Why Did WWF Single Out Tully Blanchard For Using Cocaine?

B

Blackjack

Black Belt
@Black
Joined
Sep 6, 2005
Messages
5,874
Reaction score
1
When Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson went to The WWF in the late 80s, after they'd both been there about a year, Tully Blanchard tested positive for cocaine. They fired him and he was the only person they fired for cocaine, at least in that era. It was the first time he had tested positive for it as well. They either ignored cocaine use or at worst suspended someone for it back then.
 
got to slaughter a chicken to teach the monkeys
 
Because he was stupid enough to get caught. Him and Arn also made it known before then that they were going back to WCW.
 
They were looking for a reason to get rid of him and he gave them one
 
Tully and Arn (The Brainbusters) weren't working out in WWF at the time. They didn't fit in with there NWA style of wrestling. Tully gave WWF the reason to get rid of them
 
Theprospect26 said:
Tully and Arn (The Brainbusters) weren't working out in WWF at the time. They didn't fit in with there NWA style of wrestling. Tully gave WWF the reason to get rid of them
Click to expand...
I'm not old enough to have watched back then but weren't they over considering Heenan was their manager and they were the tag champs (back when that still meant something)?
 
The Higher Power said:
I'm not old enough to have watched back then but weren't they over considering Heenan was their manager and they were the tag champs (back when that still meant something)?
Click to expand...

I remember hating them in what I now recognize as a good way. I remember them beating Demolition (on SNME, I think) in a 2/3 falls match. The first fall they won was by DQ and Demolition was DQed for the illegal man being in the ring for more than 5 seconds. Possibly the first and still one of the only times I've ever seen that. I was pissed!
 
Two words. Vanilla. Midget.
Brother.
 
The Higher Power said:
I'm not old enough to have watched back then but weren't they over considering Heenan was their manager and they were the tag champs (back when that still meant something)?
Click to expand...
I wouldnt say they were over
They never fit in in the WWF
The only heat they had was because of Heenan but he could only so much for two boring(by WWF standards) mid card mechanics
They had no flash, no pizzazz, no nothing to get excited about
They were just solid as fuck workers that prolly arent remembered at all by the casual WWF fans of the day
 
Arn and Tully were not over with the WWF fans.

WWF wants superhero looking wrestlers like hogan and ultimate warrior. Plus Vince loved gigantic big men heels.

Tully and Arn were a better fit for the nwa not the WWF.
 
It was basically Vince's way to say "FU" to Blanchard since he and Arn had given their notice right before Halloween of '89 and their last date for the WWF was Survivor Series 1989. Ironically enough, because of the failed drug test, JCP/WCW decided not to bring him in and voided his contract so only Arn went back. Of course since Tully's contract was voided and they were no longer going back as a team, Arn had to sign a new contract for less money than the original contract. That cocaine failure basically ended his run with the WWF and JCP/WCW

An interesting note, back in '89 when TV and markeing was close to nil for JCP/WCW, Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard were each signed to a 3 year, $750K contract. Thinking about that and comparing it to some ofthe guys today, that's crazy money they made back in the day.
 
Last edited:
I remember this story of a 80s UK trip where the boys got totally out of hand and Vince sent over a drug testing team. Piper was one of the few to be clean, 30 guys busted.
 


There WWE run did give us Arn's greatest Spine Buster.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
1,236,866
Messages
55,451,084
Members
174,783
Latest member
notnormal

Share this page

Back
Top