Robert Miller (21 October 1944 – 2 April 2023) was a New Zealand

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

. He was best known for his appearances in the

World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...

under the

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...

Bushwhacker Butch, where he teamed with

Bushwhacker Luke Brian Wickens (born 8 January 1947) is a New Zealand professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation (later, WWE) under the ring name Bushwhacker Luke, where he teamed with Bushwhacker Butch as The Bu ...

The Bushwhackers The Bushwhackers were a professional wrestling tag team who competed first as the New Zealand Kiwis and then as The Sheepherders during their 36-year career as a tag team. They wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation, Jim Crockett Promotions ...

. He was also known for his appearances under the ring name Butch Miller for promotions such as NWA New Zealand,

Stampede Wrestling Stampede Wrestling was a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta. For nearly 50 years, it was one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies. Originally established by Stu Hart in 1948, the prom ...

Pacific Northwest Wrestling Pacific Northwest Wrestling (PNW) (also known as Big Time Wrestling and Portland Wrestling) is the common name used to refer to several different professional wrestling companies, both past and present, based in Portland, Oregon, United States. ...

, Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling,

Southwest Championship Wrestling Southwest Championship Wrestling (SCW) was a professional wrestling promotion that was owned by Joe Blanchard and based in San Antonio, Texas, from 1978 to 1985, when it was purchased by Texas All-Star Wrestling and absorbed into that company. ...

, and the Universal Wrestling Federation, where he teamed with Luke as The Kiwis and

The Sheepherders The Bushwhackers were a professional wrestling tag team who competed first as the New Zealand Kiwis and then as The Sheepherders during their 36-year career as a tag team. They wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation, Jim Crockett Promotions, ...

. Along with Luke, Butch held

championships In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...

including the

NWA Florida Tag Team Championship The NWA Florida Tag Team Championship is the primary tag team title in NWA Florida Underground Wrestling. It started out in 1968 as the main tag team title in Championship Wrestling from Florida Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF) was ...

NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship The NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship was a tag team title defended in the National Wrestling Alliance's NWA Mid-Atlantic territory. The championship was originally created in the summer of 1968 and was originally named the NWA Atlantic Coa ...

NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship The NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance and defended in its member promotion Pacific Northwest Wrestling, which promoted shows in the U.S. states of O ...

, and

UWF World Tag Team Championship In professional wrestling, the UWF Tag Team Championship was a tag team championship (professional wrestling), championship contested in the Universal Wrestling Federation (United States), Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) and its predecessor, ...

. The duo were inducted into the

WWE Hall of Fame The WWE Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when An ...

in 2015 and the

Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (PWHF) and Museum was an American professional wrestling hall of fame and museum located in Wichita Falls, Texas; following the postponement of its 19th induction ceremony, planned for May 2020, and an annou ...

in 2020.

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1964–1974)

Butch Miller started wrestling for NWA New Zealand (later known as All-Star Pro Wrestling) in 1964 where he achieved a great deal of regional success. Miller, along with his friend Luke Williams, was brought to America in 1965 by fellow New Zealander

Steve Rickard Sydney Mervin "Merv" Batt (3 September 1929 – 5 April 2015), best known by his ring name Steve Rickard, was a New Zealand professional wrestler, trainer and promoter. As a wrestler, he traveled throughout the world during the 1960s and 1970 ...

, who was also the booker for NWA Hawaii. Luke and Butch initially worked in Canada among others for

Stu Hart Stewart Edward Hart (May 3, 1915 – October 16, 2003) was a Canadian sport wrestling, amateur and professional wrestling, professional wrestler, wrestling Booker (professional wrestling), booker, professional wrestling promotion, promoter, and ...

billed as "The Kiwis" (Butch was known as "Nick Carter" and Luke was known as "Sweet William"). The first recorded title that the Kiwis won was in 1974 when the duo beat Bob Pringle and Bill Cody for the Stampede International Tag Team Championship on 6 January 1974. The Kiwis lost the titles to Tokyo Joe and the Great Saki only to regain them a short time later. The Kiwis lost the titles for good when

Stan Kowalski Stan Kowalski (born Bert Smith; May 13, 1926 – October 20, 2017) was an American professional wrestler who was one half of the tag team Murder Incorporated with partner Tiny Mills in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) from 1960 to 1975. ...

and Duke Savage defeated them and kept the titles away from them in subsequent rematches.

The Sheepherders (1974–1981)

After leaving Stampede Wrestling, the Kiwis began doing double duty in Japan for

International Wrestling Enterprise was a professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1966 to 1981. Founded by Isao Yoshihara, it was affiliated with the American Wrestling Association in the United States and also had tie-ins with promotions in Canada and Europe. In 1972, it ...

. In 1975, they returned to New Zealand for the first wrestling television tapings ''

On the Mat ''On the Mat'' was a professional wrestling television programme for the National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated All Star Pro Wrestling (ASPW), or simply NWA New Zealand, that aired on Television New Zealand's TV2 from 1975 to 1984. One of the m ...

''. Both men were inactive from wrestling for a few years. In 1979, both men reunited working for NWA Pacific Northwest as well as the Canadian-based International All-Star Wrestling around 1979–1980 as "the Kiwi Sheepherders". In 1979, the team won the

on three occasions between 21 July and 5 August 1980 before they left the territory. On 22 September, the Sheepherders lost the gold to Dutch Savage and

Stan Stasiak George Emile Stipich (April 13, 1937 – June 19, 1997) was a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Stan "the Man" Stasiak. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) in the 1970s, ...

only to regain them a week later. On 11 February 1980, the Sheepherders became double champions when they downed Dutch Savage and Stasiak once again, this time for the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship. Top faces

Rick Martel Richard Vigneault (born March 18, 1956) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler, trainer, and television presenter, better known by his ring name, "The Model" Rick Martel. He is best known for his appearances with the American Wrestling As ...

and "Rowdy"

Roddy Piper Roderick George Toombs (April 17, 1954 – July 31, 2015), better known as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, was a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. In professional wrestling, Piper was best known to international audiences for his work with the Wo ...

teamed up in May 1980 to take the NWA Canadian tag titles from the Sheepherders and, in effect, run the duo out of the Northwest region by August, gaining the NWA Pacific Northwest tag titles when the Sheepherders left the promotion. The next stop for the Sheepherders was a brief stay in the Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling territory run by

Jim Crockett James Allen Crockett Sr. (June 2, 1908 – April 1, 1973) was an American professional wrestling promoter and professional sports franchise owner sometimes known as Jim Crockett Sr., or to people within the business simply as "Big Jim". Early lif ...

. In MACW, the two won the

by beating

Matt Borne Matthew Wade Osborne (July 27, 1957 – June 28, 2013), known professionally as Matt Borne, was an American professional wrestler. Osborne was a second generation wrestler, the son of Tony Borne, and is best known as being the first wrestler to ...

and

Buzz Sawyer Bruce Alan Woyan (June 14, 1959 – February 7, 1992) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Mad Dog" Buzz Sawyer. Professional wrestling career Sawyer started wrestling in 1978 (other sources state 1979) in the ...

for the gold. The Sheepherders held onto the gold for close to three months before dropping it to

Dewey Robertson Byron James John "Dewey" Robertson (February 28, 1939 – August 16, 2007) was a Canadian professional wrestler, known best by his ring name The Missing Link. As The Missing Link, Robertson wore blue and green face paint and shaved portions of hi ...

and George Wells on 12 December. After losing the titles, Luke and Butch headed for warmer weather as they traveled to

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

and began working for the

World Wrestling Council The World Wrestling Council (WWC; Spanish: "Consejo Mundial de Lucha") is a professional wrestling promotion based in Puerto Rico. It was originally established as Capitol Sports Promotions in 1973 by Carlos Colón, Victor Jovica, and Goril ...

as "Los Pastores". While in Puerto Rico, the team would win the

WWC North American Tag Team Championship The WWC North American Tag Team Championship, also known as the Puerto Rican version of the NWA North American Tag Team Championship, was a major tag team championship that was used and defended in Capitol Sports Promotions (CSP, later the Worl ...

twice while touring the island. After the team left WWC, Butch decided that he wanted to return closer to home and went to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

to wrestle. Luke remained in the United States determined to keep the "Sheepherders" name on everyone's lips by teaming up with "Lord"

Jonathan Boyd Jonathan Barry Boyle (21 October 1944 – 7 August 1999) was an Australian professional wrestler, better known by the ring name "Lord" Jonathan Boyd. Initially Boyd competed both in North American and international promotions as part of the Ro ...

(formerly of the

Royal Kangaroos The Royal Kangaroos was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of cousins "Lord" Jonathan Boyd and Norman Frederick Charles III. The duo played off their Australian heritage which included using a boomerang as their weapon of choice. Boy ...

Butch returns (1983–1988)

In 1983, Boyd and Williams were working for

when in June, Jonathan Boyd legitimately broke his leg in a car accident. While Boyd was out with the broken leg Butch returned from Australia to reunite with his old tag-team partner. Luke and Butch stayed with the SWCW through the rest of 1983 and into 1984, when the two came head-to-head with

the Fabulous Ones The Fabulous Ones were a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Stan Lane and Steve Keirn who was active between 1982 and 1991 with brief reunions during the 1990s. The Fabulous Ones competed primarily in North American territories such as ...

, a team Williams and Boyd had feuded with extensively while Miller was away. This time the prize was the

SWCW World Tag Team Championship The SCW World Tag Team Championship was the top tag team championship in Southwest Championship Wrestling Southwest Championship Wrestling (SCW) was a professional wrestling promotion that was owned by Joe Blanchard and based in San Antonio, ...

. The Fabulous Ones had supposedly won the titles in Australia, which is generally believed to be a fictitious tournament invented by the SWCW. The Sheepherders defeated the Fabs on 4 March and held the titles until the SWCW abandoned the tag team titles in September 1984. The next major stop for the Sheepherders was a return to Puerto Rico and the WWC, this time competing as "The Sheepherders" instead of "Los Pastores". On 6 January 1985 the team defeated

The Invaders ''The Invaders'' is an American science fiction television series created by Larry Cohen that aired on ABC for two seasons, from 1967 to 1968. Roy Thinnes stars as David Vincent, who after stumbling across evidence of an in-progress invasi ...

(Invader I and Invader III) for the WWC North American Tag Team Championship in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Butch and Luke lost and then regained the titles from Invaders I and III in March and then held on to the gold until August, when the Invaders won the tag team title back for good. When Luke and Butch returned to mainland USA and signed on with

Bill Watts William F. Watts Jr. (born May 5, 1939), better known under the ring name Bill Watts, is a retired American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, promoter and former American football player. Watts garnered fame under his "Cowboy" Glos ...

’ UWF, they quickly cemented their status by beating

Ted DiBiase Theodore Marvin DiBiase Sr. (; born January 18, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, and color commentator. He is signed to WWE as of 2024, where he works in their Legends program. DiBiase achieved championship succ ...

and Steve Williams for the

UWF Tag Team Championship In professional wrestling, the UWF Tag Team Championship was a tag team championship contested in the Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) and its predecessor, Mid-South Wrestling. The title was established in 1979 as the Mid-South Tag Team Cham ...

on 16 March 1986. The Sheepherders worked for Bill Watts on and off over the next couple of years, taking time out to participate in the first ever Jim Crockett Memorial Tag Team Cup where they made it to the third round. In the third round the Sheepherders clashed with the Fantastics in an out-of-control brawl that ended in a double disqualification. The winners of this match would have gone on to face eventual tournament winners

The Road Warriors The Road Warriors, also known as the Legion of Doom, were a professional wrestling tag team originally composed of Road Warrior Hawk (Michael Hegstrand) and Road Warrior Animal (Joseph Laurinaitis).. They performed under the name "The Road W ...

in the next round. Back in the UWF for their "Mid South Superdome Show", the Sheepherders clashed with the Fantastics once more, this time Luke and Butch lost in a "New Zealand Boot camp" match to the UWF Tag champs. After being unable to beat the Fantastics on several occasions, the Sheepherders traveled back to Puerto Rico during the summer for a six-week run with the

WWC World Tag Team Championship The WWC World Tag Team Championship is the tag team title contested for in the Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council. History Abroad (2017) On February 11, 2017, Thunder and Lightning defended t ...

on 3 August. When their short run with WWC ended, Luke and Butch sought new challenges and traveled to

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

where they worked for

Championship Wrestling from Florida Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF) was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida professional wrestling promotion, wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it close ...

. While there, the Sheepherders came across their old rivals the Fabulous Ones, instantly rekindling their violent feud. This feud saw Luke and Butch end the Fabulous Ones' first reign with the

NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship The Florida version of the NWA United States Tag Team Championship was a major professional wrestling tag team championship. The title was defended sporadically in the National Wrestling Alliance affiliated Championship Wrestling from Florida f ...

and would keep them away from the Fabulous Ones until Lane and Keirn finally got the better of them on 30 November, when they regained the belts. In 1987, the Sheepherders returned to the CWA once more. On 10 January, the New Zealanders beat the up-and-coming team of

Badd Company Badd Company was a professional wrestling tag team in the American Wrestling Association in the late 1980s, which later went by the name the Orient Express. They used the song "Bad Company", by the band of the same name as their theme song. His ...

(

Pat Tanaka Patrick Tanaka (born August 5, 1961) is an American professional wrestler best known for his work in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) as one half of Badd Company and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) as one half of The Orien ...

and

Paul Diamond Thomas Boric (born May 11, 1961) is a Croatian-Canadian retired professional wrestler better known by his ring name Paul Diamond. He is best known for being one half of the tag team Badd Company with Pat Tanaka and for his time in the Worl ...

) for the CWA/AWA International Tag Team Championship but lost them back to Badd Company as fast as they had won them. After the quick run with Badd Company, the Sheepherders once again became entangled in a feud with the Fabulous Ones in a rivalry that seemingly would never end. In what turned out to be the last series of matches between the Sheepherders and the Fabulous Ones, the Fabulous Ones dominated the matches and once again "ran off" the Sheepherders. After leaving Memphis the Sheepherders returned to Puerto Rico and the WWC. Here the Sheepherders started a bloody feud with

Chris Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, and Christine. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common. People with the given name * Chris Abani (born 1966), Nigerian autho ...

and

Mark Youngblood Mark Romero (born July 21, 1963) is an American former second generation professional wrestler better known by his ring name Mark Youngblood. Professional wrestling career Mark Romero is the son of Ricky Romero. He started wrestling as Mark Yo ...

that drew big crowds in Puerto Rico. The feud saw Luke and Butch win the WWC World Tag Team titles on 4 April and then defend them tooth and nail until the Youngbloods regained the gold on 10 May in a cage match. After their spring run with WWC the Sheepherders returned to Florida and instantly became challengers for Mike Graham and Steve Keirn's

. On 26 June, Luke and Butch added that title to their collection by brawling and cheating. Their run with the Florida titles came to an end on 29 August when Keirn and Graham regained the titles. After losing the Florida titles, Luke and Butch returned to the UWF and started a second run with the UWF World Tag Team Championship after beating Brad Armstrong and

Tim Horner Timothy Lee Horner (born August 19, 1959) is a retired professional wrestler, best known as Tim Horner, one half of The Lightning Express with Brad Armstrong. Professional wrestling career Early career (1978–1988) Tim Horner started wres ...

on 16 October. The Sheepherders held the UWF tag team titles until the UWF was bought out by Jim Crockett and merged into

Jim Crockett Promotions Jim Crockett Promotions, at times branded as Eastern States Championship Wrestling and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, is a Family business, family-owned professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United Sta ...

to form the forerunner of

World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of National W ...

. When the UWF merged Luke and Butch began working for JCP, participating in the third Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial, Tag Team Tournament Cup losing to The Midnight Express (

Bobby Eaton Bobby Lee Eaton (August 14, 1958 – August 4, 2021) was an American professional wrestler best known as "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton. He was most famous for his work in tag teams, especially as one-half of The Midnight Express. Under the manageme ...

and Stan Lane) in the second round. At '' Clash of the Champions II'' the Sheepherders faced off against the

NWA United States Tag Team Champions The NWA United States Tag Team Championship is a name used for several secondary tag team championship used by various National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) members since 1958. There are eleven different versions of the NWA United States Tag Team Champ ...

Fantastics, but did not win the gold. At ''

Clash of the Champions III ''Clash of the Champions'' is an American series of professional wrestling television specials that were produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) in conjunction with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). ...

'' the Sheepherders lost to Steve Williams and

Nikita Koloff Nikita Koloff (born Nelson Scott Simpson, March 9, 1959) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with Jim Crockett Promotions and its successor, World Championship Wrestling between 1984 and 1992, wher ...

despite the interference of Rip Morgan. Just as it looked like the Sheepherders were going to face the Fantastics in the finals of a tournament to crown new United States tag team champions, Luke and Butch signed with

Vince McMahon Vincent Kennedy McMahon ( ; born August 24, 1945) is an American businessman and former professional wrestling promoter. McMahon, along with his later-estranged wife Linda McMahon, Linda, is a co-founder of the modern WWE, the world's largest ...

The Bushwhackers (1988–1996)

Luke and Butch signed on with the WWF in the midst of its national expansion, giving them a national and international exposure unlike anything they had ever had before. The team changed their name to "The Bushwhackers" and changed their violent style to a comedic style which was an instant hit with the fans. The comedy act involved licking, arm motions and more. The Bushwhackers made their debut on a matinee house show on 26 December 1988 facing

The Bolsheviks The Bolsheviks were a professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from late 1987 until the spring of 1990. The team was composed of Nikolai Volkoff and Boris Zhukov portraying a pair of Soviet-themed bad guys. Volkoff ...

. Throughout the Bushwhackers' run in the WWF, the team was a solid mid-card team, feuding against such teams as The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers,

Rhythm and Blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...

(

The Honky Tonk Man Roy Wayne Farris (born January 25, 1953) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) from 1986 to 1991, where he performed under the ring name The Honky Tonk Ma ...

and

Greg Valentine Jonathan Anthony Wisniski (born September 20, 1951) is a retired American professional wrestler, better known as Greg "the Hammer" Valentine. He is the son of wrestler Johnny Valentine. Over five decades, Valentine held more than 40 championsh ...

The Natural Disasters The Natural Disasters were a professional wrestling tag team composed of John Tenta, Earthquake (John Tenta) and Fred Ottman, Typhoon (Fred Ottman) who worked in the World Wrestling Entertainment, World Wrestling Federation between 1991 and 1993. ...

The Beverly Brothers The Beverly Brothers were a professional wrestling tag team comprising Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom in the WWE, World Wrestling Federation. They were also known as The Destruction Crew in the American Wrestling Association and the Minnesota Wrecking ...

The Headshrinkers In professional wrestling, the Samoan SWAT Team was a tag team comprising Juicy Finau and Lance Anoa'i, who work in Major League Wrestling (MLW), where they are former MLW World Tag Team Champions. The original Samoan SWAT Team primarily compri ...

and

Well Dunn Well Dunn, also known as the Southern Rockers, was a professional wrestling tag team who competed in several promotions in the United States. The team was composed of Rex King and Steve Doll, and the team name "Well Dunn" was a play on the term ...

. Several of the feuds were comedy-oriented, with the Bushwhackers' antagonists expressing disdain for their wild and wacky ways. In addition, Butch (along with Luke) participated in a long-running series of comedy vignettes, with "Mean" Gene Okerlund their usual foil; these vignettes were often featured on Coliseum Home Video releases where they served as the "link" between matches. The Bushwhackers remained in the WWF through 1996, by which time they were a lower-card team and frequently used to job to newer teams such as The Blu Brothers and

The Bodydonnas The Bodydonnas were a professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the mid-1990s, consisting of Chris Candido as Skip, Candido's real-life girlfriend Tammy Lynn Sytch as Sunny, and Tom Prichard as Skip's kayfabe cousi ...

. Late in the Bushwhackers' run, the team was accompanied to the ring by a giant kangaroo mascot.

Late career (1996–2001)

After leaving the WWF, the team made special appearances in the independent circuit, including a return to WWC for its 24th-anniversary show where they were billed as the Sheepherders and took on old rivals Invaders I & II. They also appeared at Terry Funk's WrestleFest in Amarillo to celebrate "50 years of Funk" where they lost to

Mark Mark may refer to: In the Bible * Mark the Evangelist (5–68), traditionally ascribed author of the Gospel of Mark * Gospel of Mark, one of the four canonical gospels and one of the three synoptic gospels Currencies * Mark (currency), a currenc ...

and

Chris Youngblood Christopher Romero (February 10, 1966 – July 7, 2021) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Chris Youngblood. A second generation wrestler, he was the son of Ricky Romero and the brother of Mark and Jay Youngblo ...

. In 1999, Luke and Butch participated in a "wrestling nostalgia" pay-per-view called

Heroes of Wrestling Heroes of Wrestling was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event that took place on October 10, 1999 from the Casino Magic hotel and casino in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. The event was meant to be the first in a series of pay-per-vi ...

as the Men from Down Under. They defeated former WWF Tag Team Champions

The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff were a professional wrestling tag team who competed in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1984 to 1987. History After Sheik had lost the WWF World Championship to Hulk Hogan and Volkoff, who had left ...

. They also wrestled in the UK in 2000, mainly for

All Star Wrestling All Star Wrestling (ASW), also known as Super Slam Wrestling (SSW), is a British professional wrestling promotion founded by Brian Dixon in 1970 and based in Birkenhead, England. Founded as Wrestling Enterprises of Birkenhead in October 1970, i ...

where they appeared in six man tags, teaming with Frank Casey who for some years had been performing as tribute act the "British Bushwhacker." Luke and Butch made one of their last appearances as active wrestlers on 1 April 2001 when they participated in the "Gimmick Battle Royal" at WrestleMania X7. On 15 June, the team returned to Memphis one last time, fighting

The Moondogs The Moondogs are a Northern Irish rock band formed in 1979, and consisting of Gerry McCandless, Austin Barrett and Jackie Hamilton. Their career spans three albums, four singles and two television programmes. Discography Singles *"She's Nine ...

to a double disqualification on a special "Mid-South Clash of the Legends" show. In September 2001 he retired from wrestling.

Retirement (2001–2023)

In September 2001, Miller was rushed to the

hospital A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...

after suffering a

neck The neck is the part of the body in many vertebrates that connects the head to the torso. It supports the weight of the head and protects the nerves that transmit sensory and motor information between the brain and the rest of the body. Addition ...

injury. While in the hospital, he also had a brush with

sepsis Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. This initial stage of sepsis is followed by suppression of the immune system. Common signs and s ...

, but he survived. Miller retired after the incident and moved back to New Zealand where he began working as the commissioner for NZWPW and also wrote a column for ''NZPWI.CO.NZ''. He lived in Paraparaumu Beach and was the Commissioner for Kiwi Pro Wrestling. When the WWE came to New Zealand on 11 June 2008 in Auckland, he was a guest on the first international ''V.I.P Lounge'' along with

Tony Garea Anthony Gareljich (born 20 September 1946) is a New Zealand retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Tony Garea. He is best known for his appearances in the United States with the World Wide Wrestling Federation/ World Wr ...

. The segment's host,

Montel Vontavious Porter Hassan Hamid Assad (born Alvin Antonio Burke Jr.; October 28, 1973), better known by his ring name Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP), is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, Manager (professional wrestling), manager, and sub ...

(MVP) announced him as

but then apologized. Eventually, MVP attacked Butch and Garea with the microphone. Butch and Garea recovered and fought off MVP, then celebrated with the Bushwhacker walk. In 2015, The Bushwhackers were inducted into the

John Laurinaitis John Hodger Laurinaitis (born July 31, 1962), also known by his former ring name Johnny Ace, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and business executive. He has wrestled for such promotions as World Championship ...

. In February 2018, the Bushwhackers reunited for one last tour of their native New Zealand. Only Luke wrestled.

Personal life and death

Miller moved back to New Zealand from Florida in 2003. He wanted to be back in New Zealand with his 2 daughters, Sharon and Kirstin who he lived for. Both daughters to his childhood sweetheart and wife, lived with their Dad and husband in Canada and America throughout his career. He retired in Paraparaumu Beach where he met his third wife. Miller suffered from health issues as early as 2002 when he stayed in the ICU. In 2010, he returned to the ICU. Luke Williams kept it private from the public regarding what issue Miller had. Miller died in hospital in Los Angeles, California on 2 April 2023, at the age of 78. He had traveled to the city in order to participate in

WrestleMania 39 WrestleMania 39, also promoted as WrestleMania Goes Hollywood, was a 2023 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 39th annual WrestleM ...

festivities. Even though he knew the risks, he knew he was going to the place he loved the most surrounded by his best friend Luke.

Other media

The Bushwhackers appeared as themselves in a 1994 episode of the sitcom ''

Family Matters ''Family Matters'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC for eight seasons from September 22, 1989, to May 9, 1997, then moved to CBS for its ninth and final season from September 19, 1997, to July 17, 1998. A spin-of ...

'', wrestling against Carl Winslow and

Steve Urkel Steven Quincy Urkel is a fictional character on the American ABC/CBS sitcom '' Family Matters'', portrayed by Jaleel White. Originally slated for a single appearance, he broke out to be the show's most popular character, gradually becoming it ...

, who are forced to fill in for and wrestle as "The Psycho Twins". The Bushwhackers released their autobiography "The Bushwhackers: Blood, Sweat & Cheers", along with writer John E. Crowther, on 27 September 2022.

Championships and accomplishments

Sheepherders Butch and Luke WWC North American Tag Team Champions 1985

*Allied Powers Wrestling Federation **APWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Luke Williams *Can-Am Wrestling **Can-Am Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Luke Williams *

Cauliflower Alley Club The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America. Established in 1965 by Mike Mazurki and Art Ab ...

**Tag Team Award (2025) – with Luke Williams *

Continental Wrestling Association Continental Wrestling Association (later the Championship Wrestling Association) was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually ...

** CWA International Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) – with Luke Williams *

( 1 time) – with Luke Williams ** NWA United States Tag Team Championship ''(Florida version)'' ( 1 time) – with Luke Williams *International Wrestling Association **IWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Luke Williams *

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling Jim Crockett Promotions, at times branded as Eastern States Championship Wrestling and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, is a family-owned professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Founded in ...

( 1 time) – with Luke Williams *

NWA All-Star Wrestling NWA All Star Wrestling (sometimes referred to as NWA Vancouver) is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion, based in Vancouver, British Columbia. All-Star Wrestling folded in 1989. History Early history Although other wrestling promotions e ...

** NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship ''(Vancouver version)'' ( 1 time) – with Luke Williams *

( 3 times) – with Luke Williams * ''

Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...

'' ** PWI ranked him # 493 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the " PWI Years" in 2003 ** PWI ranked him # 71 of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Luke Williams in 2003 *

**Class of 2020 – Inducted as part of

with Luke Williams. *''Ring Around The Northwest Newsletter'' **Tag Team of the Year (1979–1980) with Luke Williams *

** SCW Southwest Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) – with Luke Williams **

SCW World Tag Team Championship The SCW World Tag Team Championship was the top tag team championship in Southwest Championship Wrestling from its establishment in 1980 until 1984, when the title was abandoned. History References {{Reflist External links SWCW World Tag Te ...

( 1 time) – with Luke Williams *

** NWA International Tag Team Championship ''(Calgary version)'' (

2 times "2 Times" is the debut single of English singer Ann Lee. It was released in Italy in December 1998 by X-Energy as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999), and was issued worldwide the following year. The single peaked at number tw ...

) – with Luke Williams *Ultimate Championship Wrestling **UCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Luke Williams *United States Wrestling League **USWL Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Luke Williams * Universal Wrestling Federation **

(

) – with Luke Williams *

World Wide Wrestling Alliance The World Wide Wrestling Alliance (WWWA), previously known as NWA Ohio, was an American professional wrestling promotion. However, NWA Ohio Owner & Promoter Dave Nelson's claim of ownership of the WWWA name is disputed. History Founded by promo ...

**WWA Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Luke Williams *

( 1 time) – with Luke Williams **

(

) – with Luke Williams * ''

Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four Wee ...

'' ** Worst Tag Team (1992, 1994) with Luke Williams ** Worst Worked Match of the Year (1993) with Luke Williams and

Men on a Mission Men on a Mission was a professional wrestling tag team composed of Mabel (Nelson Frazier) and Mo (Robert Horne), best known for its appearances in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1993 to 1996. Career Harlem Knights The team that woul ...

vs.

Bastion Booger Michael Paul Shaw (May 9, 1957 – September 11, 2010) was an American professional wrestler who was best known for his stint in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as Norman the Lunatic, and as Bastion Booger in the World Wrestling Federation ( ...

, and

Bam Bam Bigelow Scott Charles Bigelow (September 1, 1961 – January 19, 2007) was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Bam Bam Bigelow. Recognizable by his close-to-400-pound frame and the distinctive flame tattoo that spanned mo ...

Survivor Series Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...

(Class of 2015) - as a member of The Bushwhackers

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bushwhacker Butch 1944 births 2023 deaths 20th-century male professional wrestlers 21st-century male professional wrestlers Dudley Brothers members New Zealand male professional wrestlers Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Professional wrestlers from Auckland Stampede Wrestling alumni WWE Hall of Fame inductees NWA Florida Tag Team Champions NWA United States Tag Team Champions (Florida version) Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Champions WWC World Tag Team Champions