Tag Team
The Midnight Express
The Midnight Express
Original Members: "Loverboy" Dennis Condrey, "Ravishing"
Randy Rose, Norvell Austin
Second Version: "Loverboy" Dennis Condrey, "Beautiful"
Bobby Eaton
Third Version: "Sweet" Stan Lane, "Beautiful" Bobby
Eaton
Manager: Jim Cornette
Debut: 1983
The Original Midnight Express
The Original Midnight Express was formed in 1982 and was a six man tag team in Alabama, consisting of Dennis Condrey, Randy Rose & Norvell Austin. The threesome was mildly successful in regional federations in the south, but eventually split up. Dennis traveled to the Mid-Southern area where he started teaming with Bobby Eaton, who was managed by Jim Cornette.
Mid-South Wrestling
Jim Cornette begin managing the Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Dennis Condrey) and in the spring of 1984 Eaton and Condrey defeated Magnum TA & Mr Wrestling II to win the Mid-South Tag Team titles. Shortly thereafter The Midnight Express were defeated by Mr Wrestling II & III (the Rock N Roll Express under masks) for the Mid-South tag team titles.
World Class Championship Wrestling
In December 1984 Cornette and the Midnight Express moved to World Class
Championship Wrestling where they won the World Class Tag Team titles
from the Fantastics in early 1985.
National Wrestling Alliance
In 1985 Jim Cornette & The Midnight Express headed to the National Wrestling Alliance. They defeated the Rock N Roll Express in February 1986 to capture the NWA World Tag Team Title. This feud became legendary as the teams battled in every type of match possible, with the Rock N Roll Express gaining back the titles on August 8, 1986.
At Starrcade 86, The Midnight Express were defeated by the Road Warriors in one of the most talked about scaffold matches in wrestling history.
The Midnight Express team began to fall apart prompting Jim Cornetteto fire Dennis Condrey and replace him with "Sweet" Stan Lane (who had just split from his "Fabulous Ones" partner, Steve Kiern.
The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane) won a tournament for the vacant NWA United States Tag Team Titles on May 16, 1987. They were then defeated by the Rock N Roll Express at the Great American Bash. On September 10, 1988 The Midnight Express defeated Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson for the NWA World Tag Team title..
Meanwhile....
American Wrestling Association
Former Midnight Express members Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose suddenly
appeared on the AWA tag team scene. They were calling themselves the ORIGINAL
MIDNIGHT EXPRESS and were managed by Paul E. Dangerously. They used all
thje pattened Midnight Express manuvers and would even make references
to the "other" Express. In October 1987 The Original Midnight
Express defeated Jerry Lawler & Bill Dundee for the AWA World Tag
Team Titles. The Original Midnight Express would eventually be defeated
by the Midnight Rockers.
The "Original" Midnight Express and Paul E. left the area and
spent the next nine months in regional federations.
Back in the National Wrestling Alliance
Jim Cornette's Midnight Express set a record for the longest reign as United States Tag Team Champions (12 months). The Fantastics eventually defeated the Midnight Express for the United States Tag Team titles. At the 1988 Great American Bash The Midnight Express defeated the Fantasics to recapture the United States Tag Team titles.
On September 10, 1988 The Midnight Express (US Champs) defeated Anderson/Blanchard (World Champs). By winning the World Tag Team Titles, NWA rules stated that they had to relinquish one of the two titles they now held so they vacated the United States titles. One month later the Midnight Express were defeated by the Road Warriors for the NWA World Tag Team Titles..
Late in 1988 the "Original" Midnight Express hit the scene
with Paul E and gave Eaton, Lane and Cornette a beating. At Starrcade
1988 Cornette's Midnight Express defeated Dangerously's Midnight Express.
The feud continued until Chi-town Rumble 1989 where Cornette's Midnight
Express defeated Dangerously's Midnight Express (Jack Victory & Rose)
in a "Loser Leaves Town" match.
Eight months later, The Midnight Express defeated Tom Zenk & Brian Pillman to win their 3rd U.S. Tag Team title. The Midnight Express then left the NWA and it was rumored that they would be headed to the WWF. The rumor never came to fruition.
At Capital Combat '90 The Midnight Express defeated Zenk & Pillman to recapure the United States Tag Team titles only to lose them a few months later to the Steiner Brothers. In November 1990 the Midnight Express split for good.
The Midnight Express, in various combinations of Eaton, Lane and Condrey had a "Midnight Express Reunion Tour" throughout 2004 and continue to wrestle on independent shows on occassion.
It is a pleasure to induct the Midnight Express tag team, in all it's incarnations, to the WrestlingClothesline.com Independent Wrestling Hall of Fame.
