The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags) began their careers in the American Wrestling Association in 1985 and began teaming together in 1986.
In 1990, the Nasty Boys joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW). They initially feuded with The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott), but were unable to defeat them for the United States Tag Team Championship.
The Nasty Boys left WCW in December 1990 and joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), debuting on the December 29 episode of Superstars of Wrestling. Along with their manager Jimmy Hart, they announced their intention to "Nastisize the WWF". After becoming the number one contenders by winning a seven-team battle royal on the February 16, 1991 airing of Superstars of Wrestling (last eliminating the Legion of Doom, thanks to interference from Power and Glory), they defeated The Hart Foundation for the WWF World Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania VII. They held the titles until SummerSlam 1991, when they were defeated by the Legion of Doom in a no disqualification, no countout match. They then feuded with The Rockers and The Bushwhackers, leading to a match at Survivor Series, where they teamed with The Beverly Brothers to defeat both teams. In the early part of 1992, The Nasty Boys had a feud with Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Sgt. Slaughter, culminating in an eight-man tag team match at WrestleMania VIII, where Duggan, Slaughter, Big Boss Man and Virgil defeated The Nasty Boys, The Mountie and Repo Man. That fall, they turned face and dumped Jimmy Hart as their manager after Hart overlooked them for a tag team title match against The Natural Disasters, instead giving the title shot to his other tag team of Money Inc.. Knobbs and Sags teamed with The Natural Disasters to defeat Money Inc. and The Beverly Brothers at Survivor Series 1992, but they were unable to regain the titles.
On the March 13, 1993 edition of WWF Superstars, it was announced that the Nasty Boys had agreed to step aside and allow Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake to have a one-time title shot against Money Inc. at WrestleMania IX. They then entered a house show series against The Headshrinkers and wrestled to double disqualifications on multiple occasions. Their feud spilled onto WWF television, as they wrestled once more to a double disqualification against Fatu and Samu on WWF Superstars that saw both teams hitting each other with chairs in a post match brawl. Their final television appearance came on May 16, 1993, when they defeated Steve Vega and Barry Horowitz on WWF Superstars.
The Nasty Boys returned to WCW in July 1993 as heels managed by Missy Hyatt. They defeated Arn Anderson and Paul Roma at Fall Brawl 1993 to become WCW World Tag Team Champions. They would then lose the championships on October 4, to Marcus Alexander Bagwell and 2 Cold Scorpio before regaining it on October 24. In 1994, they fought Cactus Jack and Maxx Payne in a series of wild brawls. They were supposed to feud with Kevin Sullivan and his dyslexic brother Dave, who called himself Evad ("Dave" backwards). Evad, however, injured his knee, and Sullivan convinced Cactus Jack to team with him. The Nasties lost the title to the thrown-together team of Jack and Sullivan in a wild Philly Street Fight at Slamboree 1994.
Knobbs and Sags went on to feud with tag teams such as Harlem Heat and The Blue Bloods. At Slamboree 1995, they defeated Harlem Heat to become three-time WCW Tag Team Champions, but dropped the titles back to them soon after. In 1996, the New World Order offered them membership into the nWo, but attacked them as soon as they received their nWo t-shirts. In the subsequent match against Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, Sags became enraged during the contest after being struck on the head. He had thought Hall had struck him with a chair and retaliated by attacking him and knocking his tooth out. After the match, Sags filed a lawsuit. He later saw footage and found out it was Nash that had hit him with a tag belt. He was released from his contract in early 1997. After Sags left the company, Knobbs continued as a singles wrestler and began pursuing the WCW Hardcore Championship.
On November 20, 2007, Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags reformed at the WWE SmackDown tapings from Tampa, Florida to wrestle their first WWE match in fourteen years. They defeated Dave Taylor and Drew McIntyre.