Strike Force (professional wrestling)
Encyclopedia
Strike Force was a professional wrestling
tag team
in the World Wrestling Federation
(WWF) composed of Rick Martel
and Tito Santana
.
) in separate singles matches in July 1987 (after the departure of his then tag team partner Tom Zenk
from the WWF). On the August 15, 1987 episode of WWF Superstars of Wrestling
, The Islanders jumped Martel after his win over Barry Horowitz
. Santana, who was doing commentary in the Spanish broadcast booth, ran to the ring to help Martel fight off the attackers. The team were played off as good looking pretty boys (a storyline that came directly from the team's predecessor the Can-Am Connection
) even using the theme called "Girls In Cars", which was originally made for the Can-Am Connection
. The name Strike Force came from Santana's promise that as a team they would, "be striking (The Islanders) with force." Martel immediately came up with the team's name based on this. They feuded with the Islanders until October, when they got a shot at the Hart Foundation for the Tag Team Championship. They won the titles when Jim Neidhart
submitted to Martel's Boston crab
.
The team would hold onto the titles until WrestleMania IV
, where they lost the tag belts to Demolition
. Martel had Smash
in the Boston Crab, until Ax
hit him in the back of the head with Mr. Fuji
's cane, while the ref was distracted by a fight between Santana and Fuji.
Shortly afterward, Martel (kayfabe
) suffered an injury after taking Demolition's finisher on the floor, splitting up the team for several months. In reality, Martel took an extended leave of absence to help take care of his wife, who was severely ill.
Santana wrestled in singles matches again afterwards for a while. Martel would return to the WWF in January 1989 at the Royal Rumble
. Sometime later, Santana and Martel would reunite, taking on the Brain Busters
at WrestleMania V
. After Santana accidentally knocked Martel out with a flying forearm, Martel left Santana alone in the ring to fend for himself, thus turning heel
. Martel later stated that he felt Santana had been riding his coattails and was sick and tired of carrying him. The two would feud for the next year as Martel transformed into "The Model" Rick Martel, becoming an arrogant, self-centered egomaniac. Both men scored wins over the other, including a win by Santana over Martel in the final of the 1989 King of the Ring
tournament.
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...
in 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...
(WWF) composed of 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...
and 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...
.
History
The team formed after Martel defeated both members of The Islanders (Haku and TamaSam Fatu
Samuel Larry Anoa'i Fatu is a professional wrestler best known under the name of The Tonga Kid, or Tama.-Professional wrestling career:...
) in separate singles matches in July 1987 (after the departure of his then tag team partner Tom Zenk
Tom Zenk
Thomas Erwin "Tom" Zenk is a former Mr. Minnesota Bodybuilder, and most notably a American professional wrestler, also known by his nickname Z-Man.-Early career:...
from the WWF). On the August 15, 1987 episode of WWF Superstars of Wrestling
WWF Superstars of Wrestling
WWF Superstars of Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It debuted on September 6, 1986...
, The Islanders jumped Martel after his win over Barry Horowitz
Barry Horowitz
Barry Horowitz is an American professional wrestler, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation.-Career:Horowitz, who is Jewish, attended Florida State University, where he studied sports nutrition and wrestled...
. Santana, who was doing commentary in the Spanish broadcast booth, ran to the ring to help Martel fight off the attackers. The team were played off as good looking pretty boys (a storyline that came directly from the team's predecessor the Can-Am Connection
Can-Am Connection
The Can-Am Connection was a tag team composed of Rick Martel and Tom Zenk in the World Wrestling Federation through 1986 and 1987.-History:...
) even using the theme called "Girls In Cars", which was originally made for the Can-Am Connection
Can-Am Connection
The Can-Am Connection was a tag team composed of Rick Martel and Tom Zenk in the World Wrestling Federation through 1986 and 1987.-History:...
. The name Strike Force came from Santana's promise that as a team they would, "be striking (The Islanders) with force." Martel immediately came up with the team's name based on this. They feuded with the Islanders until October, when they got a shot at the Hart Foundation for the Tag Team Championship. They won the titles when Jim Neidhart
Jim Neidhart
James Henry "Jim" Neidhart is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation as Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. Jim is the father of WWE Diva Natalya...
submitted to Martel's Boston crab
Boston crab
The Boston crab is a professional wrestling hold that typically starts with the opponent lying supine on the mat, with the wrestler standing and facing them. It is a type of spinal lock where the wrestler hooks each of the opponent’s legs in one of his arms, and then turns the opponent face-down,...
.
The team would hold onto the titles until WrestleMania IV
WrestleMania IV
WrestleMania IV was the fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on March 27, 1988 at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey....
, where they lost the tag belts to 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...
. Martel had 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...
in the Boston Crab, until 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...
hit him in the back of the head with 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...
's cane, while the ref was distracted by a fight between Santana and Fuji.
Shortly afterward, 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...
) suffered an injury after taking Demolition's finisher on the floor, splitting up the team for several months. In reality, Martel took an extended leave of absence to help take care of his wife, who was severely ill.
Santana wrestled in singles matches again afterwards for a while. Martel would return to the WWF in January 1989 at the Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (1989)
Royal Rumble was the second annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , and the first one to be held on pay-per-view. It took place on January 15, 1989 at The Summit in Houston, Texas....
. Sometime later, Santana and Martel would reunite, taking on the Brain Busters
Brain Busters
The Brain Busters was the World Wrestling Federation name for the professional wrestling tag team of Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard. Anderson and Blanchard adopted this name after joining the WWF in 1988 from Jim Crockett Promotions, where the two men had wrestled as part of the Four Horsemen...
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...
. After Santana accidentally knocked Martel out with a flying forearm, Martel left Santana alone in the ring to fend for himself, thus turning 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...
. Martel later stated that he felt Santana had been riding his coattails and was sick and tired of carrying him. The two would feud for the next year as Martel transformed into "The Model" Rick Martel, becoming an arrogant, self-centered egomaniac. Both men scored wins over the other, including a win by Santana over Martel in the final of the 1989 King of the Ring
King of the Ring
King of the Ring is a professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held by WWE. The tournament was held annually from 1985 to 2002, with the exception of 1990 and 1992, and from 1993 to 2002 the tournament was produced as a pay-per-view event....
tournament.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Boston crabBoston crabThe Boston crab is a professional wrestling hold that typically starts with the opponent lying supine on the mat, with the wrestler standing and facing them. It is a type of spinal lock where the wrestler hooks each of the opponent’s legs in one of his arms, and then turns the opponent face-down,...
- Martel - Flying forearm smash - Santana
- Boston crab
- Signature moves
- Double dropkick
Championships and accomplishments
- World Wrestling FederationWorld 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 World Tag Team champions (1 time)
- 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 #70 of the 100 best Tag teams during the "PWI" years in 2003.