Bruce Prichard Recalls the End of the Brain Buster’s WWE Run, Tully Blanchard’s Failed Drug Test

– On the latest Something to Wrestle With, Bruce Prichard looked back at the Brain Busters’ run in WWE and why it was cut short. Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard came in in October of 1988 and had a tag team title run in 1989, but it was relatively short after they lost the titles and Blanchard failed a drug test for cocaine soon after. Anderson quit with Blanchard and tried to go to the NWA, but when word of Blanchard’s drug test hit they declined to bring him back on and that was the end of the team.

Highlights and the full podcast are below:

On the Brainbusters’ run being cut short by Blanchard’s departure: “Yeah, I just don’t know if their style — and really and truly it was a different style and it was a different philosophy overall in how they worked their matches, how they cut their promos. Everything about it [in WWE] was different than what they were used to. And getting in, and it’s deceiving here because you’re working with Bret and Jim [Neidhart], where they had these great matches and they were able to work with The Rockers, and guys like that. So all their stuff was tremendous, but I think there were times that their philosophy kind of clashed with what they liked and what they were comfortable with for all those years. And I think they were more comfortable in the Carolinas and being with Jim Crockett.”

On the end of the team’s run and Blanchard’s drug failure: “Well, I think that the drug failures was just more than anything a catalyst as a way out. And Tully and Arn were unhappy. They were looking to go back to Jim Crockett Promotions, and they were looking to get back with their friends, and everybody that they knew and that they were comfortable with. So it was the perfect storm to allow them to go back. And Vince knew they were unhappy, and just felt that we had done all that we could do with Tully and Arn, and maybe it was best for them to leave and go where they were comfortable. Unfortunately it didn’t work out that well for Tully, but Tully was a guy that came from San Antonio, Texas where he was a big star because it was his dad’s promotion. And probably had more heat in the locker room than the hottest heel in the territory had with the crowd. But Tully was one of those guys that, as much as you hated him in real life, the bell rings, that son of a bitch could go. And he could get heat, he knew how to work and he knew how to go out and tell a story. But the man Tully Blanchard, especially early on in his career during this time, Tully was a smartass, and Tully was very arrogant. And just knew how to, you know, he knew how to piss people off in and out of the ring.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Something to Wrestle with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.