Posted on by bdamage1
Brian Damage
Throughout the history of pro wrestling bookers and promoters have always tried to come up with new, creative and innovative ideas to generate interest in their product. Some ideas have not only succeeded…but flourished. Others were DOA from the get go. Then there are those ideas which initially were innovative but, for various reasons, faded away. Those are the focus of this latest series of posts titled ‘Great Ideas That Didn’t Last’. The latest piece focuses on debut and re debut of The Squat Team or the Arabian Butchers.
Wrestlers have come and wrestlers have gone from the World Wrestling Federation for years. In all the debuts in WWF history, one or two may be less than memorable. It’s unfortunate when those one or two debuts happen to be for the exact same tag team. Whether you call them the Squat Team, the Arabian Butchers or the Headhunters…twin brothers Victor and Manuel Santiago didn’t have the most successful run with the company.
The Santiago Brothers achieved a great amount of success wrestling on the independent circuit, as well as Mexico, Puerto Rico and Japan as the Headhunters. They stood close to 6 feet tall and each weighed about 350 pounds. What they may have lacked in overall wrestling ability, the team made up with their brawling style and surprising agility for their size. The Headhunters were extremely popular overseas where they dominated the tag team scene in places like the World Wrestling Council, FMW and IWA Japan. They even had a brief run in ECW.
In 1996, Vince McMahon wanted to introduce some surprises for the annual Royal Rumble event. It was Mick Foley who suggested that Vince bring in the Headhunters. Foley had worked with the Headhunters during his time in Japan as Cactus Jack. Vince liked their look and decided to put both men into the Royal Rumble match.
Of course, Vince couldn’t let them use their name of the Headhunters, so he gave them the odd name of ‘The Squat Team.’ The brothers didn’t even get names they were Squat Team member #1 and #2. Their Rumble debut wasn’t memorable at all as one was eliminated in 24 seconds and the other only lasted for 71 seconds for a total combined time of 95 seconds! Despite not having an impressive showing in the Rumble match, both were paid $5,000 a piece for their troubles.
The Squat Team disappeared after the Royal Rumble in 1996…but it wasn’t the end of their WWF run. Over a year later, in the summer of 1997, the tag team would reemerge. They would be repackaged as the Arabian Butchers and came in wearing outfits very similar to that of Abdullah the Butcher. They ditched the face paint and wore boots with curled toes. Their re-debut came on an episode of Monday Night Raw.
After a match between, Davey Boy Smith and Owen Hart versus The Headbangers, Jim Cornette appeared on the ramp way and introduced his newest tag team…The Arabian Butchers. According to Cornette, he was a last second addition to the team, because Vince McMahon felt that the team needed a manager. Cornette blew a whistle and these two 300 plus pound men came running to the ring to attack both teams. In what should’ve been a total squash in favor of the Arabian Butchers…didn’t quite turn out that way.
Jim Cornette said in an interview that the British Bulldog didn’t feel like selling for the new team and he and Owen fought back. Then, inexplicably, Davey Boy scoop slammed one of the Butchers with ease and then he and Owen left the ring. It made these supposed monsters look average at best. The Headbangers sold a lot more, but still generated offense when they should’ve been beaten to a pulp.
Vince McMahon was on commentary with both Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler and all tried to sell the Arabian Butchers as a major threat…but what we as fans were seeing…didn’t match the commentary. Eventually, the Arabian Butchers got the upper hand and laid out the Headbangers. The damage was done, however, the newest tag team were made to look average and their debut wasn’t impressive at all. The Arabian Butchers disappeared from the WWF again and this time never returned.
What could have been for the Santiago Brothers in the WWF? Could they have been a force within the tag team division? We sadly never really got the chance to find out.