Mark and Chris Youngblood began teaming up in 1985, while in World Class Championship Wrestling. In September 1986, they were involved in a one-night tournament to determine new WCWA World Tag Team Champions; they defeated Jos LeDuc and Rick Rude in the first round, and defeated Ted and Jerry Oates in the quarterfinals, before losing the semifinals to Matt Borne and Buzz Sawyer, who would win the titles later that night.
Near the end of 1986, the Youngbloods went to Puerto Rico, to wrestle for the World Wrestling Council. On January 6, 1987, they won their first championship, the WWC World Tag Team Championship, defeating Ron and Chicky Starr. They would hold onto the belts until April 4, 1987, when they lost them to The Sheepherders, but regained the titles on May 10, 1987. Their second reign lasted two months, before losing them on July 11, 1987 to Mr. Pogo and TNT, but regained the titles on July 30, 1987. Their third reign lasted nearly a month before losing them to The Hunters on August 26, 1987, but regained the titles on September 20, 1987. Their fourth reign lasted until October 17, 1987, losing them to The Ninja Express. In December 1987, they returned to WWC and Puerto Rico, and immediately won the WWC Caribbean Tag Team Championship, defeating The Samoans. They would hold onto the titles for nearly two months, before losing them on February 6, 1988 to The New Kansas Jayhawks, but regained the titles on April 23, 1988. On May 14, 1988, they defeated the Ninja Express to win their fifth World Tag Team title, making them double champions. But on June 11, 1988, they lost the Caribbean Tag Team titles back to the Kansas Jayhawks, and on July 23, 1988, lost the World Tag Team titles back to the Ninja Express. On March 4, 1989, they won their third Caribbean Tag Team titles, but had to vacate the titles two days later. It would be until October when they regained some gold by winning their sixth World Tag Team title. Their sixth reign would last until February 1990. It would be over seven years before winning their last championship, their seventh World Tag Team title in August 1997. This reign would last until December.
After their WCW release in May 1991, the Youngbloods moved over the Global Wrestling Federation. In July 1991, they took part in a one-night tournament to determine the first GWF Tag Team Champions; they defeated El Cubano and Cuban Assassin in the quarterfinals, and defeated Bad News Allen and Big Bully Busick in the semi-finals, but lost to Rip Rogers and Scott Anthony in the finals. In the spring of 1992, they began going by the team name The Tribal Nation, with Mark now called Nocona and Chris now called Brave Sky. That summer, they began a brutal rivalry with The California Connection and their manager Gary Hart. The rivalry intensified when Tatum, Price, and Hart cut off Brave Sky's hair. The brothers gained revenge by cutting Tatum's hair. After the feud with the California Connection ended, they feuded with John Hawk and a revolving door of partners including Black Bart and Bobby Duncum, Jr..
