The Wrestling Bard 11.28.08: Tagging Out

No time to waste, so let’s get cracking. Remember to check out the other fine articles on this website, wrestling section or otherwise.

Let’s Play Tag

Jordan answered the call for a topic last week.

Hey, if you need an idea on an article to write: write an article comparing The Miz and John Morrison to Edge and Christian, and what you expect from Miz and Morrison in the future, as a tagteam and as single’s competitors. That would be really cool to read.

They are obviously the best tag team the WWE has right now, and i wanna see an article about them.

I can compare E&C and M&M in one sentence: There are almost no similarities except from the dominance of the division and the obnoxiously entertaining behavior. Since both members of E&C are World Champions, (as opposed to just one) they are obviously the better team. Mizorrison, as I like to call them, have more in common with another tag team, but anti-ROH fans are going to hate me.

This question made me think not just of the Miz and John Morrison, but also of some of the other tag teams that are dominating the scene right now. There are very few true originals, and everybody rips off someone. Just ask Ric Flair and Buddy Rogers about that. I’m not saying this is a bad thing, and I don’t even think it’s intentional in some cases. Some of these similarities are just coincidences that I have noticed. So which tag teams of the modern day remind me of past tag teams? I’ll show you.

The Miz and John Morrison = The Second City Saints (CM Punk & Colt Cabana)

While it might seem strange to put the SCS in the same group as some of the other great tag teams mentioned in here, Mizorrison have more similarities with them than any other tag team. When John Morrison won the tag titles with the Miz, he was already a former Intercontinental Champion and ECW Champion. The Miz was a joke. When the Second City Saints won the ROH Tag Team Titles, CM Punk was already an indy phenom, holding titles from almost every major promotion. Colt Cabana was a goofy comedy wrestler, and although he had talent, he was mostly CM Punk’s lackey.

I didn’t have the highest opinion of Miz when he and Morrison won the WWE Tag Team titles (in Wichita, Kansas!). I thought he was a crappy wrestler, and nothing more than a midcard comedy act. Morrison was one of my favorites, and still is. In my opinion, the Shaman of Sexy has the brighter future of the two, as I feel he could be to the 2010’s what Shawn Michaels was to the 1990’s. But he was not complete either. Miz was easily beating him in the charisma and mic skills categories. Turns out, from their tag teaming, Miz has shown a ton of improvement in the ring, and the Guru of Greatness has developed nicely on the mic. They really elevated each other to the next level.

While CM Punk didn’t need anybody to elevate him, he probably didn’t mind having a partner to win tag team gold with during Samoa Joe’s stranglehold on the ROH title. Punk would eventually go on to become an ROH Champion, and later, a World Champion in WWE. Cabana benefitted the most from the partnership, as he won a championship, got to show off his brilliant charisma, and developed as a wrestler to become one of the most consistently entertaining parts of ROH. Now, he is in WWE, and although he may never amount to anything there, it’s more than most of us can say.

The last similarity is the talk show segments. Mizorrison have the Dirt Sheet, which is one of the most entertaining things in wrestling. The Saints had Good Times, Great Memories, interview segments where Punk and Cabana were able to show off their vastly different, but equally awesome, promo abilities. I’d say the Dirt Sheet edges out GTGM in entertainment value, but just barely.

Beer Money (James Storm and Robert Roode) = The New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn and Jesse James)

In 1997, WWE had two midcard guys with a lot of upside, but they didn’t know what to do with them. After gimmicks like “The Roadie” and “Rocka-Billy”, the future didn’t look bright for them. Not knowing what to do, WWE Creative threw them together, and the New Age Outlaws were born. Magic truly happened with this pairing, a duo that was much more than the some of its part. James was a solid hand who could tear it up on the stick, and Gunn was a handsome, athletic big man. Together, they were able to create one of the most popular acts of the attitude era, and dominated the tag team scene until the Hardyz, Dudleyz, and E&C came to prominence.

A decade later, TNA had two midcard guys with a lot of upside, but they didn’t know what to do with them. Storm was one half of the greatest tag team in the company’s short history, America’s Most Wanted. A talented worker both in the ring and out, he still struggled to make a real impact. Robert Roode had been the enforcer of Team Canada, and many pegged him has a future world champion. But after a never ending rivalry with Eric Young and a lackluster feud with Booker T, Roode seemed to still be in purgatory. So TNA threw them together, and the results have been spectacular. Roode is a talented big man with limited charisma and a good gimmick. James is a charismatic workhorse and covers Roode’s biggest weakpoing, promos. Add a catchy nickname and you have the most dominant tag team in TNA.

While the beginning of Beer Money is similar to the genesis of the New Age Outlaws, I hope it doesn’t end like that. Both guys have a ton of potential, especially Roode. If some of Storm’s charisma can rub off on Roode, he could be the top heel in the promotion in a few short years. Unlike the Outlaws, both guys know how to work, and are great tag team specialists. After the inevitable break-up, at least one of the two will need to elevate his career to the main event scene, or the whole purpose of the team will be wasted. Billy Gunn’s main event push was a flop. I hope once Roode or Storm have the chance, it goes a little better.

Jay & Mark Briscoe = Matt & Jeff Hardy

Actually, this is a misleading comparison, since the Briscoes are superior in virtually every way. But they do have a lot in common. All four men are very talented individual wrestlers. Each tag team is composed of two individuals who have similar, but unique styles. Matt and Jay are the more conservative of the two, preferring old fashioned psychology and wrestling basics. Jeff and Mark are two high fliers whose sanity is often in question. Other than Sabu or Mick Foley, these are the two I’m most worried are going to die in a wrestling match.

Jeff is willing to do things that boggle my imagination. Things that Mark physically can do are amazing. One moment that always comes back to me is a Jay hitting a backbreaker on one of his opponents, and holding him there while Mark does a slingshot split-legged corkscrew legdrop. The athleticism, the speed, and the accuracy it takes to hit that move the move is awe-inspiring. On paper, Mark and Jeff are much more exciting than their brothers. They are better athletes, more charismatic, and near insanity in their favor. However, Jay and Matt are the better workers. Separate the teams, and Matt and Jay will have the better match than their brothers nine times out of ten. They understand storytelling, psychology, and pacing, and their intelligence pays off.

The odd thing is that although Jeff and Matt have unique styles and personalities, the team the Hardy Boyz has its own style and identity. Both men are capable workers, but when they team together, they are one of the most exciting teams in wrestling. The same can be said of the Briscoes. The team is greater than the some of its parts. Not to say that both Jay and Mark aren’t great individually, but as a unit, they may be the very best in the business. Both teams benefit from the bond of brotherhood, which is something you can’t fake. It is my opinion that best teams, going all the way back to the Steiners and Jack and Jerry Brisco, are composed of brothers. The Briscoes and Hardys are definitely in that same vein.

Weekly Wrestling

Post Main-Column Announcements

I got a request from one of my loyal readers not named MP for another Dream Card edition. I’m actually working on a couple of special articles, (and video reviews), so I’m kind of swamped. But I was thinking about possibly doing one at the end of 2008/beginning of 2009. So if any of you are interested in that, leave your requests in the comment section.

A certain columnist on this site did not apologize for a column of his that was rather offensive to me, as I had asked. Instead, he continues to spew inane ramblings about crazy ideas. Suffice it to say, this particular writer has lost one reader in me.

No top 5 Kudos this week, but I’d like to say that I love how Edge refuses to win a world title in an honorable way. His vacation is Hell has been rough for this Edge-Head, but a surprise world title victory was worth the wait. Apparently, there are no razors in Hell, but THE BEARD is sweet.

I’d like to issue a public apology to the Boss, Larry Csonka, for my half-assed columns over the last month or so. I’ve noticed that November is an unusually busy month for me, and with the downfall of my laptop, getting onto the piece of crap computer to write is more trouble than I’ve wanted to put up with. I’ve been saying to myself that I’ll do a real column the next week, and the next week, but I never get to it. I’ve got a couple of reviews that I need to finish, and I’m finally sick of slacking. As December is on the way, I’ll make sure it’s a better month for me. And thanks for giving my Batista article a top three slot. It was a great birthday present.