Acolytes Protection Agency
Encyclopedia
The Acolytes Protection Agency (APA), was a professional wrestling
tag team
that consisted of Bradshaw
and Faarooq
. They wrestled for the American promotion
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/E) between October 1998 and March 2004.
Before forming the APA, Faarooq and Bradshaw were known as the Hell's Henchmen and were later a part of The Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness
as The Acolytes. As The Acolytes they won two World Tag Team Championships in 1999 while feuding with X-Pac
and Kane
, and the Hardy Boyz
. After renaming themselves the Acolytes Protection Agency in 2000, they functioned as bodyguards to other wrestlers, and won a third tag team championship in 2001.
In 2002, the duo was split during the brand extension
, where Simmons went to SmackDown!, as Bradshaw went to Raw
. As a singles competitor, Bradshaw had an extensive hardcore wrestling
career, winning the Hardcore Championship
on various occasions. The two reunited as a tag team in Ohio Valley Wrestling
and then on SmackDown! in 2003. The team again split in 2004 when Simmons was on-screen released by WWE; Layfield continued his singles career before retiring in 2009.
. Both men made their first appearance on TV as a team on the November 15, 1998 episode of Sunday Night Heat attacking 8-Ball, Skull and Paul Ellering
as the D.O.A.
came down to the ring for a match. The following week on Sunday Night Heat, The Jackyl came down to the ring as the duo interrupted a match and proclaimed Bradshaw and Faarooq to be his Acolytes. Both men would make their official tag team debut on the November 30, 1998 edition of Raw
, where they attacked Tiger Ali Singh
and his manager, Babu
, after Singh's match against Val Venis
. Afterwards, they won tag team matches against the team of Venis and The Godfather
and the team of the J.O.B. Squad
.
stable, the Ministry of Darkness
. They debuted in Undertaker's Ministry on the January 11, 1999 edition of Raw, where they recruited Dennis Knight
into the Ministry, giving him the name Mideon. After Undertaker's Ministry merged with The Corporation
to form the Corporate Ministry
, the Acolytes began a feud with X-Pac
and Kane
over the WWF Tag Team Championship. The feud began on the May 30, 1999 edition of Sunday Night Heat
, where the Acolytes attacked X-Pac after his match against The Big Boss Man
. Their attack was to no avail, however, as Kane, X-Pac's tag team partner, came down to the ring to attack the Acolytes. Later that night, the Acolytes challenged X-Pac and Kane for a WWF Tag Team Championship match on the following Raw broadcast. The following night on Raw, X-Pac and Kane accepted the challenge. During the match, however, Shane McMahon
, who was also a member of the Corporate Ministry, interfered in the match, causing Kane to chase McMahon to the backstage area. The situation allowed Bradshaw to hit X-Pac with a Clothesline from Hell into a pinfall, allowing the Acolytes to win their first WWF Tag Team Championship.
The Acolytes then began a feud with the Hardy Boyz
, which began at King of the Ring where the Hardy Boyz defeated The Brood to become the number one contenders to the Acolytes' WWF Tag Team Championship. The feud intensified on the July 3, 1999 edition of Shotgun Saturday Night
, where the Acolytes attacked the Hardy Boyz during a segment. On the July 5, 1999 edition of Raw, however, the Acolytes lost the WWF Tag Team Championship to the Hardy Boyz, after Jeff
attacked Bradshaw with Michael Hayes
's, the Hardy Boyz's manager
, cane, and Matt delivered a Tornado DDT on Bradshaw into a pinfall. The Acolytes regained the WWF Tag Team Championship at Fully Loaded in a No Disqualification Handicap match against the Hardy Boyz and Hayes.
After regaining the championship, the Acolytes began another feud with Kane with various partners. On the August 8, 1999 edition of Sunday Night Heat, Kane teamed up with Road Dogg
to face the Acolytes for the WWF Tag Team Championship, in a losing effort. The following night on Raw, Kane then teamed up with X-Pac to face the Acolytes in another Championship match, where X-Pac delivered a X-Factor to Faarooq into the pinfall, which meant that the Acolytes lost the title. The following week, they lost a rematch for the WWF Tag Team Championship. After losing their rematch, they won a number one contendership for the WWF Tag Team Championship at SummerSlam
, where they won a Tag Team Turmoil match. They were unable to regain the WWF Tag Team Championship, as their match against The Big Show and The Undertaker went to a no-contest. After this, they began a feud with the Dudley Boyz
, which ended at Unforgiven where they defeated the Dudley Boyz. After their feud with the Dudley Boyz, the Acolytes began a gimmick as card player
s and beer drinkers, where they hustle
d many WWF superstars/employees out of their money.
After sporadic feuds, the Acolytes won a tag team battle royal
at Armageddon against seven other tag teams to win a WWF Tag Team Championship match. They were unable to win the championship at Royal Rumble
, where the New Age Outlaws
defeated them, after Billy Gunn
performed a Fame-ass-er on Bradshaw, after interference from X-Pac.
asked the Acolytes to protect them, which they refused to do, until the Posse offered to pay them. When they did, Bradshaw started the Acolytes Protection Agency (APA). In reality, the gimmick of the tag team was created by Bradshaw. To further enhance their gimmick, the APA began to appear weekly backstage in an office, dubbed the APA Office. After protecting many WWF superstars, the APA began a feud with Bull Buchanan
and The Big Bossman
. The feud began on the April 10, 2000 edition of Raw, where Buchanan and Bossman attacked the APA during a match, where they protected Kai En Tai
. The APA, however, was unsuccessful in winning a tag team match against them at Backlash. On the May 18, 2000 edition of SmackDown!, the APA were hired to protect Crash Holly
for an hour, to prevent him from losing his WWF Hardcore Championship
. After the hour was up, the APA left, allowing Gerald Brisco
to pin Holly for the Hardcore Championship. The situation resulted in Holly challenging Bradshaw in a Hardcore match
, which Bradshaw won. Later that week on SmackDown!, Faarooq defeated Holly in a Hardcore match.
On the June 26, 2000 edition of Raw, the APA won a Tag-Team Battle Royal against seven other teams to win a WWF Tag Team Championship match. During the weeks leading up to Fully Loaded, Edge and Christian
avoided defending the Tag Team Championship against the APA. On July 10, 2000, the APA were scheduled to face Edge and Christian for the Tag Team Championship, but Edge announced that he would face Bradshaw one-on-one in a match, which Bradshaw lost. Later that week on SmackDown!, Edge and Christian were scheduled to defend their Tag Team Championship against the APA, but they again made a one-on-one match, where Christian was defeated by Faarooq. At Fully Loaded, the APA won the Tag Team match by disqualification; due to WWF rules, Edge and Christian retained the Tag Team Championship. On the September 7, 2000 edition of SmackDown!, the Dudley Boyz
and the APA formed an alliance. The following week on Raw, the APA faced Right to Censor
(Bull Buchanan
and The Goodfather
) in a losing effort. Then, on the September 18, 2000 edition of Raw, the Dudley Boyz also lost to Buchanan and The Goodfather. After the match, all the members of the Right to Censor (Buchanan, The Goodfather, Steven Richards
, and Val Venis) attacked the Dudley Boyz, which resulted in the APA coming out to help the Dudley Boyz, as a part of their alliance. The Dudley Boyz and the APA were then booked in an Eight-man Tag Team match against Right to Censor at Unforgiven, which Right to Censor won via pinfall.
After sporadic feuds through midway 2001, the APA were awarded a WWF Tag Team Championship match against the Dudley Boyz on the July 9, 2001 edition of Raw, where Bradshaw pinned D-Von to win the WWF Tag Team Championship. The following month on SmackDown!, however, the APA lost the WWF Tag Team Championship to Kanyon
and Diamond Dallas Page
. After their loss of the Tag Team Championship, Faarooq was briefly absent, while Bradshaw began to pursue singles championships, like on the September 27, 2001 edition of SmackDown!, where Bradshaw lost an WWF Intercontinental Championship
match against Christian. On the October 22, 2001 edition of Raw, Bradshaw defeated The Hurricane
to win the WWF European Championship
. When Faarooq returned, Bradshaw lost the European Championship to Christian on the November 1, 2001 edition of SmackDown!. At No Way Out
, the APA won a Tag Team Turmoil match to win a WWF Tag Team Championship match at WrestleMania X8
. The APA were unsuccessful in winning the Tag Team Championship on two occasions: on the February 28, 2002 edition of SmackDown! and at WrestleMania X8.
On March 25, 2002, the APA were split up when the WWE roster was divided into the Raw
and SmackDown! brands. Bradshaw was drafted to Raw, while Faarooq was drafted to SmackDown!. On the Raw brand, Bradshaw won the WWF Hardcore Championship
eighteen times, while Faarooq had a brief stint with the SmackDown! brand, teaming with Reverend Devon in a tournament to determine the newly created WWE Tag Team Championship.
, winning the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship
on April 10, 2003. They vacated the Tag Team Championship when they returned to WWE television on the June 19, 2003 edition of SmackDown!, where they assisted The Undertaker in an ambush from the F.B.I.
During their return, they revived their former gimmick of beer drinking and card playing segments in backstage areas. At Vengeance
, the APA hosted a Bar Room Brawl, which Bradshaw won. On the September 4, 2003 edition of SmackDown!, the APA were booked in a WWE Tag Team Championship match against the defending champions, Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin
, which the APA lost. After sporadic tag team matches, the APA was once again booked in a WWE Tag Team Championship match at WrestleMania XX
, in a Fatal-Four way Tag Team match also involving Haas and Benjamin, Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty
, and the Basham Brothers
, which Rikishi and Hotty won to retain the Tag Team Championship. On March 18, 2004, SmackDown! general manager Paul Heyman
forced the APA to face Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty after they mocked his being Stunned
by Stone Cold Steve Austin
the previous week, with the added stipulation that "If you lose, you will be fired". After they were defeated, Heyman clarified that he would only be firing Simmons, not both men as he implied. He then told Bradshaw to worry about his own career, claiming that as a published author and a Fox
financial analyst
he was a valued asset to the company. Bradshaw opted to stay, and Faarooq left in disgust. In reality, Simmons retired from professional wrestling, which was covered up in the storyline as an on-screen
firing. Three years later in 2006, Layfield retired from professional wrestling, becoming a commentator
for Friday Night SmackDown!. Layfield returned as an active wrestler in 2008, on the Raw brand, while Simmons began cutting promos with his trademark catchphrase, "Damn".
and Carlito
.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
that consisted of Bradshaw
John Layfield
John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...
and Faarooq
Ron Simmons
Ronald "Ron" Simmons is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and retired American football player. He is recognised as being the first Black world heavyweight champion in professional wrestling and the first of only two African Americans to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship,...
. They wrestled for the American promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/E) between October 1998 and March 2004.
Before forming the APA, Faarooq and Bradshaw were known as the Hell's Henchmen and were later a part of The Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness
Ministry of Darkness
The Ministry of Darkness was a professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation during the WWF Attitude Era of the late 1990s...
as The Acolytes. As The Acolytes they won two World Tag Team Championships in 1999 while feuding with X-Pac
Sean Waltman
Sean Michael Waltman is an American professional wrestler currently signed with WWE in their developmental program. He wrestled there under the ring names 1–2–3 Kid and X-Pac off and on from 1993–2002, World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Syxx, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ...
and Kane
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
, and the Hardy Boyz
Hardy Boyz
The Hardy Boyz are a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of real-life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy...
. After renaming themselves the Acolytes Protection Agency in 2000, they functioned as bodyguards to other wrestlers, and won a third tag team championship in 2001.
In 2002, the duo was split during the brand extension
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
, where Simmons went to SmackDown!, as Bradshaw went to Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
. As a singles competitor, Bradshaw had an extensive hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
career, winning the Hardcore Championship
WWE Hardcore Championship
The World Wrestling Entertainment Hardcore Championship is a hardcore wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and is contested under "hardcore" rules, meaning there is no disqualifications, no countouts, and pin falls could be counted anywhere...
on various occasions. The two reunited as a tag team in Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
and then on SmackDown! in 2003. The team again split in 2004 when Simmons was on-screen released by WWE; Layfield continued his singles career before retiring in 2009.
Hell's Henchmen (1998)
As single competitors in the World Wrestling Federation, Layfield's (under the name of Bradshaw) and Simmons' (under the name Faarooq) careers had stalled. WWF management then placed Bradshaw and Faarooq in a tag team called Hell's Henchmen managed by The JackylDon Callis
Don Callis is a Canadian former professional wrestler and manager, known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation as The Jackyl, and Extreme Championship Wrestling as color commentator Cyrus.-Early life:...
. Both men made their first appearance on TV as a team on the November 15, 1998 episode of Sunday Night Heat attacking 8-Ball, Skull and Paul Ellering
Paul Ellering
Paul Ellering is a retired professional wrestling manager.-Professional wrestling career:Before entering the wrestling business, Ellering was an accomplished weightlifter...
as the D.O.A.
Disciples of Apocalypse
The Disciples of Apocalypse were a biker-themed professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation in the late 1990s. The group came together from the demise of the Nation of Domination stable in June 1997 and consisted of four main members: Crush, Chainz, Skull and...
came down to the ring for a match. The following week on Sunday Night Heat, The Jackyl came down to the ring as the duo interrupted a match and proclaimed Bradshaw and Faarooq to be his Acolytes. Both men would make their official tag team debut on the November 30, 1998 edition of Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, where they attacked Tiger Ali Singh
Gurjit Singh
Gurjit Singh Hans is an Indo-Canadian professional wrestler, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Tiger Ali Singh. He is the son of legendary wrestler Tiger Jeet Singh.-Career:...
and his manager, Babu
Pablo Marquez
Pablo Márquez is a professional wrestler who has competed for various promotions such as the World Wrestling Council, International Wrestling Association, and Michinoku Pro out of Japan. Marquez is probably most famous for his brief stint in the World Wrestling Federation in 1998 as Babu...
, after Singh's match against Val Venis
Sean Morley
Sean Allen Morley is a Canadian professional wrestler better known by his ring name Val Venis, during his time with World Wrestling Federation, later known as World Wrestling Entertainment...
. Afterwards, they won tag team matches against the team of Venis and The Godfather
Charles Wright (wrestler)
Charles Wright is an American businessman and former professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation throughout the 1990s and early 2000s under the ring names Papa Shango, Kama, Kama Mustafa, The Godfather, and The Goodfather .After leaving the wrestling...
and the team of the J.O.B. Squad
J.O.B. Squad
The J.O.B. Squad was a professional wrestling faction. The theme of the group was that each member was a perennial enhancement talent, in which they lost to established or up-and-coming wrestlers....
.
The Acolytes (1999–2000)
When The Jackyl left the WWF, the duo joined The Undertaker's new heelHeel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
stable, the Ministry of Darkness
Ministry of Darkness
The Ministry of Darkness was a professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation during the WWF Attitude Era of the late 1990s...
. They debuted in Undertaker's Ministry on the January 11, 1999 edition of Raw, where they recruited Dennis Knight
Dennis Knight
Dennis Knight is a retired American professional wrestler best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment as Phineas I. Godwinn and Mideon.-Career:...
into the Ministry, giving him the name Mideon. After Undertaker's Ministry merged with The Corporation
The Corporation (professional wrestling)
The Corporation was a heel stable in the late 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation .-History:The group was put together and led by WWF Chairman Vince McMahon in an attempt to secure control of the WWF and "crush the rebels" that were popping up on the WWF landscape...
to form the Corporate Ministry
Corporate Ministry
The Corporate Ministry was a stable in the World Wrestling Federation in 1999 composed of members from both The Corporation and the Ministry of Darkness.-Background:...
, the Acolytes began a feud with X-Pac
Sean Waltman
Sean Michael Waltman is an American professional wrestler currently signed with WWE in their developmental program. He wrestled there under the ring names 1–2–3 Kid and X-Pac off and on from 1993–2002, World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Syxx, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ...
and Kane
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
over the WWF Tag Team Championship. The feud began on the May 30, 1999 edition of Sunday Night Heat
WWE HEAT
WWE Heat was a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
, where the Acolytes attacked X-Pac after his match against The Big Boss Man
Ray Traylor
Ray Walter Traylor, Jr. was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Big Boss Man and World Championship Wrestling under various ring names, most notably Big Bubba Rogers.-Early years:Traylor, a prison guard in...
. Their attack was to no avail, however, as Kane, X-Pac's tag team partner, came down to the ring to attack the Acolytes. Later that night, the Acolytes challenged X-Pac and Kane for a WWF Tag Team Championship match on the following Raw broadcast. The following night on Raw, X-Pac and Kane accepted the challenge. During the match, however, Shane McMahon
Shane McMahon
Shane Brandon McMahon is an American executive, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of YOU On Demand. A former executive and professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment , he is the son of WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and former US Senate candidate Linda...
, who was also a member of the Corporate Ministry, interfered in the match, causing Kane to chase McMahon to the backstage area. The situation allowed Bradshaw to hit X-Pac with a Clothesline from Hell into a pinfall, allowing the Acolytes to win their first WWF Tag Team Championship.
The Acolytes then began a feud with the Hardy Boyz
Hardy Boyz
The Hardy Boyz are a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of real-life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy...
, which began at King of the Ring where the Hardy Boyz defeated The Brood to become the number one contenders to the Acolytes' WWF Tag Team Championship. The feud intensified on the July 3, 1999 edition of Shotgun Saturday Night
WWF Shotgun Saturday Night
WWF Shotgun Saturday Night is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It aired from January 4, 1997 through August 21, 1999 as a syndicated broadcast...
, where the Acolytes attacked the Hardy Boyz during a segment. On the July 5, 1999 edition of Raw, however, the Acolytes lost the WWF Tag Team Championship to the Hardy Boyz, after Jeff
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
attacked Bradshaw with Michael Hayes
Michael Hayes (wrestler)
Michael Seitz is a retired American professional wrestler and former musician. Seitz is best known for leading The Fabulous Freebirds under the ring name Michael "P.S." Hayes and for his role as the announcer Dok Hendrix in the World Wrestling Federation...
's, the Hardy Boyz's manager
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
, cane, and Matt delivered a Tornado DDT on Bradshaw into a pinfall. The Acolytes regained the WWF Tag Team Championship at Fully Loaded in a No Disqualification Handicap match against the Hardy Boyz and Hayes.
After regaining the championship, the Acolytes began another feud with Kane with various partners. On the August 8, 1999 edition of Sunday Night Heat, Kane teamed up with Road Dogg
Brian Gerard James
Brian Gerard James is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE as an agent and producer. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation as "The Road Dogg" Jesse James or simply Road Dogg...
to face the Acolytes for the WWF Tag Team Championship, in a losing effort. The following night on Raw, Kane then teamed up with X-Pac to face the Acolytes in another Championship match, where X-Pac delivered a X-Factor to Faarooq into the pinfall, which meant that the Acolytes lost the title. The following week, they lost a rematch for the WWF Tag Team Championship. After losing their rematch, they won a number one contendership for the WWF Tag Team Championship at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (1999)
SummerSlam was the twelfth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on August 22, 1999 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Results:Tag Team Turmoil...
, where they won a Tag Team Turmoil match. They were unable to regain the WWF Tag Team Championship, as their match against The Big Show and The Undertaker went to a no-contest. After this, they began a feud with the Dudley Boyz
Dudley Boyz
Team 3D was a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Brother Ray and Brother Devon, formerly sporadically joined into a stable by Brother Runt on several intervals...
, which ended at Unforgiven where they defeated the Dudley Boyz. After their feud with the Dudley Boyz, the Acolytes began a gimmick as card player
Card Player
Card Player magazine is an industry publication and web portal specializing in poker media, poker strategy and poker tournament coverage. The magazine was founded in 1988 by June Field. In 1998 it was bought by Barry Shulman, who is the current publisher and CEO...
s and beer drinkers, where they hustle
Hustling
Hustling is the deceptive act of disguising one's skill in a sport or game with the intent of luring someone of probably lesser skill into gambling with the hustler, as a form of confidence trick...
d many WWF superstars/employees out of their money.
After sporadic feuds, the Acolytes won a tag team battle royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
at Armageddon against seven other tag teams to win a WWF Tag Team Championship match. They were unable to win the championship at Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2000)
Royal Rumble was the thirteenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 23, 2000 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York....
, where the New Age Outlaws
New Age Outlaws
The New Age Outlaws, later known as the James Gang and the Voodoo Kin Mafia, were a professional wrestling tag team in World Wrestling Federation, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , Jersey All Pro Wrestling, and Maryland Championship Wrestling consisting of B.G...
defeated them, after Billy Gunn
Monty Sopp
Monty Kip Sopp is an American professional wrestler, best known as Billy Gunn during his tenure for World Wrestling Entertainment. He is probably best known as one of the members of the New Age Outlaws. He also worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Kip James...
performed a Fame-ass-er on Bradshaw, after interference from X-Pac.
Acolytes Protection Agency (2000–2002)
On the January 31, 2000 edition of Raw, the Mean Street PosseMean Street Posse
The Mean Street Posse was a villainous professional wrestling faction that formerly wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation. The faction consisted of Pete Gas, Rodney, and Joey Abs...
asked the Acolytes to protect them, which they refused to do, until the Posse offered to pay them. When they did, Bradshaw started the Acolytes Protection Agency (APA). In reality, the gimmick of the tag team was created by Bradshaw. To further enhance their gimmick, the APA began to appear weekly backstage in an office, dubbed the APA Office. After protecting many WWF superstars, the APA began a feud with Bull Buchanan
Barry Buchanan
Barry Buchanan is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances as Bull Buchanan and B-2 in the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment.-National Championship Wrestling :...
and The Big Bossman
Ray Traylor
Ray Walter Traylor, Jr. was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Big Boss Man and World Championship Wrestling under various ring names, most notably Big Bubba Rogers.-Early years:Traylor, a prison guard in...
. The feud began on the April 10, 2000 edition of Raw, where Buchanan and Bossman attacked the APA during a match, where they protected Kai En Tai
Kai En Tai
Kai En Tai was a professional wrestling stable made up of Japanese wrestlers Kaz Hayashi, Dick Togo and Mens Teioh, later joined by Sho Funaki and Taka Michinoku. The group was managed by Yamaguchi-San when they were in the WWF....
. The APA, however, was unsuccessful in winning a tag team match against them at Backlash. On the May 18, 2000 edition of SmackDown!, the APA were hired to protect Crash Holly
Mike Lockwood
Michael John "Mike" Lockwood was an American professional wrestler best known for his time with World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment under the ring name Crash Holly....
for an hour, to prevent him from losing his WWF Hardcore Championship
WWE Hardcore Championship
The World Wrestling Entertainment Hardcore Championship is a hardcore wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and is contested under "hardcore" rules, meaning there is no disqualifications, no countouts, and pin falls could be counted anywhere...
. After the hour was up, the APA left, allowing Gerald Brisco
Gerald Brisco
Floyd Gerald "Jerry" Brisco is a former American professional wrestler, and prior to June, 2009, worked as a road agent for WWE on its Raw brand....
to pin Holly for the Hardcore Championship. The situation resulted in Holly challenging Bradshaw in a Hardcore match
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
, which Bradshaw won. Later that week on SmackDown!, Faarooq defeated Holly in a Hardcore match.
Edge and Christian
Edge and Christian was a tag team made of real life best friends Edge and Christian , who performed in WWE and the Canadian independent circuit. They won the WWF Tag Team Championship on seven occasions...
avoided defending the Tag Team Championship against the APA. On July 10, 2000, the APA were scheduled to face Edge and Christian for the Tag Team Championship, but Edge announced that he would face Bradshaw one-on-one in a match, which Bradshaw lost. Later that week on SmackDown!, Edge and Christian were scheduled to defend their Tag Team Championship against the APA, but they again made a one-on-one match, where Christian was defeated by Faarooq. At Fully Loaded, the APA won the Tag Team match by disqualification; due to WWF rules, Edge and Christian retained the Tag Team Championship. On the September 7, 2000 edition of SmackDown!, the Dudley Boyz
Dudley Boyz
Team 3D was a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Brother Ray and Brother Devon, formerly sporadically joined into a stable by Brother Runt on several intervals...
and the APA formed an alliance. The following week on Raw, the APA faced Right to Censor
Right to Censor
The Right to Censor was a professional wrestling faction in the World Wrestling Federation from mid-2000 to early 2001...
(Bull Buchanan
Barry Buchanan
Barry Buchanan is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances as Bull Buchanan and B-2 in the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment.-National Championship Wrestling :...
and The Goodfather
Charles Wright (wrestler)
Charles Wright is an American businessman and former professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation throughout the 1990s and early 2000s under the ring names Papa Shango, Kama, Kama Mustafa, The Godfather, and The Goodfather .After leaving the wrestling...
) in a losing effort. Then, on the September 18, 2000 edition of Raw, the Dudley Boyz also lost to Buchanan and The Goodfather. After the match, all the members of the Right to Censor (Buchanan, The Goodfather, Steven Richards
Stevie Richards
Michael Manna is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Stevie Richards. Also known by his ring names, Steven Richards and Dr...
, and Val Venis) attacked the Dudley Boyz, which resulted in the APA coming out to help the Dudley Boyz, as a part of their alliance. The Dudley Boyz and the APA were then booked in an Eight-man Tag Team match against Right to Censor at Unforgiven, which Right to Censor won via pinfall.
After sporadic feuds through midway 2001, the APA were awarded a WWF Tag Team Championship match against the Dudley Boyz on the July 9, 2001 edition of Raw, where Bradshaw pinned D-Von to win the WWF Tag Team Championship. The following month on SmackDown!, however, the APA lost the WWF Tag Team Championship to Kanyon
Chris Kanyon
Christopher Klucsarits was an American professional wrestler, best known for his work in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation, under the ring names Chris Kanyon and Mortis.-Early career:After college, he began training under Pete McKay Gonzalez, Ismael Gerena and Bobby...
and Diamond Dallas Page
Diamond Dallas Page
Dallas Page , better known by his ring name "Diamond" Dallas Page , is an American retired professional wrestler, fitness instructor and actor...
. After their loss of the Tag Team Championship, Faarooq was briefly absent, while Bradshaw began to pursue singles championships, like on the September 27, 2001 edition of SmackDown!, where Bradshaw lost an WWF Intercontinental Championship
WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
match against Christian. On the October 22, 2001 edition of Raw, Bradshaw defeated The Hurricane
Gregory Helms
Gregory Shane Helms is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment where he wrestled as The Hurricane and Gregory Helms. He is also known for his time with World Championship Wrestling where he wrestled as "Sugar" Shane Helms...
to win the WWF European Championship
WWE European Championship
The WWE European Championship was a professional wrestling championship competed for in World Wrestling Entertainment. A coveted singles title of the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was held by superstars such as Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero, and was...
. When Faarooq returned, Bradshaw lost the European Championship to Christian on the November 1, 2001 edition of SmackDown!. At No Way Out
No Way Out (2002)
No Way Out was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Federation . The event took place on February 17, 2002 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
, the APA won a Tag Team Turmoil match to win a WWF Tag Team Championship match at WrestleMania X8
WrestleMania X8
WrestleMania X8 was the eighteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on March 17, 2002 at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario. The event marked the final WrestleMania event under the WWF name...
. The APA were unsuccessful in winning the Tag Team Championship on two occasions: on the February 28, 2002 edition of SmackDown! and at WrestleMania X8.
Initial separation (2002)
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
and SmackDown! brands. Bradshaw was drafted to Raw, while Faarooq was drafted to SmackDown!. On the Raw brand, Bradshaw won the WWF Hardcore Championship
WWE Hardcore Championship
The World Wrestling Entertainment Hardcore Championship is a hardcore wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and is contested under "hardcore" rules, meaning there is no disqualifications, no countouts, and pin falls could be counted anywhere...
eighteen times, while Faarooq had a brief stint with the SmackDown! brand, teaming with Reverend Devon in a tournament to determine the newly created WWE Tag Team Championship.
Return to SmackDown! (2003–2004)
After their brief single careers, Bradshaw and Faarooq reunited in WWE's former farm territory, Ohio Valley WrestlingOhio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
, winning the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship
OVW Southern Tag Team Championship
The OVW Southern Tag Team Championship is the tag team titles of Ohio Valley Wrestling. Created in 1997, the first champions were Nick Dinsmore and Flash Flanagan. As of 2011, the current champions are Ted McNaler and Adam Revolver, known as The Elite in their fourth reign...
on April 10, 2003. They vacated the Tag Team Championship when they returned to WWE television on the June 19, 2003 edition of SmackDown!, where they assisted The Undertaker in an ambush from the F.B.I.
Full Blooded Italians
The Full Blooded Italians is a professional wrestling stable and tag team that wrestled for Extreme Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s and for World Wrestling Entertainment during the mid-2000s.-Extreme Championship Wrestling:...
During their return, they revived their former gimmick of beer drinking and card playing segments in backstage areas. At Vengeance
Vengeance (2003)
Vengeance was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on July 27, 2003 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. It was the third annual Vengeance event and starred wrestlers from the SmackDown brand.Eight professional wrestling...
, the APA hosted a Bar Room Brawl, which Bradshaw won. On the September 4, 2003 edition of SmackDown!, the APA were booked in a WWE Tag Team Championship match against the defending champions, Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin
The World's Greatest Tag Team
The World's Greatest Tag Team is the professional wrestling tag team of Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin, who currently perform as Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team. Originally formed in World Wrestling Entertainment , they started out captained by Kurt Angle, during which time they were known as...
, which the APA lost. After sporadic tag team matches, the APA was once again booked in a WWE Tag Team Championship match at WrestleMania XX
WrestleMania XX
WrestleMania XX was the twentieth WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on March 14, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York....
, in a Fatal-Four way Tag Team match also involving Haas and Benjamin, Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty
Too Cool
Too Cool is a professional wrestling tag team and former faction most notably active in World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment between 1998 and 2001 and for a short time in 2004.-1998–1999:...
, and the Basham Brothers
Basham Brothers
The Basham Brothers, Doug and Danny , are a professional wrestling tag team, who formerly worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment .-History:...
, which Rikishi and Hotty won to retain the Tag Team Championship. On March 18, 2004, SmackDown! general manager Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman is an American entertainment producer, best known for his career in professional wrestling as a promoter, manager, commentator and journalist. He is also an occasional actor in film....
forced the APA to face Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty after they mocked his being Stunned
Stunner (professional wrestling)
A stunner is a common term in professional wrestling referring to the seated three-quarter facelock jawbreaker maneuver, predominantly used by Stone Cold Steve Austin and named for his Stone Cold Stunner finisher...
by Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
the previous week, with the added stipulation that "If you lose, you will be fired". After they were defeated, Heyman clarified that he would only be firing Simmons, not both men as he implied. He then told Bradshaw to worry about his own career, claiming that as a published author and a Fox
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
financial analyst
Financial analyst
A financial analyst, securities analyst, research analyst, equity analyst, or investment analyst is a person who performs financial analysis for external or internal clients as a core part of the job.-Job:...
he was a valued asset to the company. Bradshaw opted to stay, and Faarooq left in disgust. In reality, Simmons retired from professional wrestling, which was covered up in the storyline as an on-screen
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
firing. Three years later in 2006, Layfield retired from professional wrestling, becoming a commentator
Sports commentator
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
for Friday Night SmackDown!. Layfield returned as an active wrestler in 2008, on the Raw brand, while Simmons began cutting promos with his trademark catchphrase, "Damn".
Sporadic reunion (2007)
The APA had an in-ring reunion on the December 3, 2007 episode of Raw when Hornswoggle hired their protection services for his Handicap match against Jonathan CoachmanJonathan Coachman
Jonathan William Coachman , also known as "The Coach", is a former professional wrestling color commentator and authority figure. He is also a former college basketball player, and football play-by-play announcer...
and Carlito
Carly Colon
Carlos Edwin "Carly" Colón, Jr. is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler better known internationally by his ring name Carlito. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Entertainment , but was released from his contract on May 21, 2010. In his native Puerto Rico, he is known as both...
.
In wrestling
- Finishing tag team moves
- Aided powerbomb
- Signature tag team moves
- Back suplex / Neckbreaker slam combination
- Double spinebuster
- Bradshaw's finishing moves
- Clothesline From Hell (Running lariat)
- JBL Bomb (Release powerbomb, with theatrics)
- Faarooq's finishing moves
- Dominator (Standing or a kneeling inverted front powerslam)
- Snap scoop powerslam pin
- Standing thrust spinebuster – innovated
- ManagersManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- The JackylDon CallisDon Callis is a Canadian former professional wrestler and manager, known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation as The Jackyl, and Extreme Championship Wrestling as color commentator Cyrus.-Early life:...
- JacquelineJacqueline MooreJacqueline DeLois Moore is an inactive American professional wrestler, who was most recently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
- The KatStacy CarterStacy Carter , better known as Miss Kitty or The Kat, is an American former professional wrestling valet.During her tenure in the World Wrestling Federation, she held the Women's Championship once, although she was not a trained wrestler...
- The Jackyl
- Theme music
- "Protection" by Jim JohnstonJim Johnston (composer)James Alan "Jim" Johnston is an American music composer who has been working for WWE since 1985. His work is often accredited to the names Jim Johnston, James A...
- "Protection" by Jim Johnston
Championships and accomplishments
- Memphis Championship WrestlingMemphis Championship WrestlingMemphis Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion run by Terry Golden, based in Memphis, Tennessee. The promotion's first event was on February 20, 2000, and it remained active up until mid-2001...
- MCW Southern Tag Team ChampionshipMCW Southern Tag Team ChampionshipThe MCW Southern Tag Team Championship was the tag team title in Memphis Championship Wrestling from 2000 until the promotion closed in 2002.-Title history:...
(1 time)
- MCW Southern Tag Team Championship
- Ohio Valley WrestlingOhio Valley WrestlingOhio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
- OVW Southern Tag Team ChampionshipOVW Southern Tag Team ChampionshipThe OVW Southern Tag Team Championship is the tag team titles of Ohio Valley Wrestling. Created in 1997, the first champions were Nick Dinsmore and Flash Flanagan. As of 2011, the current champions are Ted McNaler and Adam Revolver, known as The Elite in their fourth reign...
(1 time)
- OVW Southern Tag Team Championship
- World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
- WWF European ChampionshipWWE European ChampionshipThe WWE European Championship was a professional wrestling championship competed for in World Wrestling Entertainment. A coveted singles title of the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was held by superstars such as Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero, and was...
(1 time) – Bradshaw - WWF Tag Team Championship (3 times)
- WWF European Championship
See also
- Corporate MinistryCorporate MinistryThe Corporate Ministry was a stable in the World Wrestling Federation in 1999 composed of members from both The Corporation and the Ministry of Darkness.-Background:...
- Doom (professional wrestling)Doom (professional wrestling)Doom was a professional wrestling tag team composed of Ron Simmons and Butch Reed. They competed from 1989 to 1991 in the National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling .-Before the masks:...
- Ministry of DarknessMinistry of DarknessThe Ministry of Darkness was a professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation during the WWF Attitude Era of the late 1990s...