The Top Ten Tag Team Matches

[BiZkiT]

The Top Ten Tag Team Matches

Honorable Mention: The Hardy Boyz vs. Edge & Christian (No Mercy '99)

This is the match that MADE these four men. Before this, both teams were middling in the tag team division but after this, they were the forefront of the division. This was the final match in the Terri Invitational Tournament (T.I.T.) and the winner would get the "managerial" services of Terri as well as $100,000 in cash. This was also the first ever tag team ladder match and these guys upped the level of brutality to a whole new level. They showcased moves that had never been seen before, like Jeff Hardy delivering a high angle legdrop from the top of the ladder and hitting both Christian and his own brother Matt with a ladder set up in a seesaw position. The match ended when Jeff grabbed the cash and came crashing down to the mat in the same crazy fashion that the majority of the match went. These four had the crowd standing on their feet in amazement and appreciation and after this match, the fans were dying to see more of these two teams.

Honorable Mention: The Rockers vs. The Orient Express (Royal Rumble '91)

Ohh yea, this is a personal favorite of mine. This match kicked off the 1991 edition of The Royal Rumble and it immediately got the crowd into the event by providing some high flying action. The Rockers demonstrated that great teamwork that got them so over with the fans by doing both suicide dives and crossbodies off the top rope IN STEREO. The Rockers dominated early until the OE took over and Shawn played the face in peril. Shawn eventually got the hot tag to Jannetty and the crowd absolutely exploded. Seriously, the pop Jannetty got when he got that hot tag was deafening. The end came when the Orients went for the catapult karate chop, but HBK broke that up which enabled Jannetty to get a sunset flip on Tanaka for the 3 count. This match was absolute balls to the wall action and demonstrated why The Rockers were so insanely popular at the time.

Honorable Mention: America's Most Wanted vs. XXX (Turning Point '04)

What more can be said about this match that hasn't already been said? It's one of the best cage matches ever and was the perfect way to culminate the greatest feud in TNA's history. I'm sure you boys and girls already know the story, but if you've just awoken from your 3 year coma here's the synopsis. XXX and AMW hated each other with a passion and the only way they could end their feud was to have this match where the losing team would have to disband forever. Not a week, not a month, FOREVER!! The match was a brutal affair that saw three of the four men bleed and saw Primetime bust out the MOTHERFUCKING RANA FROM THE TOP OF THE CAGE. That's how that spot will be referred to from now on. If you somehow have never seen this match, do yourself a favor and buy the DVD or look for it online. You'll thank me that you did.

Honorable Mention: The Midnight Express vs. The Fantastics (Clash of Champions I)

Many people remember Clash I for Flair/Sting or the tag match between Barry Windham & Lex Lugar against Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson, but in my opinion THIS was the match that stole the show. This match was just an all-out brawl with both teams hitting each other with whatever they could get their hands on including tables and chairs and featured some insane action like Bobby Eaton delivering a mother f-ing bulldog to Tommy Rogers through a table. The Midnights secluded Rogers for the majority of the match until Rogers was able to get the hot tag (which the ref missed and got promptly thrown on his ass for) and that made the match break down into a PIER SIX BRAWL!~! The ending came when Jim Cornette accidentally hit Bobby Eaton with the RACKET OF DOOM which allowed the Fantastics to hit The Rocket Launcher on him for the three count. But then the ref that was initially thrown out on his ass for missing the hot tag came back in the ring and DQ'd The Fantastics for putting their hands on him. This was just a hotly contested match that featured some brawling that was way ahead of its time and showed why The Midnights weren't just the best tag team of their day, but maybe the best tag team ever.

Honorable Mention: Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit vs. Rey Mysterio & Edge (SD, 11/7/02)

This was a 2/3 falls match for the WWE tag team titles that was a rematch of their No Mercy encounter, which was perhaps the best pure tag team match of the 21st century. These men had a lot to live up to following that classic performance and they delivered with this instantly memorable exhibition. The action in this match was way too fast to try to recap, but the first fall came after an alley-oop hurricarana by Edge & Rey onto Benoit which was followed up by a double-team powerbomb which put Benoit down for three and gave Edge & Rey a one fall advantage. A few minutes later, Edge got clocked with a title belt after attempting a spear and got caught in the Anklelock and had no choice but to tap which evened the match at one fall a piece. The next few minutes featured both teams desperately not trying to lose the deciding fall until Rey was able to roll up Angle for the three count, but Angle had his feet in the ropes which created a controversy. After a few minutes of deliberation, it was decided that the match must continue and that there would a fourth fall which would determine the winner. The match ended when Edge countered an Anklelock by rolling through and Rey hit Angle with a 619 from the floor which enabled Edge to hit him with a spear for the three count. This was a fantastic match that I could watch over and over again and never be bored of it.

Honorable Mention: Cactus Jack & Maxx Payne vs. The Nasty Boys (Spring Stampede '94)

If anybody tries to tell you that a great match can't be done in under 10 minutes, refer them to this match and then watch as they shut the hell up. This match was just absolute action for the entire duration as all four men fought all over the arena, including by a souvenir stand (which they destroyed). This was just brutal shit that was completely ahead of its time and wasn't seen in any mainstream promotion at the time. These guys hit each other with some STIFF chairshots and basically just beat the shit out each other for our perverse enjoyment. The match ended when Saggs pushed Cactus off of the OLD SCHOOL entrance ramp head first to the concrete below and then cracked him in the head with a shovel for the three count. This was just an awesome brawl packed into less than 10 minutes, but the pace is so frenetic that you never even notice how short it is.

Honorable Mention: The Dudley Boyz vs. The Hardy Boyz (Royal Rumble 2000)

This was the first ever table match in WWE history and it was a pre-cursor to all the TLC matches that would follow between these two teams as well as Edge & Christian. After watching this match, I think you can compare it to any of those TLC matches and it will fair pretty well. The amount of insane shit these guys pulled out during this match had never been seen by a WWE audience and it was the match that really made these two teams become insanely popular in the ‘E. Some of the insanity in this match included Matt getting powerbombed from the top turnbuckle through a table propped up on ring steps, Bubba getting driven through a table by a Matt legdrop off a ladder as well as a Jeff splash off the top rope, Bubba getting knocked off an entranceway through a stack of tables, and Jeff doing a swanton off said entranceway through D-Von who was propped up on a table. Absolutely awesome stuff that holds up very well to this day and can be compared to any of the TLC wars that we've all seen.

10) The Pitbulls vs. Stevie Richards & Raven (Gangsta's Paradise, 9/16/95)

This was a match with a lot on the line with the tag titles up for grabs as well as the stipulation that the Pitbulls would have to split up if they lost the match. It was a 2 out of 3 falls dog collar match and turned out to be a brutal affair. Raven initially made the stipulation of 2/3 falls which wound up backfiring as he won the first fall but would ultimately lose the next two. This match was classic ECW overbooking which somehow always seemed to work out. You had Stevie Richards not participating in the match at first only to be later dragged out, you had Tommy Dreamer replace a Pitbull temporarily after he was knocked out, you had Bill Alphonso reverse the decision after Tommy Dreamer pinned Raven, you had Todd Gordon come out to restart the match, you had 911 finally shut Fonzie up with a big ass chokeslam, and finally you had the Pitbulls win the tag titles after delivering a double powerbomb from the top rope on Raven and Richards. A great match that intertwined many different storylines and had the crowd loving every second of it.

9) Eddie Guerrero & Art Barr vs. Octagon & El Hijo Del Santo (AAA When Worlds Collide)

This match was the ultimate grudge match as Eddie Guerrero was fighting with his partner, Art Barr, to try to embarrass Octagon and his partner, El Hijo Del Santo, who's father was tag team partners with Eddie's father but always seemed to overshadow him. Eddie had tagged with El Hijo and felt that he was getting overlooked in a similar fashion that his father was when he teamed with El Santo, so Eddie turned on El Hijo and began to team with Art Barr. This was a 2/3 falls hair vs. mask match which meant that Eddie and Barr would lose their hair if they lost and Octagon and El Hijo would lose their masks if they lost. What makes this match so great is the way that Eddie and Art Barr were able to whip up the fans in an absolute frenzy with their anti-Mexican sentiment, which was funny since Eddie was Mexican and the PPV took place in Los Angeles yet the fans were booing the Americans and cheering the Mexicans. This match saw lots of drama after Eddie and Barr went up 1 fall to none(after a picture perfect frog splash by Barr) and seemed poised to take the 2nd fall until Octagon and El Hijo started making a comeback. The ending saw Octagon and El Hijo come back to win the match and Eddie and Art Barr get their hair cut off. Awesome match filled with great wrestling action, an insane crowd, and tons of drama.

8) Sting & Lex Lugar vs. The Steiners (Superbrawl '91)

This was a rare babyface/babyface tag team matchup that featured four of the biggest stars in the company at the time. The Steiners were without a doubt the most popular tag team at the time, Sting was as popular as ever, and Luger was motivated which meant that he could put on some damn good matches. The match started with some mat wrestling exchanges between Rick Steiner and Luger, but that was just the calm before the storm. Things picked up when Rick tried to go for a flying shoulderblock and bounced off Luger like a pinball as Lex just ran right through him. Rick would then recoup with a SWANK german suplex and a Steinerline, but Luger would get right back up and nearly decapitate Rick with a clothesline of his own. Sting then got tagged into the match and instantly brought the awesome by diving to the outside onto a dazed Rick Steiner. After a missed Stinger Splash in the corner, Rick was able to tag in Scott who ran in (this was pre-roided up freak) and delivered a gorgeous Tiger Driver to Sting, followed by a tilt-a-whirl slam which made the crowd become unglued. There was so much action that followed that, it is virtually impossible to call it all. Just some of the great spots included Rick delivering a bulldog to Luger from the top rope, Sting dropkicking Rick in the back from the top rope, and Sting reversing a tombstone piledriver attempt by Scott Steiner into one of his own (and the announcers actually called it the tombstone piledriver, that surprised me). The ending came when Nikita Koloff came down to ringside to try to attack Luger, but Sting pushed him out of the way and got nailed with a steel chain by Koloff. That allowed Scott to cover for the three pin and retain the Tag Team Championship. Despite the screwy ending, this was an unbelievable match that has to be seen to be fully appreciated.

7) The Midnight Express vs. The Southern Boys (Great American Bash '90)

The Southern Boys, if you're wondering, were Steve Armstrong and Tracy Smothers. The Midnights were in the twilight of their run together and people started to wonder if they could still perform how they used to, but on this night Sweet Stan and Beautiful Bobby proved why they were one the best tag teams ever. Jim Cornette even called this match one of the Midnights best matches EVER and considering some of their classic matches, that is a high compliment to this match. The Southern Boys were pretty much seen as fodder before this match, but after this impressive showing, they immediately became big time contenders in the tag team division. This was just a great match that saw The Midnight Express dominate for most of it by secluding Smothers into their side of the ring. Smothers was eventually able to get the hot tag to Armstrong and then it all broke down from there with The Midnights hitting The Rocket Launcher and doing the OLD SCHOOL switch-a-roo, but The Southern Boys just couldn't be put away. The ending came when Sweet Stan nailed Smothers in the back of the head with a kick from the apron which allowed Beautiful Bobby to roll him up for the win. This is definitely a forgotten classic and should be looked up by anybody who loves great tag team wrestling.

6) The Dudleyz vs. The Hardyz vs. Edge & Christian (Wrestlemania 16)

The levels of insanity seen at Wrestlemania was upped tremendously when three of the greatest tag teams of all-time squared off in this unforgettable match. This match featured some of the riskiest high spots ever seen in a WWE ring and left the crowd in the audience and those watching at home in absolute awe of it. Seeing Jeff Hardy swanton Bubba Ray through a table or seeing Matt Hardy get pushed off a table propped on two ladders through a table on the mat are moments that will live forever in Wrestlemania lore. The Dudleys, The Hardyz and Edge & Christian put their bodies on the line in this match and set a new standard for how ladder matches should be done. Shawn Michaels may have popularized the ladder match, but these six men helped to reinvent it.

5) Edge & Rey Mysterio vs. Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit (No Mercy '02)

This was easily the best match of 2002 and that's saying a lot considering all the great matches that occurred in 2002. These four men went out to fight over the newly formed Smackdown Tag Team Titles and gave the fans one of the best tag team matches ever seen in the wrestling profession. Given the talent in the match, we shouldn't have been surprised but I don't think anyone expected this match to be as good as it turned out. Kurt was in rare form here and kept up well with the super fast pace of the matchup. We already knew Kurt was the man as a single wrestler, but here he proved that he could give us classic in the tag team ranks as well.

4) Steve Austin & Triple H vs. Chris Jericho & Chris Benoit (Raw, 5/21/01)

I remember this match as vividly as the day I watched it and I remember being absolutely blown away by it. This match featured the Two-Man Power Trip taking on the up-and-coming Canadian duo of Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit and the match these four men put on was an absolute classic. This match is mainly remembered for being the match where HHH tore his quad, but before the injury occurred, this was one of the best tag team matches I've ever seen. The action was hot all throughout and as the match progressed, the crowd got more into it with the realization that the Chris' might be able to pull it off. The ending of the match was one of the hottest endings I've ever seen where Y2J locked on the Walls Of Jericho to Triple H (with a torn quad) on the announce table while Austin hit Benoit with a Stunner. Jericho barely made the saved and hit the Lionsault which brought in HHH with a sledgehammer, but instead of hitting Jericho, he hit Austin which allowed Jericho to pin him for the three count. To say the crowd went nuts would be an understatement and this is a match that I will not forget anytime soon.

3) The Dudleyz vs. The Hardyz vs. Edge & Christian (Summerslam 2000)

This was the first ever TLC match and does anything else really need to be said about it? These three teams had an unbelievable ladder match at Wrestlemania 16 and decided to up the ante by putting on this spectacle that eclipsed their previous effort. The amount of sick spots and bumps in this match is almost impossible to count. The Bubbabomb from the top of the ladder on Christian. A ladder seesawed in Matt's face. Edge being crushed under a ladder after Christian was catapulted into it. Bubba going off a 20-foot ladder through a stack of tables. Matt falling BACKWARDS from the ring and onto a table on the outside. That spot is still one of the awesome and scary ones I've seen to this day. I get goosebumps everytime I watch this match and I'm sure that many of you have the same reaction whenever you watch it.

2) Owen Hart & The British Bulldog vs. Steve Austin & Shawn Michaels (Raw, 5/26/97)

Before Matt Hardy & MVP, Stone Cold and Shawn Michaels were the original wacky tag team partners that couldn't get along. On top of that, this match was Shawn's return to the ring in nearly four months after supposedly losing his smile. Shawn showed absolutely no ring rust as he jetted across the ring like a teenager and bumped like a madman. Austin showcased his rebellious attitude and got the crowd behind him and Michaels big time. Owen & Bulldog showcased some amazing skills and it is easy to see from this match why they are two of the most highly regarded wrestlers of their day. The end of the match came when HBK hit Sweet Chin Music on Bulldog and Austin covered for the win (and insisted that he did it all by himself in the process). This is an excellent match that seems to be forgotten about which is a shame because it is one of the best Raw matches I've ever seen.

1) The Dudleyz vs. The Hardyz vs. Edge & Christian (Wrestlemania 17)

The Dudleyz, The Hardyz and Edge & Christian had set the bar so high in their two previous ladder matches that it seemed impossible that they could meet the standard of those two classic matches. Not only did they match the expectations, but they exceeded them by leaps and bounds. This match featured so much crazy shit, that it is hard to keep count. Just off the top of my head I remember Rhyno goring Matt Hardy through a table, Spike Dudley delivering an Acid Drop (I refuse to call it the Dudley Dog dammit) to Christian from the ring apron through a table on the floor, Lita cracking Spike Dudley's head with a steel chair and then taking her top off (Admit it, you'd bang Lita), Jeff Hardy giving a swanton to both Spike and Rhyno from the top of a ladder through two tables, Matt Hardy and Bubba Ray Dudley being pushed off the top of a ladder in the ring through a stack of tables on the floor, and Edge giving a spear to Jeff Hardy 20 feet in the air. That's just some of the insane spots that were seen in this match. This match brought the term high risk to a whole new level and it's a match that is never boring to watch.

Гледал съм почти всички мачове и мога да кажа,че класацията е доста добра тази седмица :)

[wwz]

Твърдо съм за мача на хардитата, дъдлитата и канадците на манията.

Това беше просто един великолепен мач и напълно заслужава да е на първо място.

[fen4e]

Много добра класация! :w00t:

[gboy]

Тва на манията TLC ли леше или аз се бъркам ?

[UltraMadd]

^ От WrestleMania 16 е Triangular Ladder Match, а от 17 - TLC.