4. The Can-Am Connection
WWE.comThis a great example of a team that showed tremendous promise and had the potential to be something special for the WWE in the mid-80s, but ego and politics derailed any chance of that happening. When former AWA World Heavyweight Champion Rick Martel returned to WWE in 1986, the Canadian star was paired with paired with Tom Zenk. A former Mr. Minnesota bodybuilder who seemed to have all the tools but never quite became the superstar many thought he would. The reason for their split is highly contested between the two men and the distaste for one another remains to this day. Martel maintains that Zenk couldnt handle the stress of the business and just walked out, burning bridges everywhere he worked. He claims that Z-Man was a mark who patterned himself after Rick and was a general pain in the *ss to work with. Zenk, on the other hand, says that Martel was going behind his back and cutting deals with Vince, actively working to undermine him from within the team. As with all two party disputes, the truth is likely somewhere in the middle. Zenks track record would point to at least some of the Canadians account ringing true, as he flamed out in every territory he wrestled. After Zenks departure from WWE, Martel found a new partner in Tito Santana, and from the ashes of The Can-Am Connection rose Strike Force.