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U.S. Express
The U.S. Express was a professional wrestling tag team composed of Mike Rotunda and Barry Windham in the World Wrestling Federation. Windham was later replaced by Dan Spivey and the team was renamed the American Express.
In September 1983, Windham and Rotunda formed the U.S. Express in Championship Wrestling from Florida. They feuded with the Zambuie Express (Elijah Akeem and Kareem Muhammad), the Long Riders (Ron Bass and Black Bart) and Hector Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero Sr. On March 14, 1984, they defeated the Long Riders for NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Florida version). They dropped the titles back to the Long Riders on March 27. Afterwards they won the titles three more times until losing to Hector and Chavo Guerrero on July 14.
Rotunda and Windham (real life brothers-in-law as Rotunda was married to Windham's sister Stephanie) had teamed off and on in the Florida territories before both were signed by the WWF in 1984. Once they joined the WWF they were given a patriotic gimmick along with the Bruce Springsteen song "Born in the U.S.A." as their entrance music. "Captain" Lou Albano also became their manager. During this time Mike Rotunda would often be referred to as "Mike Rotundo" by WWF commentators.
The U.S. Express made their WWF wrestling debut on October 30, 1984, when they defeated the team of Mohammad Saad & Bobby Bass. On January 21, 1985, the U.S. Express beat the team known as the East West Connection (Adrian Adonis & Dick Murdoch) for the WWF World tag-team titles. They would hold the titles for two months before losing them to the team of The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff at WrestleMania I at Madison Square Garden in New York when the Sheik hit Windham over the head with Freddie Blassie's cane allowing Volkoff to get the pin.
The U.S. Express became two-time Tag Team Champions when they regained the titles from Volkoff and the Sheik on June 17, 1985, in Poughkeepsie, New York on an episode of WWF Championship Wrestling. Their second reign would also last about two months before they lost the belts to The Dream Team (Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and Brutus Beefcake) at The Spectrum in Philadelphia after Beefcake rubbed Lucious Johnny V's lit cigar in Windham's eyes, blinding him and getting the pin. The team broke up near the end of 1985 when Barry Windham left the WWF to return to Florida. They had their last match together under the WWF banner exactly one year to the day after they made their debut.
Initially, Rick Derringer, who was working with the WWF at the time, wrote the track "Real American" for the team. When Windham left the WWF and the team split, the music was passed on to WWF Champion Hulk Hogan, with the song going on to still be associated with Hogan.
In January 1986 they went to Japan to work for All Japan Pro Wrestling. Participated at the AWA's WrestleRock 86 in April 1986. The team was not billed as the U.S. Express since the name was owned by the WWF. The brothers-in-law reunited to defeat The Fabulous Ones (Stan Lane and Steve Keirn) while Rotunda was on a brief break from the WWF between January and May 1986. They returned to Florida on May 6 as they defeated Lex Luger and Ron Bass by disqualification.
Only days after Barry Windham left the WWF, Mike Rotunda was linked up with Dan Spivey and they became the American Express. Some referred to them as the U.S. Express II since the patriotic gimmick of the original U.S. Express was recycled with Spivey taking Barry Windham's place.
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U.S. Express
The U.S. Express was a professional wrestling tag team composed of Mike Rotunda and Barry Windham in the World Wrestling Federation. Windham was later replaced by Dan Spivey and the team was renamed the American Express.
In September 1983, Windham and Rotunda formed the U.S. Express in Championship Wrestling from Florida. They feuded with the Zambuie Express (Elijah Akeem and Kareem Muhammad), the Long Riders (Ron Bass and Black Bart) and Hector Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero Sr. On March 14, 1984, they defeated the Long Riders for NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Florida version). They dropped the titles back to the Long Riders on March 27. Afterwards they won the titles three more times until losing to Hector and Chavo Guerrero on July 14.
Rotunda and Windham (real life brothers-in-law as Rotunda was married to Windham's sister Stephanie) had teamed off and on in the Florida territories before both were signed by the WWF in 1984. Once they joined the WWF they were given a patriotic gimmick along with the Bruce Springsteen song "Born in the U.S.A." as their entrance music. "Captain" Lou Albano also became their manager. During this time Mike Rotunda would often be referred to as "Mike Rotundo" by WWF commentators.
The U.S. Express made their WWF wrestling debut on October 30, 1984, when they defeated the team of Mohammad Saad & Bobby Bass. On January 21, 1985, the U.S. Express beat the team known as the East West Connection (Adrian Adonis & Dick Murdoch) for the WWF World tag-team titles. They would hold the titles for two months before losing them to the team of The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff at WrestleMania I at Madison Square Garden in New York when the Sheik hit Windham over the head with Freddie Blassie's cane allowing Volkoff to get the pin.
The U.S. Express became two-time Tag Team Champions when they regained the titles from Volkoff and the Sheik on June 17, 1985, in Poughkeepsie, New York on an episode of WWF Championship Wrestling. Their second reign would also last about two months before they lost the belts to The Dream Team (Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and Brutus Beefcake) at The Spectrum in Philadelphia after Beefcake rubbed Lucious Johnny V's lit cigar in Windham's eyes, blinding him and getting the pin. The team broke up near the end of 1985 when Barry Windham left the WWF to return to Florida. They had their last match together under the WWF banner exactly one year to the day after they made their debut.
Initially, Rick Derringer, who was working with the WWF at the time, wrote the track "Real American" for the team. When Windham left the WWF and the team split, the music was passed on to WWF Champion Hulk Hogan, with the song going on to still be associated with Hogan.
In January 1986 they went to Japan to work for All Japan Pro Wrestling. Participated at the AWA's WrestleRock 86 in April 1986. The team was not billed as the U.S. Express since the name was owned by the WWF. The brothers-in-law reunited to defeat The Fabulous Ones (Stan Lane and Steve Keirn) while Rotunda was on a brief break from the WWF between January and May 1986. They returned to Florida on May 6 as they defeated Lex Luger and Ron Bass by disqualification.
Only days after Barry Windham left the WWF, Mike Rotunda was linked up with Dan Spivey and they became the American Express. Some referred to them as the U.S. Express II since the patriotic gimmick of the original U.S. Express was recycled with Spivey taking Barry Windham's place.