The Golden Age of Tag Team Wrestling

   The 1980's was a time that tag team wrestling started to become more popular.  While there were some great teams in the NWA and AWA respectively, where tag team wrestling really shined was in the WWF.  Back then, teams had a purpose.  Teams had names, dressed similar, had tag team finishing maneuvers, and gelled really well with each other.  There weren't just feuds for the Tag Team Championships, there were separate tag team feuds.  Going into WrestleMania V alone, there were five different tag team matches on that card.  The 1987 and 1988 Survivor Series featured elimination matches with almost the entire tag team division, with 10 teams/20 men involved.  From 1986 to 1992, at any given time, there were at least 3 tag teams that could have believably been Tag Team Champions, as well as several teams that were good contenders.  Even teams low on the totem pole had a spotlight.! I'm going to look at several tag teams from that era.

   I really enjoyed tag team wrestling in those days and it seems in the last ten years or so that many tag teams have been broken up haphazardly.  In 2017 alone, there were breakups of Enzo & Cass, American Alpha, the Vaudevillains, the Hype Bros, Golden Truth, and makeshift teams like Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho.  Even NXT's DIY broke up!  Many wrestlers need to stay in a tag team. Look at the Road Warriors, for instance!  Could you picture Animal or Hawk as successful singles wrestlers?  What about the Dudley Boys!  Yes, Bubba Ray did eventually break out on his own with his Bully Ray character, but until that time, neither Bubba nor D-Von were successful singles competitors.  Not every team has a Marty Jannetty!  For instance, when Cryme Tyme broke up, neither Shad Gaspard nor JTG did anything of note and eventually both got released.  With that being said, I guess I'll start with the team that set the standard for tag team break ups.

The Rockers

   Like Gorilla Monsoon once said about this tandem, the Rockers were certainly "tag team specialists."  Though they had initial success in the AWA, when they reached the WWF, they really rose to fame.  It's a shame they never won Tag Team gold but when there were so many incredible teams during that era, it was certainly understandable. Their high-flying antics and crisp double team moves were so much fun to watch.  They were extremely popular, especially with the female audience members. Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty were just amazing together and had great matches with just about any team on the opposition.  It was fun watching double dropkicks, as well as their double aerial maneuvers.  As we all know, their break up is legendary and led to a Hall of Fame career for Michaels, while Jannetty did not fare as well.  Though their Barber Shop break up is certainly legendary, let us not forget the fabulous team that was the Rockers!

Hart Foundation

   When it comes to great tag teams, look no further than the Hart Foundation.  While Bret Hart became a legend on his own, his team with Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart was just as important to the history of the WWF and its tag team division.  The Hart Foundation had two lengthy reigns with the WWF Tag Team Championships and were almost always in contention for the Titles.  With the exception of a short period in 1989 where each tried to make it as singles stars, the Hart Foundation were always there.  The combination of Hart's technical skill and Neidhart's power made them a force to be reckoned with.  They always made for a great promo as well!  Bret's no non-sense attitude was complimented well by Jim's over the top persona. No one rocked pink quite like the Hart Foundation! Who could forget their legendary matches against teams like the British Bulldogs, Demolition, and Strike Force?  Their "Hart Attack" finisher was always a sight to see and it's easy to see why they were so highly regarded.  

Bushwhackers

 Luke and Butch had past success in other promotions as the vicious and villainous Sheepherders but they truly reached the pinnacle of their popularity when they made their WWF debut as a lovable babyface team. Their unorthodox antics, including licking, biting, and their famous "Bushwhacker March" were very popular with the crowd, especially all the kids. The duo from New Zealand were very entertaining. Although they were not very successful when it came to win-loss records, they were over and were almost always used during their time with the company.  

British Bulldogs

   The British Bulldogs were the perfect combination of power, speed, and technical ability.  During their time in the WWF, both Davey Boy Smith and the Dynamite Kid were very young.  Both men hailed from England and trained in the infamous Hart Family Dungeon. Davey became Bret Hart's brother-in-law when he married Bret's sister Diana.  Both men were known for powerful and impressive moves such as their impressively long standing Suplexes. Dynamite was a little more technical, had some submission moves in his arsenal, and often performed diving head butts off the top rope, inspiring one Chris Benoit later down the road. The Bulldogs were fan favorites and won the Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania 2.  Their matches against the Hart Foundation and Fabulous Rougeau Brothers were legendary.  Who could forget their mascot Matilda?  Dynamite Kid had been involved in great classics at Stampede years before with such greats as Tiger Mask.  Davey Boy went on to have a great career, while Dynamite's injuries forced him to retire.  While both were accomplished singles wrestlers, the British Bulldogs had a great impact on tag team wrestling.

Demoltion

   No team was more dominant in the WWF during this time than Demolition.  Ax and Smash were heavy hitters that used brute force to tear down their opponents.  Ax had performed in the WWF and other territories, mostly known as the Masked Superstar and enjoyed some success. Smash had been a part of the NWA's Russians with Ivan Koloff and Nikita Koloff as Krusher Kruschev.  When these veterans got together in the WWF, they became Demolition.  While initially they were seen as a Road Warriors rip off, Demolition accomplished a lot and proved the critics wrong, eventually becoming three time WWF Tag Team Champions.  They had painted faces and wore black leather and studded attire.  They wore masks to the ring and looked quite menacing.  At WrestleMania IV, with the help of manager Mr. Fuji, Demolition defeated Strike Force for their first Tag Team Titles and until The New Day came along, they held the record for longest reigning WWF Tag Team Champions.

   Although they never got the match everyone wanted to see against the Road Warriors, Demoltion's matches with the Hart Foundation were classics.  Though initially heels, their growing popularity in the late 80's led to the famous double turn between them and the Powers of Pain at the 1988 Survivor Series.  Ax and Smash even started the 1989 Royal Rumble and fought each other briefly and it was amazing to see.  As soon as the third man entered, they were back together as a team.  Crush joined the team in 1990 and they often defended the Titles under "Freebird" rules.  Due to health problems and some misunderstandings, Ax left and was replaced fully with Crush.  Smash and Crush weren't able to replicate Demolition's early success and the team was just not the same anymore.  Demolition were a big reason why the WWF's tag team division was so successful during this time.  

Fabulous Rougeau Brothers

   Jacques and Raymond were already part of a legendary family.  Their father Jacques Sr. and uncle Johnny Rougeau were accomplished wrestlers.  The Rougeau Brothers came to the WWF in 1986 and started off as good guys.  This French-Canadian brotherhood were a great technical team and were entertaining to watch.  They became even better when they turned heel.  After the Hart Foundation broke away from manager Jimmy Hart, Hart joined up with the Rougeaus and they became the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers.  Even though I was eight years old, I still understood the sarcasm of waving those tiny American flags.  Who could forget their hilarious theme song "All American Boys?"  The Rougeaus's new attitude propelled them to higher profile feuds and matches.  Their locker room brawl with the British Bulldogs is still talked about to this day.  Even though they never won the Tag Team Titles together, they were in contention and could have been seen believably as Champions.  After Raymond retired, Jacques went on to more success, winning the Intercontinental Title as The Mountie, and having three reigns as Tag Team Champion with Pierre as the Quebecers.  

Strike Force

   Rick Martel and Tom Zenk were a team known as the Can-Am Connection. After Zenk left the company, Martel needed a partner.  During an assault of Tito Santana at the hands of the Islanders, Martel came to the rescue. When Rick and Tito were interviewed together, they famously said when it came to the Islanders, they would strike with force, and the Strike Force was born.  Their theme "Girls In Cars" was the most cheesy 80's song you could think of.  They were young and good looking guys that the girls went crazy over.  By that time, both had been established singles wrestlers, as Martel was a former AWA World Heavyweight Champion and Santana was a two-time Intercontinental Champion.  Both had also won Tag Team Titles with other partners in the WWF so it was a good fit.  Their break up led to Martel becoming "The Model," one of the most well known and entertaining gimmicks of the time.  

Road Warriors/Legion of Doom

  The Road Warriors, Hawk and Animal, won Tag Team Titles in every promotion they were in.  They broke through as a rough and tough team in the AWA and NWA before finally showing up in the WWF as the Legion of Doom.  With their Mohawks, painted faces and spiked shoulder pads, they were quite intimidating.  Though they were initially heels, their popularity rose tremendously and the fans couldn't get enough of them.  They may not have been the most gifted athletes but their brute force and intensity made them legendary.  Their backstage promos were something to watch, especially due to Hawk's uncanny ability to be funny and scary at the same time.  They had battles with Doom, the Steiner Brothers, and members of the Four Horsemen in the NWA before battling the likes of the Nasty Boys, Natural Disasters, and Money Inc. in the WWF.  They are known as one of the greatest tag teams of all time and with manager Paul Ellering by their side, they were unstoppable.

Brain Busters

   In early Fall, 1988, Arn Anderson and Tulley Blanchard of the Four Horsemen left the NWA and came to the WWF.  They were managed by Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, who christened them the Brain Busters.  After legendary matches against the likes of the Rock n' Roll Express, and Barry Windham & Lex Lugar, this well conditioned and technical team with the gift of gab fought the Rockers and Demolition during their short stay in the WWF.  Together, they ended Demolition's record-breaking Tag Team Championship reign and were able to retain in matches against the Hart Foundation.  They were an integral part of the Heenan Family.  After they left the WWF at the end of 1989, they never teamed again, as Arn rejoined the Four Horsemen and Tulley was not rehired by the NWA.  They complimented each other in the ring and on the mic and their work in both companies puts them in this list.

Mega Powers

   I could go on for days with the tag teams during this era in the WWF alone.  Many of these teams were all around at the same times and with how great teams like the Hart Foundation and Demolition were, it's easy to see why some of the other really good teams didn't reach the mountain top.  It was similar to Hulk Hogan's tenure as WWF World Champion in the singles division, as very few were able to hold the Title. Speaking of Hogan, he and "Macho Man" Randy Savage became the Mega Powers and although they never pursued Tag Team gold, their team is still remembered.  Had they decided to go for the Tag Team Titles, who could have stopped them?  Though the Rockers' break up was one of the best heel turns, it was a really big deal when the Mega Powers exploded at WrestleMania V.  Of course, that was mainly due to a misunderstanding about their manager Miss Elizabeth, who brought the two together.  After besting the makeshift team of the Million Dollar Man and Andre the Giant called the Mega Bucks, they set their sights on the Twin Towers.  The Big Bossman and Akeem collectively made up the Twin Towers and had manager Slick by their side.

NWA & WCW Tag Teams

   Some of the greatest tag teams also wrestled for the NWA and WCW.  For years, you'd see the Rock n' Roll Express battle the Midnight Express.  Any combination of the Fabulous Freebirds was always an entertaining night and their blood feud with the Von Erichs in World Class was that of legend.  Whether it was the power and dominance of Doom or the pure wrestling ability of the Steiner Brothers, there were always great tag teams around.  I think this time period in general concentrated a lot more on tag team wrestling.  Even lower tier tag teams like the Fantastics and the Fabulous Ones were able to tell a story and entertain the crowd.

Honorable Mentions
   There were several other teams in the WWF during this time period that were important to tag team wrestling.  For instance, the Killer Bees were the originators of the old switch-a-roo that Demolition would perform years later, as one would wear a mask and they would often switch without the referee being the wiser.  B. Brian Blair and "Jumpin" Jim Brunzell would later become fan favorites as well. Brunzell was accustomed to tag team wrestling as he had success previously with Greg Gagne in the AWA as the High Flyers.  The Islanders were a formidable team in their day.  After Tama left, Haku had a brief singles career before finding his greatest run as a team with Andre the Giant, winning the Tag Team Titles together as the Colossal Connection.  The Barbarian and the Warlord, known as the Powers of Pain, started in the NWA and came to the WWF in the Summer of 1988.  They had a great feud with Demoltion and was a team I felt should not have broken up.  The women's division had some good teams as well!  One of the best teams in the women's division at the time were the high flying Jumping Bomb Angels, who won fans over as the survivors of their team at the Survivor Series, and captured the Women's Tag Team Titles at the 1988 Royal Rumble.
 
   The original Orient Express featured Pat Tanaka and Akio Sato.  The team actually got much better when Sato was replaced with Kato, who was Paul Diamond under a mask.  Diamond and Tanaka had previously teamed together in other promotions as Badd Company and had wars with the Rockers. Before a singles career, Paul Roma was in tag teams and one of the most popular tag teams of the late 80's was the Young Stallions, featuring Roma and Jim Powers.  A few years later, Roma would turn heel and align with Hercules to form an underrated team, Power & Glory, managed by Slick.  Mike Rotundo teamed with Barry Windham in the  mid-80's in the WWF as the U.S. Express.  In fact, their theme "Real American" would later go on to be more synonymous with Hulk Hogan.  In 1992, Rotundo had a new persona as Irwin R. Schyster, or IRS.  He had even more tag team success with the "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase as Money Inc., capturing the WWF Tag Team Titles three times.

   The early 90's continued in the tradition of tag team wrestling, as the Rockers, Hart Foundation, and Legion of Doom were still around.  Joining them were the Nasty Boys, who found success with a decent run as Tag Team Champions and were managed by Jimmy Hart.  Another Hart managed team was the Natural Disasters, Earthquake and Typhoon.  The team formed when  Earthquake's foe Tugboat turned on the Bushwhackers and became Typhoon.  It was also due to Andre the Giant turning down Earthquake's offer to team with him.  Tag team wrestling was important and well represented during this time period.

WWF Tag Team Renaissance
   There was a resurgence of tag team wrestling in the WWF in the late 90's and early 2000's.  Some of the teams were not too great but the best ones more than made up for it.  Some of the lower tier tag teams included Kaientai, T&A, and Too Cool.  In the middle of the card were teams like the APA. The three teams that ruled the roost during this time were the Hardy Boys, Dudley Boys, and Edge & Christian.  They were the innovators of the TLC match and any match including any or all of these teams brought tag team wrestling back to the forefront.

   During times when the brands were split into Raw and Smackdown, tag teams were few and far between, not enough on each brand to have a decent division.  I hope that there can one day be a time where tag team wrestling gets a lot more attention.  My basic point was to reminisce about my favorite tag teams during the greatest time for tag team wrestling in the WWF.  I'm sure there were many other great teams from this era that I missed but I covered the most important ones.




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