B. Brian Blair
As one half of the masked, high-flying Killer Bees, he brought a whirlwind of tag team chaos to 1980s WWF rings.
Born 1959 (age 67)·American professional wrestler·Birthday: January 12·Baby Boomers
Biography
Before entering the squared circle, B. Brian Blair was a standout amateur wrestler, even trying out for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team. That technical foundation served him well when he turned professional, but it was his partnership with Jim Brunzell that made him a household name for wrestling fans. As The Killer Bees, Blair and Brunzell were a burst of vibrant energy in the mid-1980s WWF. Donning matching black-and-yellow gear and, famously, identical masks to confuse opponents with the 'masked switch' tactic, they were perpetual crowd-pleasers. While never capturing the WWF Tag Team Championships, they were constant fixtures in the division, battling the likes of The Hart Foundation and The Dream Team on major cards. After his in-ring career, Blair served a term as a county commissioner in Florida, showcasing a life of public service beyond the ring ropes.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
B. was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When B. Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
B.'s Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Formed the popular tag team The Killer Bees with Jim Brunzell, a major attraction in the WWF's mid-1980s tag division.
- Competed on the landmark WWF WrestleMania III card, teaming with Brunzell against The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff.
- Had a successful pre-WWF career in various National Wrestling Alliance territories, including Championship Wrestling from Florida.
Did You Know?
He was a collegiate wrestling standout at the University of Tampa and placed fourth at the 1980 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Blair served as a Hillsborough County, Florida commissioner from 2004 to 2010.
The Killer Bees' 'masked switch' maneuver was later adopted and popularized by other tag teams.
He made a one-night return to WWE in 2007 as part of the 'Old School' Raw reunion.
“The Killer Bees worked because we moved as one unit in that ring.”
