Top 10 favorite tag teams
As promised, here’s a list my top 10 favorite tag teams. Remember that the key word here is “favorite.”
1. The Valiant Brothers ("Handsome" Jimmy and "Luscious" Johnny): I was 7 and hadn’t been a wrestling fan for very long when the Valiants came to the WWWF in 1974. I immediately thought they were the coolest guys on the planet. They were the epitome of the cocky, bleached-blond, flamboyant heel tag team. The Valiants also were a box office draw and even headlined Madison Square Garden. They held the tag team title for one year, a WWWF/WWF/WWE record that stood for 14 years.
2. The Road Warriors (Animal and Hawk): In the mid-80s when jacked-up, larger-than-life characters changed the business, The Road Warriors were to tag teams what Hulk Hogan was to singles wrestlers. Animal and Hawk’s menacing look and mauling style sparked a number of imitators, but none could touch the Warriors. In the days when there were three major wrestling organizations, The Road Warriors became the only team to win the WWF, NWA and AWA tag titles.
3. The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts): The Freebirds were definitely ahead of their time. They are credited with being the first act to mix rock music with pro wrestling, and they also were unique from other tag teams in that they had three members who were interchangeable. Hayes was a tremendous talker and showman, and Gordy was a great-working big man. Roberts didn’t really add much to the team in my opinion. The Freebirds were big draws in a number of territories, and their feud with the Von Erichs in World Class was epic. A later incarnation of The Freebirds composed of Hayes and Jimmy Garvin did not measure up to the original group.
4. The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott): No team combined wrestling skills, athleticism and power moves better than the Steiners in their primes. American wrestling audiences had never seen anything like Scott Steiner’s Frankensteiner, and both he and Rick had an impressive arsenal of suplexes. The Steiners were big stars in Japan as well as the U.S.
5. The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty): When Michaels and Jannetty debuted in the AWA in 1985, they were viewed as nothing more than a Rock and Roll Express rip-off (it didn’t help that they initially were known as The Midnight Rockers, a stealing from both The Midnight Express and The Rock and Roll Express). In time, however, The Rockers not only made a name for themselves, they showed that they were every bit as good if not better than The Rock and Roll Express. Dubbed “tag team specialists” for their innovative offense, The Rockers took double-team maneuvers, flying moves and fast-paced action to another level.
6. The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Dennis Condrey/Stan Lane): As individuals, Eaton and Condrey were talented workers with bland personalities. Together, and with Jim Cornette as their motor-mouthed, heat-magnet manager, they were one of the best tag teams of the ’80s and ’90s. The Midnight Express became even stronger when Lane replaced Condrey.
7. The British Bulldogs (Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith): With their working ability and high-impact style, the Bulldogs set a new standard for WWF tag teams when they entered the federation in 1985. They engaged in a long feud with The Hart Foundation that produced the perhaps best series of tag team matches in WWE history to that point.
8. The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff): The Hardys took tag team wrestling to the extreme. There had been high-flying tag teams in the WWF before the Hardys arrived on the scene on 1998, but no one was performing the high-risk maneuvers that Matt and Jeff were.
9. The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart): “The Hitman” and “The Anvil” were the prototype for tag teams that had a mat technician and a power wrestler. Real-life brothers-in-law, Hart and Neidhart had great chemistry and got over as babyfaces as well as heels.
10. Edge and Christian: They consistently had goods matches with a variety of opponents, and their TLC matches with The Hardy Boyz and The Dudley Boyz became instant classics. Plus, they were the originators of the five-second pose for the benefit of those with flash photography.
Honorable mention: The Rock and Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson), Ole and Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson, The Hollywood Blonds (Steve Austin and Brian Pillman), Steve Williams and Terry Gordy, The New Age Outlaws (“Road Dogg” Jesse James and “Bad Ass” Billy Gunn), The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and Devon).
Comments
Great list...so many on this list could be No. 1 and I wouldn't have much of an argument...would have at least put Tully and Arn over edge/christian...in fact Tully and Arn would be my favorite...never saw them have a bad match...
Posted by: Pete | July 20, 2009 5:02 PM
Kevin, allow me the honor of the first addendum to your fine list, with an additional, eclectic 10 teams (in no particular order!)
1) Bruiser and Crusher- I grew up in Detroit, these guys always filled "Air conditioned Cobo Arena" in the early '70's
2) Demolition (Ax and Smash)- the WWF's answer to the Road Warriors
3) Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika)- The best of Capt. Lou Albano's teams
4) Moondogs- In all their incarnations, again run by Capt. Lou
5) Ric Flair and Greg Valentine- ran Mid-Atlantic in the 70's, before "Naitch" was big in singles
6) "Killer" Tim Brooks and Ben Justice- after Justice turned on the Stomper, the first heel turn of my young life!
7) "Wild Bull" Curry and "Flying" Fred Curry- the old man was a freakin' lunatic, and junior was a high-flying innovator.
8) "Leapin'" Lanny Poffo, and "Macho Man" Randy Savage- usually managed by their father, Angelo Poffo, while they bloodied up Memphis
9) Tony Atlas and Rocky Johnson- the original "Soul Patrol", even better in 6-mans with "SuperFly" Snuka, or Andre the Giant, usually against Capt. Lou's maniacs
10) Degeneration X-in it's smart-aleck 1st incarnation, with Road Dogg, Billy Gunn, and Chyna, along with HHH and HBK.- anti-establishment at it's very best!
Posted by: Ray Herrick | July 20, 2009 5:21 PM
Hart Foundation
Money Inc.
Steiner Bros
Legion of Doom
Nasty Boys
Harlem Heat
Dudleys
The Godwinns
Too Cool
American Males
Posted by: Hitman4Ever | July 20, 2009 5:24 PM
Hey Kev, I know this is a "favorites" List and all, but even all the others I have seen people list leave out, what I think, was a fairly memorable tag tream, yet they are getting no love, did no one like Demolition?
Posted by: BigNinked | July 20, 2009 5:41 PM
My 10 favorite tag teams
Midnight Express (Eaton and Lane)
This edition of the Express had a great combination of tandem offense and in almost every way complemented each other. Heel or face, the Express always got attention and great matches. The best talker of his generation helped too.
Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard (The Brain Busters)
Much like the Midnight Express, these two were great complements to each other and were good in nearly every facet of wrestling. These two were the first team I saw where one guy often took a shot in order to help his partner. The ring psychology they used was off the charts.
Road Warriors
These unbelievably strong guys made an impact on me because of their physiques, makeup and the Doomsday Device. The most important element though was their booking. No selling finishing moves? Unprecedented. I remember wondering how any team could actually beat them. I’ve never felt that about any other team.
DOOM
These were the first awesome Black guys I ever saw as a team. (Too young for Atlas/Johnson) Pairing them with Woman at her hottest meant two things: 1) lots of folks automatically hated them and 2) everyone paid attention. I only wish they’d had another year as a team.
Steiner Brothers
The very best thing about these guys to me was their innovation. Everyone talks about the Frankensteiner and ever though I’d seen Ricky Morton and a couple other guys do it before Scott Steiner, he was just so big! On top of that, they had multiple finishing moves and a great combination of power and technical wrestling.
Fabulous Freebirds (Hayes, Gordy and Roberts)
These guys were just super fun. They also had good matches with a wide variety of opponents. Hayes and Gordy could have been huge singles stars but I’m kinda glad they stayed with the ‘Birds as long as they did.
Hart Foundation
Bret Hart’s solo success probably obscures what a great team he formed with Jim Neidhart. They were original, versatile and highly skilled as a team. They also had impressive longevity and had great matches with an amazing variety of teams from the British Bulldogs to Demoliton to the Rockers. Very few teams could ever work so many different styles so well.
Miracle Violence Connection
I saw fewer than twenty of their matches yet they left an indelible impression on me. They were simply phenomenal in the ring and seemed to legitimately scare their opponents. Big guys who worked really hard, really stiffly and really well.
Power and Glory
This is my guilty pleasure team. They weren’t together long, they never won anything and I was horrified when Paul Roma became a Horsemen but man, these guys were smooth together and complemented each other perfectly. As a team, they were much greater than the sum of their parts.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Express
This was the hardest team for me to choose only because they did(/do?) their jobs so well. I hated the flash and gimmickry of their characters but my goodness, it was always great to watch their matches. They were phenomenal in the ring and told stories I always cared about. They aren’t a ‘favorite’ per se because I always wanted them to lose but for fun matches, they have to be in my top ten.
Posted by: Franklin Oliver | July 20, 2009 5:46 PM
Here's a list from an old school fan:
1. The Graham Brothers (Dr. Jerry & Eddie)
2.The Kangaroos
3.Brute Bernard & Skull Murphy
4.The Miller Brothers (Dr. Bill & Dan)
5.Antonio Rocca & Miguel Perez
6.Ray Stevens & Pat Patterson
7.The Bruiser & The Crusher
8.Pedro Morales & Pepper Gomez
9.Handsome Harley Race & Pretty Boy Larry Hennig
10.The Kentuckians
Posted by: TomC from Frederick | July 20, 2009 5:53 PM
1-Road Warriors
2-Midnight Express
3-British Bulldogs
4-Steiners
5-The Freebirds
6-Eliminators
7-Hart Foundation
8-Wild Samoans
9-The Sheepherders
10-The New Breed
Posted by: Jergs | July 20, 2009 6:06 PM
I have to say Edge and Christian will always hold a special place for me for when they did a pro-ravens 5 second pose in Oakland before the 2001 AFC Championship game. My personal favorites were The Impact Players. Credible and Storm were the ultimate blending of brawling and technical wrestling.
But as far as record WWE title reigns, I'm pretty sure Demolition had the belts for around 500 days. I know they won them at a Wrestlemania, then defended them and retained at the next while never losing in between.
RESPONSE FROM KE: You read my mind on the Edge/Christian pose. I just posted it right before reading your comment.
Also, thanks for the info on Demolition's reign. I missed it when I was checking the WWE tag title history, but your are right. They held the belts for 16 months, so the Valiants are No. 2.
Posted by: Paul in Allentown | July 20, 2009 6:32 PM
Where is the love for the Moondogs?
Posted by: bryan z | July 20, 2009 7:00 PM
Kevin - Luscious Johnny was, and is as good as anybody ever was with the stick . Hilarious !
Posted by: the artist formerly known as jack in hebron | July 20, 2009 7:12 PM
What happened to Mr. Fuji & Professor Toru Tanaka?
Posted by: wrzesien | July 20, 2009 7:33 PM
@ wrzesien -
I'd put Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka just ahead of Baron Von Raschke and Mad Dog Vachon :)
Posted by: the artist formerly known as jack in hebron | July 20, 2009 7:54 PM
1.Road Warriors
2.Arn & Tully
3.Org.Midnight Express
4.Steiners
5.Rock n Roll express
6.Hart Foundation
7.Demolition
8.Hollywood Blondes(Austin & Pillman,cant get much better then that)
9.ECW Version of The Dudley Boyz
10.Hollywood Hogan & Bret Hart(Only 1x but im biased i saw it here in person)
Posted by: kb | July 20, 2009 8:16 PM
A great list Kev but you couldn't give no love To harlem Heat,SST,The Sky Scrapers,APA,Demilition, WGT etc. I would give all of these team an honorable mention over NAO who were good on the mic but wrestling skills where so so. also could you give some love to some of the good but lesser known teams such as Bad Company/Orient Express, Eliminators,Impact players, RVD & Sabu, AMW,MCMG & XXX you couldn't give any teams from this Century any love.
heres my top 10 that is probably different from yesterday.
1. Midnight Express(Eaton,Condrey,Lane)
2. British Bulldogs
3. Road warriors
4. Rock n roll Express
5. Midnight Rockers
6. Harlem Heat/Ebony Experience
7. Steiner Brothers
8. Hardy Boyz
9. fabulous Freebirds
10. Hart Foundation
honorable mentions would be :
Demilition,Brain Busters, Strike Force, Doom,AMW, RVD & Sabu,SST,Sheepherders 7 Impact players.
Posted by: Frank from dundalk | July 20, 2009 8:42 PM
Great topic Kevin!
In no particular order, I would say
The Midnight Express
Gino Hernandez & Chris Adams
The Steiners
Freebirds
Arn & Tully
Dr Death & Terry Gordy
Road Warriors
Eddy Guerrero & Art Barr
Hollywood Blondes
Hansen & Brody
Honorable Mention to a few locals you may have heard of, Ryan McBride & Teddy Stigma (Gotta give a shout out to my boys!!!)
Posted by: Joe Hamilton | July 20, 2009 8:43 PM
1. The Road Warriors
2. The Steiner Brothers
3. The Midnight Express
4. The Rock n Roll Express
5. The Hart Foundation
6. Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard
7. The British Bulldogs
8. The Free Birds
9. Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood
10. The New Age Outlaws
I never saw the Valiants together so I don't have an opinion on them. Because the Rockers began as a copy of Rock n Roll Express there's no way I can place them above them, The Hardy Boys and Edge and Christian were both good teams but they weren't any more entertaining than The New Age Outlaws and they set the tone for both of those teams. The extreme nature of the TLC matches were great, but in my opinion they don't make the teams great because of them. A lot of people don't know about Steamboat and Youngblood, but they were the top tag team in the old Mid-Atlantic Region and the old NWA, and served as the launching pad for what was to come for Steamboat.
Posted by: Maurice B. | July 20, 2009 8:50 PM
My favorite teams are from the 70's including:
The Executioners
Chief Jay Strongbow/Billy White Wolf
Tony Garea/Dean Ho
Fuji/Tanaka
Posted by: Brian in Bel Air | July 20, 2009 9:33 PM
No room for Boogie Knights/Dancing Fools, Kev? For shame.
Evan Karagias, Shannon Moore, Tank Abbott and Shane Helms also feel slighted by your overlooking of all the great turn of the century WCW tag teams.
Posted by: John | July 20, 2009 11:11 PM
It's easy to pick my favorite, but hard to pick the rest in any kind of order, but here goes...
#1 Road Warriors-Without a doubt my all time favorie tag team. The spikes, the face paint, the hair cuts, the squash matches, having Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" as their entrance theme (\m/), Paul Ellering, everything thing about the Road Warriors was awesome!! And that could put on a heck of a match as well, the match they had with Arn and Tully at Starcade 87' is one of my all time favorite matches.
#2 The Steiner Brothers- Maybe the best tag team ever. Most everyone gives credit to Scott and the "Frankensteiner" (and rightfuly so) as the move that set them apart, but for me I couldn't wait for Rick to lay a "Steiner-Line" on somebody!
For the rest of my list I asked myself, "If I could only watch matches of one tag team who would it be?"
#3 The Hart Foundation-Some of the best tag matches I've ever seen involved them.
#4 The Midnight Express (Eaton and Lane)-Never really cared for Dennis Condrey and Eaton and Lane were the better team anyway. Great double team moves, and Cornette in their corner, nuff said!
#5 The Rockers- Had great matches with everybody.Period. Rose and Summers, Badd Company, Harts, Brain Busters, Demolition. So inovative.
#6 The Rock'n Roll Express- Matches with the Midnight Express were epic. Also had good matches with the Russians and Ole and Arn. I always hoped for atleast one meeting between them and the L.O.D. Something that the NWA dropped the ball on.
#7 Arn Anderson&Tully Blanchard- If there is a class to take on tag team wrestling it should be called Anderson and Blanchard 101. A big part of what made the 4 Horsemen so great.
#8 British Bulldogs- Classics with the Hart's are some of the best tag matches ever.
#9 Freebirds- Terry Gordy was one of my favorite wrestlers growing up, and the feud with the Von Erics is one of the best of all time.
#10 Hardy Boys-I rember when they first started out in WWF, two little scrany wimps who always got destoryed. Me and my brothers use to call them the "Hardly" Boys. Then all of sudden Jeff started jumping off everything he could find and they help make the last great era of tag team wrestling.
Posted by: Andre the Midget | July 20, 2009 11:55 PM
As I watch WWE 24/7, I'm watching a NWA world tag team title match from December of 1986 in which a pretty good tag team that was just put together beat an established power. Rick Rude and Manny Fernandez beating the Rock N Roll Express for their 1st title reign.
Posted by: Greg | July 21, 2009 1:12 AM
My Top 10 Favorites:
1. Tully Blanchard/Arn Anderson
2. The Rock & Roll Express
3. The Road Warriors
4. The Steiners
5. The Minnesota Wrecking Crew
6. The Midnight Express
7. Demolition
8. The Wild Somoans
9. The Hollywood Blondes
10. Badd Company
Posted by: Tay Dizzle | July 21, 2009 7:08 AM
I had no doubt the Rockers were going to be on Eck's list. That was when the manlove with Michaels began.
RESPONSE FROM KE: I take offense to that. The politically correct term is bromance, not manlove.
Posted by: Lee | July 21, 2009 9:22 AM
I always enjoyed tag teams that came up together a lot more than two singles wrestlers that merged. I also liked when the tag team had a devastating finisher that combined both wrestlers double teaming, like the Hart Attack, the Brain Busters' spike piledriver, LOD's clotheline and Demolltion's elbow from the second rope. It seems now that the finishers are the wrestlers doing each of their finisher consecutively.
Posted by: Bad News | July 21, 2009 9:47 AM
1. Nikita and Ivan Koloff
2. Hart Foundation
3. Road Warriors
4. Barbarian and Meng
Faces of Fear
5. Arn and Tully
6. British Bulldogs
7. Steiners
8. Any Horsemen Combo
9. Minnesota Wrecking Crew
10. Volkoff and Iron Shiek
Posted by: william ward | July 21, 2009 10:10 AM
are you kidding me? no wild samoans or strongbows???? very disappointed in your list kev
Posted by: mike a | July 21, 2009 10:27 AM
How can you have a top ten list without The Twin Towers or Can-Am Connection? Both teams were undefeated in Wrestlemania.
Posted by: Bad News | July 21, 2009 11:39 AM
I have to take issue with the Hardys and E & C being in the top 10 and not the Dudleys. The Dudleys are former ECW, WWE, WCW (even though WWE owned the rights to WCW by that point), NWA, and TNA tag team champions, as well as being the current New Japan tag team champions. Furthermore, while the Hardys and E & C, in their primes as teams (2000-2002), only stayed together for about one to two years, the Dudleys have been a unit for nearly fifteen years (there was that one hiccup in 2002 when WWE tried to make them singles stars). The Hardys and E & C should have been on the Honorable Mentions list, not the The Dudleys.
RESPONSE FROM KE: Great points, but I liked the Hardys and E&C more, and the list reflected my favorite teams, not the team with the most impressive resume.
Posted by: Cliff | July 21, 2009 12:08 PM
I pretty much agree with the names being brought up, so I'm going to give you my favorite ever tag team match:
The Rockers vs. The Orient Express 1991 Royal Rumble.
Posted by: John Wilding | July 21, 2009 3:48 PM
I would have to agree with Cliff while I live the Hardys and though edge & Christian was good the Dudleyz should be a head of them and team Ec should have gotten an honorable mention I give them credit for being the victors at the mania's but i believe thats by default being that the dudleyz had made a name for themselves in ECW and the hardys were known the Indy scene Team EC is a Team created by WWE thats why the NWO never got over there if Vince didn't make it your not getting over like one of his boys see Dusty in pokka dots barry as the Stalker & Wodowmaker are other examples.
Posted by: frank from dundalk | July 21, 2009 4:11 PM
No Love for the Great Rougeaux Brothers?!?!?!
Easily, the most fun-to-hate tag team ever.
And what about the Mega-Powers (Hulk, Macho and Miss Elizabeth) or The TWIN Towers (Big BossMan, Hakeem the African Dream and Slick).
also, you should include the Manager for the tag teams. It always seems like the managers of a tag match have as much influence as the wrestlers
Posted by: WildCasual | July 21, 2009 5:18 PM
I'm with you on the Valiants as #1. I saw them on many occasions at MSG. Everybody hated them. No tag team since has drawn my attention like they did. The prototype for a modern heel tag team that no others have equaled.
I was 17.
Posted by: AMC | July 21, 2009 11:46 PM
1 Motor City Machine Guns
2 Hart Foundation
3 British Bulldogs
4 The Rockers
5 Demolition
6 Steiner Brothers
7 LAX
8 Briscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark)
9 The World's Greatest Tag Team
10 The Brain Busters
Honorable Mentions
AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels (they were on the list, but they don't team often enough to merit the spot), The Eliminators (best team finisher ever), Harlem Heat, RVD/Sabu, Steven Regal/Dave Taylor, the Varsity Club (any combo)...maybe Doug Furnas and Phil LaFon.
Never liked the Rock N Roll Express. I need to see more of the Midnight Express. I just don't remember them much from when I was younger...
I recommend that anyone search for Bret and Owen Hart vs. The Steiner Brothers (was on a Coliseum home video in the 90s). Simply awesome.
Posted by: Another Wrestling Mark | July 22, 2009 1:56 AM
What?? No Demolition??
How could you forget this??
Next to that, I'd say the Bulldogs, hands down, as we only had WWF from '83 onwards.
RESPONSE FROM KE: I wasn't a Demolition fan.
Posted by: craig eyles | July 22, 2009 5:05 AM
My favorite Tag Team from the 70's Tarzen Tyler and Luke Graham
Posted by: Big Red | July 22, 2009 9:10 AM
Kev:
I was encouraged with your selection of The Valiant Brothers as your #1, hoping that would elicit more from Tag Teams of the 70's as Tag Team Wrestling meant more in those days and into the mid 80's than it does today.
Around the same timeline as you, my 1st favorite tag team was Dean Ho & Tony Garea.
A few others were The Executioners (Killer Kowalski & Big John Studd), The Blackjacks, Fuji & Tanaka (later Saito), The Samoans, and lastly, one team no one has mentioned were The Yukon Lumberjacks, Eric & Pierre. Hoping you can answer this, did Eric later become more famous at The Super Destroyer in the old Georgia Championship Wrestling days? Lots of Masked guys back then.
Great topic, but now we need a top ten countdown of the best tag teams in history!
RESPONSE FROM KE: Yes, Eric was the Super Destroter. Also wrestled as Scott Irwin (his real name).
Posted by: Matt | July 22, 2009 10:40 AM
Fuji/Tanaka might be my second favorite, valiants being first.
I guess I've just mellowed over the years in that few newer TTs affect me as much as those two did. I loved hating them both!
Posted by: AMC | July 22, 2009 10:43 AM
Ok Kevin -- you've listed your "FAVORITE". Clearly -- favorite doesn't mean BEST. Are you willing to provide us a list of the 10 Best tag teams of all time? I think your list would be different...
Posted by: mr_cinco | July 22, 2009 10:45 AM
Kevin,
A lot of these fine list mention the Eliminators, and that made me wonder about Perry Saturn. Has ANYONE in the know heard even a peep about his whereabouts? The last rumor I heard is that he was working as a laborer in Iowa somewhere, but I was hoping you might know something more.
RESPONSE FROM KE: I have heard the same things as you.
Posted by: Ray Herrick | July 22, 2009 1:30 PM
No Strike force or killer bees
Posted by: Jon B | July 22, 2009 3:10 PM
I was just thinking the other day,we need a modern day Japanese wrestler or tag team that does the old salt ritual (and then puts the salt in their tights for use later).Man that would always get some heel heat.
Posted by: Bill | July 22, 2009 5:36 PM
The Outsiders were pretty great
Posted by: Ray | July 22, 2009 7:51 PM
As a teenager in the mid 70's, i always loved Fuji & Tanaka!
Posted by: Robert Schaff | July 22, 2009 8:25 PM
Hey. What about the Fabulous Ones (Stan Lane and Steve Keirn)? They should at least be in honorable mentions. They were a groundbreaking team too. The first to do the fun loving but tough pretty boy gimmick.
Posted by: Lancer425 | July 23, 2009 12:01 AM
you forgot london and kendrick???!!!
RESPONSE FROM KE: No I didn't.
Posted by: asdil | July 27, 2009 8:37 PM