Wrestling world has seen a lot of factions and some of them have been able to cement their place in the glorious history of this form of sports. There have been factions with 5 members, 4 members, 3 members or even 2 members. In this article, I will try to list 6 of the top 3-member factions that I have ever seen to step foot in a wrestling ring. This is a list that I have consolidated based on my personal admirations, so, if you have anything else in mind, I urge you to share that through the comments feature.

Before I proceed with the list, I must mention that I have excluded some quality teams from it as those were never consistently 3-man teams. I love Dudley Boyz, but, they only sometimes added Spike Dudley to the mix. Even Von Erichs sometimes fought as a threesome; however, the legendary family was not limited to Kerry, Kevin and Mike only. Many times, I saw Lance and Fritz Von Erich joining them in the battle too. I kept D-Generation X and Evolution out of this as well. These were great as teams; however, they were not 3-man teams for most of the time they existed.

Dusty Rhodes and The Road Warriors

If you pair up one of the greatest tag teams in the history of wrestling with a charismatic former world champion, you are bound to be overwhelmed with the star power. This team later became a foursome with inclusion of Nikita Koloff though. I would have personally loved to see to stay this team work together for a longer period of time than they actually did.

It started when the constant attacks of the Four Horsemen on Dusty Rhodes prompted him to find a couple of other partners. This helped Rhodes to even out the numbers advantage that otherwise Four Horsemen would have. Sheer power and toughness were brought by the two face painted and spike wearing members of the Road Warriors.

The trio went toe-to-toe with the Four Horsemen on several occasions. The NWA six-man tag team titles were won by the trio a couple of times as well.

Dusty Rhodes will always be known as a smooth talking charmer, whereas, the Road Warriors were known for being the brooding powerhouse. In that sense, the combination was sort of odd. Still, this faction, undoubtedly, won hearts of numerous fans of wrestling.

The Midnight Express

It ended up becoming a standard tag team and there were numerous partners who claimed the very same name. When it started, the team used to be a 3-man squad consisting of Dennis Condrey, Randy Rose and Norvell Austin (Before Jim Cornette became their manager).

The freebird rule didn’t even have a name, when the trio invoked the same. Much of the early 1980s were dominated by them as the tag champions of the Southeastern Championship. Austin was actually a foe of Condrey and Rose, but when he lost the tag team championship to the latter two in 1981, he joined forces with them.

At one point of time, Midnight Express had everyone from Wayne Farris to Bobby Eaton in it. Certainly, this is the one of the most influential 3-man teams that the wrestling world has ever witnessed.

Triple X

TNA has definitely not reached where it aspired to when things started (At least till this time, it’s not a match if compared with WWE). However, if there are some teams which should be named when we talk about the best stretch that TNA has so far, we have to mention Triple X. This team consisting of three super talented wrestlers Elix Skipper, Low Ki and Christopher Daniels dominated many of the early years of TNA. This small faction won and lost the NWA World Tag Team Championship on several occasions and was able to exhilarate fans along the way. I loved the athleticism that all of three members showed. The speed of all three demands applauds as well.

I personally was disheartened when I saw Low Ki exiting from the group for his exodus to Japan. The group was disbanded after this; however, Triple X will stay one of the very first great teams in the history of TNA.

The Russians

If you like a wrestling team to intimidate you, it is probably not possible for you to forget the Russians. The team had 3 members in form of Ivan Koloff, Krusher Khruschev and Nikita Koloff. The legacy of this tag team lies not only on gold, but fear and villainy as well. Some of the famous battles of the Russians were with Dutch Mantell & Bobby Jaggers, The Road Warriors and The Rock & Roll Express.

The NWA tag titles were won by the Russians twice. The 6-man NWA Tag Team championship was won by the team twice as well. Mainly because of the distrust of the Soviets, the Russians quickly became one of the most despised groups in the wrestling history. During the dominant run of the faction, they often used bear hugs, chains and clotheslines as their main weapons.

The Fabulous Freebirds

This team was extremely hated at their peak and the ability to get such high amount of heat from the audiences has cemented this team’s place in the history of wrestling. Not only the matches, but the team was apt at cutting awesome promos as well. The gang of Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy and Buddy Robberts (Later Jimmy Garvin came in) started the trend of having entrance music. At the beginning, the group used to have Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Freebird” as the entrance theme. Later, it started to use “Badstreet USA” as the entrance music as it was composed specifically for the faction.

The team was extremely successful if we talk about title reigns. It won the 6-man tag team title of the WCCW 6 times. Later, when the team came into WCW, it captured not only the WCW 6-man belt, but, the standard tag titles as well.

New World Order

Many will raise their eyebrows upon reading this name! I agree that from a 3-man team, New World Order essentially became a small army. However, the dominance and influence that the team had with the trio Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and Hulk Hogan is something unbelievable.

Nash and Hall left WWE for WCW and when Hulk Hogan joined them, it came as a surprise for most of the viewers. WCW, undoubtedly, received an enormous boost just because of NWO. The group was actually a central entity in WCW and these irreverent bad boys did it all – from spray painting the rings with their logo to taking over the company.

These are the top 6 3-man teams for me. I didn’t try to rank these in any order, but, if you wish to do so, you are most welcome. I understand that your favorite 3-man team can be left unmentioned in this article. If you feel some other 3-man team deserves a place in this list, please feel free to share the name. I’ll love to hear out from all of you and even may incorporate your suggestions.

The post Top 6 3-Man Teams in the Wrestling History appeared first on Wrestler Speaks.

The wait is over, The Undertaker is back! Taker is all set for his return on WrestleMania 29. There was some concern about Taker’s return as he is still not completely cured from his fatal hip injury. So the biggest question around WWE Universe for last few weeks was, “Will he be back?” Well, seems the answer now is given by The Deadman.

The Undertaker’s return was almost certain after he made a shock appearance at Saturday night’s WWE house show in Waco, Texas, teaming up with Sheamus to take on Wade Barrett and Damien Sandow. This marked The Undertaker’s first official WWE appearance since he defeated Triple H last year in a thrilling bout at WrestleMania 28.

In Buffalo, New York, WWE fans were promised to see an old school RAW; and what would have satisfied them more than The Deadman’s gong! The show had just started when The Undertaker walked a few steps outside of the entranceway and raised his arms – the lights came up, and the Wrestlemania graphic appeared on the screen. There were four contenders to choose from – CM Punk, Randy Orton, The Big Show, and Sheamus. When the tension mounted among these four fearless performers, RAW Managing Supervisor Vickie Guerrero restored order with an executive decision – a Fatal 4-Way match to determine who among them would tempt fate and tangle with The Phenom. Punk won the match after pinning Randy Orton.

While Undertaker’s undefeated streak is a cornerstone of the WrestleMania pay-per-view, WWE Universe wondered if the legend was going to participate in a match at this year’s PPV, with reports emerging that management, even this close to the event, were still unsure if they could count on “The Deadman” to work the show.

Undertaker aka Mark Callaway is 47 now. At this stage in his life and with his physically wracked body, wrestling on the show against CM Punk would certainly be a questionable decision. Could it be up the quality of his previous MOTY bouts? Let’s wait and watch!

The post The Undertaker Returns on WrestleMania 29 appeared first on Wrestler Speaks.

Two of WWE’s well-kept surprises have now been revealed! WWE Universe will see the return of two former WWE superstars, Carlito and Shelton Benjamin, at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view this Sunday night.

Since leaving WWE back in April 2010, former WWE Intercontinental Champion Shelton had been working in New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor. He became a popular tag team champion in ROH. In New Japan, he teamed up with another former WWE superstar MVP and won the tag team titles. He recently requested and was granted his release from the company. Carlito, on the other hand, left WWE in 2010 and has been working the indy scene as well as overseas with WWC.

WWE creative team always tries to make their most popular Pay per Views like the WrestleMania or the Royal Rumble a little special with some surprises. Well, this year too seems to be no exception.  Last year we saw the return of Road Dogg, Booker T and Diesel aka Kevin Nash in the Royal Rumble match.

WWE is yet to confirm another popular superstar MVP’s status for the Royal Rumble. But as always, in WWE, you should be prepared for surprises!

The post Carlito & Shelton Benjamin to Return at Royal Rumble appeared first on Wrestler Speaks.

WrestleMania 28 was truly epic, but not for the match that everyone expected it to be. No, it was not for the Once in a lifetime Rock vs. John Cena matchup, but the show was stolen by two WWE veterans who put up the fight of their lives. We are talking about The Undertaker and HHH here, not to mention the emotional role that Shawn Michaels played in the match.

We will not try to review the match or judge it by quality here. The match was awesome, full of drama. Personally, I was on the edge of my seat every time there was a close pin. I loved the match and I really won’t forget the awesome moment that the three had together after the match was over. I believe most of those who are reading this article won’t either!

The Undertaker VS. Triple H WrestleMania 28 Full Match

The purpose of this article is to discuss the future of The Undertaker after WrestleMania 28. What is he going to do? Will he retire, won’t he? Will he comeback for WrestleMania 29? Well, these questions can only be answered by The Undertaker himself or maybe, Vince McMahon, but we will play a bit of guessing game and try to analyze possibilities of certain events:

The Undertaker just retires

Though, this is the most heartbreaking one for The Undertaker fans, but probably is the most logical thing to do for the deadman. After all, everyone needs to stop at one point of time and this probably is the best time to do so. The Undertaker has had an amazing career and he hardly has anything more to get from this industry. He is one of the most famous and respected wrestlers in WWE and he should not just prolong his career for the sake of it. Look at Hulk Hogan or Rick Flair and you will know yourself what happens when you just continue but you really cannot. We definitely don’t want a similar fate for the immortality of The Undertaker. More importantly, we still get to see him at the WWE Hall of Fame. I am pretty sure that WWE will induct him right after he announces retirement.

The Undertake retires at RAW’s 1000^th Episode

Probably, the most promising option available! The Undertaker has been wrestling since the very first episode of RAW was telecasted and he is the only active wrestler in the RAW roster and has been with the brand from the very first day. 1000^th episode of the show is a special occasion and if The Undertaker has decided not to wrestle anymore, what better option does he have to call it a day than 1000^th episode celebration! We will get to know whether this happens or not, by end of July, 2012 anyway.

The Undertaker returns before WrestleMania 29

Rumor mills are already buzzing that The Undertaker is going to take on John Cena at the next WrestleMania. I personally would love to see this match as these two superstars never really had a legitimate rivalry despite staying in the same company for more than 10 years.

The Undertaker with his current physical condition won’t be able to wrestle at a regular basis for the company. But, Vince McMahon knows it quite well that he is the golden goose of the company and even if he is ready to wrestle once in a year at the WrestleMania, that’s big money.

Therefore The Undertaker can continue to wrestle for another 2-3 years. Fans get to see more of him and WWE also makes extra cash. I personally don’t think that The Undertaker will be able to stretch up to 5 more WrestleManias but 2 or 3, certainly seems viable. However, if at any point, the streak is broken, I believe that would be the last match of The Undertaker ever.

I have just stated a few options that I think would be the best suitable for The Undertaker. What WWE and the Deadman will do, can only be guessed, until it happens. The Undertaker has truly been majestic over these years and probably is the last one to hold the torch from the Attitude Era. However, WWE is approaching towards a new era as many say (The Reality Era) and characters like The Undertaker may not fit well there.

The post The Undertaker’s Future after WrestleMania 28 appeared first on Wrestler Speaks.

I have sad news for all of you today, particularly for those who are aware of the name Doug Furnas. The former professional wrestler and power lifter Doug Furnas is no more. At an age of 50, the former wrestler has breathed his last, as confirmed by David Haskins, a pro wrestler from State of Tennessee. Preliminary reports suggest that Furnas died of heart disease, but there is no official word on it, as of yet.

Remembering The Life of Doug Furnas

Furnas used to be a power lifter for The University of Tennessee and his record there in dead-lift and collegiate squat is still intact. Later, during the mid-1980s, Furnas entered the professional wrestling by debuting for Continental Championship Wrestling. Within this promotion, he had some great rivalries with well-known names such as Buddy Landell, Kevin Sullivan and Sid Vicious. Incidentally, Sid Vicious was more popular with a different in-ring name which was Lord Humongous at that time.

Later, Doug Furnas moved onto All Japan Pro Wrestling and held the AJPW Tag-Team Championship a number of times along with Phil Lafon, under a stable named “Can-Am Express.” In 1996, Doug Furnas and his tag team partner Lafon both moved into WWE, but, due to less fan appreciation, Furnas and Lafon jumped to ECW in the second half of 1997. Some of the feuds this tag team encountered in ECW are with Full Blooded Italians, Sabu-Rob Van Dam and Lance Storm-Chris Candido. Later, Doug Furnas started focusing on his singles career more, however that run didn’t last for long and he ultimately retired in 2000.

A Wrestling Match Between Dour Furnas & Masato Tanaka

After retirement, Doug Furnas reportedly was battling with Alzheimer’s disease. Later, he also suffered from Parkinson’s disease. Wrestler Speaks salutes the career of Doug Furnas and hopes his sole rests in peace.

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Ever since WWE has announced that Four Horsemen will be inducted at The Hall of Fame ceremony before WrestleMania 28 night; speculations have been rife about Ric Flair’s participation in the event. Technically, Ric Flair probably cannot attend the event as he is a part of the TNA roster, the rival company of WWE. On the other hand, Ric Flair is one of the most highlighted members of the stable Four Horsemen and it will be pretty silly to see the stable being honored at Miami but without the leader.

Well, I agree that as Ric Flair is currently an employee of TNA, it’s pretty much strange to see him on an event sponsored and handled by WWE. TNA, as a rival company may not allow WWE to leverage on their superstar and hence may prohibit him from participating. However, Ric Flair had an amazing career spanning for more than four decades and does he really need a permission from TNA to understand what’s right and what’s not for him? I don’t think so.

Personally, I have never been a supporter of Flair’s decision to join TNA after officially retiring from WWE. I think everyone should know when it’s time to stop and Flair seemed to have never understood that fact. However, recent reports suggest that Flair may well attend the event irrespective of TNA giving him the required permission or not. That would definitely be a wise decision anyway!

The post Ric Flair to Attend WrestleMania 28 Hall of Fame Ceremony? appeared first on Wrestler Speaks.

WWE Money In The Bank match may be brought back to WrestleMania this year, according to some insider reports. The WWE officials are considering a place for this match in the official WrestleMania 28 card. Incidentally, way back in 2005, for the first time, WWE Money in the Bank match was held in the grandest stage of them all and it became immensely popular among the fans. WWE continued to organize the match till 2010 continuously; however, they came up with a pay-per-view dedicated to the match in 2010. Last year, WWE decided to scrap the idea of a MITB (Abbreviation of Money In The Bank if you don’t understand) match in the WrestleMania altogether and went ahead only with the pay-per-view. The pay-per-view was great, partially because of the two WWE Money In The Bank matches, but mainly because of the amazing contest between CM Punk and John Cena.

Now, how does it bring extra benefits to WWE or what are the associated disadvantages if MITB is brought back to WrestleMania card? To be very honest, WWE Money In The Bank match became almost an integral part of the WrestleMania card and I never liked the fact that it was removed. However, if WWE indeed is able to pull this match back in WrestleMania, I think it will benefit the company in the longer run. Why do I think so? Below are my reasons:

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There should be single WWE Money In The Bank Match

Well, I am not against two different WWE Money In The Bank matches for two different brands, but, if there is a single match, chances are huge that the wrestler, who wins, will get immense heat almost instantly (Be it positive or negative). It’s always better than sharing the winner’s prize than winning single, isn’t it?

If the WWE Money In The Bank match becomes a part of WrestleMania, there will be no such scope of two different MITB matches.

WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view buy rate

Make no mistake here! I have already mentioned it that Money In The Bank in 2011 was an awesome event. However, that’s where the problem lies. An awesome event does not necessarily translate into huge pay-per-views (Take an example from MITB 2011). Also, even if it does, it will be very hard for WWE to bring such excitement to this year’s event as well. The rivalries and matches were so wisely put last year; I doubt it’s almost impossible to replicate the success this New Year.

More opportunity for Mid-Carders in WrestleMania

If you are a true fan of wrestling, you must have not enjoyed the Snooki match in WrestleMania last year. I mean the Jersey Shore star is good at entertaining audiences, but, she is horrible when it comes to wrestling. Personally, though it had credible superstars, I didn’t like the Team BigShow vs. The Corre match either.

With a Money In The Bank match in the WrestleMania card, the mid-carders will have much better opportunity to showcase their talent. There will be only one winner, no doubt about that, but, some other superstars may do some high flying moves, show some amazing in-ring skills, ultimately helping their own careers. Also, a bunch of bad wrestlers participating in a string of matches is far worse than a single WWE Money In The Bank match with all the mid-carders (Or, some upper carders without a strong enough rivalry). The latter will bring magic to any event, so why not make WrestleMania magical!

It seems that wise decision has ultimately been taken by WWE as far as the Money In The Bank match is concerned. Do you want to see the WWE Money In The Bank match in WrestleMania, a separate pay-per-view or at both?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The post WWE Money In The Bank Match May Return To WrestleMania and Why It Will Be A Good Decision? appeared first on Wrestler Speaks.

This is a piece of news that will shock all of you fans of CM Punk. The Breakout Star of WWE for year 2011 may soon be drafted to SmackDown from RAW. Though there is no official word yet on this decision of WWE, insider reports suggest that WWE creative team has made up their mind. WWE probably is going to take the decision sometime in the latter half of 2012.

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CM Punk undoubtedly has turned out to be one of the biggest superstars on RAW in 2011 and has added huge entertainment value to the otherwise somewhat dull show. His promos and on-mic skills are awesome and that has helped him in connecting with the audiences. However, his inclusion in the WWE roster hasn’t helped the ratings of the show in huge way. Hence, according to WWE officials, the wise decision will be to move the wrestler into the Blue Brand (Read, SmackDown) so that Punk can show his in-ring skills in the televised event, get more promo cuts and probably a long run at the World title.

Now, I’ll come into my take. To be very honest, I’ll love to see more from Punk in RAW, he is an extremely talented wrestler and his promos off late, have been awesome. You may agree or may not, but, Punk was the hottest wrestler of this year on RAW, in spite of the fact that Cena was there all throughout. Even the whole Rock-Cena rivalry could not take the thunder away from Punk. Surprisingly, that has not turned into huge buy rates or high ratings for RAW and hence WWE creative team is looking for alternatives.

I seriously don’t know how WWE officials are planning things for future, but, for me, Punk will always be the no. 2 man in RAW, particularly when Cena is present. Make no mistake, I don’t think Punk is in anyway less deserving than Cena, but, probably, WWE officials love Cena way too much. What does it mean? Slowly but gradually exclusion of Punk from the main event scenario resulting into less screen time and importance for Punk. How a shift to Smack Down can change that?

Smack Down is not a live show. More importantly, thereis no John Cena who can outshine CM Punk. Undoubtedly, Punk is an amazing wrestler who can make even an uninteresting match a quite enjoyable one. Punk can continue on his wrestling without worrying about the ratings and hence he will ultimately be able to be the top guy in WWE. The only difference is that he will be wrestling for the World Heavyweight Championship, not the WWE Title. Do you really care as long as you get to see the man?

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