The final piece of the puzzle for Cornette came at the 1996 Royal Rumble, when the monstrous Vader made his debut. Cornette got in British Bulldog’s ear as well, causing him to turn his back on Diesel. The formidable pair captured the World Tag Team Titles in their first match as a team. Putting together Owen Hart and Yokozuna was a mastermind move by The Louisville Slugger. That distinction belonged to Camp Cornette - the loudmouth manager’s faction during his time in WWE in the mid-1990s. Jim Cornette may be best known for his time as the brains behind The Midnight Express, but "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton, "Sweet" Stan Lane and "Loverboy" Dennis Condrey weren’t the most talented group to fall under Cornette’s guidance. Members: Jim Cornette, Owen Hart, Vader, British Bulldog, Yokozuna Uncle Ivan and Khrushchev were left holding the red flag as the Soviet Union soon faded away. Instead, it was Dusty Rhodes, who convinced Nikita to join him in his legendary rivalry with The Four Horsemen.
Unfortunately, there was no miracle on canvas that sent The Russians packing back to Moscow. On the back of Nikita’s vicious Russian Sickle, the trio captured the NWA World Tag Team Titles, defending them under the “Freebird Rule.” Add on Nikita’s reign as United States Champion and a turn as World Six-Man Tag Team Champions and you have one impressive squad. Former WWE Champion Ivan Koloff brought his massive nephew Nikita over from Moscow, and sold Barry Darsow on the Soviet way of life, transforming him into Krusher Khrushchev.ĭonning T-shirts that claimed “Ain’t Nothing Can Stop Us,” the Soviet trio dominated Jim Crockett Promotions. Much like the Soviet Union’s dominance in Olympic sports, this trio of communists ran roughshod over the National Wrestling Alliance in the 1980s. Members: Ivan Koloff, Nikita Koloff & Krusher Khrushchev