Professional wrestling has seen its share of devastating finishing moves throughout history, but few have garnered the notoriety of the Beverly Brothers’ Shaker Heights Spike. While most finishing moves are designed to protect while appearing brutal, this particular maneuver was a different beast entirely – one that gained infamy for allegedly being created to inflict legitimate harm, particularly on jobbers (better referred to as enhancement talent). For one unfortunate wrestler, the Shaker Heights Spike didn’t just end his night – it ended his career, leaving behind a legacy of pain that would haunt him and many others for decades to come.
The Shaker Heights Spike, the Beverly Brothers’ infamous finisher, became notorious for its dangerous execution and career-ending consequences, particularly for enhancement talent. It ultimately ended the career of one unfortunate wrestler. Photo Credit: WWE. Artwork by Pro Wrestling Stories.
The Beverly Brothers: Behind the Purple and Gold
The Beverly Brothers, known for their pompous purple and gold persona in WWF, began as the hard-hitting Destruction Crew in the AWA, where they earned the 1989 AWA World Tag Team Championships. Despite being well-liked backstage, their in-ring brutality, especially the Shaker Heights Spike, remains a puzzling contrast to their genuine personalities. Photo Credit: WWE. Artwork by Pro Wrestling Stories.
Before they became the pompous Beverly Brothers in the then-WWF, Wayne Bloom and Mike Enos terrorized the American Wrestling Association (AWA) as The Destruction Crew. Trained by the renowned Eddie Sharkey, their hard-hitting style and impressive physiques quickly earned them the AWA World Tag Team Championships in 1989, establishing them as one of the most formidable teams of their era.
During the spring of 1990, while still holding the AWA World Tag Team titles, they made a notable run in WCW under masks as the Minnesota Wrecking Crew II, managed by Ole Anderson of the original Minnesota Wrecking Crew fame. Though their stint was brief, they engaged in an intense feud with The Steiner Brothers for the NWA World Tag Team Championship.
When they arrived in the WWF in 1991, Bloom and Enos transformed into Beau and Blake Beverly, respectively. Donning distinctive purple and gold attire, they portrayed wealthy, entitled aristocrats who looked down upon their opponents. Under the management of first Coach (John Tolos) and later The Genius (Lanny Poffo), they engaged in memorable feuds with top teams like the Natural Disasters and the Legion of Doom.
Backstage, the Beverly Brothers were known as consummate professionals – respectful, easy to work with, and well-liked by their peers. This stark contrast between their genuine personalities and their in-ring brutality, particularly regarding their finishing move, the Shaker Heights Spike, would become one of wrestling’s most puzzling dichotomies.
The Shaker Heights Spike: Anatomy of a Dangerous Move
WWE enhancement talent Pete Christie is about to take the full brunt of the Shaker Heights Spike, courtesy of the Beverly Brothers, during an episode of WWF Spotlight on February 6, 1993. This was a move that would leave life-long consequences. Photo Credit: WWE.
The Shaker Heights Spike drew its name from one of Cleveland, Ohio’s most prestigious suburbs, an area renowned for its affluent residents, architectural grandeur, and meticulously maintained public spaces. This naming choice perfectly aligned with the Beverly Brothers’ aristocratic wrestling personas.
The Shaker Heights Spike was a double-team maneuver that, on paper, might sound like any other tag team finishing move. However, its execution proved far more treacherous. One Beverly Brother would position the opponent for what appeared to be a standard back body drop, while the other would grab the opponent’s head and drive them down in a piledriver motion. The impact and angle of the move left little room for the recipient to protect themselves.
What made this move particularly controversial wasn’t just its mechanics, but rather its selective application. As Lanny Poffo would later reveal on The Genius Cast podcast, the Beverly Brothers reserved this punishing maneuver primarily for enhancement talent – wrestlers who were there to make others look good but often lacked the political capital to refuse dangerous spots.
Lanny Poffo: A Manager’s Front Row Seat to Controversy
“The Genius” Lanny Poffo managed the Beverly Brothers during their time in the WWF. In later years, he became a vocal critic of their controversial finishing move, the Shaker Heights Spike. Photo Credit: WWE.
During a revealing episode of The Genius Cast in 2019 – a podcast I had the privilege of co-hosting with the late Lanny Poffo, one of wrestling’s most cherished personalities, Lanny shared his firsthand account of the move’s impact.
“The Beverly Brothers were a very talented, very charismatic group of guys – nice people,” Poffo explained. “I haven’t kept up with them much, but every once in a while I see them, and they’re always nice. I hope they’re doing well with themselves. But I didn’t like the fact that they used a move called the Shaker Heights Spike.”
Poffo’s criticism went deeper, pointing out a troubling double standard: “If you’re gonna do that to the enhancement talent, how come you never did it to Fred Ottman, John Tenta, the Powers of Pain, or the Legion of Doom? No, you did it to the enhancement talent. And you didn’t care if you broke their necks.”
This selective targeting of enhancement talent raised serious ethical questions about worker safety and professional responsibility in the ring. As Poffo noted, “You do not take a guy in midair and throw their head down on the mat just hoping everything’s going to go okay. If you hit your head just right, you’re gonna break your neck, and then you’re gonna say you’re sorry. But sorry doesn’t cut it – not when you break your neck.”
“Every time somebody asks how I liked managing those guys,” Poffo reflected, “oh, it was better than having to work with them on television! You know what? I never had to take the Shaker Heights Spike. I wouldn’t have taken that move.”
The Human Cost: Enhancement Talent Speak Out
An enhancement talent lies motionless on the mat after taking the Beverly Brothers’ brutal Shaker Heights Spike, a move infamous for its life-long consequences. Photo Credit: WWE.
Perhaps the most sobering account of the Shaker Heights Spike’s impact comes from enhancement talent Bill Koby’s story. Koby, who worked just three televised matches in the WWF, became one of the move’s unfortunate recipients.
“My brother-in-law’s brother was [Bill Koby]. He wrestled three televised matches, one of them with the Beverly Brothers.”
After taking the Shaker Heights Spike, Koby only wrestled one more documented match, the following day, against Kamala, before leaving the ring for good.
“He got injured because of the Shaker Heights Spike–his shoulder has been messed up ever since.”
A YouTube video titled “Death by Shaker Heights Spike” captures one particularly dangerous execution of the move on enhancement talent Pete Christie. As Lanny Poffo noted, “Check it out—it’s reckless, I tell you. A lot of those moves didn’t look safe, but I guess everybody was still walking, so maybe they were just great move deliverers.”
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Wrestling Veterans Weigh In
Wrestling veterans have long criticized the Beverly Brothers’ Shaker Heights Spike for its reckless execution, citing it as an example of dangerous practices from a bygone era. Moves like this have since shaped modern wrestling’s focus on protecting talent in the ring. Photo Credit: WWE.
In a November 2024 episode of The Stevie Richards Show, the ECW and WWE veteran offered his professional analysis of the controversial maneuver. Richards didn’t mince words when describing the move’s dangers.
“It was utterly reckless, dangerous, unbelievably high risk,” Richards explained. “The fact that they only performed it on enhancement talent speaks volumes – contracted talent wouldn’t take it because they knew better.”
Richards went on to praise modern wrestling’s evolved approach to worker safety, citing the Shaker Heights Spike as an example of what not to do in professional wrestling. He emphasized how the move’s reputation actually limited the Beverly Brothers’ opportunities, as established stars refused to take it.
A Cautionary Tale: The Legacy of the Shaker Heights Spike
The Beverly Brothers, Wayne Bloom and Mike Enos, were known for their charisma and professionalism backstage. However, their infamous finishing move, the Shaker Heights Spike, serves as a cautionary tale of the risks enhancement talent faced in an era when worker safety was not a top priority. Photo Credit: WWE.
The Shaker Heights Spike isn’t just another footnote in wrestling history. It represents a darker time in the business when enhancement talent had little choice but to take dangerous moves that could – and did – end careers. While the Beverly Brothers were well-respected backstage, their infamous finishing move embodied an era when worker safety wasn’t the priority it is today.
As Lanny Poffo eloquently compared, “When Mr. Perfect came in, I wrestled him every night for at least thirty nights. He always thanked me, made me look good, and did his finish in a way that never hurt. He took care of his opponent because he was a great worker. That’s the difference between a selfish worker and a great worker.”
Today’s professional wrestling landscape has changed dramatically. Worker safety protocols, concussion awareness, and a greater emphasis on protecting one’s opponent have become industry standards. The Shaker Heights Spike remains a cautionary tale of what happens when the spectacle of professional wrestling overshadows its fundamental responsibility: ensuring everyone walks away safely at the end of the night.
Watch Lanny Poffo discuss the dangerous legacy of the Shaker Heights Spike below:
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JP Zarka is the founder of Pro Wrestling Stories, established in 2015, where he guides the site's creative vision as editor-in-chief. From 2018 to 2019, he hosted and produced The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo, brother of WWE legend Macho Man Randy Savage. His diverse background includes roles as a school teacher, assistant principal, published author, musician with the London-based band Sterling Avenue, and being a proud father of two amazing daughters. He has appeared on the television show Autopsy: The Last Hours Of and contributed research for programming on ITV and BBC.
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