Brian Knobbs

Brian Yandrisovitz (born May 6, 1964) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Brian Knobbs. He is best known for tag teaming with Jerry Sags as the Nasty Boys. Over the course of his career, Knobbs wrestled for promotions including the American Wrestling Association, All Japan Pro Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, holding championships such as the WCW World Tag Team Championship and WWF Tag Team Championship.

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. He also served three years in the military and was honorably discharged.

Yandrisovitz was trained to wrestle by Brad Rheingans. He began his career in 1986 in the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based American Wrestling Association, wrestling under the ring name "Brian Knobbs". In early 1987, he formed a tag team, "the Nasty Boys", with Jerry Sags. In mid 1987, he wrestled a handful of matches as masked wrestler "the Terrorist", including teaming with The Mercenary in a loss to Jimmy Snuka and Russ Francis at SuperClash II. He left the AWA in June 1987.

In July 1987, Knobbs and Sags joined the Memphis, Tennessee-based Continental Wrestling Association. In September 1987, they defeated Badd Company for the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship; they lost the titles to the Rock 'n' Roll RPMs later that month. In October 1987, they defeated the Rock 'n' Roll RPMs to win the titles for a second time, but lost the titles back to them a week later. They left the CWA in January 1988.

In January 1988, the Nasty Boys returned to the AWA. They faced the Midnight Rockers in several bouts for the AWA World Tag Team Championship, but failed to win the titles. They left the AWA once more in April 1988.

In mid-1988, the Nasty Boys joined the Florida-based Professional Wrestling Federation (PWF). In November 1988, they defeated Johnny Ace and The Terminator for the PWF Tag Team Championship. In January 1989, they lost the titles back to Ace and The Terminator. They defeated Ace and The Terminator to win the titles for a second time in March 1989, but lost them to Southern Force (Black Bart and Bobby Jaggers) several days later. In June 1989, they defeated Bart and Tony Anthony to become three-time PWF Tag Team Champions. They lost the titles to Brett Sawyer and Jim Backlund on an unrecorded date, but regained them in August 1989. In October 1989, they lost the titles to Dennis Knight and Jumbo Baretta. In January 1990, they won the titles for a fifth and final time, defeating Bounty Hunter #1 and The Terminator at a PWF event in Nassau, Bahamas. They lost the titles to Kendall Windham and Robert Fuller on an unrecorded date. They left the PWF in mid-1990.

In November and December 1989, the Nasty Boys wrestled in Japan for All Japan Pro Wrestling. They competed in the Real World Tag League for the vacant World Tag Team Championship, tying with The Great Kabuki and Shunji Takano in last place after losing eight matches and winning one.

In August 1990, the Nasty Boys began wrestling for the Carolinas-based National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)-affiliate World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In their debut match, on NWA Main Event, they defeated Barry Horowitz and Dave Diamond. The following month, at Clash of the Champions XII, they defeated Jackie Fulton and Terry Taylor. In October 1990, the Nasty Boys began feuding with the Steiner Brothers over the NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version), including a bout at Halloween Havoc in Chicago, Illinois on October 27. In November 1990, they faced the Steiner Brothers in a series of cage matches. The Nasty Boys left WCW in December 1990 to join the World Wrestling Federation.