Brian Knobbs
Knobbs at Camp Liberty in Iraq, March 2009
Birth nameBrian Yandrisovitz
Born (1964-05-06) May 6, 1964[1]
Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.[2]
FamilyGreg Valentine (brother-in-law)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Brian Knobbs[2]
Billed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1]
Billed weight295 lb (134 kg)[1]
Billed fromAllentown, Pennsylvania[2] ("Nastyville")
Trained byBrad Rheingans[1]
Debut1985[1]
Retired2019

Brian Yandrisovitz[2] (born May 6, 1964), better known as Brian Knobbs, is an American professional wrestler best known as half of the tag team The Nasty Boys with partner and long-time friend Jerry Sags.

Early life

Knobbs was born on May 6, 1964, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He attended Whitehall High School in Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. While at Whitehall High School, Knobbs befriended Jerry Sags. The two would go on to ultimately establish The Nasty Boys in 1986.

The Nasty Boys (1986-1997)

In 1986, Knobbs started his career in the American Wrestling Association, performing as the Masked Terrorist. The following year, in 1986, he formed a tag team called The Nasty Boys with partner Jerry Sags and wrestled in Memphis, Tennessee, until they moved to Florida Championship Wrestling, where they won five tag team titles from 1988 through 1990.

In 1990, the team moved to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)'s Jim Crockett Promotions, which had been purchased by Ted Turner and was renamed World Championship Wrestling (WCW) before The Nasty Boys left a few months later. They feuded with Rick and Scott Steiner over the WCW United States Tag Team Championship but could not defeat them.[3] Later that year, they left for the World Wrestling Federation, where they were managed by Jimmy Hart. They won the World Tag Team Title from The Hart Foundation before feuding with and losing the title to the Legion of Doom.[4][5]

The Nasty Boys wrestled many of the WWF's top face teams, including The Rockers, The Bushwhackers, and High Energy, before turning face in 1992 to feud with Hart's Money Inc. over the tag team title, which they were unable to regain.[5] They then left the WWF for the WCW in 1993 and were placed with manager Missy Hyatt, who led them to the WCW World Tag Team Championship.[3] After Hyatt left as their manager, they feuded with Harlem Heat, The Blue Bloods, and the team of Dick Slater and Bunkhouse Buck.[3] They won the tag team title a second time later in 1993, but they were defeated by Cactus Jack, and Kevin Sullivan the following year.[3] In May 1995, they defeated Harlem Heat for their third and final WCW tag title at Slamboree in St. Petersburg, Florida, but lost the belts back to Harlem Heat in a June episode of WCW WorldWide. In 1996, they were tricked by the nWo into thinking they were going to become members, but were attacked as soon as they received their shirts.[6] Sags had been injured previously in a shoot altercation with Scott Hall and was forced to retire as a result of the injury.[7]

Singles career (1997-2010)

Knobbs at the Hulkamania Tour, 2009

Following Sags' retirement, Knobbs became a singles wrestler, feuding with Norman Smiley and defeating Bam Bam Bigelow at SuperBrawl at the Cow Palace in 2000.[8] He went on to win the WCW Hardcore Championship three times.[6] He lost the belt simultaneously to all three members of the boy band stable 3 Count but later regained it from them.[6] Fit Finlay was briefly his manager as the Hardcore Soldiers with partner The Dog.[6] Knobbs also was briefly in Jimmy Hart's The First Family.[6]

After leaving WCW, Knobbs returned to wrestling, including wrestling at the New Alhambra Arena in Philadelphia for Pro Wrestling Unplugged on June 16, 2007. On November 20, 2007, Knobbs and Sags reformed as The Nasty Boys, performing in a dark match at the SmackDown! tapings from Tampa, Florida, to wrestle their first WWE match in years. According to reports, the match was disastrous, and the team were accused of unprofessionally working stiff with their opponents, Dave Taylor and Drew McIntyre.[9] Knobbs and Saggs won the match.

The Nasty Boys' comeback (2010-present)

On January 4, 2010, The Nasty Boys appeared on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA)'s television show, TNA Impact!, and started a feud with Team 3D.[10] On the January 21 edition of Impact!, they competed in their first match for TNA, defeating the team of Eric Young and Kevin Nash.[11] At Against All Odds in Orlando, Florida, The Nasty Boys defeated Team 3D in a tag team match in which Jimmy Hart made his return to the company and interfered in the match on the Nasty Boys' behalf.[12]

On the February 25, 2010, edition of Impact!, Team 3D defeated the Nasty Boys in a tables match, when Jesse Neal interfered on Team 3D's behalf.[13] The Nasty Boys and Hart continued their feud with Team 3D by defeating them and the returning Brother Runt, a replacement for Jesse Neal, who The Nasty Boys attacked prior to the match in a six-man tag team match. After the match, Neal attacked The Nastys and helped Team 3D throw Sags through a table.[14]

On March 29, 2010, The Nasty Boys were released by TNA following an incident at a TNA function where Spike executives were present.[15][16] In February 2012, Knobbs was involved in an altercation with fellow wrestler New Jack with New Jack allegedly knocking Knobbs out.[17]

Personal life

Since January 1994, Knobbs has been married to the sister of Greg Valentine. The couple have one child.[18] Knobbs is a close friend of Ron Reis.

In 2019, Knobbs was hospitalized with a blood infection and had surgery on one of his knees. His medical bills were paid by fans through a GoFundMe campaign. On August 10, 2021, he was hospitalized again for multiple health issues and another GoFundMe was set up for his expenses.[19]

Other work

Knobbs has appeared in several episodes of Hogan Knows Best and Brooke Knows Best, and was an on-screen trainer for Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling and Hulk Hogan's Micro Championship Wrestling. During the 2009 Major League Baseball season, Knobbs performed a "Pit Stop" on Raymond, the Tampa Bay Rays mascot.[20] Knobbs serves as the "10th Man" for the Tampa Bay Rays.[21] He also appeared as a panelist on the Nickelodeon children's game show Figure It Out: Wild Style in 1999, getting slimed.[22]

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Brian Knobbs Profile". Wrestlingdata.com. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Brian Knobbs Profile". Online World Of Wrestling. Archived from the original on June 17, 2009. Retrieved March 20, 2008.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Cawthon, Graham (2014). the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 4: World Championship Wrestling 1989-1994. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1499656343.
  4. 1 2 "History Of The World Tag Team Championship - The Nasty Boys". WWE. March 24, 1991. Archived from the original on November 26, 2005. Retrieved February 25, 2008.
  5. 1 2 Cawthon, Graham (2013). the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 2: WWF 1990 - 1999. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ASIN B00RWUNSRS.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Cawthon, Graham (2015). the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 5: World Championship Wrestling 1995-2001. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1499656343.
  7. ↑ "Jerry Sags recalls a shoot incident with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash". prowrestling.net.
  8. ↑ Powell, John (February 21, 2000). "Super Brawl equals Super Bore". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
  9. ↑ "Nasty Boys Getting Major Heat For Horrible Smackdown Dark Match". 411mania.com. Retrieved July 20, 2008.
  10. ↑ Keller, Wade (January 4, 2010). "KELLER'S TNA IMPACT LIVE REPORT 1/4: Jeff Hardy, NWO reunion, Hulk Hogan, TNA Knockout Title match, more surprises - ongoing coverage". PWTorch. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
  11. ↑ Wilkenfeld, Daniel (January 21, 2010). "WILKENFELD'S TNA IMPACT REPORT 1/21: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Spike TV broadcast". PWTorch. Retrieved January 22, 2010.
  12. ↑ Caldwell, James (February 14, 2010). "CALDWELL'S TNA AGAINST ALL ODDS PPV REPORT 2/14: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe, Nastys vs. 3D". PWTorch. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
  13. ↑ Wilkenfeld, Daniel (February 25, 2010). "WILKENFELD'S TNA IMPACT REPORT 2/25: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Spike TV broadcast". PWTorch. Retrieved February 26, 2010.
  14. ↑ Caldwell, James (March 15, 2010). "CALDWELL'S TNA IMPACT REPORT 3/15: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Spike TV show - A.J. Styles vs. Jeff Hardy". PWTorch. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
  15. ↑ Caldwell, James (March 29, 2010). "TNA News: Nasty Boys reportedly released by TNA". PWTorch. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  16. ↑ Martin, Adam (March 29, 2010). "Report: The Nasty Boys gone from TNA". WrestleView. Archived from the original on April 2, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  17. ↑ "NEW JACK KOs FORMER WWF STAR LAST NIGHT - PWInsider.com". www.pwinsider.com. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  18. ↑ "19 Superstars you didn't know were related". wwe.com. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  19. ↑ Faria, Colby (August 12, 2021). "Brian Knobs Rushed To Hospital For Major Stomach Issues, Also Needs Knee Surgery". WrestleZone. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Hart Foundation, Nasty Boys reunite at Legends of Wrestling Night Aug. 24 in Miami", by Jim Varsallone, The Miami Herald.
  21. ↑ "Rays' '10th Man' is a Nasty Boy from Whitehall". mcall.com. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  22. ↑ Figure It Out: Wild Style, taped 9/9/99
  23. ↑ "2023 Tag Team Honorees Get Nasty! - News - Cauliflower Alley Club". March 12, 2023.
  24. ↑ Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2006) [2000.]. "(Memphis, Nashville) Tennessee: Southern Tag Team Title [Roy Welsch & Nick Gulas, Jerry Jarrett from 1977]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Waterloo, Ontario: Archeus Communications. pp. 185–189. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  25. ↑ "Southern Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Award Winners - Tag Team of the Year". Wrestling Information Archive. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved May 4, 2008.
  27. ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestlers of the PWI Years". Wrestling Information Archive. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved May 4, 2008.
  28. ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 100 Tag Teams of the PWI Years". Wrestling Information Archive. Archived from the original on June 16, 2008. Retrieved May 4, 2008.
  29. ↑ "Xtreme Wrestling Federation Title Histories". titlehistories.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2008. Retrieved July 15, 2008.
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