RIP Professional Wrestler Tommy Rogers (of the Fantastics)

June 1, 2015 2:31 PM

Professional wrestler Tommy Rogers (real name Thomas Couch), best known as one half of the tag team The Fantastics, has passed away at the age of 54. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, Rogers "...had been having legal troubles in recent years stemming from fighting. He was to be sentenced tomorrow over a fight with police officers and feared a long prison stay."

Wrestling fans from the 1980s may remember the legendary matches between the Fantastics and Midnight Express from both the NWA and World Class promotions, as well as their bloody feud with the Sheepherders (later Bushwhackers) in the Universal Wrestling Federation.

The Fantastics also had a famous match in Japan facing the former WWF tag team champion British Bulldogs.

Rogers' most recent major national exposure came in 1997, when he faced his former Fantastics tag team partner, Bobby Fulton, as part of the WWE's Light-Heavyweight Championship Tournament.

Rogers appeared last year as a guest of Stone Cold Steve Austin on Austin's Podcast One podcast, discussing his wrestling career as well as his current life out of the business in Hawaii.

Tommy Rogers Wikipedia entry.

posted by The Gooch (1 comment total)

When the Bushwhackers got into the WWE Hall of Fame this year, many fans I knew were incredulous. "They were terrible!" "As the Bushwhackers, yes. As the Sheepherders, watch EVERY MATCH THEY EVER HAD AGAINST THE FANTASTICS."

54 is far too young, even figuring in wear and tear from road years.

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posted by delfin at 2:40 PM on June 1, 2015 [1 favorite]