How Make A Proper Tag Team?

[ctln4rko]

I have seen complaints again and again of: "Air Boom is thrown together" "Miz and Truth are thrown together" etc. For my personal edification, how is a real tag team made? WWE needs to save it's tag team division, which I've heard they have been trying to do/want to do. I'll put a specific question- Besides talent, what is the difference between the Kings of Wrestling and Miz/Truth? How were The KoW put together?
So, please try to answer these questions-
1. How is a proper tag team made and not just thrown together?
2. What is the difference between KoW and The Awesome Truth or any tag team you want.
3. How were the best tag team you can think of put together?

 

[LegendKiller716]

People on this site have this stupid idea that if you don't debut as a tag team, you "just thrown together". That's not true. Some of the best recent tag teams have been "thrown together".

Edge and Christian, Motor City Machine Guns, Beer Money, Miz and Morrison, Ink Inc.(not a big name, but obviously a real tag team).

1.) Tag teams are made a few ways. They can debut together, get thrown together, or get forced to tag together. They can be made many ways, they just need to put the time in.

2.) The difference between KOW and Awesome Truth is that KOW put in time. They've been together long enough, and have accomplished enough to be considered great.

3.) As I noted above, most of my favorites were thrown together.

 

[MaxSteel]

I'll simply reply to the main question, and that'd probably be a reply to some of your sub-questions.

The main difference between actual proper tag teams and two thrown together superstars, is in the way they act.
A well formed tag team, would act as a tag team. Not just some generic "I like this guy", ""We're so happy to be tag team" kind of crap, like Sneaky Fart has been saying in their few interviews. Tag teams need to actually act as two people who are at least good friends. not just two people who slightly like each other at best. Naturally, they also need to have charisma as a team, which means at least one of them is good on the mic individually.

For an example of a thrown together tag-team you can take Air Boom, as I said earlier. Just listen to their interviews and look at the story they're telling.

For an example for a real tag team, take Awesome Truth. Listen to their interviews, look at their segments, and promos in the ring. They show synergy in all that, and actually look like 2 good friends (perhaps they're friends outside the ropes? Who knows..). I don't even need to mention Miz is a mazing on the mic, and Truth is good on the mic as well in his unique funny way.

As for why Awesome Truth isn't as good as The Kings of Wrestling, it's because they simply didn't have enough time to become great. They didn't have the opportunities to have any classic tag-team moments, like we know E&C, The Hardy Boys and others have had. Plus, in the current state of the WWE, they simply don't have any decent opponents to even create legendary moments with. Before that happens, the Tag Team devision needs to be reborn, and at least 3 other decent tag teams need to be added ( to be on the same brand).

As for why people call Awesome Truth a thrown together tag team, that's simple. Many people only come here for one reason - to complain, complain and complain a bit more. They're just what Eric Bishop defined as the "Ten Percenters", the most loud part of the IWC who think because they know a few business terms they suddenly understand every aspect of its work, and go on a complaining spree online. Believe me, there will always be people who call the next great thing "overrated", the next great tag team "thrown together" and so on.. (even though I don't think Awesome Truth will last long, due to a terrible tag-team division and Miz being too good as a singles competitor). Remember how more then half this forum couldn't stand The Miz earlier? Said that he should've stayed in the mid-card, WWE made a mistake pushing him, he's an upper-mid-carder at best? A year later, most of them now praise him, or simply agree that he's one of the top heels now and will be one of the faces of the WWE in the near future (a year or two). Just dont listen to them, but rather look at things yourself - your own judgment is worth just as much as anybodies' on this forum.

 

[xxxdaniel_ariesxxx]

1. How is a proper tag team made and not just thrown together?
To be fair, all "proper" team were once new teams that had just been put together. I think the difference comes from as the team moves forward. I think a "proper" team starts to look like a tear with either matching attire, or attire with the same theme or colors. Bourne and Kingston are starting to do this (I just hate the name "Air Boom" because it just seems a little silly to me) which is good. also they need to come to the ring together, because how can I take a "team" seriously in the ring that can't even get it together enough to come to the ring together? they also have to be dominate in their "specialty", which is tag team wrestling, which means that they should win as a team against even the top single wrestlers because they, the team, are in their environment while that single wrestler is not. and last and maybe most important, they have to stay together for a while and not split up after a few months or one feud, which I honestly don't see happening with a "team" like Awesome Truth.

2. What is the difference between KoW and The Awesome Truth or any tag team you want.
The difference is the Kings look, talk and act like a team, and they have been a team all over the world for many years. they have held titles in every company they have worked for. they didn't start teaming just because they both had a similar enemy (or conspiracy) as single stars and so they decided to team up to take out the common enemy (or conspiracy). a good team teams up because they want to prove that they are the best team in the world, not because they simply have a common enemy at the moment.

3. How were the best tag team you can think of put together?
usually the best teams get together because they are family (storyline or real life) (The British Bulldogs, The Briscoes, The Hardy Boyz, Edge and Christian, The Dudleyz) they end up with the same manager or in the same stable (Hart Foundation, The Outsiders, The American Wolves, The Kings of Wrestling) or are simply put together by a booker for no other reason that to be a team from the very beginning (The Road Warriors, Demolition)

 

[keehlnate]

Awesome Truth and Air Boom are pretty good tag teams for me. Although we haven't seen the in-ring chemistry of awesome truth so far because they only have a few matches together, but their mic skills are doing the job. Air Boom on the other hand are showing some synergy in-ring but it is rough and needs more work.

Well for me, in my opinion, to make a team a "proper" tag team they should contain some key elements:

1. The Name - From the Road Warriors, up to the Hardy Boyz, Dudley Boyz, Brothers of Destruction, La Resistance and Los Guerreros they have a name that can be remembered for a long long time.

2. The Finisher - Although most of the teams only combine their finisher, there should be a signature move that the two of them can do. Like the 3D, The Doomsday Device, and Conchairto perhaps?

You may call my favorite tag team as being thrown together, but I like their combination. Kane and RVD. Although they don't have the name and finisher but they have the chemistry to be a tag team.

I guess it doesn't matter if they are the team that are just "thrown together" or a "proper" team. What matters most is that they have the chemistry and the people recognize them.

 

[xxxdaniel_ariesxxx]

Some of the best recent tag teams have been "thrown together".

Edge and Christian

Edge debuted and shortly afterwards Gangrel showed up and seemed obsessed with Edge, and there was talk that these two guys had a history. Than Gangrel brought in Christian, who turned out to be Edge's "brother", and the three got together and formed The Brood a few weeks later, with the two "brothers" forming the regular team out of the trio. how is that being "thrown together"? it seems like a very plausible way to form a team to me.

 

[Sub-Xero]

I don't see Air Boom or Awesome Truth as being thrown together. Especially in the case of AT, they came together because of a common interest, a common goal. Kingston and Bourne were portrayed as being friends who decided to tag together. If you want to complain about thrown together teams, the worst of all was Bob "Spark Plug" Holly and The 1-2-3 Kid. They were tossed into a tag team tournament and ended up winning. What the Hell?? No, most teams in the WWE don't have a deep history together, but that's because, as many have said before, they haven't had enough time to develop one. Almost Every team is a result of being thrown together. Obviously the Hardyz and Usos are brothers, and E&C came up through the Indy's together, but The Dudleys weren't a team until Paul put D-Von into the Dudley clan, Bubba was already there. Beer Money was tossed together with 2 wrestlers with drastically different gimmicks, and they became one of the best tag teams in the world.

 

[poppycock]

I'm not so sure that an actual formula for starting a "proper" tag team exists. I think many different factors come into it and each team has to be looked at differently. I personally like a team made up of two wrestlers who perhaps as individuals are not outstanding but as a team become as one. A team made up of two guys with a similar look..either through ring attire or physical appearance. Two guys who go together and look good together aswell as work well together in the ring. I too, like somebody above mentioned, like a good name and feel that this only further solidifies these two people as a team and not just two individuals. The Road Warriors are perfect examples of all the things I like in a tag team. Great look, great name, great understanding and connection between the two. They moulded into one and became The Road Warriors..a well oiled wrestling machine.

Like I said I do believe in exceptions and not just one formula for a good team because some of my favourite tag teams have been made up of two wrestlers who already have solo careers and successful ones at that.. X-Pac and Kane.. not a similar look, two individual superstars, no team name...still one of my favourite tag teams. The contrast in styles is what worked for me.

I think time is important and given enough time to gel and find an understanding is vital for any two wrestlers forming a team. Some will work and some will not... just like when some of the greatest WWE superstars have failed to have any outstanding matches with another all time great..sometimes things just do not click. Austin and The Undertaker had good matches but I would not say outstanding in my eyes..yet I adore both and the talent they both have/had is unquestionable.

 

[BillAlfonso]

I think most teams are thrown together but, after that, they need to just grow "organically." There are things that lead to them being partners and I think there needs to be a common thread like similar backgrounds(Legacy) or in ring styles(World's Greatest Tag Team). After that, they can just figure it out, I think the greatest example is Beer Money Inc. though, someone already said that they were two different performers with different gimmicks and look what they did. There's a lot of potential in the WWE because of their bloated roster and the fact that the shows are crossing over now, I hope they take advantage of it like bringing DH Smith back. Before Daniel Bryan won MITB, I would've loved to see him form a team with Jack Swagger and feud with them.

 

[trashboy]

I think it's stupid that everyone cries about teams being thrown together.. like someone said, some of the top teams have been just thrown together, like Beer Money, the greatest tag team today..

and wasn't DX just thrown together as well? I mean, I know they're best friends in real life and all that.. but i believe HBK and HHH were forced to tag team one night and shortly thereafter became DX after Bret Hart called them degenerates

I don't mind 2 guys being thrown together as long as they click.. having like, John Cena and HBK together just doesn't do it.. i think R-Truth and Miz work good together, and so does Air Boom

but what always ticks me off, is WWE breaks up all the teams, like Hart Dynasty and Cryme Tyme.. instead of just keeping them together.. what else are these guys gonna do besides get released? They're singles runs just didn't go anywhere

 

[hollowpoint]

It's all about timing. There isn't one cookie cutter way to making a "proper" tag team. It's all trial and era. The more traditional ways of creating a tag team is the debut them as a tag team (harlem heat, Doom, Road Warriors, Rock N Roll Express, Hardy Boyz, Dudley Boyz, Steiner Bros. etc) They can either dominate right out of the gate, or struggle until they get that 1st big win. Either way they build together, therefore are believable and easier to connect to. Awesome Truth isn't even a tag team officially because 1. They only had a couple of matches together and 2. (which is a big one) They
ve been "fired" from the WWE.
Air Boom is more of a put together team, but they are meshing together and are getting to the point where they are a believable team. I actually think they are part of the reason the tag team division is back on the rise.

 

[AntiChristDeicide]

There isn't a proper way to make a tag-team, but you have to consider that the guys have to mix well together. Look at the Outsider in WCW, the reason they worked so well was because they were friends dating back to their days in the WWE and even when Syxx (Sean Waltman) was part of the team ( a.k.a The Original Wolfpack) it worked fine because they were all good friends when they joined WCW to form the Original NWO. Now days two guys are together and they aren't even friends and unless they are real-life brothers, there is no way they click.