Powers of Pain
Encyclopedia
The Powers of Pain are an on-and-off professional wrestling
tag team
. They are best known for their tenure in Jim Crockett Promotions
and the World Wrestling Federation
.
and Sione Vailahi
were put together as a tag team called the Powers of Pain by Ivan Koloff and Paul Jones
in the National Wrestling Alliance
's Jim Crockett Promotions
in late 1987. Szopinski was named "The Warlord," while Vailahi was known as "The Barbarian."
The Powers then began feuding
with the Road Warriors
. During their feud, they attacked the Road Warriors during a bench press contest between the two teams. Later during their feud, the Powers won the World Six-Man Tag Team Championship with Ivan Koloff from the Warriors and Dusty Rhodes
.
They feuded for several more months until the Powers left the NWA while still the champions with Koloff when the Powers refused to do scaffold matches. As a result, the Powers and Koloff were stripped of the titles.
initially managed by Tito Santana
, introduced during an a WWF Event Center promo on WWF Superstars of Wrestling. They feuded with WWF World Tag Team Champions Demolition
(Ax
and Smash
) who had defeated Strike Force
(Santana and Rick Martel
) for the titles and then injured Martel (kayfabe
). The Powers were introduced as mercenaries to help Martel and Santana gain revenge on Demolition for both the title loss and the injury to Martel. Then later they were managed by The Baron
.
They became heels while Demolition became faces when Mr. Fuji
attacked Demolition at Survivor Series
and aligned himself with the Powers of Pain. The Powers of Pain went on to win the match when they eliminated the foreign heel
team The Conquistadors, The feud with Demolition ended at Wrestlemania V
when the Powers Of Pain teamed with Fuji and lost to Demolition when Ax pinned Fuji.
They failed to win the titles and were eventually split up in 1990, with the Barbarian being managed by Bobby Heenan
, while the Warlord paired up with "The Doctor of Style" Slick
. The double turn between them and Demolition back at the 1988 Survivor Series was seen to many as the catalyst of their sudden loss of popularity and subsequent push down the card.
The rumor of the Powers of Pain's split was when the Legion of Doom were negotiating with the WWF in June 1990, they reportedly demanded that the Powers of Pain be split up and repackaged in different gimmicks due to thinking that they [the Warriors] would look like Powers of Pain-ripoffs when they entered the WWF due to their similar appearances. Thus, the Powers were split up, repackaged in different ring attires, and lost their familiar face paint until they both left the WWF.
, The Powers of Pain won the WWWA Tag Team Championship together on the independent circuit in the early 1990s before later debuting for World Championship Wrestling
. During their time in WCW, they wrestled under masks as the Super Assassins and were managed by Col. Rob Parker
. They later reformed their team in 2005 for Gladiator Championship Wrestling.
in 2004 with RF Video and spoke about their careers.
In 2008, they introduced an energy drink in association with Gladiator Championship Wrestling.
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...
. They are best known for their tenure in Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
and the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World 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...
.
Jim Crockett Promotions
Terry SzopinskiTerry Szopinski
Terry Scott Szopinski is an American professional wrestler. He is best known by his ring name The Warlord and for his tenures in Jim Crockett Promotions and the World Wrestling Federation as one half of the Powers of Pain alongside The Barbarian.-National Wrestling Alliance / Jim Crockett...
and Sione Vailahi
Sione Vailahi
Sione Havea Vailahi is a professional wrestler best known in wrestling as The Barbarian.-Life and career:Born and raised in Tonga, Sione was one of five teenagers sent by the King of Tonga to Japan to study Sumo wrestling in the mid 1970s. Tonga Fifita was one of the other teenagers...
were put together as a tag team called the Powers of Pain by Ivan Koloff and Paul Jones
Paul Jones (wrestler)
Paul Jones is a retired professional wrestler and manager. He had success in the National Wrestling Alliance 's Mid-Atlantic region, including an NWA World Tag Team title reign with Ricky Steamboat.-Career:...
in the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
's Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
in late 1987. Szopinski was named "The Warlord," while Vailahi was known as "The Barbarian."
The Powers then began feuding
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with the Road Warriors
Road Warriors
The Road Warriors were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Michael "Hawk" Hegstrand and Joseph "Animal" Laurinaitis. They performed under the name "Road Warriors" in the American Wrestling Association, the National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling, and the name Legion...
. During their feud, they attacked the Road Warriors during a bench press contest between the two teams. Later during their feud, the Powers won the World Six-Man Tag Team Championship with Ivan Koloff from the Warriors and Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)
Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...
.
They feuded for several more months until the Powers left the NWA while still the champions with Koloff when the Powers refused to do scaffold matches. As a result, the Powers and Koloff were stripped of the titles.
World Wrestling Federation
Upon their arrival, the Powers were facesFace (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
initially managed by Tito Santana
Tito Santana
Merced Solis better known by his ring name Tito Santana, is an American professional wrestler whose heyday spanned from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, though he continues to appear on the independent circuit. He is best known from his time in the World Wrestling Federation...
, introduced during an a WWF Event Center promo on WWF Superstars of Wrestling. They feuded with WWF World Tag Team Champions Demolition
Demolition (professional wrestling)
Demolition is a professional wrestling tag team most prominent during the late 1980s / early 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation made up of Ax , Smash , and later Crush . In WWF, Demolition were three-time Tag Team Champions, and hold the records for both the single longest tag title reign...
(Ax
Bill Eadie
Bill Eadie is a professional wrestler who has competed under the names of Ax as part of Demolition and The Masked Superstar...
and Smash
Barry Darsow
Barry Darsow is a former American professional wrestler who is known as Smash, one half of the tag team Demolition, and as Krusher Kruschev, Repo Man, and The Blacktop Bully...
) who had defeated Strike Force
Strike Force (professional wrestling)
Strike Force was a professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation composed of Rick Martel and Tito Santana.-History:...
(Santana and Rick Martel
Rick Martel
Richard Vigneault is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation between 1980 and 1995 under the ring name Rick Martel...
) for the titles and then injured Martel (kayfabe
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...
). The Powers were introduced as mercenaries to help Martel and Santana gain revenge on Demolition for both the title loss and the injury to Martel. Then later they were managed by The Baron
James Raschke
James Donald Raschke is a retired professional wrestler best known as Baron von Raschke.-Career:...
.
They became heels while Demolition became faces when Mr. Fuji
Harry Fujiwara
Harry Fujiwara is an American former professional wrestler and manager, best known by his ring name Mr. Fuji. He was infamous for often throwing salt in the eyes of face wrestlers...
attacked Demolition at Survivor Series
Survivor Series (1988)
Survivor Series was the second annual Survivor Series pay-per-view professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation...
and aligned himself with the Powers of Pain. The Powers of Pain went on to win the match when they eliminated the foreign heel
Heel (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...
team The Conquistadors, The feud with Demolition ended at Wrestlemania V
WrestleMania V
WrestleMania V was the fifth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on April 2, 1989 at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey...
when the Powers Of Pain teamed with Fuji and lost to Demolition when Ax pinned Fuji.
They failed to win the titles and were eventually split up in 1990, with the Barbarian being managed by Bobby Heenan
Bobby Heenan
Raymond Louis "Ray" Heenan , better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan , is a former American professional wrestling manager and color commentator, best known for his time with the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation...
, while the Warlord paired up with "The Doctor of Style" Slick
Ken Johnson (wrestling)
Kenneth "Ken" Johnson better known to wrestling fans as "Slick - The Doctor of Style", is a former American professional wrestling manager with the World Wrestling Federation...
. The double turn between them and Demolition back at the 1988 Survivor Series was seen to many as the catalyst of their sudden loss of popularity and subsequent push down the card.
The rumor of the Powers of Pain's split was when the Legion of Doom were negotiating with the WWF in June 1990, they reportedly demanded that the Powers of Pain be split up and repackaged in different gimmicks due to thinking that they [the Warriors] would look like Powers of Pain-ripoffs when they entered the WWF due to their similar appearances. Thus, the Powers were split up, repackaged in different ring attires, and lost their familiar face paint until they both left the WWF.
Independent circuit
Upon returning to the independent circuitIndependent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
, The Powers of Pain won the WWWA Tag Team Championship together on the independent circuit in the early 1990s before later debuting for World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
. During their time in WCW, they wrestled under masks as the Super Assassins and were managed by Col. Rob Parker
Robert Fuller
Robert Welch is a professional wrestler and manager better known by his ring names Robert Fuller and Col. Robert Parker. Robert and his brother Ron co-owned Continental Championship Wrestling for a time.-Career:...
. They later reformed their team in 2005 for Gladiator Championship Wrestling.
Other media
They filmed a shoot interviewShoot (professional wrestling)
A shoot in professional wrestling is a term that refers to any unplanned, unscripted or real-life occurrence within a wrestling event. Contrary to popular belief, the name does not originate from "shooting in" for a takedown, as in amateur wrestling - rather it is a carny term shortened from...
in 2004 with RF Video and spoke about their careers.
In 2008, they introduced an energy drink in association with Gladiator Championship Wrestling.
In wrestling
- Finishing tag team moves
- Electric chair (The Warlord) / Diving clothesline (The Barbarian) combinationDoomsday DeviceDoomsday Device, often shortened to Device, is a term used in professional wrestling to reference a tandem move in which one wrestler hoists the opponent on their shoulders so that they are facing in the same direction in what is known as the electric chair position, while another wrestler climbs...
- Running powerslam by The Warlord followed by a diving headbutt by The Barbarian
- Electric chair (The Warlord) / Diving clothesline (The Barbarian) combination
- 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...
- Ivan Koloff
- Paul JonesPaul Jones (wrestler)Paul Jones is a retired professional wrestler and manager. He had success in the National Wrestling Alliance 's Mid-Atlantic region, including an NWA World Tag Team title reign with Ricky Steamboat.-Career:...
- The BaronJames RaschkeJames Donald Raschke is a retired professional wrestler best known as Baron von Raschke.-Career:...
- Mr. FujiHarry FujiwaraHarry Fujiwara is an American former professional wrestler and manager, best known by his ring name Mr. Fuji. He was infamous for often throwing salt in the eyes of face wrestlers...
- Col. Robert ParkerRobert FullerRobert Welch is a professional wrestler and manager better known by his ring names Robert Fuller and Col. Robert Parker. Robert and his brother Ron co-owned Continental Championship Wrestling for a time.-Career:...
- Sonny Blayze
Championships and accomplishments
- Jim Crockett PromotionsJim Crockett PromotionsJim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
- NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ivan Koloff
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked them #97 of the 100 best tag teams during the "PWI Years" in 2003
- World Wide Wrestling AllianceWorld Wide Wrestling AllianceThe World Wide Wrestling Alliance , formerly known as NWA Ohio, is a defunct American professional wrestling promotion. However, NWA Ohio Owner & Promoter Dave Nelson's claim of owership of the WWWA name is disputed.-History:...
- WWWA Tag Team Championship (1 time, first)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Worst Tag Team (1989)