The Mamalukes
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| The Mamalukes | |
| Tag Team | |
|---|---|
| Members | Big Vito Johnny the Bull |
| Heights | Vito: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Johnny: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Combined weight | 495 lb (225 kg/35.4 st) |
| Debut | 1999 |
| Disbanded | 2000 |
| Promotions | WCW |
The Mamalukes was a professional wrestling tag team in World Championship Wrestling.
[edit] History
The Mamalukes were formed in late 1999 when Big Vito arrived in WCW and formed a team with Johnny the Bull. They were managed by Tony Marinara. The gimmick was a takeoff of Italian-Americans in the Mafia and they played it up well. Disco Inferno was in debt to their "friends", so they forced him to join them. He became their manager when Mariana left and set them up with twins, Lolli and Pop in a failed attempt to distract them while he got away. His attempt failed and he had to turn on Lash LeRoux.
In early 2000, The Mamalukes feuded with David Flair and Crowbar and won the WCW World Tag Team Championship from them. They also had a big feud with the Harris Brothers.
In April, they joined the New Blood faction and benefited from this when Eric Bischoff won the WCW Hardcore Championship. Bischoff did not want this title and gave it to them jointly. They soon split because they both wanted the title and feuded.
Ironically, both men would become part of different WWE Smackdown incarnations of the Full Blooded Italians along with Nunzio, who in both ECWs teamed as part of the F.B.I. with their former manager Marinara (who later went on to take the name Tony Mamaluke as a reference to the team).
