The Midnight Express/Jim Cornette

One of wrestling all-time great tag teams The Midnight Express with manager Jim Cornette revolutionized tag team wrestling in the '80s. The origins of the team began in 1980 with the trio of Dennis Condrey, Randy Rose & Norvell Austin. A few years later in Mid-South Wrestling, a history-changing event would take place. Bobby Eaton joined Condrey and paired up young manager Jim Cornette.  This is where the legendary Midnight-Rock'n Roll Express feud started and would be rekindled many times in the NWA.

In 1987 Condrey suddenly left and was replaced by the veteran tag team wrestler Stan Lane formerly of The Fabulous Ones. Eaton & Lane had instant chemistry and created innovative double team maneuvers such as the flapjack and the veg-o-matic. While often heels, this combination of the Midnights were also successful as babyfaces beginning the turn by winning the NWA World Tag team title from the Four Horsemen's Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson and a brief but exciting feud with the "Original Midnights" of Condrey & Rose and their manager Paul E. Dangerously. Towards the end of 1989, The Midnights turned heel again and would continue to compete in the WCW version of the NWA until October of 1990 when Lane & Cornette left the company. In 1992 Cornette would form his own promotion Smokey Mountain Wrestling. In SMW he would unveil the spiritual successors to the Midnights, teaming Lane with Dr. Tom Pritchard as The Heavenly Bodies.