.jpg) Anderson in 2019 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Martin Anthony Lunde (1958-09-20)September 20, 1958 (age 67) Rome, Georgia, U.S. |
Spouse | |
| Children | 2, includingBrock |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Arn Anderson Super Olympia[1] Marty Lunde[1] Jim Vertaroso[2] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)[1] |
| Billed weight | 255 lb (116 kg)[1] |
| Billed from | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Trained by | Ted Allen |
| Debut | December 16, 1981 |
| Retired | May 16, 2000[3] |
Martin Anthony Lunde (born September 20, 1958), better known by hisring nameArn Anderson,[1] is an Americanprofessional wrestlingroad agent, author, and retired professional wrestler. Although he is widely regarded as one of the greatest tag team wrestlers in history, he also had a successful singles career and became a four-timeNWA/WCW World Television Champion, which he often called his "world title".
Anderson's career was highlighted by his alliances withRic Flair and various members of thewrestling stableThe Four Horsemen in theNational Wrestling Alliance (NWA) andWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW). After his retirement, he worked as a producer forWWE until 2019, when he joinedAll Elite Wrestling (AEW). On March 31, 2012, Anderson was inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame as a member of the Four Horsemen. His son,Brock Anderson also pursued a career in professional wrestling.[4]
Martin Anthony Lunde was born inRome, Georgia, on September 20, 1958.[5]
Lunde began his career on December 16, 1981, in Georgia Championship Wrestling going by the ring name Jim Vertaroso,[2] having been trained by Ted Lipscomb (Allen). He spent much of the year wrestling in various independent wrestling companies across the United States, including a minor run inMid South Wrestling forBill Watts from 1982 to 1983.[6] By the middle of 1983, he made his way toSoutheastern Championship Wrestling, anNWA affiliated promotion operating out ofTennessee andAlabama. Taking the name of "Super Olympia", Lunde soon became a member ofRon Fuller'sStud Stable before the year was out. Lunde saw success in the tag team ranks by winning theNWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship three times withMr. Olympia and once with Pat Rose throughout 1984. It was also here in this promotion that Lunde met and began what would become a lifelong friendship with Ric Flair. By the end of the year, however, Lunde left the company and joined Mid South Wrestling based out of Shreveport. Lunde's time in Mid South was coming to an end, and during a TV taping theJunkyard Dog mentioned to Bill Watts, the owner of Mid South Wrestling, that Lunde looked like an Anderson. Watts called Jim Crockett and convinced him to book Lunde.[7]
Lunde made his way toJim Crockett, Jr.'sMid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, based inthe Virginias andthe Carolinas. By this time, the company extended its range intoGeorgia after rival promoterVince McMahonpurchasedGeorgia Championship Wrestling. There was a strong physical resemblance between Lunde andOle Anderson, who had achieved legendary status in the Georgia and Mid-Atlantic territories as a tag team wrestler. Ole noticed that Lunde's style was a no nonsense approach in the ring and specialized in working over a part of an opponent's body throughout the match, much like Ole himself. Anderson agreed to work with Lunde, helping to hone his capabilities, and re-formed theMinnesota Wrecking Crew with Lunde replacingGene Anderson and taking on the name of "Arn Anderson", Ole's kayfabe brother. The team quickly became a force in the territory by capturing theNWA National Tag Team Championship in March 1985.[6] Arn and Ole defended the titles throughout the year, with their highest profile match being part of the card forStarrcade 1985 onThanksgiving night. The Crew successfully defended the titles againstWahoo McDaniel andBilly Jack Haynes.[8]
"Not since theFour Horsemen of the Apocalypse have so few wreaked so much havoc on so many." - Arn Anderson, 1985[9]
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In the latter half of 1985, the Andersons formed a loose knit alliance with fellow heelsTully Blanchard andRic Flair, as they began to have common enemies. The origin of the stable dates to aJim Crockett Promotions taping which was held inThe Omni in Atlanta, Georgia in September 1985. During the event, Ric Flair turned on Dusty Rhodes after Rhodes saved him from a beatdown at the hands of the Koloffs and Krusher Kruschev, with Arn and Ole Anderson then entering the ring and assisting Flair in breaking Rhodes' ankle and putting him out of action.[10][11] As Rhodes was attempting to surrender his NWA Television Title, which was vacated on October 19, 1985,[12] Arn, who desired the title, would recruit Tully Blanchard, with the two then kicking Dusty's crutches away, with Arn then stealing the title.[13][14] On the October 26, 1985 episode ofNWA Worldwide, Arn, who had possession of the stolenNWA Television Championship, called himself, Ole, Tully and Flair "The four horses, the four people that make things happen."[15]
The foursome frequently teamed together in six-man, and sometimes, eight-man tag matches or interfered in each other's matches to help score a victory or, at least, to prevent each other from losing their titles. The alliance quickly became a force within the territory, working in feuds against some of the biggest stars in the company likeDusty Rhodes,Magnum T. A., theRoad Warriors and theRock 'n' Roll Express. Anderson also saw success as a singles wrestler on January 4, 1986, by winning the vacantNWA Television Championship.[6] Simultaneously, Anderson was still one half of the NWA National Tag Team Champions and, even though Crockett promotions abandoned the National Tag titles in March, Anderson's success as a dual champion elevated his status within the territory. It was also during this time (in 1986) that the Andersons, Blanchard, and Flair began calling themselvesThe Four Horsemen withJ. J. Dillon serving as the group's manager.[6]
Anderson also had a tremendous ability to do interviews to further the storylines he participated in. His ability to improvise in interviews allowed him to coin the "Four Horsemen" moniker for the stable, as he likened their coming to wrestle at an event and the aftermath of their wrath as being akin to theFour Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and the name stuck. Anderson continued his reign as NWA Television Champion for most of the year, holding the championship for just over 9 months before losing it to Dusty Rhodes on September 9, 1986.[16]
The first real setback with the Horsemen occurred atStarrcade 1986 after Anderson and Ole lost aSteel Cage match to the Rock 'n' Roll Express, with Ole getting pinned. The subsequent storyline positioned Ole as the weak link within the team, possibly attributed to his age. Ole's position with the group was only further weakened after he decided to take two months off after Starrcade. After Ole's return in February 1987, the other Horsemen turned on him and threw him out of the group, resulting in Ole incurring numerous attacks over the next several months. Afterwards, Ole was replaced withLex Luger and the Horsemen resumed their dominance of the company.[17]
As a member of the Horsemen, Anderson continued to be involved in high-profile angles within the company. By mid-1987, Anderson and fellow Horsemen Tully Blanchard began regularly competing as a tag team and rose quickly through the tag team ranks.[6] The duo faced the Rock 'n' Roll Express for theNWA World Tag Team Championship on September 29, 1987, and were victorious.[6] This win further solidified the group's dominance in the company as Lex Luger was the reigningNWA United States Heavyweight Champion and Ric Flair spent most of 1987 as theNWA World Heavyweight Champion, losing it to Ron Garvin in September, only to regain it atStarrcade 1987 on Thanksgiving night. Anderson and Tully continued to feud throughout the rest of the year and first few months of 1988 with the Road Warriors, the Rock 'n' Roll Express and theMidnight Express being their most frequent rivals.[18][19][20]
By December 1987, Luger had defected from the Horsemen and began a heated feud with the group, with Ric Flair especially. In early 1988, Luger formed a tag team withBarry Windham and began challenging Anderson and Blanchard for the NWA World Tag Team Championship. The bigger, stronger team of Windham and Luger were eventually successful, winning the titles on March 27, 1988. The reign would be short lived, however, as Anderson and Blanchard regained the titles less than a month later after Barry Windham turned on Luger during their match and joined the Horsemen. Though Anderson and Blanchard were two of the biggest stars in Crockett's company, they were frequently in dispute with Crockett over their pay. Despite the fact that the two, along with the Horsemen, were helping to generate millions of dollars in revenue for the company, they considered themselves to be underpaid. Their last contracted match with the company took place on September 10, 1988, when they dropped the NWA World Tag Team Championship to the Midnight Express before leaving for the WWF.[21]
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Leaving Jim Crockett Promotions in September 1988, the following month Anderson and Blanchard joinedVince McMahon'sWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF). Upon arrival, they were givenBobby "The Brain" Heenan as theirmanager, joining hisHeenan Family stable, and dubbed the "Brain Busters". They competed in the tag team division against teams such asthe Young Stallions andthe Rockers. AtSurvivor Series in November 1988, the Brain Busters took part in a 10 team elimination match, teaming withDemolition,the Bolsheviks,Los Conquistadores, and theFabulous Rougeaus in a loss to theBritish Bulldogs, Hart Foundation,Powers of Pain, Rockers, and Young Stallions. In January 1989, Anderson entered theRoyal Rumble, but was eliminated byHulk Hogan. Following the Royal Rumble, the Brain Busters wrestled a lengthy series of matches against the Rockers. AtWrestleMania V in April 1989, they defeatedStrike Force afterRick Martel abandoned his partnerTito Santana.
AtSaturday Night's Main Event XXI in April 1989, the Brain Busters challenged Demolition for theWWF Tag Team Championship, winning by disqualification. After a series of matches againstthe Bushwhackers, the Brain Busters faced Demolition in a rematch atSaturday Night's Main Event XXII in July 1989, winning the titles and ending Demolition's record 478 day reign after Heenan Family memberAndré the Giant interfered on their behalf. AtSummerSlam in August 1989, they defeated the Hart Foundation in a non-title match. Following a series of title defences against Demolition, the Brain Busters lost the titles back to Demolition onWWF Superstars in October 1989. The Brain Busters faced Demolition in a series of rematches over the following weeks but failed to regain the titles.
AtSaturday Night's Main Event XXIV at the end of October 1989, the Brain Busters lost to the Rockers in atwo out of three falls match. Around this time, Anderson and Blanchard had given their notice to the WWF; after Blanchard failed adrug test, he disappeared from the WWF following the match.[22][23] Anderson remained in the WWF to work his notice, teaming with Heenan Family memberHaku to challenge Demolition. He wrestled his final match for the WWF atSurvivor Series in November 1989, teaming with André the Giant, Bobby Heenan, and Haku in a loss toJim Neidhart, the Rockers, and theUltimate Warrior.[6]
In November 1989, Anderson left the WWF and went back to WCW, where he reformed the Minnesota Wrecking Crew with Ole Anderson. Blanchard was slated to return as well but the offer was withdrawn by WCW due to Blanchard's failed drug test for the WWF, forcing Ole to step in.[23] The following month, the Minnesota Wrecking Crew reformedThe Four Horsemen - this time as aface stable - with Ric Flair andSting.[6][24][25][26] The Minnesota Wrecking Crew went on to compete in WCW's tag team division, facing teams such as the State Patrol (Lt. James Earl Wright andSgt. Buddy Lee Parker), theFabulous Freebirds, theNew Zealand Militia, and theSamoan SWAT Team.
The reformed Four Horsemen feuded with theJ-Tex Corporation/Gary Hart International. On January 2, 1990, Anderson defeated J-Tex Corporation/Gary Hart International memberThe Great Muta for theNWA World Television Championship.[6] The feud culminated in asteel cage match atClash of the Champions X: Texas Shootout in February 1990 where the Minnesota Wrecking Crew and Flair defeatedBuzz Sawyer,the Dragon Master, andthe Great Muta.[27] At the same event, Sting was ejected from the Four Horsemen and the stableturned heel.[25]
AtWrestleWar '90: Wild Thing in February 1990, the Minnesota Wrecking Crew unsuccessfully challenged theSteiner Brothers for theWCW World Tag Team Championship. They challenged the Steiner Brothers on multiple occasions in early 1990, including facing them in astretcher match, but failed to win the titles. Ole Anderson wrestled the final match of his career on April 28, 1990, teaming with Arn Anderson in a loss toRick Steiner andRoad Warrior Animal; he subsequently retired again to manage the Four Horsemen.[24][26]
In December 1990, Anderson lost the NWA World Television Championship toTom Zenk. Zenk's reign would be short lived, however, as Anderson regained the title, since renamed theWCW World Television Championship on January 14, 1991.[6] His third reign with the title was also considered successful as he held the title a little more than five months before dropping it to"Beautiful" Bobby Eaton on May 19, 1991. Afterwards, with Horsemen members Ric Flair and Sid Vicious gone to the WWF andBarry Windham having turned face, Anderson entered the tag team ranks of WCW.[28]
In the summer of 1991, Anderson formed a tag team withLarry Zbyszko and they called themselves theEnforcers. After competing for several months and moving up in the tag team ranks, they successfully captured theWCW World Tag Team Championship on September 2, 1991. The reign would be short lived, however, as they lost the titles roughly two and a half months later toRicky Steamboat andDustin Rhodes. Anderson and Zbyszko wrestled their final match as a tag team in December 1991 as part of WCW's "Roar Power" tour of Europe.
Later in December 1991, Anderson joinedPaul E. Dangerously's new stable theDangerous Alliance, where he formed a new tag team with"Beautiful" Bobby Eaton. They quickly moved up the tag team division and were soon a threat to Steamboat and Rhodes. Anderson and Eaton quickly won the titles on January 16, 1992, and defended the titles against all comers for the next four and a half months before losing the titles to theSteiner Brothers in May 1992.[6] The Dangerous Alliance disbanded in November 1992 followingClash of the Champions XXI, following which Anderson took a short hiatus from WCW.
Ric Flair returned to WCW in February 1993; as a result of a "no-compete" clause he was initially unable to wrestle, so he hosted a short-lived talk show segment called "A Flair for the Gold". Anderson usually appeared at the bar on the show's set.
While still under WCW contract, Anderson wrestled a handful of matches forSmoky Mountain Wrestling in March and April 1993, teaming with theRock 'n' Roll Express. AtSlamboree '93: A Legends' Reunion in May 1993, Anderson unsuccessfully challengedBarry Windham for theNWA World Heavyweight Championship.
In May 1993, Anderson joined Ole Anderson and Ric Flair to once more reform the Four Horsemen. The Horsemen introducedPaul Roma as their newest member. Although athletic and a skilled in-ring competitor, Roma had spent much of his career as ajobber in the WWF. As part of an interview segment for theRic Flair and the Four Horsemen DVD,Triple H stated that he thought the addition of Roma made the membership the weakest in the history of the group, and Arn himself referred to Roma as "a glorified gym rat". Although Anderson and Roma won the WCW World Tag Team Championship in August, the group was seen as a failure by WCW.[29] The stable disbanded in October 1993 after Anderson waslegitimately injured in an altercation with Sid Vicious.[30]
Anderson returned to the ring in December 1993, facing his former stablemate Paul Roma in a series of matches. In February 1994, he formed a short-lived tag team with Ricky Steamboat. In May 1994, Anderson wrestled at theEastern Championship Wrestling eventWhen Worlds Collide as part of a talent exchange between WCW and ECW. At the event, Anderson teamed with Terry Funk in an unsuccessful challenge toSabu and Bobby Eaton.[31]
In May 1994, Anderson formed another new tag team, this one withDustin Rhodes. AtBash at the Beach 1994, Anderson and Rhodes facedCol. Rob Parker'sStud Stable; during the match, Anderson betrayed Rhodes and cost him them match, subsequently joining the Stud Stable alongsideTerry Funk,Bunkhouse Buck,"Stunning" Steve Austin andMeng. The Stud Stable feuded withDusty andDustin Rhodes until late 1994 when Funk left.[32]
Anderson's last championship run began on January 8, 1995, after winning the World Television Championship fromJohnny B. Badd. Anderson helped restore the prestige of the title, which he held for just over six months before dropping it toThe Renegade atGreat American Bash 1995. He briefly feuded with long-time friend Flair, and was assisted byBrian Pillman in his efforts.
In 1995, Anderson reformed the Four Horsemen yet again with Flair, Anderson, Pillman, and a partner to be named later (who ended up beingChris Benoit).[33]
By the end of 1996, Anderson rarely competed in the ring as years of wear and tear on his body finally started to catch up with him. On the November 25 edition ofNitro, Anderson fought Luger to a double count-out in a quarter-final tournament match for the vacant WCW United States Championship.[34]
On the August 25, 1997, episode ofMonday Nitro, Anderson formally announced his retirement from the ring.[6] While standing in the ring, surrounded by Ric Flair and newest Horsemen membersSteve McMichael and Benoit, Anderson declared that his last official act as the "Enforcer" for the Four Horsemen was to offer his "spot" in the group toCurt Hennig, as he was forced to retire due to extensive neck and upper back injuries. He worked a couple tag matches afterward, including teaming withDavid Flair on an episode ofWCW Thunder, but his physical involvement was extremely limited in those bouts.[35]
On the September 14, 1998, edition ofNitro, alongside Steve McMichael, Dean Malenko, and Chris Benoit, Anderson ceremoniously reintroduced Ric Flair to WCW after his 12-month hiatus. In doing so, they reformed the Horsemen who then feuded with WCW PresidentEric Bischoff. Flair won the presidency of WCW from Bischoff on the December 28, 1998, episode ofNitro followed by winning theWCW World Heavyweight Championship atUncensored 1999 and turn heel in the process. Anderson remained Flair's right-hand man during this time as he attempted to keep Flair's delusional hunger for power at bay.[36]
In 2000, Anderson was a member of the short-lived Old Age Outlaws. Led byTerry Funk, the group of veteran wrestlers battled therevivedNew World Order.[1] On May 9, Anderson wrestled and lost toDavid Flair and a week later teamed with Ric Flair to defeat David Flair andCrowbar.[35]
WCW was purchased by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in early 2001, ending Anderson's tenure there. He later made his return to the WWF.[37][38]
Not long after the closing of WCW, Anderson became aroad agent for WWF, renamed World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in May 2002.[6] He occasionally appeared on WWE television trying to, with the help of other WWE management, pull apart backstage brawls. Before theWCW/ECW Invasion storyline, Anderson took up color commentary for aWCW World Heavyweight Championship match betweenBooker T andBuff Bagwell,WCW Cruiserweight Championship match withBilly Kidman andGregory Helms as well as another WCW Championship match between Diamond Dallas Page and Booker T, which would be his only appearances as a commentator in WWE. He made an appearance onRaw in 2002 delivering a video toTriple H before he was supposed to renew his wedding vows to then-heel,Stephanie McMahon. Anderson was assaulted byThe Undertaker on February 25, 2002, in an episode ofRaw leading up the Undertaker vs. Ric Flair match atWrestleMania X8. During that bout, Anderson made an in-ring appearance, delivering his signaturespinebuster to The Undertaker.[39] He would later turn heel by helping Ric Flair in his feud withStone Cold Steve Austin, leading to Austinurinating on him. Anderson became a face once again on June 10, 2002, and attempted to help a then-babyface Flair gain sole ownership of WWE during a match withMr. McMahon, but backed down from a confrontation withBrock Lesnar, who entered the ring to assist McMahon.[40]
Anderson made a special appearance at the October 2006Raw Family Reunion special, in which he was in Ric Flair's corner for his match againstMitch of theSpirit Squad. Anderson was in the corner of Flair,Sgt. Slaughter, Dusty Rhodes, andRon Simmons atSurvivor Series 2006, where the four faced the Spirit Squad, but was ejected from the arena during the match. On the March 31, 2008Raw, Anderson came out to say his final goodbye to Ric Flair and thank him for his career. AtNo Mercy, he was backstage congratulatingTriple H for retaining theWWE Championship againstJeff Hardy.[41]
On an episode ofSmackdown Live in August 2016, Anderson made an appearance as one of the people asked byHeath Slater to be his tag team partner for the tournament to determine the inaugural winners of theWWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship. Anderson refused to help Slater upon learning that he was not Slater's first choice as a tag team partner. On the August 8, 2017, episode ofSmackdown Live, Anderson made a guest appearance on Fashion Police, revealing himself to be the one who destroyed Breezango's toy horse, Tully, and boasting he was the best horse fromThe Four Horsemen, and that "Tully" should have been named "Arn".[42]
On February 22, 2019, it was reported Anderson had been released from the WWE.[43][44] It was later reported this was due to Anderson allowing an intoxicatedAlicia Fox to wrestle a match at a WWE Live Event on February 10.[45] At Starcast II, Anderson spoke briefly about his release saying he didn't want to be somewhere he was not wanted and the hours had become too much for him. He couldn't say much due to being bound by a non-disclosure agreement.[46]
On August 31, 2019, Anderson made a surprise appearance at theAll Elite Wrestling (AEW) pay-per-view event,All Out, assistingCody in his match againstShawn Spears by hitting Spears with a spinebuster. On November 6, 2019, Anderson would be a guest commentator onDark.[47]
On December 30, 2019, AEW announced that Anderson had signed a contract with the company as Cody's personal advisor and head coach.[48] He would make hisDynamite debut on the January 1, 2020, episode, assisting Cody to win his match againstDarby Allin.[49] On June 3, 2020, Anderson announced that he had signed a new multi-year contract with AEW.[50]
On the June 11, 2021 episode ofDynamite, in an interview withTony Schiavone, Anderson, alongside his sonBrock and Cody (now going under his original ring name Cody Rhodes), announced that Brock would be wrestling with AEW and would join theNightmare Family. The interview was interrupted byQ. T. Marshall and a fight ensued.[51][52][53] On the June 18 episode ofDynamite, Anderson accompanied Brock to the ring for his debut match. Brock, teaming with Rhodes defeated Marshall andAaron Solow. After the match, Anderson hugged Brock and raised his hand.[54][53][55]
On the September 29 episode ofDynamite, Anderson dumped Rhodes, who was on a losing streak, and left the ring withLee Johnson, who had just successfully scored a winning pinfall while teaming with Rhodes.[56][57] During the promo when he dumped Rhodes, Anderson (a real-life gun enthusiast) told him that Rhodes would allow acarjacker to steal his car while Anderson would "pull out theGlock, put it on his forehead, and spill his brains all over the concrete". The promo, which received approval in advance from bothTony Khan andTNT,[58] received universal critical praise from fans and other wrestlers, as the quote got Anderson trending onTwitter; AEW promptly released a T-shirt featuring the quote due to the reaction.[59][60] Additionally, the promo was sampled by rapperJPEGMafia in the song "End Credits".[61] However, Anderson would afterwards resume coaching Rhodes, who would later go on to have another reign asAEW TNT Champion.[62][63] Rhodes departed from the promotion in February 2022, which also caused the end of the Nightmare Family, but Anderson would continue to manage Brock and Johnson for the rest of the year.
On the April 19, 2023 episode ofDynamite, Anderson assistedWardlow in his match withPowerhouse Hobbs to win the TNT Championship.[64] Anderson and Wardlow began feuding withChristian Cage andLuchasaurus, and atDouble or Nothing, he was involved in a spot where he bit the thumb of Luchasaurus.[65] Wardlow ended up retaining the title at the event, but Anderson and Wardlow's partnership ended after he lost the title to Luchasaurus on the June 17 episode ofCollision.[66] On the August 12 episode ofCollision, held inGreensboro, North Carolina, Anderson was in Brock's corner who unsuccessfully challenged Luchasaurus for the TNT Championship.[67] Brock's contract with the promotion would expire later that month and Anderson took a backstage role as a producer.[68]
On May 28, 2024, Anderson announced on his podcastThe ARN Show that he would not be renewing his AEW contract upon its expiration on May 31, 2024.[69]
On August 3, 2024, Anderson made an appearance at WWE'sSummerSlam event in a backstage segment during Cody Rhodes' entrance as a part of the main event, promising Cody that he would not be facingThe Bloodline alone.[70][71] On January 25, 2025, Anderson was shown alongside Tully Blanchard in the crowd duringSaturday Night's Main Event XXXVII.[72]
Although he was billed as such, Lunde is not related to theAnderson family. He was given the name "Anderson" and was originally billed asOle Anderson's brother, and later billed as Ole's nephew, because of his resemblance to Ole in appearance and wrestling style. He was also billed as Flair's cousin at various times, even though he is not related toRic Flair, but they are long time friends.[7]
Lunde has been married to his wife Erin since 1985. They reside inCharlotte, North Carolina, and have two sons named Barrett andBrock, the latter of whom followed in his father's footsteps and became a professional wrestler. Lunde stated on an episode of his podcastThe Arn Show that the only reason he had stayed in the business for so long was to make sure Brock was able to get his start in it.[53][73]
During a WCW tour of Europe, Lunde andSid Eudy (better known as Sid Vicious or Sycho Sid) were involved in an argument at a hotel bar in the English town ofBlackburn on October 27, 1993. Anderson threatened Eudy with a broken bottle; after being sent to their rooms by security chief Doug Dillinger, Eudy later came to Lunde's room and attacked him with a chair leg, and Lunde retaliated with pair of scissors. Eudy received four stab wounds while Lunde received twenty, losing a pint and a half of blood in the process. The fight was broken up by fellow wrestler2 Cold Scorpio, who was credited with saving Lunde's life. Neither man pressed charges against the other, and British police declined to do so since both men would soon be leaving the country. Eudy was later fired over the incident.[74]
As stated in his biography, Lunde was thrown into the ring ropes during a match in 1994. The top rope broke from the turnbuckle, but he was able to land on his feet. Six months later, the same event happened again, but this time he landed full-force on to the concrete and hit his head, neck, and upper back. He never took time off to heal. As time passed, with no down time, the injuries worsened. In his biography, Lunde states that the first sign of problems was his left arm suddenly going numb and unresponsive during a match. Doctors found that a rib, possibly torn away from the spine during the accident, was popping in and out of the joint and causing shoulder discomfort and weakness.[75] Upon seeing hischiropractor inCharlotte, North Carolina, and consulting medical experts inAtlanta, Georgia, the damage to Lunde's body was found to be much more severe than previously thought and surgery was deemed the only option to keep his left arm functioning at all. Surgery occurred in Atlanta in late 1996 (resulting in a left posteriorlaminectomy of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th cervical bones and a fusion of the 7th cervical and 1st thoracic bones) and was successful in repairing most of the damage, but Anderson still has some muscle weakness, loss of fine motor control, and loss of muscle mass in his left arm. He spent many weeks in the hospital during that time, crediting his recovery to his wife, his physical therapist, and the fact he did not want his children to be fatherless. He would be readmitted in March 1997 with symptoms akin to cardiac arrest andpulmonary failure, but was released soon afterwards.[75]
On March 11, 2023, Lunde announced on Twitter that his son Barrett had died the night before at age 37.[76]
Anderson's autobiography,Arn Anderson 4 Ever, was released on April 30, 2000.[77]
Anderson has appeared in the video gamesWWE Legends of WrestleMania,WWE '12,WWE 2K16 (asDLC), andWWE 2K17 as a member ofThe Enforcers withLarry Zbyszko.[78]
Anderson's podcast,The Arn Show, initially hosted byConrad Thompson and then by Paul Bromwell, debuted in 2019.[46]
Anderson appeared on the reality showRhodes to the Top.
Autobiography: Anderson, Arn.Arn Anderson 4 Ever: A Look Behind the Curtain. Kayfabe Pub Group, 1998
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