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Home / Kapiti News

WWE pro preparing for ultimate tag

By David Haxton
Kapiti News·
3 Mar, 2015 02:56 AM4 mins to read

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The Bushwhackers.

The Bushwhackers.

TIGHT TEAM: Butch Miller and Helen Miller relaxing at home in Paraparaumu Beach before jetting off to the United States where Butch will be inducted into the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame
TIGHT TEAM: Butch Miller and Helen Miller relaxing at home in Paraparaumu Beach before jetting off to the United States where Butch will be inducted into the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame

We're the first guys from Australasia to be put into the Hall of Fame. It's actually a very big deal and I feel very humble because of it. I didn't think it would ever happen.

Butch Miller

Being inducted into World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Hall of Fame is the ultimate pro wrestling accolade, Butch Miller says.

The 70-year-old, from Paraparaumu Beach, is part of the legendary pro wrestling tag team known as The Bushwhackers that have thrilled millions of people over the years.

Butch and his tag team mate Luke Williams will be donning tuxedos for the historic ceremony which takes place at the end of the month in San Jose, California.

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Others to be inducted include the late 'Macho Man' Randy Savage [Hulk Hogan is expected to receive the award on his behalf], Rikishi, and celebrity inductee Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"It's going to be exciting," Butch enthuses.

Accompanying Butch on the all expenses paid trip, will be his wife Helen Miller.

"She has no idea what to expect especially as there will be a WrestleMania event which is expected to attract 80,000 people."

To be recognised in the Hall of Fame was a real honour especially as it featured so many great wrestlers, he says.

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"It's the ultimate.

"I think we're about the sixth tag team to be in there which is unbelievable.

"We're the first guys from Australasia to be put into the Hall of Fame.

"It's actually a very big deal and I feel very humble because of it.

"I didn't think it would ever happen.

Butch and Luke became The Bushwhackers when they joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1988 [WWF would later become the WWE].

Clad in mangled baseball caps and camouflage trousers, they stomped to the ring in manic fashion, swinging their arms and even licking heads.

Fans of all ages loved them.

"What a ride it was.

"We worked very hard for many years."

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They sat down one night and figured they had over 10,000 matches together in their wrestling career throughout the world including in New Zealand.

"And we've held over 56 different tag team titles in the world."

The biggest audience they fought in front of was at Wembley Stadium when 84,000 people watched a WWF SummerSlam event.

"We did a six man tag.

"There was Luke and I as well as 'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan with his 2x4 length of wood.

"He was going 'Hooo' and we were going 'Wooo'.

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"People were going nuts.

"We wrestled against The Nasty Boys and Jacques Rougeau who was The Mountie.

"One of the main events that night was Bret Hart, who is a very close friend of ours, against Davey Boy Smith, who was one of The British Bulldogs."

The sport was a tough business physically as the ring floor had only a bit of padding and spring, and the moves were often punishing.

"I can't remember a bone from the top of my head to tip of my toe that I haven't actually broke, fractured or something bad."

Despite the punishment, he loved the lifestyle but admits it was tough on his family when he was away a lot.

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He feels good that his two daughters, now in their young 40s, are very proud of the recognition he is about to receive.

In 2001, a few days after the 9/11 terror attacks, when Butch was 56 years old, he got a near fatal staph infection.

Luke, who was concerned after not hearing from his friend for a few days, went to his Florida house and broke in via a ranchslider after seeing his mate lying on a bed "blown up like a big balloon".

It took Butch about a year to overcome the near-death experience but it had taken a big toll on his body and by 2003 he was retired and living in Paraparaumu Beach.

Unbelievably in 2008 he got another staph infection and was in intensive care for a month.

He's thankful for all the support, especially from wife Helen, [the pair met for the first in a Paraparaumu gym in recent years and romance blossomed], for helping him pull through.

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