The Naturals

Infobox Wrestling team
article_name=The Naturals
type=T

---

members=Andy Douglas Chase Stevens
names=The Alternative Express,
Natural Heat,
The Naturals
heights=height|ft=6|in=1 - Douglas
height|ft=6|in=0 - Stevens
weights=convert|440|lb|kg st|abbr=on|lk=on
hometown=Nashville, Tennessee
trainer=Killer Kurt - Douglas Mike Samples and Tracy Smothers - Stevens
debut=2003
disbanded=
promotions=MW, TNA and various independents|

The Naturals are a professional wrestling tag team made up of Andy Douglas and Chase Stevens. They are best known for their work in TNA, where they are multi-time former tag team champions.

History

While working for USA Championship Wrestling, Douglas and Stevens were paired together by booker Bob Ryder. They were briefly known as Natural Heat before shortening their name to The Naturals. In USA CW, The Naturals were old-school Southern style heels.

Douglas and Stevens began working for Jerry Lawler's Memphis Wrestling promotion in 2003, where they were renamed The Alternative Express. The Alternative Express—a gothic pair of rock fans who wore black clothing and recolored their hair and fingernails—were managed by The Goddess Athena. Athena later left The Naturals after a falling out, and they gained a new manager, April Pennington.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Douglas and Stevens were brought into TNA in late 2003 as The Naturals, immediately beginning a lengthy feud with America's Most Wanted. In the course of the feud, they defeated America's Most Wanted for the NWA World Tag Team Championships on July 7, 2004 in a twelve-second long match after hitting James Storm with one of the title belts. The Naturals successfully defended their titles against Triple X, but were eventually beaten by Chris Harris and Elix Skipper (one member of each team) on September 8, 2004.

In 2005, the Naturals formed a stable with Chris Candido, who also became their manager. They became peripheral members of Planet Jarrett in early 2005. On April 26 they defeated America's Most Wanted to become NWA World Tag Team Champions for a second time. The sudden death of Candido two days later led to them turning face due to fan reaction. They stated later in May that they were being advised through the ordeal by a "legendary figure" in professional wrestling, though they declined to say who at the time.

On June 19, 2005 at "Slammiversary" the Naturals were assisted in a title defense against Team Canada by Jimmy Hart, who was revealed to be their secret advisor. Hart acted as their manager throughout the summer of 2005 before he left his voluntary on-screen capacities with TNA in September. In their feud with Team Canada, they briefly formed an alliance with AMW. Their animosity, however, won out as infighting cost them an eight-man tag team match with Team Canada at "Sacrifice" on August 14.

The Naturals survived an Elimination Match involving Team Canada, AMW, and Alex Shelley (who was supposed to team with Sean Waltman, who no-showed, and instead was assisted by Johnny Candido) to retain the titles at "Unbreakable" on September 11. Their reign ended on the October 22 episode of "iMPACT!" when they lost to AMW following interference from Jeff Jarrett and Gail Kim. They were defeated by AMW in their rematch at "Bound For Glory" on October 23, again following interference from Kim.

On October 25, Stevens injured his neck when he landed bad on his head during a tag-team match being taped for the October 29 episode of "iMPACT!" The injury was minor, and not expected to require surgery. The match, however, was omitted, and a replacement match was taped the next day. He returned on November 13 at "Genesis".

The Naturals went to the background in the early months of 2006. After Scott Steiner brutalized Andy Douglas in March, Chase Stevens spent about two months in singles action in the X Division with limited success. When Andy returned and they tagged again and "The Franchise" Shane Douglas (no relation to Andy), a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion and TNA official, took an interest in them. After they lost to The Diamonds in the Rough on June 15, Shane confronted them, telling them they were squandering their talent. Invoking his friend and their former manager Chris Candido, he offered to be their new manager. With much audience approval, they accepted Shane's offer, and, after a month of intense training overseen by The Franchise, faced and defeated The Diamonds in the Rough in a rematch at Victory Road. The Naturals then entered a feud with Team 3D, even handing Team 3D their first loss in a Tables Match in TNA, but after a loss to Team 3D in a Tables Match one month later, Shane Douglas abandoned them, saying "This experiment is over."After the end of the Shane Douglas angle TNA were said to be done with the Naturals as a team., saying that they had given the team several opportunities to show their charisma, but had not delivered. Upon hearing the team was supposedly over, Andy Douglas publicly said he was done with TNA. However the situation has sinced been rectified to an extent and after two house show appearances for TNA, one in January and one in March(2007), The Naturals returned to TNA wrestling on Xplosion, in mid-April 2007.

The Naturals appeared at the Lockdown FanFest held in St. Louis on April 14, 2007. Chase Stevens and Andy Douglas were released from TNA Wrestling as of May 10, 2007, but TNA Mobile announced soon afterward that they would be working for TNA without a contract from time to time.

International Wrestling Association

The Naturals went to IWA in mid-2007, where they held the IWA World Tag Teams Championships until they vacated the titles after leaving the IWA.

World Wrestling Entertainment

The Naturals were scheduled to wrestle a dark match before the September 17 edition of "Raw". The match was called off after Andy Douglas announced on his MySpace that the match would take place. However, both were backstage at the March 17, 2008 edition of "Raw" according to numerous wrestling websites. [ [http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2007_/articles/1190130403.php The Naturals Blow Chance With WWE After MySpace Posting ] ] They also competed in a taped match for the March 21 edition of "WWE Friday Night SmackDown", teaming with Luke Hawx in a losing effort against The Big Show.cite web|url= http://www.wwe-zone.com/wwe/results/smackdown/2008/0321/index.htm|title=WWE SmackDown! 21 March, 2008 Results|publisher=Pro-Wrestling Edge|accessdate=2008-03-22] .Chase Stevens Wrestled Jack Swagger on ECW In a Lossing Effort on September 16, 2008. Chase was later defeated by Mike Knox on September 23's edition of ECW, followed by a post-match beating from Jack Swagger which promted a Tommy Dreamer run-in.

In wrestling

*Finishing and signature moves:*"Candido's Way" (Sitout powerbomb / Missile dropkick combo):*"Natural Disaster" (Tilt-a-whirl flapjack (Douglas) into a Stunner (Stevens) combination):*"Natural High" (Running bulldog by Douglas onto Stevens' knee):*Double running jumping shoulder block:*Fireman's carry facebreaker by Stevens followed by a jumping high knee strike by Douglas

*Managers:*The Goddess Athena:*April Pennington:*Chris Candido - February 2005 - April 2005:*Jimmy Hart - May-September 2005:*Shane Douglas - June 2006 - December 2006:* Orlando Toledo - 2007 -

Championships and accomplishments

*Birchfield Pro Wrestling:*BPW Tag Team Championship (1 time)

*Great Championship Wrestling:*GCW Tag Team Championionship (1 time, current)

*National Wrestling Alliance:*NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time)

*Total Nonstop Action Wrestling:*NWA World Tag Team Championship (3 times)

*USA Championship Wrestling:*USA CW Tag Team Championionship (1 time)

*International Wrestling Association:*IWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time)

References