Greatest Tag team to never win a Championship ?

[MINISTRYrising]

Since I started using Wrestlezone, I have noticed a lot of Threads about different Wrestlers and whether or not they should have been World champion at somepoint during there career, But I don't seem to see Many about former Tag Teams and whether or not they should have won a tag team championship at one stage or another. For me there are quite a few, But Which ones do you think should have become Champion's. you can even name teams that may have won Titles in one promotion, but failed to do so in another, you just have to say why they should have been champions in both companys.

Personally the team'sthat I think should have been Tag Champions at some stage or another are.

1. THE ROCKERS. By far the most deserving team to never win the WWF tag Titles. They were one of the most exciting and popular teams around in the late 80's early 90's and while they did technically beat the Hart Foundation for the titles in 1990 WWE never showed the match and the titles were given back to the Hart Foundation shortly afterwards. personally I think this was a mistake and while there were a lot ofgood teams around at the time I still think The rockers should have held the titles for a short while and a run as tag team champions before they split could have made the Break up even better.

2. CRYME TYME. like the Rockers, Cryme Tyme were one of the most popular tag teams around at the time and with the WWE tag Division struggling at the time. Giving the titles to Cryme Tyme could have breathed fresh life into the division.

 

[JAWILLIAMS]

There was an article about this a while back they listed the top 5 never to win a WWF/WWE tag title belt.

5. The Heavenly Bodies
4. The Killer Bees
3. The Fabulous Rougeaus
2. The Rockers
1. The Bushwhackers

I Don't really agree with these, First I never felt the Heavenly bodies worked well in WWF. Bushwhackers and Rougeaus were undercard teams, and never had that Championship team feel.

Killer Bees were over in their days, and had a unique gimmick for the 80's. In an almost heel like fashion, they would perform Masked confusion, and in some cases illegal tags were made to win the match.

Finally the Rockers you can't disagree with, they deserved even a short run, Extremely over, talented and fresh. If only that rope had not popped.

One team missing is Cryme tyme- For the Roster of the Tag team division between 2006 - 2008 they were arguably the most over tag team in the WWE. But teams like Cena/HBK, Hardy Boys, and Cade/Murdoch traded the belts during that time. They had 1 more shot during their return against Jeri-show, But alas no avail.

Powers of Pain may not have been unique for their gimmick, But the element of Fuji and the brute strength made them imposing. Demolition had their number though, Engulfed in a 478 day title run, They couldn't be touched. The two teams feuded off and on for over 1 year, With the powers of pain always falling short. Much Like the Killer Bee's they were a Great tag team in the WWF at a time Great tag teams were everywhere ( Harts, Demolition, Rockers, Brain busters, Strike Force, Bulldogs, and my last team )
Twin Towers- Akeem and the Big Bossman were a clear dominating team - they never had the big PPV title match against Demolition, Just a 6-man tag (Duggan and Demolition vs. Andre and Twin Towers ) But the two would lay rough shot over tag teams, and even a lengthy feud with the Mega powers. While feuding with Hogan and Macho Man, the Towers gave off a Main event feel, that in most other time periods of the WWF/WWE would result in a title run.

 

[Matty~!]

You've got to remember when it comes to The Rockers during their years with the WWF there were so many tag teams ahead of that in an incredibly hot division that they were going to be over regardless of having the straps. They beat the Hart Foundation for the titles in late 1990 in a match where the ropes broke (and the match never aired) and there are varying conspiracy theories as to why the title win was rescinded.

Cryme Tyme may have been over but they weren't an especially good tag team they just had a wacky gimmick that was pretty stereotypical. The tag team scene at the time was going to be stagnant regardless whether the won the belts or not.

I can't ever really remember a time watching the WWF and thinking a recognised or established team should of had the belts and they never ended up getting them. The ones on the list above all had their merits but if you look at the other teams around when they were around you really can't argue that they didn't get a run with them.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

Obvious answer is the Rockers... although I guess you could count their AWA titles since that was still considered a major promotion at the time (still amazed Verne let them actually be the champs, but that's another thread).

After that though, the biggest one I can think of would be the Rougeau's. Bland face team, but amazing heat magnets as foreign heels and both just excellent workers.

Other good choices would be Big Bossman/Akeem, the Killer Bees, Can-Am Connection (although they would have if Zenk hadn't bailed), Powers of Pain...

but they were all from a different time and in each case, it made sense why they never got a run with the belts. Truthfully the only team that didn't have at least one run as champs where it didn't make sense was the Rougeau's. They could have had a great run as heel tag champs, and in hindsight probably would have been better to use as champs instead of the Brainbusters (considering how quickly they came and went from the WWF).

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I think the answer has to be The Rockers, Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels and it still amazes me that they never got a run with the titles when they were the most exciting and high-flying team around.

Michaels hadn't yet reached his best during his tag-team days but he and Jannetty were fantastic athletes and were incredibly innovative with their double team offense. There werent any other teams hitting moves like the double missile dropkick.

They did "win" the belts from the Hart Foundation but due to the ring ropes breaking during the match, it was never aired on TV and for some reason, instead of redoing the match at a later date they simply left the belts on the Hart Foundation and pretended the title change never took place. I would love to know McMahon's reasons for not letting the Rockers win the belts at a subsequent taping.

There are other contenders that you could list here, but I think The Rockers have to be my pick.

 

[joduke41]

I maybe showing my age but I don't remember The Machines having the wwf titles.I loved he Killer Bees.What about Power and Glory?I cant believe the Bushwhakers didn't win.I met those guys and got to hang with them.You will not meet 2 nicer guys.

 

[Makaveli31]

1) Mega Powers. Obviously a short lived tag team and had much greater success as singles competitors but IF you want to talk about GREATEST tag teams to never win the Tag Team titles...the Mega Powers would HAVE to be somewhere on the list.

2) Razor/Kid. I would have liked to see this combination win the tag team titles much like Diesel/Shawn had their run with the tag straps. Obviously Ramon was a singles competitor and Kid had his share of partners Holly/Jannetty etc...but I think this would have made an interesting combination given the history between the two.

3) Allied Powers. Similar to the Mega Powers in that they had greater success as singles but still had impact as a tag team.

 

[HBsam31]

I have to go with The Rockers. The tag team division was stacked when they were around, but they did beat the Harts for the title only to have the decision reversed because the ropes broke or something. It was at a house show and really never mentioned. The point is they were close. They were right in the thick of things, but just never got the title win. For me this is definitely the best tag team to never win the titles.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

I have to go with The Rockers. The tag team division was stacked when they were around, but they did beat the Harts for the title only to have the decision reversed because the ropes broke or something. It was at a house show and really never mentioned. The point is they were close. They were right in the thick of things, but just never got the title win. For me this is definitely the best tag team to never win the titles.

Actually I'm pretty sure it was a SNME taping where the title change was supposed to happen. I could be wrong about that, but I'm almost positive that's what it was.

The reasoning from what I understand was that they'd fired Neidhart which was why they did the switch... but between the time of the match and when the show was to air, they'd hired him back so they decided to keep the belts on the Harts. Shawn's book says that he felt that Bret had politicked to get the belts back, but I have a hard time believing that since by that point, Bret was itching to switch over to singles full time.

I'd have to agree that the Rockers are the best team to never win the WWE titles though... although like I said above, I completely get why they never did. Just like Jake Roberts was never a champ in the WWE, or how Piper only ever got a token IC title run after about 8 years in the WWE, the Rockers were never champs because they simply didn't need the titles. They were so over that you could have them wrestling on one show, and the tag champs on another show, and they'd both sell the same amount of tickets. In any other era, they probably would have been multi-time champs, but in the era where the WWE was running multiple shows nightly, the guys that could draw without the belts rarely ever got a chance to see how they could draw with them.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Everyone will say the Rockers and to be fair they are the pick really... but had they won those tag titles then I don't think Shawn would have gone on as he did. That he was able to strike out (and nuke out Jannetty early with lies to delay his run as IC champ) gave him that time to establish himself as a singles guy without as much competition.

Had they gotten the belts, Jannetty would likely have gotten the bigger singles run of the two at the start and Shawn would have had to wait longer.

So other than the Rockers...

1) The Rougeaus - very underrated team for their time. Jacques did go on to tag gold but Raymond was the better worker. Give them the belts during the "All American Boys" phase and you have a different dynamic to the division. Rather than Colossal Connection v Demolition, Mania 6 probably has Rougeaus v The Rockers or Harts.

2) The Beverly Brothers - or the AWA's Minnesota Wrecking Crew, their best team after the Rockers left. These were great workers saddled with a crap gimmick. They deserved a better run but I think suffered cos the BrainBusters, Nasty Boys and LOD had bombed so badly. Vince didn't want to bring in teams and push them when he could create them and it was telling that only the Steiners were brought in to be champs...the Headshrinkers only got them cos they left... With a better gimmick and put with Heenan, Flair and Perfect, Enos and Bloom could have easily run that tag division.

3) Power & Glory - again, wrong time but right team. They were set up to be champions only for LOD to come in. These were the natural successors to the Hart Foundation and a very underrated team. Vince wanted LOD over at all costs having spent the money and disbanded Demoliton and Powers of Pain to make that happen and P & G were perhaps the main casualty of that. Again, had Heenan been managing them rather than Slick - instant championship material.

4) Jesse Ventura and Adrian Adonis/The Funks or The Freebirds - Any of these teams had very short runs in the WWF but were worthy of runs with the titles. Ventura had become a singles guy first and foremost, but imagine Wrestlemania had he and Adonis been the champions against Windham and Rotunda - equally good match. The Freebirds never got going but their subsequent NWA run proved their worth... in my TEW2013 game they were the ones feuding with the Bulldogs and Harts through the late 80's over the gold. The Funks were simply wasted by Vince... How often do you have 2 former world champions with an already living legend status for each and together, willing to be a tag team? Once... and Vince decided on Hoss and Jimmy Jack being the 3rd wheel to feud with Hillbilly Jim, Uncle Elmer and Cousin Luke? Really?

 

[The Grizz]

Ok, maybe I was just anti Hogan back in the day, however if your going to talk about the Mega Powers, then you have to remember who did all the work in the majority of their matches....The Twin Towers.

The Twin Towers - Akeem and Big Boss Man captained a team that featured Ted DiBiase, the Red Rooster, and Haku to battle the Mega Powers' team at Survivor Series in 1988. During the match Akeem along with teammate Big Boss Man handcuffed Hulk Hogan to the ring post and were later disqualified.

The two formed a team called the Twin Towers. Though the Twin Towers never held the WWF Tag Team Championship, they did feud heavily with WWF World Tag Team champions Demolition at house shows while also feuding with the Mega Powers and throughout the summer and fall of 1989, with the Twin Towers and Slick advertising title match that night against Demolition while on Arsenio Hall's talk show.

They were also strongly involved in the storyline which would eventually cause Randy Savage to become a villain and challenge Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania V. In the Royal Rumble, Randy Savage was accidentally eliminated by teammate Hogan, allowing both Akeem and Bossman to double team Hogan and eliminate him.

The Main Event show broadcast live on NBC on February 3, 1989 featured Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage vs. The Twin Towers. During the match, Savage's manager Elizabeth was injured after Savage was thrown through the ropes and knocked her to the ground, which led Hulk Hogan to abandon his partner and carry Elizabeth back to the locker room for medical help. Although Hogan later returned to the match to help Savage defeat Akeem and Bossman, Hogan's actions with Elizabeth caused Savage to attack him backstage, setting up the headline match for WrestleMania.

The Twin Towers went on to face The Rockers at WrestleMania V and defeated them when Akeem pinned Shawn Michaels with a diving Air Africa after a powerbomb from the Big Boss Man.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

I get ya on this, but the Towers were a thrown together team in a division of solid, gimmicked tag teams. The Mega Powers feud didn't need the tag titles as Savage had the World title. It was more about establishing Boss Man as a credible title challenger than helping Hogan and Savage. Just that they got too much flak for the handcuffings and the negative image of "police" so they turned him face. No way they go ahead of the specialist teams of the era who never got the belts.

 

[dWs]

Seems to be that we're focusing strictly on WWF/WWE teams, and that's okay.

My list:
5- Killer Bees
Although they won some form of tag title in the UWF, post-WWF as "Masked Confusion".

4- Powers of Pain
Not that they were a great team, but having them steal the titles from Demolition, circa late 1988, would've really sold them as a threat and helped their careers. As it was, they couldn't beat Demolition and looked like fillers as singles guys.

3-Power & Glory
Late 1990 was a pretty weak time for the WWF tag scene, but these two guys turned a hodge-podge team into something that we all remember.

2- Doug Furnas & Phil LaFon
Buncha' titles in Japan and elsewhere. Debuted high up in the tag ranks in late '96 and it seemed like they would win the titles in a few months. I think the WWF wanted to play up the Bulldog/Owen tension storyline, which never had a satisfactory conclusion after a build up of months. WWF billed Furnas & LaFon as "boring", but I liked that they were something of a throwback team, circa 1982, and didn't fit the mold of a traditional "Vince era" WWF team. It was a hard sell, but I liked that they actually went the route of "do our talking in the ring", using it as more than a cliche'.

1- Fabulous Rougeaus
They probably had some tag titles to their credit, pre-WWF. In a way, the "Quebecers" filled in for the Rougeaus in the 90's. If no Brain Busters, they would've been the perfect candidates to upset Demolition for the titles in July 1989. In some ways, timing didn't work out for them in the WWF.


Oh, and I coulda' swore that I read somewhere that Adonis/Murdoch was actually going to be Adonis/Ventura, but for some reason they switched it.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Kroffat and Furnas were a great ECW and Japanese team but they never translated well in the WWF in the same way Dan Severn or Steve Williams never did.

First off they made their name as above yet suddenly it was changed. Sure it was his real name but Kroffat as a name had meaning, most people didn't get they were the same team until they looked.

Also they were vanilla in a division of gimmicks... DOA, Boricuas, Headbangers. All those guys were colourful and it set up these guys to be seen as bland. The Brainbusters suffered the same issue even with Heenan.

Like I mentioned the Powers of Pain AND Power and Glory were the main casualties of them signing LOD. The money involved in hiring Hawk and Animal meant that the Powers had to be sacrificed to get them over. In P&G's case there was an element of Herc's Japan commitments perhaps getting in the way, but ultimately Vince was so far into the LOD ride that sacrificing one more team made sense at the time, with hindsight it was probably a poor decision.

The Rougeaus didn't get the belts purely cos of the Dynamite Kid incident. It cost Vince a meaningful team and more importantly for him Davey's services for a while (he had plans for him going back even then) and that UK buzz from having them on each tour. In a sense it was that era's MSG incident, Jacques was morally perhaps right to take Dynamite out, but the manner he did so was not "how things were done" and as such the team suffered for it then Raymond got hurt and it was over.

The Bees suffered I think because Brian Blair had issues at various points with guys like Sheik and Hogan. He had a rep as a bit of a nut job and that even came out at Owen's funeral.

One team no one has mentioned so far but who could go into the list are the latter incarnation of the Orient Express who were in reality Bad Company from the AWA (Paul Diamond and Pat Tanaka). The original team with Sato was interesting but Diamond coming in as Kato and reuniting the team that had been so successful in the AWA kinda deserved a bit more - but it was a classic case of Vince pushing his own first. They'd be at the bottom of the list but they could have had the belts, even if it was to pass them on to someone else quickly.

 

[dWs]

The Rougeaus didn't get the belts purely cos of the Dynamite Kid incident. It cost Vince a meaningful team and more importantly for him Davey's services for a while (he had plans for him going back even then) and that UK buzz from having them on each tour. In a sense it was that era's MSG incident, Jacques was morally perhaps right to take Dynamite out, but the manner he did so was not "how things were done" and as such the team suffered for it then Raymond got hurt and it was over.

Help me out, here. I think the Rougeaus/Bulldogs backstage fights took place in the fall of 1988. Between SummerSlam '88 and the 2nd Survivor Series.

Bulldogs left right after the Survivor Series, while the Rougeaus didn't leave until right after Royal Rumble 1990 (January 1990). I think that's when Raymond got injured and basically retired from the ring. If anything, I'd say their "punishment" was to job to the Bushwhackers at WM5 (April 1989). They were still a pretty hot team through 1989 and got the upper-hand of their feud with the Rockers that summer (begun on "Wrestling Challenge" when the two teams fought over theme music. Yeah, fer' real).

If no Tully and Arn, it's easy to see the Rougeaus in the Brain Busters' place on the July 1989 SNME to steal the titles from Demolition.

The Bulldogs exit was one of the quickest and most disappointing of the era. They were still over, as crowds on both sides of the Atlantic always seemed to love them. They went back to Stampede for a few months, which always perplexed me.

Davey didn't come back until late 1990...strangely enough, around the same time Jacques returned as "The Mountie".