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Bushwhacker Butch, WWE Legend, Dies After Sudden Hospitalization
We say goodbye to one-half of the most beloved tag teams in WWE history.
Beloved WWE Hall of Famer and former Superstar Robert "Bushwhacker Butch" Miller passed away Sunday evening at the age of 78.
With so much exciting news coming out of the fallout of WrestleMania weekend, it's never easy to mourn the loss of an all-time legend. Butch was loved by the fans, his fellow wrestlers, and especially by his long-time tag team partner Luke.
Before gaining notoriety as the Sheepherders outside of WWE, Butch and Luke were christened the Bushwhackers before their WWE debut in 1988. Although they never captured the WWE tag team titles at any point in their career as a team, they captured the hearts and minds of the fans — primarily because their characters were so memorable and outlandish. Most members of the WWE Universe remember the Bushwhackers as the zany tag team who would frequently lick the heads of each, their opponents, and their fans!
(If you're a fan of bloody brawls, make sure to check out Sheepherders matches – they are not for the faint of heart, and to a current WWE fan, it's mind-blowing to see the Bushwhackers engaging in such hardcore brawls that predate their zany and fun-loving antics in the '80s and '90s!)
The Sheepherders Become the Bushwhackers
Every member of the WWE Universe knows the significance of Bushwhacker Luke's 1991 Royal Rumble elimination – he was famously eliminated after only four seconds, although to his credit, he never stopped doing the patented Bushwhackers taunt the entire time – many aren't aware of Butch's reaction to it! During an appearance on the Sportskeeda Wrestling podcast in 2021, Butch revealed — tongue-in-cheek, of course — that he wasn't appreciative of the Royal Rumble payday both men received.
"I was busting my guts and everything else because it's not an easy match," Butch said. "You can't stand around too much. After that, they didn't even mention what I did. Luke got mentioned all the time. 'Who was it? Which one of you guys? That was fantastic! You walked right in and you walked right back without missing a bloody step!' And I said 'Yeah, but the trouble was, when we got our checks 10 days later, he got the same money as I did. And I was busting my guts out there!'"
Herein lies a vital lesson everybody can take away from the Bushwhackers: work smarter, not harder!
Bushwhacker Luke Remembers His Tag Team Partner
Bushwhacker Luke posted a heartfelt tribute to his tag team partner on Instagram Monday, opening up his heart to the world during a challenging time. "This past weekend in Los Angeles, Bob flew in from New Zealand to join me for Wrestlemania weekend and the related festivities, neither of us knowing it would be our last days together and his last days of life," he wrote. "If you were to read the story of my life, it would say that I am an only child, but it would be wrong. In life I had a brother and his name was Bob Miller. I love you, Bob. Until I see you again, WOOOOAHH YEEEEAAHH!"
Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015, Butch and Luke reminded the WWE Universe just how larger-than-life they still were decades after their WWE retirements:
Glancing at the comment section of any wrestling website or forum will tell you all you have to know about how fans felt about Bushwhacker Butch. The man existed to put smiles on people's faces, and the WWE Universe appreciated every second he spent entertaining us for so many years.
Thanks for the memories, Butch.
Catch up on all things WWE Universe on Peacock.
