Booker also responded to criticism and stood up for his brother as being deserving for the Hall of Fame. Stevie Ray, best known for his seven-year run (1993-2000) in WCW where he was one half of the tag team Harlem Heat with brother Booker T, is now host of a Houston-based weekly radio talk show called "Straight Shooting with Stevie Ray." He also does a podcast called "Stand Up for Greatness." Instead, the two simply went their separate ways, with Booker T expressing support for Stevie Ray even if he personally didnt approve. In 2005, Stevie Ray and Booker T opened the "Booker T and Stevie Ray Pro Wrestling Academy" in Houston, Texas. [19], At Clash of the Champions XXIX, Sensuous Sherri joined Harlem Heat as their manager by helping them in defeating The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags). During the 1990s, World Championship Wrestling boasted notable tag teams like The Outsiders, The Steiner Brothers, The Nasty Boys as well as lesser-known teams like Pretty Wonderful and American Males, who themselves held titles. [38] On the June 24 episode of Nitro, Harlem Heat defeated Luger and Sting and Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott) in a triangle match to win their fifth World Tag Team Championship. After being released from his sentence early, Booker T got into pro wrestling with his brother Stevie Ray. After being defeated with a surprise small package, Stevie Ray would turn on both Booker and Midnight to form Harlem Heat, Inc. with Big T, Kash and J. Biggs. Booker T & Stevie Ray held the WCW World Tag Team Championship a record 10 times -- the most reigns as a tandem in WCW history To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. However, an alignment with Col. Robert Parker at a house show drew controversy with fans and backstage figures alike when it came off as a slavery gimmick. I dont think Stevie Ray should have had a fulltime gig with WWE, but a one time Harlem Heat reunion would have been sick. By early 1999, both nWo factions had fused back together, but members of nWo Hollywood started bickering over who the leader of the sub-faction was. The following month, at Halloween Havoc, Harlem Heat teamed with The Equalizer against The Shockmaster, Ice Train and Charlie Norris in a losing effort. Speaking about the honour, Stevie Ray said: Bo Dallas' career was going great until he joined the main roster. The guitar was originally set to be made for Stevie in 1979, but the plan was dropped when Vaughan started using his middle name Ray; he was only known as Stevie Vaughan at the time. [18] 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. WWE Hall of Famer Booker T recently recalled the time he and his brother, Stevie Ray, saved Hacksaw Jim Duggan from an angry boyfriend at a club. Booker liked the addition of Midnight while Stevie neglected her help and started arguing with Booker. Rob Parker's team in the War Games at Fall Brawl on September 19, 1993, with Vader and Sid Vicious against Sting, Davey Boy Smith, Dustin Rhodes and The Shockmaster. Harlem Heat became tweeners and entered a feud with Col. Parker's Stud Stable of "Dirty" Dick Slater and Bunkhouse Buck. "It's hard to take it seriously," Meltzer said on The Wrestling Observer. From the streets of Harlem, N.Y., came a powerful pair of brothers who terrorized WCW's tag-team ranks throughout much of the 1990s. "Five time" WCW heavyweight champion Booker T is about to become a two-time WWE Hall of Famer. The team ultimately disbanded in June 2000 when Big T was released by WCW. After the match, Booker convinced Stevie to tear up the nWo shirt and reform Harlem Heat. Stevie Ray (above, left . Carlito won the WWE United States Championship on his WWE debut, spitting the apple he was chewing into John Cena's face before attacking him. His First Wrestling Name Was 'Super Collider'. Claim the offer and place your bets below! [15] Shortly after, Harlem Heat ended their association with Col. Robert Parker. 7 Greatest Tag Team -- is arguably one of WCW's most dominant, most cohesive pairings in history. [54], 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, which Harlem Heat won by disqualification after New World Order (nWo) member Vincent interfered by attacking them. They formed the legendary Harlem Heat tag-team and are 10-time WCW Tag-Team Champions. The title loss was forced due to Booker T suffering a knee injury that needed surgery and time off to recover. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Watch WrestleMania and other WWE Premium Live Events on Flow. [8] 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. "Stevie Ray is going into the Hall of Fame? This led to Harlem Heat challenging Bigelow and Kanyon for the World Tag Team Championship at Road Wild. Huffman is also a one-time WCW World Television Champion. However, Booker T rescued Ray from Creative Control. Harlem Heat 2000 continued to feud with Booker as they lost to Booker and Kidman at Uncensored. But in late 1996, the New World Order faction was staging a hostile takeover of the promotion, so established WCW stars becoming babyfaces seemed a necessity. Check it out. He would join the "black & white" in August, effectively turning him heel. The pair would end up winning the WCW World Tag Team Championships ten times throughout their time in the company. Harlem Heat was arguably the greatest tag team in WCW's history, and there are a lot of things fans should know about the duo. On March 14, the titles were vacated. Huffman, as part of Harlem Heat, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2019.[7]. As tension grew between members of nWo Hollywood, Stevie Ray started helping Booker T during his matches. [25] Harlem Heat finally lost the titles to Nasty Boys at Slamboree.[26]. A Time Warner Company. [55] On the July 7 episode of Nitro, they fired Sherri after her interference backfired, costing them a match against Public Enemy. When the HOF is over, fans will get to hear what I really think of Dave. The two real life siblings who captured the WCW tag team championships 10 times during their illustrious run together and got inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame last year are seriously contemplating a comeback to face The Revival after a recent exchange on the TLC Kickoff show. He is also the host of the podcast Stand Up for Greatness. RELATED: The nWo Wolfpac vs nWo Hollywood Storyline, Explained. I remember hearing Booker, and Stevie were not in a good place when WCW shut down, but who knows the truth. Dash Wilder too replied to Booker T's comments writing, "Let's go, Book. His run as part of The Miztourage and The B-Team saw him get a brief push last year. [40] Harlem Heat successfully defended the titles against Steiner Brothers at Hog Wild. It was at the appropriately named event, The Final Heat where Booker and Stevie defeated the Heavenly Bodies to win the ROW Tag Team Championship, a title they held for three weeks before vacating it. 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, with assistance from Chris Benoit. Harlem Heat were soon joined by Ron Simmons while Ice Train joined Bagwell and Scorpio. Trained by former WWE Tag Team Champion Ivan Putski, Booker T and Stevie Ray started off as singles competitors in the Texas wrestling scene and sometimes wrestled one another. By 1997, the two brothers went their separate ways, Stevie going on to become a trusted member of the infamous nWo, while Booker became a breakout singles star, capturing the WCW . [29] Harlem Heat lost the tag team titles to Slater and Buck on the July 22 episode of Saturday Night, thanks to interference from Parker. Let's take a look at the career of this legendary team and what fans should know about . Im trying to get in the game!, Coronation Street spoilers: Fizs exit storyline revealed in killer Stephen drama, Kim Kardashian is a pearly queen in stunning Met Gala outfit as daughter North West joins in fashion fun, Redfall Xbox review an open world vampire game that lacks bite, Karlie Kloss expecting second child with husband Joshua Kushner, unveils baby bump in style on Met Gala 2023 red carpet, Gisele Bundchen channels inner angel in solo stint at Met Gala 2023 after Tom Brady split, Do not sell or share my personal information. 10. After dropping the tag titles to The Outsiders (Kevin Nash and Scott Hall), the duo turned face by firing Col. Parker, and then went a step further by getting rid of Sister Sherri in favor of future WWE Womens Champion Jacqueline. They lost the match when Shockmaster forced Booker (Kole) to submit. Don't miss out. How seriously do you want to take it?". They formed the legendary Harlem Heat tag-team and are 10-time WCW Tag-Team Champions. Tensions rose in Harlem Heat over the inclusion of Midnight, and Stevie Ray eventually made his official betrayal of Booker T. On top of that, Stevie formed a new tag team, Harlem Heat 2000, enlisting former WWE star Ahmed Johnson as his new partner, Big T. At SuperBrawl 2000, Booker T took on Big T in a match with big stakes: after losing, Booker lost the Harlem Heat name, the entrance music, and even the T in his ring name. Putting Shane McMahon in it ruined what could have been amazing feud. Kane was paired with Davey Boy Smith against Road Warrior Hawk and Rip Rogers in a losing effort. WWE Hall of Famer and brother of Booker T, Stevie Ray, has criticized his brother's iconic grocery store segment with Stone Cold Steve Austin. [28] The title win was taped on May 3. He added that he wanted to see them face the NXT Tag Team Champions, The New Day, at WrestleMania 39: WWE initially banned Booker T from doing The Spinaroonie. Booker T was brought in to WWE to be a singles competitor. Speaking of Primo Colon, he's still on WWE's roster but rarely appears. Building a Cloud Computing Career with Amazon AWS Certified Developer Azure Cognitive Services and Containers: 5 Amazing Benefits for Businesses, Running Your Own Electronics Accessories Ecommerce Store, August 22, 1958 Houston, Texas, United States, Booker T (brother) Bonita Huffman-Lott (sister) Carolyn Jones (sister) Sharmell (sister-in-law). Definitively one of the most dominating teams in history, "All the ladies, they loved [him]" - Booker T recalls saving WWE legend from angry boyfriend. During their championship tenure, the duo had classic run-ins with the Steiner Brothers, Public Enemy, the Outsiders and the Faces of Fear.. No matter the size or strength of their challengers, the fiery partners always brought "the heat" to their competition. He's also a former WWE Champion but is currently off WWE programming as he waits for a new direction from creative. Stevie Ray would eventually drop the belt to Chris Jericho, however. In August 1993, they went to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and changed their team name to Harlem Heat. 0. Through the association with his brother, he would gain his only singles title in WCW, as when Booker took time off with an injury as Television Champion from July to October, Stevie got a "power of attorney" to defend the belt for Booker. #FTR https://t.co/XR8WCOWbrK, Scott Dawson (@ScottDawsonWWE) December 16, 2019. [53] At Spring Stampede, both members of Harlem Heat competed in a four corners match for a WCW World Heavyweight Championship title match. Could another wrestler patch things up with Triple H like CM Punk did? Watch every Premium Live Event and get unlimited access to WWE's premium content - available to you anywhere, anytime, on any device. From the streets of Harlem, N.Y., came a powerful pair of brothers who terrorized WCW's tag-team ranks throughout much of the 1990s. During this time, Stevie and Booker lost the titles to the Nasty Boys, regained them, then lost them to Slater and Buck and regained them again. During a recent appearance on the "That 90s Wrestling Podcast", WWE Hall of Famer Stevie Ray commented on the 2001 segment in WWE that featured Booker T and Stone Cold Steve Austin facing off in a grocery store, and more. Lane Huffman(Stevie Ray), and Booker Huffman are real life brothers. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Shahid. I got respect in this business which is more than I can say for him. As a result, the two reformed Harlem Heat in 1999 and enjoyed continued success in the form of three additional title reigns albeit short ones to bring their total title wins to 10 and the addition of a member named Midnight. However, the WWE Hall of Famers never wrestled together in the Stamford-based company. People who haven't done anything for this business talking about who should or shouldn't get into the Hall of Fame," stated Booker. It now belongs to Stevies brother, Jimmie. Despite hitting bumpy roads with managers "Sister" Sherri Martel and Jacqueline, and later, Stevie Ray's alignment with the New World Order, the brothers will always be known for their take-no-prisoners approach to ring warfare, and the championship legacy they left behind. Harlem Heat -- WWE.com's No. [2][10] Harlem Heat debuted on WCW television by defeating local wrestlers Dave Hart and Mike Thor on the August 14 episode of WorldWide. 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. Lash Steven Huffman (born August 22, 1958) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Stevie Ray.Stevie Ray is best known for his seven-year tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1993 to 2000, where he was one-half of the tag team Harlem Heat, with his younger brother Booker T. Huffman, better known as Booker T. Ive got one left in me! 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. In the long run, this didn't weaken Booker T. If anything, it showed he has depth and willing to look like a dork but be actually funny at the same time. Be the first one to comment on this story. SmackDown results, April 28, 2023: Find out who was drafted in Night One of the 2023 WWE Draft, WWE NXT Spring Breakin' results, April 25, 2023: Indi Hartwell retains the NXT Women's Championship in gutsy performance at Spring Breakin', Roman Reigns survives Cody Rhodes with controversial victory at WrestleMania, Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest Road to Backlash, The American Nightmare takes on The Beast at WWE Backlash. New AEW World Championship Design Jason David Frank Dies One-Punch Man S3 Rumor . Lash Steven Huffman[6] (born August 22, 1958) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Stevie Ray. Are Stevie Ray and Booker T really brothers? Booker T & Stevie Ray vs The Heavenly Bodies from Reality of Wrestling's iPPV #TheFinalHeat saw the last match ever of the legendary WCW & WWE hall of fame t. [42] At Fall Brawl, Harlem Heat successfully defended the titles against Nasty Boys. Ray and Big T referred their new team as Harlem Heat 2000. Bro at the time) under the ring name Jive Soul Bro. The former tag-team champion was released from WWE in 2006. They won the rights to the Harlem Heat name in a match with Big T against Booker on February 20, 2000, at SuperBrawl X. By late 1999, a female bodybuilder named Midnight had joined Harlem Heat. Road Warrior Animal is a 2-time WWE Tag-Team Champion as well as a 4-time Champion in Jim Crockett Promotions which later became WCW. During this match, Harlem Heat added Jacqueline as their new manager, who helped them in defeating Vicious and Delicious. At Bash at the Beach, Harlem Heat retained the titles against Nasty Boys and Blue Bloods in a triangle match. [7] 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 on July 31, 1992. However, Harlem Heat lost the titles to Konnan and Kidman, the following night on Nitro.[65]. On the October 18 episode of Nitro, Harlem Heat lost the tag team titles to The Filthy Animals members Konnan and Rey Mysterio Jr. As a singles competitor, Stevie Ray wouldnt draw a dime and was not worth the acquisition. Make Your First Deposit Bet $5+ On Any Team ML Get $150 if your team wins with DraftKings! [49][50] At Clash of the Champions XXXIV on January 21, 1997, Harlem Heat defeated the team of The Renegade and Joe Gomez. After being defeated with a surprise small package, Stevie Ray turned on both Booker T and Midnight by attacking both of them. "There ain't no b---h in none of my brothers or . Around this time, Stevie started helping out Booker T in matches, an angle that climaxed with Stevie Ray saving his brother from a beatdown. You can check out some highlights from the podcast below: 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, the previous night at Bash at the Beach. Danny Djeljosevic is a writer based in San Diego, CA. Booker T may be a five-time World Champion, but now he's a two-time WWE Hall of Famer the [.] However, he has been a key backstage figure in WWE since retiring from the ring. After Stevie Rays death, Rene replaced the new neck with Number Ones original and the guitar was given back to Stevies family. What is Stevie Ray Vaughans guitar worth? [58], 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. All rights reserved. Were going to be discussing that over the new year. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. CNN and the CNN logo are registered marks of Cable News Network, LP LLLP, displayed with permission. After a tumultuous romance and several breakups and makeups, Parker ended up managing Harlem Heat alongside Sherri. On March 30, 2016, Stevie Ray debuted a new weekly radio talk show, Straight Shooting with Stevie Ray which airs on KCOH radio 92.9 FM HD2 every Wednesday. [2] 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's "The Final Heat" event, where they defeated the Heavenly Bodies for the ROW Tag Team Championship. At this point, Rick is still decorated in his Trapper Keeper graphic-style singlet , while pre-"Big Poppa Pump" Scott opts for . To help distinguish the two, Booker T has a more ripped body. Since his initial push on the main roster, Dallas has gone on to become more on an enhancement talent which is sad because he's great inside the ring. 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's The Final Heat event, where they defeated The New Heavenly Bodies for the ROW Tag Team Championship. They would then fire the Colonel, beat him up, turn face, and enter into a brief feud against Parker's newest team The Amazing French Canadians, a feud they would win. Where is Stevie Ray now? On May 16, 2015, Ray won the WildKat Heavyweight Championship defeating Shane Taylor. Despite being booked in strange storylines sometimes, Bray has always been treated as a singles star. Lash Huffman started wrestling in 1989 as Super Collider on the independent circuit in Texas. Harlem Heat seemed like it was well in the rearview mirror, but the brothers reunited in the ring for the first time since 2000 in Bookers Texas-based promotion Reality of Wrestling. The popular pair . He said: Since I am a tag team extraordinaire, a tag team specialist, 14 tag team championships throughout my reign in this business, so Im looking forward to the tag team division getting crunk in 2020, and I might even manage The Street Profits somewhere along the year. In the summer of 1997, they fired Sherri and added a new manager, Jacqueline. Some WWE fans may not be aware of the fact that Roman Reigns' real-life brother was the late Rosey. and this advice earned him the nickname, "Straightshootin'" Stevie Ray. Check out the story here. Booker T and his brother, Stevie Ray, held the WCW Tag Team Championships ten times. During that same period, the WWE Hall of Famer tied the knot with his wife, Debra Duggan. 5 Reasons Why Harlem Heat Was WCWs Best Tag Team (& 5 Why It Was The Steiner Brothers), legendary wrestler turned promoter Skandor Akbar, 8 Backstage Stories Fans Should Know About Sensational Sherri Martel, The nWo Wolfpac vs nWo Hollywood Storyline, Explained. At Souled Out, a match took place between Booker and Stevie, which ended in a disqualification when Big T made his WCW debut and attacked Booker. Meanwhile, Booker T would go on to win WCW World Television Championship. Despite being on opposite sides they managed to peacefully co-exist (despite Booker expressing dismay at Stevie for joining the nWo). "For me as a tag team, who didn't even get a chance to work in WWE with my brother, my brother and I, we paved the way for so many other young African American wrestlers that watched us and said, man if Booker T and Stevie Ray can do it, we can do it too," said Booker. Speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T recalled an incident in which he and his brother saved Duggan's life at a club before he was married: As the angry boyfriend and his group were about to attack the Hall of Famer, Booker T and Stevie Ray (aka Harlem Heat) entered the club: Booker T opened up on initially disliking a particular duo of eight-time champions. Johnny Ace's brother was one half of the legendary Road Warriors/Legion of Doom along with his late partner Hawk. While Stevie Ray was taking time off to deal with an injury Booker T started gaining traction in the singles realm, winning the Television Title in late 1997.