyfaces. I did find their antics amusing, and they quickly became one of my favorites. Upon seeing their earlier matches much, later on, I discovered their antics outside the ring were virtually the same. They still did the same stuff; only it was not as harsh.

Answer: Jack Victory

Rip Morgan, Johnny Ace, and Jack Victory were all at one time the flag bearers for the Sheepherders. They would circle the outside of the ring, waving the New Zealand flag. They would also cause a distraction to the referee so the Sheepherders could cheat in their bouts. Many times they would use the flag as a weapon to injury the opponents of the Sheepherders.

Jack Victory was their flag bearer in the Universal Wrestling Federation. He would often wear a New Zealand t-shirt in support of the Sheepherders. Victory would be instrumental in The Sheepherders' win of the titles from Tim Horner and Brad Armstrong.