Brian Blair Reveals The Highest Compliment Vince McMahon Ever Gave Him, Says The Killer Bees Belong In The WWE Hall Of Fame
Brian Blair says the Killer Bees deserve to be recognized for their accomplishments in wrestling with a WWE Hall Of Fame induction.
Blair spoke with Wrestlezone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard about his life in and out of the ring and said there are quite a few highlights that stand out in his mind. Prior to linking up with Jim Brunzell as the Killer Bees, Blair was working as a singles wrestler and recalled a match with Paul Orndorff leading to the best compliment he ever received. Blair explained that while they’d worked together several times before, this particular match took place at the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis on March 23, 1984 and it impressed Vince McMahon enough that he told Blair it was the best match he’d ever seen.
“Vince [McMahon Jr.] called Orndorff and I over, the matches were over and he wanted to see us. Vince Sr was still alive but Vince Jr was doing the announcing. We came to him and he said ‘I wanted to tell you guys that was the best match I’ve ever seen in my life and I’m not kidding you.’ He said he was right there and he’d never seen a better match in his life and when he said that to [us],” Blair stated, “that was probably the best compliment I’ve ever gotten in my life.”
Blair also touted a win over the Hart Foundation (with Brunzell as the Bees) on Saturday Night’s Main Event in Los Angeles and WrestleMania III as other highlights, but one thing the duo can’t claim is a WWE Hall Of Fame induction. Blair says he believes they belong in the Hall and wants to see it happen because he’s accomplished a lot both in and out of the ring.
“One thing I’d like to say—one regret I have or would like to happen—I’ve done so much in my career. Good quality matches, main evented all over the country—but I truly believe we belong in the Hall Of Fame. I’ve worked for Vince twice and had nothing but good matches for him. I was elected as County Commissioner for Hillsborough County [Tampa, Florida] and I was a successful businessman,” Blair noted. “I’ve had one of the longest careers in professional wrestling and I just had my retirement match on July 27, which you can watch on YouTube.
“The Pro Wrestling Hall Of Fame, I’m in the Hall of Fame there, but I really wish WWE would recognize the accomplishments that it’s taken to do what I’ve done, do what we’ve done. So, fans have a voice to say something and they can write, petition to WWE for the Killer Bees to be in the Hall Of Fame and I’d appreciate that.”
Related: Brian Blair On Why He Liked Working With Demolition, Importance Of Wrestling Psychology