In doing my most recent blog about Wrestling Hot Spots, I talked about the wonderful wrestling in the Atlanta area. I neglected to mention one man who was born in the great state Georgia. So I decided to dedicate my newest old school profile to this man.
The man that was born in Rome, GA as Martin Anthony Lunde you all know as "The Enforcer" Arn Anderson. The right hand man for "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair and the inspirational leader of the Four Horsemen.
Lunde began his career in the early 1980's wrestling for the Fully family in Southeastern Championship Wrestling. It was a NWA territory in the Pensacola, FL area. Having a successful run there winning the tag team titles 3 times while in that promotion. In 1984 he left the company to wrestle for Bill Watts, Mid South wrestling promotion. While his run was coming to an end the Junkyard Dog mentioned to Bill Watts that he resembled the Andersons. He then went to to Jim Crockett promotions where Ole Anderson shared the same opinion.
In Jim Crockett's Mid Atlantic Wrestling Lunde worked with Ole Anderson and became the Minnesota Wrecking Crew. He was billed as Ole's cousin and replaced the legendary Gene Anderson in the tag team. Named Arn Anderson he became apart of a great legacy and actually took the name to another level. With their bruising style and methodical destruction of body parts of their opponents became staples of how a tag team should work. They became a quick success and won the NWA National Tag Team titles in 1985 and defended them successfully.
Also forming a partnership with the Anderson's was another man that was billed as their cousin, The Nature Boy Ric Flair. These three gentleman never missed an opportunity to use their strength in numbers to help dominate the competition in Mid Atlantic Wrestling. Whether they were ganging up on Dusty Rhodes, Magnum TA or Ronny Garvin these men were running wild all over the organization now known at World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
Flair and The Andersons also formed and alliance with a young up and coming wrestler named Tully Blanchard and his manager J.J Dillion. The group feuded with The Road Warriors, Rock N Roll Express and Midnight Express. During a television promo Anderson was man who named the group as he compared them to the Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse.
Also during this time Anderson became a powerful force in the singles scene in World Championship Wrestling. In January of 1986 he won the vacant NWA Television Title for the first time in his career. Also with the departure of Ole Anderson from the Horsemen he began another successful tag team partnership with Tully Blanchard. He had his most success with a partner with Tully winning the NWA/WCW Tag Team titles 2 times with him. Throughout the many incarnations of the Horsemen there were two constants. Arn Anderson and Ric Flair were always in the mix.
The man that was born in Rome, GA as Martin Anthony Lunde you all know as "The Enforcer" Arn Anderson. The right hand man for "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair and the inspirational leader of the Four Horsemen.
Lunde began his career in the early 1980's wrestling for the Fully family in Southeastern Championship Wrestling. It was a NWA territory in the Pensacola, FL area. Having a successful run there winning the tag team titles 3 times while in that promotion. In 1984 he left the company to wrestle for Bill Watts, Mid South wrestling promotion. While his run was coming to an end the Junkyard Dog mentioned to Bill Watts that he resembled the Andersons. He then went to to Jim Crockett promotions where Ole Anderson shared the same opinion.
In Jim Crockett's Mid Atlantic Wrestling Lunde worked with Ole Anderson and became the Minnesota Wrecking Crew. He was billed as Ole's cousin and replaced the legendary Gene Anderson in the tag team. Named Arn Anderson he became apart of a great legacy and actually took the name to another level. With their bruising style and methodical destruction of body parts of their opponents became staples of how a tag team should work. They became a quick success and won the NWA National Tag Team titles in 1985 and defended them successfully.
Also forming a partnership with the Anderson's was another man that was billed as their cousin, The Nature Boy Ric Flair. These three gentleman never missed an opportunity to use their strength in numbers to help dominate the competition in Mid Atlantic Wrestling. Whether they were ganging up on Dusty Rhodes, Magnum TA or Ronny Garvin these men were running wild all over the organization now known at World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
The Birth of The Four Horsemen
Also during this time Anderson became a powerful force in the singles scene in World Championship Wrestling. In January of 1986 he won the vacant NWA Television Title for the first time in his career. Also with the departure of Ole Anderson from the Horsemen he began another successful tag team partnership with Tully Blanchard. He had his most success with a partner with Tully winning the NWA/WCW Tag Team titles 2 times with him. Throughout the many incarnations of the Horsemen there were two constants. Arn Anderson and Ric Flair were always in the mix.
The BrainBusters of the WWF
Anderson and Blanchard left WCW in 1989 to wrestle Vince McMahon in the WWF. They became apart of the famed Bobby Heenan's "Heenan Family". They were dubbed as The BrainBusters and quickly made a name for themselves in tag team ranks of the WWF. They had a classic feud with The Rockers(Marty Jannety and Shawn Micheals). Their classic technical wrestling was a perfect contrast to the high speed and high flying of The Rockers.
Return Until Retirement
After a brief run in the WWF, Anderson returned to WCW where he had spent the bulk of his career. He would stay there until his retirement. During this time Anderson had successful partner ships with Bobby Eaton and Larry Zybzsko with both resulted in tag team gold. He also had a few other Television Title reigns. Whether is being a hit man in Col. Parker's stable or The Enforcer in different versions of the Four Horsemen, his presence was felt in professional wrestling. Forced to retire in 1997 after a neck injury nearly paralyzed him Anderson was still strong presence in the wrestling business. He currently serves as the Senior Producer for the WWE's Raw Brand.Career Accomplishments
NWA/ WCW World Tag Team Champions (5 times) - with Tully Blanchard(2), Larry Zbyszko(1), Bobby Eaton(1), and Paul Roma(1)
WWF World Tag Team Champion (1 time) - with Tully Blanchard
NWA National Tag Team Champion (1 time) - with Ole Anderson
NWA/ WCW World TV Champion (4 times)
NWA/ WCW World Tag Team Champions (5 times) - with Tully Blanchard(2), Larry Zbyszko(1), Bobby Eaton(1), and Paul Roma(1)
WWF World Tag Team Champion (1 time) - with Tully Blanchard
NWA National Tag Team Champion (1 time) - with Ole Anderson
NWA/ WCW World TV Champion (4 times)
NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship (4times) - with Jerry Stubbs(3) and Pat Rose(1)
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