The Natural Born Thrillers was a professional wrestling stable in World Championship Wrestling in 2000. The name is a play on the 1994 film Natural Born Killers.
History[]
The Natural Born Thrillers were made up of seven young wrestlers, all from the WCW Power Plant. They were trained together by Paul Orndorff and WCW management decided to push them immediately.
The Thrillers were Mike Sanders, Chuck Palumbo, Sean O'Haire, Shawn Stasiak, Reno, Mark Jindrak and Johnny the Bull. They became the enforcer group for Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff, replacing the Filthy Animals, who they quickly began feuding with. Tension between the two teams quickly grew as the Thrillers attacked their former trainer, Orndoff, and the Animals saved him. At Fall Brawl, the Thrillers and the Animals had an elimination match. After the Thrillers eliminated all but two members of the Animals, the match ended in a no-contest after Orndoff legitimately injured himself attempting a piledriver. The next night, the Thrillers faced off against the two survivors, Rey Misterio Jr. and Tygress, and lost.
The following week, Jindrak and O'Haire won a battle royal to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship. Sanders became the new WCW commissioner by defeating Ernest Miller, and he declared the WCW Hardcore Championship vacant. He set up a tournament to crown the new champion, which was won by Sgt. AWOL. Sanders, however, reversed the decision and the title was awarded to Reno. In October, Jindrak and O'Haire lost the tag titles to Lt. Loco and Cpl. Cajun, but won them back the same night, when Sanders made an immediate rematch.
They were later "coached" by Kevin Nash, who helped Sanders win the WCW World Cruiserweight Championship in a Powerbomb match, after he powerbombed Elix Skipper. The Thrillers later turned on Nash, however, and a handicap match with O'Haire, Palumbo, and Stasiak, against Nash went to a no-contest. Jindrak and O'Haire lost the Tag Team Championship to Boogie Knights on November 20, but the following week, Stasiak and Palumbo, as The Perfect Event, won the tag team titles from the Boogie Knights. The Perfect Event feuded with Nash and his new partner, Diamond Dallas Page, who called themselves The Insiders. At Mayhem, The Insiders won the Tag team Championships, but Sanders later stripped them of the titles.
Sanders lost the Cruiserweight Championship to Chavo Guerrero, Jr on December 6. The following week, Sanders set up a handicap match between Guerrero and the Perfect Event, which the Perfect Event won. Sanders also set up a three-way dance between the Insiders, O'Haire and Jindrak, and the Perfect Event, which the Perfect Event won. At Starrcade, the Insiders beat the Perfect Event for the tag team Championships, despite O'Haire and Jindrak's interference.
Sanders then announced a tag team Battle Royal for the number one contendership to the tag team Championships. The final two teams in the battle royal were O'Haire and Jindrak, and the Perfect Event. Sanders declared both teams the winner, and announced that one member from each team would compete for the titles. Palumbo and O'Haire later won them in early January 2001, at Sin. Also, at Sin, Sanders lost the Commissioner position back to Miller, and was unable to regain it over the next few weeks.
By February 2001, the Thrillers had broken up. Tensions grew between the teams of Stasiak and Jindrak, and Palumbo and O'Haire. Stasiak and Jindrak demanded their shot at the tag team titles, and were given a title match at Superbrawl. O'Haire and Palumbo, however, retained the titles. After the break-up, Palumbo and O'Haire continued as a tag team, moving to the WWE after it had bought out WCW, while Stasiak and Sanders moved into singles competition. Johnny the Bull reformed The Mamalukes with Big Vito, but Neither Jindrak or Reno rose to much prominence after the Thrillers.
Members[]
In wrestling[]
- Double-team finishing moves
- Double superkick (O'Haire and Palumbo)
- Sky lift slam (Johnny the Bull, Reno, Palumbo, O'Haire, and Jindrak) – parodied from The Mamalukes
- Double-team signature moves
- Double flapjack dropped into a hangman (O'Haire and Palumbo)
- Double hip toss (O'Haire and Jindrak)
- Double slingshot suplex (O'Haire and Palumbo)
- Double vertical suplex (O'Haire and Jindrak)
- Managers
- Kevin Nash (mentor)
Championships and accomplishments[]
- WCW World Tag Team Championship (6 times) – Stasiak and Palumbo (3), O'Haire and Jindrak (2), Palumbo and O'Haire (1)
- WCW World Cruiserweight Championship (1 time) – Sanders
- WCW Hardcore Championship (1 time) – Reno
