The Ten Count 8.16.13: Top 10 Favorite Tag Teams

Tag team wrestling is awesome. In fact I think it might just be my favorite kind of wrestling. Two wrestlers having to trust each other and have their partner’s back just in case anything happens. It has led to a lot of moments in wrestling that I love. When I think about teams, there are some I like more than others. So here are my top ten favorite tag teams of all time.

DISCLAIMER:
This is my own opinion, and I’m rating the teams on a couple of a points. The first would be how much I enjoy the matches they have had. It is easy to say a certain team is a favorite of mine if I can recall a match they have easily. The second would be how excited I would be to see these teams on a match card. For some of these teams, I would buy wrestling shows just to see their matches. Also, this list is about tag teams, not stables. I’m saving that for another time.

Honorable Mentions: Rock ‘n Roll Express, Generation Next (Austin Aries and Roderick Strong), The Osirian Portal

10. The Colony (Fire and Solider Ant)

Out of all the regular tag teams that participated in Chikara, this one was my favorite. The Colony had quite a few combination of ants, but Solider and Fire were the regular tag team. They worked so well together that they did win the Campeonatos de Parejas at one point. Chikara is a promotion that is filled with colorful characters, which is one of the reasons I’m such a fan of it. Every member of the Colony have their own quirks and they all work with one another to win matches. The strongest pairing was always Fire and Solider. They just complimented each other so well when they wrestled. Both of them have an exciting lucha style of wrestling but also have some serious striking power to their name. I fondly remember the matches they have had against the likes of FIST, the Osirian Portal, and Incoherence. While Chikara may be gone, I hope that the Colony will continue to wrestle on the indy scene, especially in the Wrestling Is promotions.

9. Paul London and Brian Kendrick

In 2006, London and Kendrick were one of the most exciting tag teams in the WWE. When I saw them wrestle, they somewhat reminded me of the Hardy Boyz. They were young, quick, and displayed some great high flying offense. I had been a fan of Paul London since 2004, and I was going back in the Ring of Honor’s library to watch matches featuring Brian Kendrick, who was wrestling as Spanky at the time. With how good these two could wrestle single matches, I was very excited when WWE put them together, although I believe there were good friends before they even entered the WWE. I think having a pre existing relationship always helps a tag team, whether it is by blood or just friendship, I think it really helps the dynamic. London and Kendrick were a prime example of how friendship can make your team better.

8. The Motor City Machine Guns

Alex Shelly and Chris Sabin are two great wrestlers. I feel like their run in TNA has not justified just how good these two really are. Of course they were the TNA Tag Team Champions, going against the likes of Team 3D, Generation Me, and Beer Money. They have had success in Japan and had some fantastic matches in Ring of Honor. I’m a big fan of their style and attitude. I guess you could say I think they are ‘cool’, to use the juvenile style of thinking. That said, the duo are a great team and have some amazing matches under their belts. I had no idea these two were a tag team until I saw them in TNA. After some research I found out the two are good friends and even have a band together. Just another example of how a good friendship can lead to some great stuff in the tag team division of pro wrestling.

7. The Super Smash Bros.

While I love pro wrestling, I would say I enjoy video games more. When I saw Player Uno first wrestle in Chikara, I was immediately a fan of his gimmick and tight design. Not long after, I discovered that his friend Stu Grayson would don a mask and become Player Dos and the duo would wrestle together as The Super Smash Bros. Of course the name is taken from one of Nintendo’s most popular series (also one of my favorites), but their references to gaming do not end there. Their tights and masks have designs and logos to display their love of the hobby of gaming. They also have some great teamwork and ability when they are in the squared circle. They had some great matches in Ring of Honor, Chikara, and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. I think one of the things that makes a tag team great is how well they can fight each other as well as with one another. Uno and Dos have battled each other in some fantastic battles, but they always team back up to form the Super Smash Bros. If you haven’t checked out their Youtube page, The Nerd Slam, be sure to do so. It is a great channel for those who love pro wrestling, video games, and cooking.

6. The Road Warriors

I remember the first time I ever saw Hawk and Animal, I was actually kind of scared of them. They were big and intimidating. They wore spikes on their shoulders like a pair of post-apocalyptic marauders. These two were capable of taking down any team in their path, thanks to their massive strength and Doomsday Device. I always enjoyed them as a kid, as they always seemed like a pair of characters from a comic book. I did not get to watch too much as a child, as they went to Japan for a while, and of course the internet was not around. Even with that fact, they still stay in my mind as the first tag team that left an impression on me. Going back and watching some of their matches, I realize their success can be attributed to their charisma. They were a pair of powerhouse, but they were also full of personality. So even though I may not remember many matches with Hawk and Animal, they are the catalyst of how I realized just how awesome tag teams really are.

5. The Briscoe Brothers

The Briscoe Brothers are not the prettiest pair of wrestlers in the world, but damn are they one of the greatest teams in the industry. Jay and Mark have been one of the most dominant tag teams for the past ten years, winning championships and going against some of the strongest teams. They have gone to war against the likes of the Kings of Wrestling, Kevin Steen and El Generico, and the Motor City Machine Guns. I was always a fan of their style, the take no prisoners, roughneck battling. It does not matter who they go again, as they will make sure they are in for the fight of their lives. The Briscoes never seem to give up, which leads to many memorable matchups. They have also battled each other a number of times in some great matches. They always seem to get back together to fight side by side though. That’s a good thing, as this duo could go against any team and make it a great match. Both Mark and Jay have a similar style of wrestling, but they still manage to separate each other as they do wrestle. I find it a bit hard to explain, but find a show that features the two wrestling in singles matches, and you may understand.

4. El Generico and Kevin Steen

While these two never had an official name, they went on to team in the independent scene for many years until Generico’s mysterious disappearance not long ago. Both are very well known for being two of the best wrestlers of the current generation so just imagine how great their matches would be if they teamed together? I have always been a fan of Steen’s smash mouth style and it did fit well with Generico’s more technical style of wrestling. These two have had more than just amazing matches, they have had wars with other teams. I mentioned early how a great team can battle each other, that is where I believe Steen and Generico blow any other team out of the water (on this list, at least.) In 2010 these two had quite the rivalry in Ring of Honor, which included some of the promotion’s best matches for that year. Kevin Steen would go on to become Ring of Honor Champion, and one of the roster’s best wrestlers. El Generico has seemed to vanished from the pro wrestling industry, but there is a fellow in NXT that wrestles just like him…

3. Kings of Wrestling

Before Antonio Cesaro was teaming up with Jack Swagger in the WWE, he was going by the name Claudio Castagnoli and teaming with Chris Hero to form the Kings of Wrestling. This duo dominated the independent scene for quite a while, at one point holding the Combat Zone Wrestling, Ring of Honor, and Chikara tag team championships all at once. These two guy quickly became favorites of mine, and I searched out as many matches featuring them that I could. While both of their singles work is great, they are even better as a tag team. They are both powerhouses that have incredible technical ability. Hero became well known for his knockout power during the last couple of years on the indy scene, while Cesaro was noted for his strength. The Kings of Wrestling are a great example of two guys who have their own style, but are able to work together perfectly. One of the reasons I love this team is just how well they are able to work with anyone they are in the ring with. I’ve seen them go against Generation Next of Austin Aries and Roderick Strong, The Super Smash Bros. and the Briscoe Brothers, and every time is a great match.

2. Edge and Christian

I think it is easy to say that Edge and Christian were easily one of the most entertaining tag teams during the Attitude Era. Debuting as part of Gangrel’s Brood stable, the duo were known for being a dark, gothic tag team where they would bathe their opponents in blood. After they left Gangrel’s side, they broke out a more goofy side of themselves. From donning costumes and wrestling as Los Conquistadores (who would only say ‘Si senor’ and ‘Dos’) to poking fun at fans with their outlandish poses, these guys were having too much fun. That being said, these two were also capable of having fantastic matches. Of course fans remember the TLC matches well. Much like the Hardy Boyz, they could have a great match with just about any team with WWE at the time. Edge would go on to be one of the WWE’s most successful wrestlers, but sadly retiring due to injury. Christian is currently chasing the World Heavyweight Championship, and is proving the peeps are still behind him. I always booed this team, since they were the Hardys eternal rivals, but it just made watching the matches even more fun.

1. Hardy Boyz

As a kid who grew up during the 90’s, the Hardys were marketed directly to kids like myself, and boy did it work. Their gimmick was that they were the ‘extreme’ tag team, a term loved by teenagers during the time period. Of course I was still a young kid, so my perception of what was ‘cool’ was what the older kids were into, and they loved the Hardy Boyz. I dug their fashion, quick style of wrestling, and attitude. It was not until I got older that I realized just how good of a tag team they were. Of course fans remember just how hardcore the duo were during their rivalries with both the Dudley Boyz and Edge and Christian which led to some crazy TLC matches. While those matches are very well known, they also had great matches with many, many teams in the WWE. Currently, Jeff and Matt have gone their separate ways in the wrestling business. Jeff has a spot on the TNA roster, and Matt is wrestling on the independent scene. On a personal note, I actually met Matt Hardy not very long ago and it was quite a joy to shake his hand and take a picture with him. It was a reminder of how big a fan I was of his and his brother’s. Looking back, it was the Hardys that made me such a fan of tag team wrestling (although the Road Warriors introduced and gave me a fondness to it,) which is why I put them in my top spot.

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