Managed by Jim Cornette, "Gigolo" Jimmy Del Ray and "Doctor" Tom Prichard comprised the Heavenly Bodies, a tag team that could hang with any opponent, of any style and of any shape. They were extraordinary in-ring workers whose abilities were recognized by Vince McMahon and his booking staff almost immediately, leading to a brief-yet-quality feud with the Steiner Brothers over the WWE Tag Team Championships and several other title opportunities against the Smoking Gunns. Unfortunately, for as great as Prichard and Del Ray were, they could never get over the proverbial hump and capture the gold. They were hard workers, wrestled smart, high quality bouts but were never deemed worthy enough to run with the tag titles, no matter how bad the division around them became. By the time 1995 rolled around, Del Ray exited stage left, leaving Prichard to fend for himself. He did, ultimately chopping off his long locks, dying them bleach blonde and teaming with Skip as Zip in the Bodydonnas. It was an unfortunate end to a team that had made its mark in Smokey Mountain Wrestling and managed to achieve a certain level of success by starring in WWE for nearly two years. The Heavenly Bodies deserved better what they got but still managed to leave fans with a collection of really solid, good wrestling matches that prove their abilities between the ropes.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
