The U.S. Express was a
professional wrestling
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, real- ...
tag team
Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establis ...
composed of
Mike Rotunda
Lawrence Michael "Mike" Rotunda Jr. (born March 30, 1958) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling in the 1980s and 1990s under the r ...
and
Barry Windham
Barry Clinton Windham (born July 4, 1960) is an American retired professional wrestler. The son of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan, he is best known for his appearances with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and the World Wrestling Federation (W ...
in the
World Wrestling Federation. Windham was later replaced by
Dan Spivey and the team was renamed the American Express.
History
Championship Wrestling from Florida (1983–1984)
In September 1983, Windham and Rotunda formed the U.S. Express in
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 ...
. 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)
The Florida version of the NWA United States Tag Team Championship was a major professional wrestling tag team Championship (professional wrestling), championship. The title was defended sporadically in the National Wrestling Alliance affiliated ...
. 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.
World Wrestling Federation (1984–1985)
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
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
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
Hoyt Richard Murdoch (August 16, 1946 – June 15, 1996) was an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by his ring names "Dirty" Dick Murdoch and "Captain Redneck". He was best known for his time in the NWA, WWE, Wo ...
) 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
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 ...
at
WrestleMania I
WrestleMania, sequentially known as WrestleMania I, was a 1985 professional wrestling p ...
at
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
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
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
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
Terry Gene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a brand ambassador. Known for his flamboyance and massive physiq ...
, with the song going on to still be associated with Hogan.
Japan and various promotions (1986)
In January 1986 they went to Japan to work for
All Japan Pro Wrestling
(AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Puroresu, Japanese professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on October 21, 1972, by Giant Baba after he left the Japanese Wrestling Association to create his own promotion. Ma ...
. 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
Lawrence Wendell Pfohl (born June 2, 1958), better known by the ring name Lex Luger, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, bodybuilder, and gridiron football player. He is best known for his work with Jim Crocke ...
and
Ron Bass by disqualification.
The American Express (1986–1987)
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.
After the conclusion of their feud with the Dream Team, Mike Rotunda briefly left the WWF. After his subsequent return, the team reunited, feuding with
The Moondogs,
The Hart Foundation
The Hart Foundation is the name of several derivative tag teams and stables composed primarily of members and close friends of the Hart wrestling family. The name originated in the World Wrestling Federation in 1985 with the original Hart Foundat ...
and
The Islanders whom the team faced in their last match together on February 9, 1987. After Mike Rotunda left the WWF, Dan Spivey was repackaged as "Golden Boy" Dan Spivey before he left the WWF as well.
Spivey would wrestle in
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 ...
(reuniting with Rotunda for a time as a member of
Kevin Sullivan's
Varsity Club in 1988–1989) and returned to
World Wrestling Federation as Waylon Mercy in 1995. He retired from wrestling that year.
Universal Wrestling Federation (1987) and aftermath
On October 7, 1987, they reunited for
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 ...
's
Universal Wrestling Federation as they teamed with
Brad Armstrong and
Tim Horner as they lost to
The Four Horsemen.
Rotunda went to wrestle for
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 ...
. In 1991, he returned to the WWF as Irwin R. Schyster, with his gimmick being a ruthless accountant. He left WWF in August 1995 and returned to WCW as VK Wallstreet and Michael Wallstreet. He left WCW in 2000 and wrestled for
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional-wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV As ...
and
All Japan Pro Wrestling
(AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Puroresu, Japanese professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on October 21, 1972, by Giant Baba after he left the Japanese Wrestling Association to create his own promotion. Ma ...
.
Windham as well wrestled for
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 ...
becoming a member of
The Four Horsemen. In 1989 he returned to WWF as the "Widow Maker" which as short lived. He returned to WCW in 1990 and retired in 1994. In 1996 he came out of retirement and returned to the WWF as the "Stalker" a wild game hunter gimmick with camouflage on his face. He later formed a tag team with
Bradshaw as the
New Blackjacks. In 1998 he left WWF and returned to WCW. This time he teamed with his brother
Kendall Windham
Kendall Wayne Windham (born December 15, 1967) is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling. He is the son of Blackjack Mulligan and the brother of Barry Windham.
Professional wr ...
with the
West Texas Rednecks. He left WCW in 1999 and went to
All Japan Pro Wrestling
(AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Puroresu, Japanese professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on October 21, 1972, by Giant Baba after he left the Japanese Wrestling Association to create his own promotion. Ma ...
.
Reunions (2001, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2024, 2025)
After both men worked for WCW they worked for
All Japan Pro Wrestling
(AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Puroresu, Japanese professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on October 21, 1972, by Giant Baba after he left the Japanese Wrestling Association to create his own promotion. Ma ...
and reunited on January 28, 2001. They teamed with
Curt Hennig as they lost to
Johnny Smith,
Jim Steele and
George Hines.
On May 5, 2004, for
IWA Japan they teamed with
Ryo Miyake as they defeated
Jim Duggan
James Edward Duggan Jr. (born January 14, 1954), better known by his ring name "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best-known for his time in World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), where he won the first ...
,
Animal Warrior and
Keizo Matsuda being refereed by
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 ...
.
They participated at
WrestleReunion as they lost to
Larry Zbyszko and
Ron Bass on January 28, 2005.
On the March 10, 2008 episode of ''WWE RAW'', U.S. Express made an appearance in a rematch from WrestleMania I against Volkoff & The Iron Sheik. Before the match could begin, they were interrupted by diva
Jillian Hall
Jillian Hall (born September 6, 1980) is a retired American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE.
After debuting in 1998, Hall worked on the independent circuit under the name Macaela Mercedes. ...
. She offered to sing "Born in the USA" for them before being given an airplane spin by Rotunda.
On April 5, 2024, The U.S. Express was 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 ...
before
WrestleMania XL.
On May 24, 2025, the U.S Express was acknowledged in the crowd during
Saturday Night's Main Event XXXIX.
Championships and accomplishments
*
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 ...
**
NWA United States Tag Team Championship ''(Florida version)'' (
4 times)
*''
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 them #48 of the top 100 tag teams of the "PWI Years" with in 2003
*
World Wrestling Federation
**
WWF World Tag Team Championship (
2 times)
**
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 ...
(
Class of 2024)
See also
*
The Blackjacks
*
Money Inc.
*
The Varsity Club
*
The West Texas Rednecks
The West Texas Rednecks were a short-lived professional wrestling stable and country music band in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1999 and All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) in the early 2000s. They are famous for the recording of two songs, " ...
*
The York Foundation
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:U.S. Express
Championship-winning tag teams (WWE)
WWE Hall of Fame inductees
WWE Hall of Fame team inductees
WWE teams and stables