10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Jan 3)

7. Where The Killer Bees' Name Came From

Older fans will recall B. Brian Blair and 'Jumpin' Jim Brunzell as The Killer Bees, a mid-level workhorse tag-team from the mid-to-late-80s. This week, Blair appeared on Sean Mooney's 'Prime Time' podcast and gave insight into how the duo came together when he was signed to the WWF in 1985.

It was Hulk Hogan who called Brian first. He wanted to know if Blair had heard of Brunzell, would mind working with him and if he had any ideas for a name.

Blair didn't, much to the annoyance of then-road agent George Scott. One night in Ontario, Scott asked both men to come up with their own gimmick. That's when Blair's mind started working overtime and he remembered his favourite football team: the 1972 Miami Dolphins. Their linebackers all had names beginning with 'B', and so they were nicknamed 'The Killer Bees'.

One quick convo with Brunzell later and the team had their name. Vince McMahon ended up being keen on it too, and the gimmick stuck.