THE TWIN TOWERS
Big Bossman & Akeem
1988-1990
Written by Canadian Bulldog
While their team name may not be America's fondest, historically speaking... The Twin Towers of Big Boss Man and Akeem were one of the most successful heel combinations to come along in the late-1980s. As one of the heavier and physically intimidating duos in wrestling history, the two stood toe to toe with some of the biggest tag teams of that era.
Interestingly, the two had a history before their WWF days, with Bossman (as Big Bubba Rogers) defeating Akeem (as One Man Gang) for the UWF World Championship in 1987. Within a year, both men would arrive in the World Wrestling Federation, though their paths didn't cross right away.
One Man Gang arrived first on the scene, experiencing some success while being managed by Slick and challenging the likes of Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage and Bam Bigelow. When Bossman came along, he was pushed immediately as a top heel, (also managed by Slick), and inserted into an angle with Hulk Hogan, attacking the WWF World Champion on The Brother Love Show and facing him in a steel cage match on Saturday Night's Main Event.
Still, the two super heavyweights were kept separate for some time. It wasn't until Slick helped One Man Gang "discover his roots" as Akeem The African Dream that he began teaming with The Big Bossman.
The two were quickly inserted into a program with The Mega Powers (Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage) that began with the four men co-captaining their respective Survivor Series teams in 1988.
From there, The Twin Towers battled The Mega Powers in both singles and tag team matches, culminating in a prime-time showdown on NBC's The Main Event. This was the episode where Savage finally turned on Hogan, setting up their epic WrestleMania V encounter. While The Twin Towers didn't win the match, they did look impressive against the company's two most popular performers.
At that year's WrestleMania, the duo took (and defeated) The Rockers and were suddenly in title contention. They battled WWF World Tag Team Champions Demolition throughout the summer and while they never captured the gold, they gave Ax and Smash some very nervous moments.
Like most tag teams, The Twin Towers eventually explod.... I mean, went their separate ways in early 1990. Bossman separately from Slick once he found out his manager was taking a bribe from The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase. Akeem got sole custody of The Slickster, and the two former partners did battle in a brief match at WrestleMania VI.
After a less than thrilling rematch on Saturday Night's Main Event, the pair never did battle (or teamed, for that matter) again, but left behind a very powerful legacy.