wrestling / Columns

The 411 Top 5 06.17.13 Week 223 – Top 5 Tag Team Breakups

June 17, 2013 | Posted by Michael Benjamin

Hello everyone and welcome to 411 Wrestling’s Top 5 List. We take a topic each week and all the writers here on 411 wrestling will have the ability to give us their Top 5 on said topic, plus up to three honorable mentions.

So, onto this week’s topic…

TOP 5 TAG TEAM BREAKUPS

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Michael Benjamin
5. Edge and Christian – The slow build to Edge and Christian’s eventual dissension was extremely entertaining. After Edge had won King of the Ring, Christian carried around the trophy as if it was his own. Christian finally let his jealousy of Edge’s singles success get out of control before delivering a one man Conchairto in their hometown of Toronto. They went on to feud over the Intercontinental Championship for a few months before ending their rivalry a highly underrated ladder match.

4. X-Pac and Kane – X-Pac and Kane formed one of my favorite wacky mismatched tag teams of all time. Since his debut, Kane was nothing but an unemotional monster with a killing streak in him. X-Pac managed to bring out the friendly side of Kane over time and they had a great run together. A personal favorite moment of mine was Kane’s cooperation to say “suck it” without a voice box for the first time upon X-Pac’s insistence. *Insert huge pop here* Reading that sentence back seems ludicrous but it was quite the moment in 1999. With Kane’s new found emotion, he eventually ended up in a relationship with Tori. Unfortunately for Kane, Tori and X-Pac would eventually turn on him and break his heart. Paul Bearer brought him back the next week to set up one of the better matches at Wrestlemania 2000.

3. Beer Money – When Robert Roode wrestled Kurt Angle at Bound For Glory, everybody was certain that Angle was about to drop the belt. Angle ended up coming out on top. On the next episode of Impact, James was given a shot to win the title and actually won the damn thing! This would lead to Roode and Storm fighting over the title, both still on the same page. Roode turned on Storm during said match, and hit James Storm with his trademark beer bottle ending the team for good. At the time, Roode losing his big match was frustrating, but I think everything ended up A-Okay.

2. The Megapowers – This is a prime example of brilliant, long term storytelling. Everybody has an opinion on the angle and everybody can relate to the feeling of being tortured with jealousy at some point. You could feel the tension and Macho’s mistrust boiling in the months leading up to the breakup. During a match with the Twin Towers on Main Event, Randy Savage got knocked into Miss Elizabeth. Hogan, being the swell guy that he is, carried her to the back as Savage continued to wrestle. Hogan came back down and WHAAAT? He eats a smack to the face by Savage. Hogan proceeded to win the match for his team of course. The drama after the match between Hogan and Savage was just filled with raw emotion and passion. Great stuff, plain and simple.

1. The Rockers – This is exactly how you book a tag team break up. After teaming for so long, Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannety began showing signs of dissension. In a match between Michaels and Ric Flair, Jannetty rolled Shawn into the ring only for Michaels to get pinned. Michaels took this as Jannetty costing him the match instead of helping out his partner. Michaels would go on to blame Jannetty for multiple losses moving forward. This would culminate in one of wrestling’s most famous moments, when Shawn Michaels sent Marty Jannetty through the Barber Shop window. This split did exactly what it was supposed to do and turned Michaels into a huge villain moving forward.


MICHAEL WEYER
5. Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens During the early 1970’s, Bockwinkel and Stevens were the team to beat in the AWA, holding the tag titles several times, great heels and adding Bobby Heenan as their manager made it even better. But friction was building after losses and each man seeming upset over their lack of title shots. On Christmas Day, 1976, an in-ring ceremony had Heenan named manager of the year and Stevens took exception to Heenan taking so much of the credit for their success, a shoving match soon turning into a brawl. Surprising to see such a strong heel team split up like that but still great to show not just the faces who get torn apart.

4. Strike Force Basically thrown together in mid-1987, Rick Martel and Tito Santana formed a damn good team, holding the WWF tag titles and gelling well. At WrestleMania IV, they lost the belts to Demolition and when Martel took time off a bit later, the story was put out the Demos had injured him. Returning in 1989, Strike Force seemed ready to get back on track, facing the Brainbusters at WrestleMania V. But Santana accidentally hit Martel off the apron and Martel refused to tag back in, leaving the ring for Tito to lose. Martel cut a great promo claiming Santana had been riding his coattails all this time and he was tired of it, ending a good team but in a way that helped re-launch Martel as a single star with a great heel persona.

3. Lex Luger and Barry Windham When Luger and Windham teamed up in 1988, it was a pairing of two major workers popular with the NWA crowds and ready to dominate. They won the tag titles from Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard at the first Clash of the Champions, seemingly ready for a long reign. But just two weeks later, in a rematch, Windham attacked Luger, slamming him and hitting him with a lariat, allowing Blanchard and Anderson to get the belts back. Still brilliant with Windham hitting Luger and flashing the Four Horsemen sign to his opponents, who looked as stunned as everyone else. Instantly turned Windham to a monster heel that he’d use well for his run in what some consider the best Horsemen unit ever and still stunning to watch today.

2. Megapowers It was always going to happen, we know that. From the moment Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan paired up, we all knew it was inevitable it would explode. But it was still great how it happened, the two facing The Twin Towers on an NBC Main Event, Savage was knocked onto Elizabeth, with Hogan taking her to the back. Hogan returned to the ring but an angry Savage slapped him in the face before leaving. After Hogan won, he went to the back, he and Savage arguing, Savage accusing Hogan of lusting over Elizabeth and as Hogan turned his back, Savage charged in to hit him with the title belt. Wild to watch still, you could feel the passion the two guys had for the angle and that’s what made it erupt into a damn good money-making feud.

1. The Rockers When you talk massive breakups, this remains the be-all and end-all. Generally considered the best team never to hold the tag titles, the Rockers were well regarded for their amazing skills and teamwork. But as 1992 began, tensions were rising, Shawn Michaels showing a cocky attitude and messing up bouts with Marty Jannetty doing his best to keep it together. They finally got a slot on the “Barber Shop” to clear the air, Marty telling Shawn he was willing to let the past go and even turned his back for a free shot. Shawn paused, hugged his partner and it seemed things were okay. Then, Shawn gave Marty a superkick (not yet Sweet Chin Music), then tossed him through a glass window. Shocking for how rough it was, instantly making Shawn the hated heel and launching what would be one of the best careers in wrestling. Still memorable two decades later for how to end a once-great team.


Dino Zuko
5. Hollywood Blondes – Not going to lie, this topic was a bit tough for me to think of. While there have been plenty of violent breakups, many were done in an effort to justify the split in the first place, like a Miz and Morrison, for example. That said, seeing Steve Austin choose Colonel Robert Parker over Brian Pillman was pretty shocking at the time. Sure, there had been some dissension after they lost the belts, but I assumed the Blondes were inseparable. Clearly, I was mistaken.

4. Barry Windham and Dustin Rhodes – I really enjoyed this team in the early 90’s, where they won the World Titles from the Miracle Violence Connection. It all came to an end when, during a defense against Rick Steamboat and Shane Douglas, Rhodes refused to take advantage of an accidental low blow, which eventually cost them the match. Windham was livid, attacked Rhodes, and another shocking turn went down.

3. Steiners – This may be a bit high on the list, as everyone and their mother knew Scott was turning on Rick months before it happened. That doesn’t mean that the first time Scott attacked Rick wasn’t one of those “what the hell?!” moments. Add to it Scott’s first appearance as White Thunder (where he basically debuted his current look) and you have a breakup that really shook things up in the wrestling world.

2. Rockers – Probably #1 for a lot of people, and I’d have no problem with that. After months of bickering over lost matches, Brutus Beefcake tried to broker some peace between Shawn and Marty. After cooler heads finally prevailed, Michaels threw a superkick out of nowhere, before sending Marty headfirst threw the window. The Rockers were done. Until the mid-2000s, at least.

1. Mega Powers – This is always the biggest breakup ever. Jesse Ventura speculated for months on it. There was always some mistrust with Hogan and Elizabeth as far as Savage was concerned. Then, on an edition of The Main Event, in a match against the Big Boss Man and Akeem (The Twin Towers), everything fell apart. Savage tossed into Liz. Hogan taking her back, abandoning the Macho Man. Savage surviving against all odds. Hogan making his grand return. Savage… SLAPPING HOGAN?! Walking out?? Screaming at Liz? Hogan eventually won the match and when he finally got back, Savage brutalized him in the locker room where Liz was being treated. Hogan went on a rampage, even setting up SummerSlam 2005 up by assaulting the Rockers in his search. My all time favorite tag team break up.


Francisco Ramirez
5. A.P.A. – Not all team breakups have to be blood, guts, and vengeance, take in point, the initial split between the Acolytes Protection Agency. Beer drinking, card playing and that damn door with the “open for business” sign was always a fun segment during WWE television. Bar fights and shenanigans were a staple of the A.P.A. and while they did hold Tag-Team gold, they weren’t the top team in the WWE at the time. Still, their segments were highly entertaining and amusing. The initial brand split put an end to this. Farooq and Bradshaw went out how any friends who will be moving away would want to. They reminisced, drank some beer, and then they decided to hold one last party. A game of strip poker featuring Torrie Wilson, Christian, and Tajiri ensued with other members of the WWE roster in the background. William Reagal came in to sour the moment, and like clockwork one last brawl ensued. Afterwords, Farooq and Bradshaw left through that damn door, shook hands and wished each other well, turning the sign to show that the A.P.A. was now closed, each going on their way and the lights going off.

4. The New Fabulous Ones Eddie Gilbert/Tommy Rich – Jealousy, easily the number one ingredient that will lead to a tag team breakup. We’ve seen it done multiple times, perhaps too many. It’s a story that has been told, and will continue to be told in different ways. Done right though, it’s a damn good story. The New Fabulous Ones were a good team. Eddie Gilbert and Tommy Rich had big shoes to fill, being the new incarnation of the Fabulous Ones, while they perhaps didn’t top the originals, they did have a hell of a breakup. Tommy “Wildfire” Rich became the International Heavyweight Champion and then Southern Heavyweight Champion, basically putting the New Fabulous Ones on hold. The initial seed to the breakup was Gilbert costing Rich the Southern Heavyweight Championship as the special guest referee. They were still voted as the Tag Team of the Year and good ole Lance Russell presented the award to Eddie Gilbert, who proceeded to badmouth Rich, unaware that Rich was present. Tommy Rich came out and delivered a beatdown to Eddie Gilbert, ramming his head to the ring post, cutting open Gilbert. Cut to commercial and we return to a bloody Gilbert and Lance Russell. Memphis can at times be either batshit insane, or crazy town banana pants, sometimes both, and a good example of that is Eddie Gilbert being apologetic, seeing the error of his ways, all the while dripping blood from his forehead, and calling out Tommy Rich. Rich, like an idiot, returns and the two make amends, and embrace, only to have Eddie Gilbert ram him to the ring post, and hit him with a chair busting his head open. Thus putting an end to the New Fabulous Ones and initiating a good friends, better enemies feud that would see both go at it. You have to love Memphis.

3. Beer Money Inc. – What better reason for a team to split, than for a singles World Championship? I can recall Robert Roode facing Kurt Angle in the main event of Bound For Glory and the opinion being almost unanimous that Roode would leave as the TNA World Champion. That didn’t happen! Instead Angle won with the IWC in an uproar. A few days passed and on Impact James Storm was given a title shot, with him coming out the victor. James Storm and Robert Roode would face each other for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. During the match, Roode turned on Storm, going to the extent of hitting Storm with a beer bottle, putting an end to Beer Money Inc. yet giving rise to two of TNA’s newest main eventers.

2. Steenerico – Everyone knew it would happen! As good as these two were together, and at this day and age, the eventual split between Kevin Steen and El Generico was as close as you can get to a sure thing. So, then how to still make it something that will standout? Well, they found a way! After a loss to the Young Bucks, Steen grabbed a microphone, teased retirement, hell he was basically announcing it. A plethora of thank you’s, and one final embrace with El Generico signified the end to Kevin Steen’s career. A message of “I hate your fucking guts” echoed, and Steen proceeded to turn on El Generico with a kick to the groin. An unprotected chairshot to the head was the cherry on top. Where this team breakup stands out for me, is that unlike other splits that see’s former partners facing each other a handful of times, they created a blood feud that ran rampant on ROH cards, even main eventing, for a year ending in a career vs mask match in Final Battle 2010.

1. The Rockers – The Barbershop window, that is all that has to be said and the majority of wrestling fans will immediately know what you are talking about. Few tag-team breakups have had the emotional impact that Shawn Michaels Super-kicking Marty Jannetty and then proceeding to put him through a glass window during Brutus Beefcake’s The Barbershop interview segment. Shawn Michaels instantly became one of the most hated wrestlers in the era, and why wouldn’t he? The Rockers were a young, vibrant, and fun team that ran through various territories including the AWA, becoming tag champions there, and then exciting fans in the WWE. Nothing lasts forever and teams eventually split, but the actions that Shawn took to do so left a lasting memory to any wrestling fan tuning in during the early 90’s. A Superkick, putting his “best friend” and tag partner through a window, then proceeding to tear a Rockers poster, putting one hell of an exclamation point to his statement. Perhaps the “Et tu, Brute?” of professional wrestling.


YOUR TURN KNOW IT ALLS

List your Top Five for this week’s topic in the comment section using the following format:

5. CHOICE: Explanation
4. CHOICE: Explanation
3. CHOICE: Explanation
2. CHOICE: Explanation
1. CHOICE: Explanation

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