Technically, New Day's Tag Title Run Isn't The Longest In WWE History

[Jack-Hammer]

As of today, New Day have been WWE Raw Tag Team Champions for 479 days, making them the longest reigning World or WWE Tag Team Champions in company history. No question it's impressive and it's a record that will probably not be broken for decades. Don't be surprised 20 years or so down the line if it's not the foundation, or a significant part of it at least, for New Day being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a group.

However, if you want to be absolutely technical about it, New Day's WWE Tag Team Championship reign really only amounts to the 3rd longest run of any tag team title in company history. From May of 1983 through February of 1989, a relatively obscure title known as the WWF Women's Tag Team Championship existed. The longest reign in the history of the title lasted from sometime in August of 1985 to January 24, 1988; I don't know when the exact date was in August, so it puts the overall reign length somewhere in the general vicinity of 900 days. The wrestlers who held said title were Judy Martin and Leilani Kai and they were billed as The Glamour Girls.

The second longest run with the title was held by the inaugural champions Velvet McIntyre and Princess Victoria, which lasted from May 13, 1983 to December 7, 1984, which is a length of 574 days. Victoria suffered a severe neck injury that ended her career and she was replaced with Desiree Peterson and she held the title with McIntyre for another 237 days.

Not tryin' to crap all over New Day or to take away anything they've accomplished. They are the longest reigning male champions of any male oriented tag team title in company history and the WWF Women's Tag Team Championship wasn't exactly a major factor in the company during its existence. It's just that if New Day is to truly have THE undisputed longest reigning tag team title reign in company history, they'd need to hold the strap for another 425 days or so.

 

[ColeMc]

Okay, I actually got this one.

Although those titles are listed as being the longest reigns and yes, according to wikipedia they are. In reality those titles were defunct both times.

The first one Velvet and Princess Victoria came across from the NWA to the WWE as champions, but there were no titles until almost a year after they joined the WWF.

While the Glamour Girls were champions, the titles were dumped and they only resurrected them the night they lost them to the Jumping Bomb Angels, who were awesome BTW. Prior to that they would appear without the titles as they weren't really holding them with no-one else in the division.

 

[shafe_41]

I would still call them the longest running tag team champs in history. Seeing as the WWE has never mixed the men's and women's titles, I think it goes without saying. That's why they say they're the longest running World or WWE Tag Team Champs in history. Not the longest running Women's Tag Team Champs in history. Just like Kevin Owen's is the longest running Universal Champion. It's a different title all together. The women's titles and the titles the New Day hold are different.

 

[FromGlasgow]

I like New Day but to be fair there hasn't been a huge amount of competition for them with the exception of the Dudleys they have basically beaten a bunch of jobbers and thrown together tag teams, Previous holder Demolition seemed to have huge competition from tag teams at the time like The Hart Foundation, British Bulldogs, The Rockers, Powers of Pain, Brain Busters, Twin Towers, Collossal Connection and the Road Warriors just to name a few back in the day

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I like New Day but to be fair there hasn't been a huge amount of competition for them with the exception of the Dudleys they have basically beaten a bunch of jobbers and thrown together tag teams, Previous holder Demolition seemed to have huge competition from tag teams at the time like The Hart Foundation, British Bulldogs, The Rockers, Powers of Pain, Brain Busters, Twin Towers, Collossal Connection and the Road Warriors just to name a few back in the day

I have to disagree with this because they've faced a good number of teams far superior to some of those you've listed. The Usos, Anderson & Gallows, Sheamus & Cesaro, the Wyatt Family and a handful others are all good teams, certainly of a vastly higher caliber than the Powers of Pain, Twin Towers or Colossal Connection. Just because they were around during our childhood doesn't mean they were good teams.

 

[enviousdominous]

If we're being really technical, aren't the Glamour Girls still the WWF Women's Tag Team Champions?

The titles were supposedly abandoned in '88, which means that they never really lost the belts. By my count, they've been WWF Tag Team Champions for over 10,000 days.

 

[HeenanGorilla]

I like New Day but to be fair there hasn't been a huge amount of competition for them with the exception of the Dudleys they have basically beaten a bunch of jobbers and thrown together tag teams, Previous holder Demolition seemed to have huge competition from tag teams at the time like The Hart Foundation, British Bulldogs, The Rockers, Powers of Pain, Brain Busters, Twin Towers, Collossal Connection and the Road Warriors just to name a few back in the day

I have to disagree with this because they've faced a good number of teams far superior to some of those you've listed. The Usos, Anderson & Gallows, Sheamus & Cesaro, the Wyatt Family and a handful others are all good teams, certainly of a vastly higher caliber than the Powers of Pain, Twin Towers or Colossal Connection. Just because they were around during our childhood doesn't mean they were good teams.

While I agree with Jack Hammer that often we look at our childhood memories with rose-colored glasses, I think it is important to not go too far the other way. Though today's tag teams may be more athletic, more technical or perhaps even more talented all around, the options are far more limited today, in my opinion.

The New Day has had a very long reign in an era where titles are passed around much more often than they were during Demolition's reign. So, that is a feather in New Day's cap. But, think of what they bring to the table from crowd involvement, with their dancing and chants and trombone, to merchandising, with their T-shirts, Booty O's...and I believe that unicorn horn or whatever it's called is also available for sale. They have been extremely marketable as tag team champions. There other unique factors such as being a 3-man team (which is another thing they share with Demolition) and them being African-American. I don't want to get into a political or racial debate here; but, that is something that is considered. (I don't mean anything like affirmative action. I just mean the way even the WWE trucks have superstars of different sexes and backgrounds displayed--this is not an accident. They want to show diversity and appeal to all demographics. That's all I am saying.) The point is that the New Day checks a lot of boxes that almost all of the other current teams could not.

Conversely, during Demolition's reign, there were MANY more interesting tag teams. Colorful characters with a ton of appeal, which often made up for what they may have lacked in wrestling skill or athleticism. The WWE had a lot more options to go with the titles back then and still Demolition made the most sense for over a year, in creative's mind.

Personally, I look at WHY the belts are put on/kept on a person or team. Having a long winning streak of predetermined outcomes isn't as impressive as the ability to force the office's hand in keeping the title on you. I think New Day has been brilliant with evolving over the course of their reign. The addition of the trombone, the addition of Booty O's, etc. They kept themselves from getting stale much sooner. I just feel that Demolition's reign had more threats at that time. Could New Day have lasted this long with more tag team options? Sure! But, since the tag team division was so much more packed for the Demos, we really don't know.

I like to think that although I enjoyed wrestling 1000 times more as a child, I am fair enough to realize that many things from a person's childhood seem better than what is offered now. Is RBI Baseball a better video game than whatever the current baseball game on PS4 or Xbox is? Highly doubtful. But I will play that 8-bit, 2 button game rather than learn a much more advanced/impressive game on a 16-button or whatever it is system today. It's simply a preference, or maybe more so an acceptance of what you loved and not needing it to get better. RBI Baseball would lose that vote 99-1, but that's ok. I even totally understand the other 99 votes. It's just not for me. Anyway, my point is, while Jack Hammer is correct about people often leaning towards their era, I think you need to be careful not to automatically lean away from your era for the same reasons. (Not saying that is what Jack Hammer did, just people in general) Regarding the topic at hand, I feel WWE had more options to go with during Demolition's era, making their reign more impressive.

 

[FromGlasgow]

I have to disagree with this because they've faced a good number of teams far superior to some of those you've listed. The Usos, Anderson & Gallows, Sheamus & Cesaro, the Wyatt Family and a handful others are all good teams, certainly of a vastly higher caliber than the Powers of Pain, Twin Towers or Colossal Connection. Just because they were around during our childhood doesn't mean they were good teams.

Seeing as their not actually physically competing for the titles, At the end of the day I guess it comes down to opinion if you favour todays tag teams like prefer the Usos over the Road Warriors or prefer Anderson & Gallows to the British Bulldogs for example then those new tag teams are going to come across in your mind as much superior to the tag teams back in the day.
I take it you weren't a fan back during that era as back in the day that peroid had such depth and excitement to the tag team division and the tag titles to the tag division seemed almost as important the world title to the singles division.

 

[FromGlasgow]

While I agree with Jack Hammer that often we look at our childhood memories with rose-colored glasses, I think it is important to not go too far the other way. Though today's tag teams may be more athletic, more technical or perhaps even more talented all around, the options are far more limited today, in my opinion.

The New Day has had a very long reign in an era where titles are passed around much more often than they were during Demolition's reign. So, that is a feather in New Day's cap. But, think of what they bring to the table from crowd involvement, with their dancing and chants and trombone, to merchandising, with their T-shirts, Booty O's...and I believe that unicorn horn or whatever it's called is also available for sale. They have been extremely marketable as tag team champions. There other unique factors such as being a 3-man team (which is another thing they share with Demolition) and them being African-American. I don't want to get into a political or racial debate here; but, that is something that is considered. (I don't mean anything like affirmative action. I just mean the way even the WWE trucks have superstars of different sexes and backgrounds displayed--this is not an accident. They want to show diversity and appeal to all demographics. That's all I am saying.) The point is that the New Day checks a lot of boxes that almost all of the other current teams could not.

Conversely, during Demolition's reign, there were MANY more interesting tag teams. Colorful characters with a ton of appeal, which often made up for what they may have lacked in wrestling skill or athleticism. The WWE had a lot more options to go with the titles back then and still Demolition made the most sense for over a year, in creative's mind.

Personally, I look at WHY the belts are put on/kept on a person or team. Having a long winning streak of predetermined outcomes isn't as impressive as the ability to force the office's hand in keeping the title on you. I think New Day has been brilliant with evolving over the course of their reign. The addition of the trombone, the addition of Booty O's, etc. They kept themselves from getting stale much sooner. I just feel that Demolition's reign had more threats at that time. Could New Day have lasted this long with more tag team options? Sure! But, since the tag team division was so much more packed for the Demos, we really don't know.

I like to think that although I enjoyed wrestling 1000 times more as a child, I am fair enough to realize that many things from a person's childhood seem better than what is offered now. Is RBI Baseball a better video game than whatever the current baseball game on PS4 or Xbox is? Highly doubtful. But I will play that 8-bit, 2 button game rather than learn a much more advanced/impressive game on a 16-button or whatever it is system today. It's simply a preference, or maybe more so an acceptance of what you loved and not needing it to get better. RBI Baseball would lose that vote 99-1, but that's ok. I even totally understand the other 99 votes. It's just not for me. Anyway, my point is, while Jack Hammer is correct about people often leaning towards their era, I think you need to be careful not to automatically lean away from your era for the same reasons. (Not saying that is what Jack Hammer did, just people in general) Regarding the topic at hand, I feel WWE had more options to go with during Demolition's era, making their reign more impressive.

I completely agree, Looking back I'm surprised Demolition did have such a long reign considering the depth of talent during that time.
Ive no doubt the tag title reign would have been beaten at some point if not now it could of been 10 years from now but I guess if it has to be beaten then New Day is a good option to go with.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

What makes New Day impressive when compared to Ax and Smash (not Crush...never Crush) is that they have managed this in an era where Tag Teams had become simply a vehicle to a singles career or refuge from a failed one and actually rebuilt the division... but they and the Demo's are not as different as you think.

Demolition were not the best team in that era, but they were the right one. They had the look, the ability and aura to look unbeatable but remember prior to their reign the tag titles had been similar to how they have been more recently.

In the 4 years before Demolition won, only The Bulldogs and Hart Foundation were actually what you'd call "recognised teams" who held the belt. The others, like Rotunda and Windham, Sheik & Volkoff, Brutus and Valentine and Tito and Martel were thrown together teams.

Vince made a concerted effort to build the division from 87 onwards and while the Bulldogs would have been that team had Dynamite not gotten hurt, Demoliton were a great bet to anchor that division. In the time they had those belts, The Rockers, Powers Of Pain, Bushwhackers, Orient Express, The Rougeaus & Brainbusters all signed and built that division. Again, when the change was made it was to a team who could trade the belts with others if needed. Arn and Tully wouldn't have held the belts for long or had multiple reigns, but by 89 the dedicated teams were in place to make tags competitive in their own right.

The New Day have done the same job, when they took the belts there were a few teams but non really established or getting anywhere. Since then you've had the Vaudevillains, Hype Bros, American Alpha, The Club, even the Headbangers all come into the WWE. Of course the brand extension complicates things, but there are at least 3 teams in NXT who can and will move up shortly, starting with my pick to beat the New Day, The Revival on their debut...

People forget Demolition themselves were 2 singles guys put together, New Day is 3... and like Ax and Smash, their future is likely now bound together... it'd be pointless splitting them because the gimmick works so well. They can make money as that faction for the next 10 years in WWE.