Fantastics


The Fantastics were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers who worked together extensively between 1984 and 2007. At times, Bobby Fulton would team up with his brother Jackie Fulton under the same name.

Team history

Mid South Wrestling (1984)

While in the Mid-Southern area, Terry Taylor was teamed with a budding young wrestler named Bobby Fulton, who at the time was a jobber on TV but showed promise. To capitalize further on the success of The Fabulous Ones, they were named "The Fantastic Ones" and teamed only for a brief time before splitting up. In 1984, Bobby Fulton moved to the Mid-South area and teamed with Tommy Rogers shortening the name of the team to "The Fantastics". Their first match came on June 20, 1984, at a Mid-South TV taping in Shreveport, LA, where the duo defeated Barry Orton and Pat Rose.
After defeating preliminary competition on television, The Fantastics earned their first significant victory when they defeated Hercules Hernandez and Krusher Khruschev on July 15, 1984, in Tulsa, OK. They then began a feud with The Midnight Express that would extend into the National Wrestling Alliance.

World Class Championship Wrestling (1984–1985)

In October 1984 the Fantastics joined the Von Erich's popular Texas based promotion, carrying over their feud with the Midnight Express. The Fantastics defeated the Midnights in their debut match with the promotion at a house show in San Antonio, TX on October 20, and a day later in Fort Worth they beat The Long Riders to capture the NWA American Tag Team Championship. They would continue the Midnight Express feud over the World Class Wrestling Association's WCWA Tag Team Championship. The Fantastics hired a bodyguard, Silo Sam who stood at 7 feet 7 inches. As champions they would successfully defend against numerous duos, including Pretty Young Things and Jake Roberts & Kelly Kiniski.
On January 11, 1985, the Midnight Express defeated the Fantastics to gain the NWA American Tag-Team Championship, re-igniting their feud. At WCCW house shows that winter the two teams would face off in numerous matches, with the Fantastics usually winning that spring after Eaton & Condrey vacated the titles. Rogers and Fulton would face off against the Express for the vacant championship at the 2nd Von Erich Memorial Parade Of Champions on May 5, 1985, and regained the titles. The Fantastics second reign lasted until June 24, when they were defeated by the Dynamic Duo.

Mid-South Wrestling (1985)

Almost immediately after their loss to Adams and Hernandez the Fantastics returned to Mid-South Wrestling. They made their return on June 30, 1985, in Tulsa, OK, defeating The Midnight Express once more. That fall they moved on to a feud with Dutch Mantell & Bill Dundee. On September 25 they defeated Mantell & Dundee on television in a "bullwhip on a pole" match.

Continental Wrestling Association (1985–1986)

In November 1985 the Fantastics joined the Continental Wrestling Association, making their debut at a house show in Lexington, KY on the 15th of that month in a successful effort versus Pat Rose & Tom Prichard. As the winter progressed they would face off against Rip Morgan & Taras Bulba, as well as The Freedom Fighters. On January 13, 1986, in Memphis, TN the Fantastics defeated The Sheepherders to win the vacant AWA Southern Tag Team Championship. Less than two weeks later Rogers and Fulton beat The Sheepherders in a loser-leaves-town match, sending their new nemesis departing from the CWA. However the Fantastics stint in the CWA would be relatively short, as they lost the titles to The MOD Squad on March 24, 1986 and departed for the UWF.

Universal Wrestling Federation (1986)

The Fantastics thus jumped to the Universal Wrestling Federation, making their debut on March 30, 1986, at a UWF TV Taping where they defeated The Sheepherders to win the UWF Tag Team Championship. While continuing to defend their championship the duo participated in the NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup 1986. On April 19 the team defeated The Fabulous Ones in the first round of the tournament in a matinee event held at the Super Dome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Later that evening a second card was held, and the second round of the tournament began. Fulton and Rogers defeated the tandem of NWA National Heavyweight Champion Tully Blanchard & NWA Television Champion Arn Anderson. In the quarterfinals the Fantastics faced off against their UWF opponents The Sheepherders; both were placed out of the tournament after battling to a double disqualification.
After successfully retaining against The Sheepherders in numerous rematches throughout the spring of 1986, the Fantastics lost the UWF Tag-Team Championship to Hot Stuff & Hyatt International at a television taping on July 20. The two teams would trade the titles back and forth during the summer of 1986. This feud would continue through the remainder of the year and into 1987.

World Class Championship Wrestling (1987–1988)

In February 1987, the duo returned to World Class Championship Wrestling. They hired a 7"5 bodyguard Silo Sam. Early in their tenure they captured the World Class Tag Team Championship by defeating Al Madril & Brian Adias at a house show in Lubbock, TX on March 4. During the WCCW run they feuded with Mike Davis and Tommy Lane, The Rock 'n' Roll RPMs. The Fantastics won the feud by winning a scaffold match at the Parade of Champions 4 on May 3, 1987. On June 26, 1987, they lost the titles to Eric Embry & Frankie Lancaster, and would later feud with Jack Victory & John Tatum.

National Wrestling Alliance (1988–1989)

On March 12, 1988, the Fantastics made their debut on NWA Pro television for the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions, defeating the latest version of The Midnight Express. The latter were the NWA United States Tag Team Title at the time, and the Fantastics won in their non-title debut. On March 27, 1988, the duo again faced the Midnights at the inaugural Clash of Champions, this time falling in defeat. The next month they participated in the NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup 1988, earning a first round bye and defeating Al Perez & NWA Western States Heritage Champion Larry Zbyszko. On April 23, 1988, in the quarterfinals in Greensboro, NC they defeated Rick Steiner & NWA Television Champion Mike Rotunda, but were eliminated in the semifinals by NWA World Tag Team Champions Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard.
On April 26, 1988, the Fantastics won the United States Tag-Team Championship from the Midnight Express in a 40-minute match held at an NWA television taping in Chattanooga, TN. Their feud would continue throughout the spring, with the Express regaining the titles on July 10 in Baltimore, MD at The Great American Bash 1988 - "The Price For Freedom" PPV. The Midnights later vacated the titles after winning the NWA World Tag-Team Championship from Anderson & Blanchard, and as their feud with the Fantastics continued it would now be for the NWA's ultimate prize. Meanwhile, Rogers & Fulton competed in a tournament for the vacant United States championship and would win them back at Clash of the Champions IV "Seasons Beatings" on December 7, 1988, in Chattanooga, TN when they defeated Ron Simmons & Eddie Gilbert. Their second title reign was short, as they were beaten for the belts by The Varsity Club at Starrcade 88.
As 1989 began the Fantastics were programmed into a house show series with the newly arrived Original Midnight Express. They would also face The Varsity Club in rematches for the United States Tag-Team Championship, as well as face The Commandos. On February 15, 1989, in Cleveland, OH at Clash of the Champions V the Fantastics received a televised rematch with the Varsity Club, but were unsuccessful. They then left NWA, due to problems with booker Kevin Sullivan.

All Japan Pro Wrestling (1989)

Following a very brief stint in the CWF, the Fantastics resurfaced in All Japan Pro Wrestling in the summer of 1989, entering the AJPW Summer Action Series 1989. They made their first appearance on July 1, 1989, and defeated Isamu Teranishi & Mighty Inoue at a television taping in Omiya, Saitama, Japan. The Fantastics were undefeated in their first nine matches and were finally defeated by Dean Malenko & Joe Malenko on July 15, 1989, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. They finished the Summer Action Series with a 17–3 record before Bobby Fulton returned to the United States.

World Championship Wrestling (1989–1990)

While Rogers wrestled in Japan Fulton resurfaced in the American Wrestling Association teaming with his brother, Jackie Fulton, as the Fantastics. They briefly feuded with AWA Tag Team Champions Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom. On September 21, 1989, the "new" Fantastics made their debut for WCW at a television taping in Savannah, GA where they lost to NWA World Tag-Team Champions The Fabulous Freebirds. On the October 21, 1989 edition of World Championship Wrestling the new tandem earned their first televised victory, pinning Lee Scott & Agent Steel. They would then lose to old nemesis The Midnight Express on December 23's edition of World Championship Wrestling to close out the year.
The brother tandem competed infrequently for World Championship Wrestling, as their next match would not come until March 30, 1990, when they faced Jack Victory & Rip Morgan in Lynchburg, VA. On July 30 the Fultons defeated Barry Horowitz & Scotty Williams at an NWA Power Hour taping for a match that would air on August 12. On the same show they were interviewed by Missy Hyatt and were referred to as the Fantastics, and given the length of time since their last televised appearance it was referred to as their arrival. On the August 24, 1990 edition of the Power Hour they received a title opportunity against NWA World Tag-Team Champions Doom, but were unsuccessful. A day later they had another shot at Doom on NWA Pro but were also defeated. After this Bobby Fulton left the promotion, leaving Jackie to compete in singles action for a time.