The Colossal Connection

The Colossal Connection
Tag team
Members André the Giant
Haku
Heights André:
6 ft 9.5 in (2.07 m)
Haku:
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Combined
weight		 852 lb (386 kg)[1]
Debut 1989[1]
Disbanded 1990
Promotions WWF

The Colossal Connection was a professional wrestling tag team of André the Giant and Haku that competed in the World Wrestling Federation in 1989 and 1990. The team was managed by Bobby Heenan and a part of the Heenan Family.

History

André the Giant and Haku were both members of Bobby Heenan’s stable of wrestlers known as the Heenan Family, and had teamed occasionally at house shows during the summer and fall of 1989, but were formally joined together as a team in the latter half of 1989 to form the Colossal Connection.[2] This was partly done because of André’s ailing health, hoping to prolong his career, but also to provide The Heenan Family with a replacement tag team to fill the void of Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson (The Brain Busters) who were leaving the WWF to return to the NWA. The Colossal Connection appeared at The 1989 Survivor Series as part of the four-man team known as ”The Heenan Family" (along with Arn Anderson and Bobby Heenan). The team faced the ”Warriors” a team composed of the Ultimate Warrior, Jim Neidhart and The Rockers. André was quickly counted out in the opening moments of the match while Haku lasted a bit longer but ultimately lost.[3] Heenan was forced to wrestle at the Survivor Series as Blanchard was actually released by the WWF on the day of the event after testing positive for cocaine. Heenan was actually the last surviving member of the team, but was easily defeated by the Warrior.

After Survivor Series, the Colossal Connection challenged the two time WWF Tag Team Champions Demolition, winning the titles on December 13, 1989[4] (shown on TV December 30), launching them into a feud with Demolition.[2] Demolition regained the titles at WrestleMania VI.[4][5] At WrestleMania, Haku and Heenan both turned on André.[2] During most of their matches, Haku did almost all of the wrestling, with André coming into the ring only for the finish. During the match at Wrestlemania, Haku actually wrestled Demolition by himself, never tagging in the Giant due to André's ongoing health problems that would ultimately cause his death less than three years later. This would be Andre's last televised match in the WWF, but he would go on to tag-team with Haku on one more occasion. On April 10th, 1990 The Colossal Connection would wrestle Demolition on a house show Honolulu, HI. Andre was knocked out of the ring and The Colossal Connection lost via countout. After the match Andre and Haku would fight each other, marking the end of the team. Andre then went on to tag-team with The Giant Baba three days later at a combined WWF/All Japan/New Japan show on April 13th in Tokyo, Japan. The duo defeated Demolition in a non-title match. Andre would win by gaining the pinfall on Smash. [6]

While Demolition was the most frequent Colossal Connection opponent during their Tag Team championship run, André and Haku also defended against The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty) and The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart). The Colossal Connection also faced Hulk Hogan and the Big Bossman in a non-title match at a house show just before WrestleMania VI; Hogan and Bossman won, marking the only time (other than their WrestleMania VI match) that André and Haku lost a match as an official tag team. (The Hogan-Bossman vs. Colossal Connection match also marked one of the last matches pitting Hogan vs. André the Giant.)

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Shields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009). WWE Encyclopedia. DK. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
  2. 1 2 3 Brian Shields (2006). Main event – WWE in the raging 80s (4th ed.). Pocket Books. ISBN 978-1-4165-3257-6.
  3. ↑ prowrestlinghistory.com. "WWF Survivor Series Results (1989)". Retrieved April 17, 2007.
  4. 1 2 Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  5. ↑ prowrestlinghistory.com. "WWF WrestleMania Results (VI)". Retrieved April 17, 2007.
  6. ↑ http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/90.htm
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