The 411 Wrestling Top 5 05.27.13: Week 221 – Top 5 Thrown Together Tag Teams

Michael Benjamin
5. Team Hell No – This is going to be the most recent entry on my Top 5 this week. They’re fresh in my mind and doing a fantastic job on television right now, so why not? When they were first paired together, I wasn’t so sure it was going to work out. These guys work vastly different styles and Kane was previously “embracing the hate” rather than embracing his comedic and friendly charm that he’s been exhibiting during this tag team run. They’ve had some of the best tag team matches in the WWE lately, they brought credibility back to the tag titles, and had some classic vignettes that I’m sure will be making quite a few DVD collections in the future. Over the course of their ongoing tag team run, Daniel Bryan has perfected his face act and Kane has managed to turn things around after a pretty bad heel run. Both men have become better as a result of being paired together.

4. Morrison and Miz – They may not have lit the world on fire but I marked the hell out for these guys. I’ve probably seen every episode of the Dirt Sheet three times and kind of want to go back through and watch them again. They had some great matches and as I said for Team Hell No, they both brought the best out of each other. Miz grew as a character and managed to catch the eyes of some higher ups backstage while Morrison had the chance to show off his unique charisma that he oozed as a cocky heel. Teaming up together was a huge stepping stone for both men’s careers.

3. The Rock n Sock Connection – This is the definition of a thrown together tag team. How cool was it that they put these two acts together? Their chemistry was off the charts and also brought us the highest rated segment in the history of Raw. Everything they did was a home run as far as I’m concerned. It’s nice when you have such a jam packed talent roster, that you can take two of your biggest acts and put them together for a tag run.

2. The Dudley Boyz – These guys teamed for over a decade so they may not come to your mind when thinking of throw together teams. When D-Von debuted, he eliminated a few of the Dudley’s from the group before Paul Heyman had them join forced and teamed him up with “Buh Buh Ray Dudley”. This was only meant to be a joke considering D-Von was African American and Buh Buh Ray was Caucasian and they played brothers. The Dudleys weren’t exactly being groomed for the greatness they would eventually achieve. It’s one of those cases where they gelled together perfectly and took off once they got their act down pat. Back in ECW, they may have garnered more heat than any act in the promotion’s history. These guys provoked the fans to point of rioting. That’s pretty impressive for two men who were thrown together as a joke and I’m not even mentioning their success in WWE and TNA (to a lesser extent).

1. New Age Outlaws – Everybody else will elaborate on the success of the The Outlaws so I’ll keep it short. I didn’t expect either of these guys to ever break out of the midcard at the time. When they were paired together and slowly adapted to the Attitude Era, they gained some major momentum. This is a simple case of two workers clicking and creating something special with some good storytelling and good chemistry.

MICHAEL WEYER
5. The Miracle Violence Connection: Not sure what kind of a connection there is between miracle and violence but you have to admit, it’s a damn cool name. Steve Williams and Terry Gordy were established tough guys when Japanese promoters threw them together just because they were Americans. That produced some of the stiffiest tag team battles you can imagine as they held the AJWP titles several times. Their run in WCW wasn’t as long as could be but they dominated as champs there too, pushed by old buddy Bill Watts but it was thanks to the innate toughness of both men that they got over. If nothing else, worth watching two of the toughest the business have ever seen proving their worth quite well for fans on both sides of the world.

4. Beer Money: The classic case of two opposites mixing well. Robert Roode, at the time using a “rich guy’s” gimmick, and James Storm, a hard-drinking cowboy, seemingly nothing in common. But they succeeded more than anyone could have ever guessed, dominating TNA with four tag team title runs, a good span against some actually strong teams. They soon became as great on the mic as in the ring, quite well over and the fact both Storm and Roode would become TNA World Champion shows how well this teaming elevated both men to one of the most successful home-grown teams TNA has ever produced and how sometimes hooking up the unlkely can work out.

3. The New Age Outlaws: I still remember an episode of the old “Shotgun Saturday Night” when Jesse James, having done nothing as the Road Dog, came to Billy Gunn, then “Rockabilly” managed by the Honky Tonk Man. James said both men were in losing streaks but together they could have money. It was still a shock when they upset the Legion of Doom for the tag titles and held them for a long time. They weren’t incredibly skilled but good enough but of course, they had tons of charisma to spare. Joining DX unleashed thier stardom with the famous intro and multiple runs as tag team champions over the next two years. So James was a fortune-teller as coming together turned these two mid-carders into two of the biggest stars of the Attitude era and a damn good team to boot.

2. Money Inc: The surprise wasn’t teaming up Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster; it’s that it wasn’t done earlier. Both guys were great in the ring, already tag team veterans and it didn’t take long to work together in a fine way. But on the mic, they were better, both arrogant heels always voicing their greatness to others and cheating their way to victory. They dominated the tag team scene in WWF for 1992 and half of 1993, champions for the majority of the time, fans wanting to see them lose but they kept managing to sneak out with the belts. It was the last run of DiBiase in the ring but he and IRS proved that two great heels can work magic together.

1. The Hollywood Blonds They were never supposed to get over. Brian Pillman and Steve Austin were thrown together in late 1992 by a WCW that had more on their plate. But the two fast friends would soon excel, clicking wonderfully as a team with not just ring skills but attitudes and their great mic work. Soon, the Blondes were the hottest team in the company, feuding with Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas and winning the tag titles. They were awesome heels, working the crowds up as they took on the Horsemen and others, the best thing WCW had going in 1993. Of course, they’d screw it up by breaking the two up at the height of their power but at least we had a great run that helped establish both men as stars and one of the best teams WCW ever had.

DINO ZUKO
5. 2 Man Power Trip – It didn’t last long, but man, it was awesome. When Stone Cold turned heel at WrestleMania 17, it looked like the WWF was losing it’s mind. After a couple slow weeks of Austin beating up JR to prove he’s a bad guy, we finally got something neat- Austin and HHH beating the crap out of the Rock in a cage, forming the 2 Man Power Trip. The feud with Kane and Undertaker may have sucked, but these two together formed quite a team, and one who on name alone can rank with anyone else.

4. Rock and Sock – The Rock gets attacked by The Big Show and Undertaker, and decides he’ll fight them alone. Mankind decides he doesn’t like that plan, and steps up to help out. Suddenly, one of the most entertaining tag teams is formed. Foley and Rock together was magic, and it’s crazy to think of a world where Rock and Sock didn’t exist. Two guys who were bonafide main eventers, taking a step back to wreak havoc in the tag ranks. I’ll take it.

3. Beer Money – When this team formed, I couldn’t have been angrier. They broke up AMW to make singles stars! They relaunched Bobby Roode as ROBERT Roode to make a singles star! And then they just take both guys and stick them together? Ugh… honestly, I’m glad at how wrong I was. While I never doubted their abilities, I did doubt TNA’s commitment to either guy after pulling the rug out from them. Beer Money went on to have a great run for roughly 3-4 years, surpassing the status of AMW in the eyes of many (but not all).

2. Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart – This one’s probably a bit unfair, but on an episode of Monday Nitro, these two took on Sting and the Ultimate Warrior. When you have two of the all-time greatest wrestlers teaming up (and my two personal favorites), you’ve got yourself quite a thrown together tag team.

1. New Age Outlaws – I’m sure everyone will have these guys listed somewhere. I’ve got them as the top. Go back to spring of 1997 and DARE to tell a wrestling fan that Rockabilly and The Real Double J are going to be the tag champs in roughly 6 months, and then go on to be two of the biggest stars of the Attitude Era. Go ahead. Try to tell someone that. 13 years after they lost their final tag team championship to the Dudleys, and I’m STILL amazed at the run those two put together.

Francisco Ramirez
HM- Team Hell No, APA, All Night Express, Mega-Powers
5. British Bulldog & Owen Hart – Owen Hart is 3 out of 5 as far as I’m concerned. Of five teams, three were extremely good, and two are forgettable at best. You can literally argue what Owen team was better, my pick is Owen and the British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith. Owen and Yokozuna and Owen and Jeff Jarrett bring about the other top spots, while the New Foundation and High Energy fall to last place. Their time as a team was memorable, having won the WWE Tag-Team Championship from the Smoking Gunns, they were a solid team, yet still continued having singles success, holding the Intercontinental and European championship. Actually, the match between the two, to crown the first European Champion is one of the best matches in Raw history. They headed for a breakup, and in an interesting twist, instead made peace thanks to Bret Hart, and formed part of the Hart Foundation stable. Never truly breaking up until Smith left for WCW after Montreal.

4. Miz and Morrison – At one point these two went against the grain and were the hottest thing in the WWE. Aided by their online show the Dirt Sheet, their popularity grew and surprisingly enough, Miz and Morrison gelled well together. They became Tag Champions defeating Matt Hardy and MVP, and as time went on, they became extremely over. Arguably there was a missed opportunity when they feuded with DX, and DX came out on top. Many, including Paul Heyman, where in favor of Miz and Morrison winning that feud, which to many, would be the last piece of the puzzle to make these two main eventers. Accolades and championships came and went, holding the WWE and World Tag Team Championship as well as being the 2008 Tag-Team of the year for the Observer. Eventually they split and the Miz became a WWE Champion and Morrison left the WWE, answering the question regarding who was the Marty Janetty of the two.

3. Rock & Sock Connection – Hey, it worked didn’t it? The most unlikely duo at the time, yet as goofy as they were together they were also entertaining. Is it fair though? I mean it’s the freaking Rock, tag him with someone and I’m sure it would make the main event portion of TV. Yet, who would have thought that teaming him with Mick Foley would bring about the highest rated segment of Raw during the Attitude Era with Rocky, this is your life? As crazy as combinations go, but these two just went together like peanut butter and chocolate, netting them the WWE Tag Team Championship on three occasions, and some of the best tv moments during the Attitude Era.

2. Hollywood Blondes – Until 1997, Stunning Steve Austin and Flyin Brian Pillman were the epitome of a team that was just thrown together, and found success. Sure, both were solid mid-card acts at the time. Austin was supposed to have a U.S. title run, but as we all know, instead he was setup to team with Pillman. At first Austin was reluctant, slowly but surely he realized what many were also quick to see, they were damn good together. The Hollywood Blondes tore up the tag-team division in WCW, holding the WCW Tag-Team championship and having a great feud with Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas. Unfortunately an ankle injury would end the Hollywood Blondes run with the Tag-Titles when Austin and fill-in for the injured Pillman, Lord Steven Regal would lose the titles to the team of Arn Anderson and the legendary Paul Roma. Once Pillman returned the team was split, had a brief feud and basically went their separate ways. Both Pillman and Austin claim they were split due to politics, whatever the reason, the Hollywood Blondes were one of the hottest teams in wrestling at the time.

1. New Age Outlaws – Oh you didn’t know? What other team consists of two low-card wrestlers, that once they teamed together skyrocketed to main event or at the very least upper-midcard status. Rockabilly and the Real Double J were going nowhere. Laboring their days at C-shows like Shotgun, it wasn’t until they ended their feud and teamed together that they truly found their potential. Feuding at the time, it all started with Road Dog having Rockabilly turn on then manager Honky Tonk Man. They were rechristened and together they found and provided each other with what was lacking in their singles careers. The New Age Outlaws flourished and Tag-Team gold was abundant, the team holding the WWE Tag Team Championship five times. Their time as members of DX was their highpoint and were easily one of the top teams in wrestling, hell they did win PWI Tag-Team of the year vote in 1998. Even after their time as the New Age Outlaws, their success as a team left each member with enough popularity where they both were able to achieve some level of single’s success. Both holding the Intercontinental title at some point, an achievement that perhaps was unthinkable for the Real Double J and Rockabilly.