The Death of Tag Team Wrestling is Upon Us

[klunderbunker]

I was talking to a buddy of mine and he mentioned that he thinks the end of tag team wrestling is imminent. At first I thought he was crazy and that could never happen, but the more I think about it the more I think he has a point. Think about it.

I'm going to make a not very bold statement and say tag team wrestling, at least in the WWE, doesn't exist anymore. The current tag team champions are Chris Jericho and Big Show. I don't think anyone would argue that they are a career tag team but rather two singles wrestlers coupled together to be made into a makeshift team. Thinking back, I couldn't think of any actual teams with a real rivalry in years. Since the brand split, the tag titles have been nothing more than something you throw on two guys and then have token title matches and changes. Think back to teams like La Resistance or Cade and Murdoch. their opponents were people like Booker and Goldust or Michaels and Cena. Those aren't other tag teams. They're singles wrestlers put together to give them something to do or to aide a feud.

During the process for the tag tournament selection, Batista and Cena were chosen with the validation of them being former tag team champions. Yes they were, for a week. That anymore is considered qualification of being a great team. Would anyone actually like to argue that their reign was more important or better than either of the Hart Foundation's reigns? I can't imagine anyone would. Back then and even into the mid 90s there was a tag team division. The feuds meant something and the tag titles were given to actual tag team wrestlers. The problem came one day in early 1992, when tag team wrestling died. In one of the most famous scenes in wrestling history, Shawn put Marty through the barber shop window to break up the Rockers in what has to be the best break up of all time.

Now this was great in reality. Shawn had the talent to be one of the best of all time and Marty and teh team prevented that from happening. They split, Shawn became a singles guy, and the rest was history. After that the titles started to go to teams like the Smoking Guns and the Quebecers and the Godwins. They were definitely tag team guys, but the focus was no longer on the tag team scene. Wrestling had shifted to more of a singles based only system. Yes, that had always been the case for the most part, but there had always been a tag division that had its own place in wrestling. Singles stars rarely went there and things were fine. Around this time though, the tag titles became a good deal less important, as the great memories of tag wrestling wasn't about the great matches the Rockers had, but rather the breakup, and that became the focus.

It no longer was about two teams fighting. It was four individual guys paired together to fight each other. Now a lot of you will argue that in 99-2001 there was another great period of tag wrestling with Edge and Christian, the Hardyz and the Dudleys and I would say you were wrong. That wasn't about tag team wrestling. Do you remember a single match those guys had that wasn't a gimmick match? Everything with them was about climbing a ladder or going through a table or something like that. It wasn't a renaissance of tag wrestling but rather an answer to the Cruiserweights in WCW: high flying guys that caught your attention with very little substance to it. The team that held the titles meant nothing as they would change nearly monthly, just like the Cruiserweight title back in WCW.

And then we had the Brand Split, which was where the little that was around fell apart. You had the Dudleys and Billy and Chuck and Too Cool and teams like that, but once the split happened you had 2-3 teams per show and it just didn't work. There weren't enough teams to support a full division per show, so teams were thrown together with no rhyme or reason. Teams like Benoit and Angle, MVP and Matt Hardy, RVD and Kane etc. were made to allegedly be the best tag team, but almost every time it ended in a singles feud between the former partners. It never was about the titles anymore or the team, but rather just a way to keep two singles guys busy until we had a singles feud ready for them.

Finally we move to today. Until recently, you had teams like the Ryder and Hawkins or Miz and Morrison or Cade and Murdoch. Now I don't think anyone would argue that most teams today are worth much, but Miz and Morrison were. However, all three of these teams had one thing in common: they were all split up with at least one getting a singles push. Ryder has been pushed as a singles guy, Cade was pushed while Murdoch was released, and Miz and Morrison were pushed at the same time. Think back to the turn of the millenium when the major three teams split due to the brands splitting. Edge was and clearly still is the bigger star, Jeff is a former 3 time world champion while Matt got the ECW Title which wasn't bad but is just a midcard belt, and the Dudleys were split for awhile until everyone realized it sucked and they were brought back together. Again: it was no longer about the team but the individual stars.

That brings us to today. We have six major teams in the company when you think about it: Legacy, Hart Dynasty, DX, Jerishow, Cryme Tyme, MVP/Henry. Let's look at this for a second. Cryme Tyme has never won a damn thing, Hart Dynasty has done a great big amount of nothing, MVP and Henry are just thrown together to give them something to do, DX will likely be split in 3 months, Legacy will likely be split in 3 months, Jerishow is already showing signs of tension. Where does that leave tag team wrestling? The two teams that look like long term teams, Hart Dynasty and CT, have won nothing at all as the two singles guys teams dominate the division. Therefore, I would argue that tag team wrestling in the traditional sense will cease to exist soon. The realization that there is no point to having teams like Cryme Tyme or the Hart Dynasty will sink in and they will be split with the tag titles continuing to put on singles wrestlers. The titles will continue to exist, but the division that they represent will die.

Am I right, or am I just crazy?

 

[Ed Philly]

I would agree with this for the most part. I do think the reason for lack of "great" tag teams is the time restraints the wwe puts on itself. Raw is 2 hours, and lately it seems the first 30 minutes is wasted with the guest host and DX. With 30 minutes of a 2 hour show now gone, it really only leaves them time to develop a feud between two tag teams.

ECW is one hour, which also only leaves time for 1 tag team feud, and the same thing with Smackdown.

Theres more drama than wrestling now, unlike the early to mid 90's, when they could pack in match after match.

Is the division dead?

It's definitely not the same.

Did the brand split cause this?

Sure, but I also remember thinking this back during the Dudley/Hardy/Edge & Christian feud was going on, because...they were the only 3 tag teams, and that was way before the split.

I just don't think that's their focus right now. Tag teams will always be around, but I do believe the glory days are long gone.

 

[T2KFreeker]

Well, the problem I have with the theory is that, again, everyone assumes that WWE is wrestling. Okay, it may be the biggest company in wrestling, but they are now all that is wrestling because it seems to me that Tag Team wrestling is indeed alive and well everywhere else but WWE. TNA has a way healthy Tage Team division as does Ring of Honor. Hell, the NWA even still has territorial Tag Team Champions. Okay, even small mamby pamby companies about violence and Hell broken loose have Tag Teams and Tag Champs. Look at CZW and XPW is in the middle of trying to crown a new Tag Team Championship winner, if they can get off the ground, of course. Your thread should realistically say that Tag Team Wrestling is dead in WWE.

On a side note, anyone remember when WCW did this same thing? Erie Bischoff, in some crazy turn of events, basically neglected the Tag Team Division and there hadn't been a tag team match in ages. The fans finally made him listen and he had to bring the division back. It even sold some Pay Per Views at a time when WCW wasn't the hottest. Why? Because people like Tag Team matches. If done well with a great team, they can have some amazing moments. Even if you are not a fan of TNA, you would have to admit that the feud between Team 3D and Beer Money Inc was not only very well put together, but it made the people that do watch TNA want to tune in. Right now, the Rivalry in TNA over the TNA World Tag Team Championships is one of the centerpieces of the company. Just because Vince McMahon can't get his shit together where Tag Team wrestling is concerned doesn't mean nobody else can.

 

[I_Like_All_Wrestling]

I don't even think there is an argument here. Tag teams as we knew them are DEAD in WWE...and have been for a while. Right now the titles exist either to show that someone is important by holding a title, or to elevate someone by having them split from a team holding the titles. Other than that I don't think there is really anything that the tag titles are used for. Even people who are billed as a team (ex. Legacy, Jericho/Show, DX) are just two singles guys put together.

Tag team wrestling, when done right, is awesome. Seems WWE just thinks it's more profitable these days to have singles stars.

Shame.

 

[JayMiine]

Everybody always makes the argument of "real tag teams" in TNA. But they don't remember this, Sabin and Shelley, Beer Money Inc., British Invasion, All of these "top" tag teams were singles wrestlers that were paired up and worked very very well. Tag teams don't always have to be together forever, sometimes guys can't get over as well as singles, pair them off and they skyrocket. Then eventually the fans want to see one guy more, and we have a well looked-forward too split. This is the way wrestling is today. I enjoy some classic tag team action, but I can not say I genuinely "miss" the division.

 

[TellMeWhy]

I'm going to make a not very bold statement and say tag team wrestling, at least in the WWE, doesn't exist anymore.

I'm glad you sort of clarified it because you don't speak for TNA and ROH.

Therefore, I would argue that tag team wrestling in the traditional sense will cease to exist soon.

Am I right, or am I just crazy?

If you are talking in general, then you are out of your mind. If you are speaking on WWE, then you are sane.

Everybody always makes the argument of "real tag teams" in TNA. But they don't remember this, Sabin and Shelley, Beer Money Inc., British Invasion, All of these "top" tag teams were singles wrestlers that were paired up and worked very very well. Tag teams don't always have to be together forever, sometimes guys can't get over as well as singles, pair them off and they skyrocket. Then eventually the fans want to see one guy more, and we have a well looked-forward too split. This is the way wrestling is today. I enjoy some classic tag team action, but I can not say I genuinely "miss" the division.

I don't think anyone is necessarily saying that tag teams have to be joined forever as Siamese twins stuck together at the head or the hip. But the purpose of all of those teams in TNA are to be the best tag team in wrestling while in WWE, no one seems to gun for the tag team champions or the tag title holders who walk around on all shows. The titles are just there and have been constantly used as a stepping stone between 2 tag partners to later feud. Tag teams don't have to be together forever, but a tag team should remain together for quite awhile to have a goal to hold the tag team belt to make those belts look important. Real teams with 1 name such as Hart Dynasty or CT don't get the belts, they don't chase after the tag belts, and most of the guys who carry the belts are single competitors coming together and use it to take their career to the next level. WWE's tag division is just dead!

 

[DigitalNight]

WWE refuses to hire in or help create and train Tag Teams. Period.

It's a semi-recent issue as well. I had been away from WWE for a long time and came back to just a handful of teams. The times are changing and I am sad to see the PURE Tag Team division away from at least a mid card spot on Raw or Smackdown (don't get me started on ECW/Punishment Land.)

It may not be dead, but it's for a fact in a Vince induced coma.

ps: I know the Briscoes got a shot. But Vince doesn't do "indy" too well unless it comes from one of his "approved" federations.

 

[Midnite Express 2009]

I see your point on almost everything, but I don't want to jump the gun and say tag team wrestling died when The Rockers broke up because back in 1992 you still had teams like The Steiners, Road Warriors and a few others. You can say that tag team wrestling died in 1989 when The Brainbusters left the WWF, but then again, back in 1989 the tag team scene was red hot and possibly at its apex, especially in the NWA. I would venture to say that tag team wrestling died when WCW did the angle where Scott Stiener turned on his brother. It was rediculous and only fueled the continously unnecessary storyline of the nWo at that point. After Scott turned on Rick there were NO REAL tag teams in WCW due to the fact that you turned your flagship tag team against each other.

Now, over in the WWF, it died a little later, when The Rock and Mick Foley formed the very entertaining & over but quite possibly the most oddest pairing since Austin & Taker, Austin & Michaels and Austin & HHH, The Rock & Sock Connection. These two men had waged bloody war over the WWF title about a year or two prior and now they seemed to be buddies (though Rock was always a bit hesitant) and won a couple of tag titles.

Sure, a few years later you had The Hardys, Edge & Christian & The Dudleys, all of whom were tag teams before entering the WWF, but the groundwork had already been laid to slowly destroy the division. So to your point I would say that the break up of the Rockers did more to enhance Shawn Michaels career than it did to start the ball rolling on the demises of tag team wrestling. Remember when they broke up The Dudleys? The Hardys? Edge & Christian and almost any real team that had success? The WWF saw that WCW had done it and at least got ONE member of the team over big time, why not do it again? And with the exception of the Dudleys, the other two teams DID have that one breakout star (i.e. Edge and Jeff Hardy) that went on to be somewhat like Shawn in the sense that their breakup helped their careers.

Sorry this was super long, but again, I agree with all of your points. Jericho & Big Show COULD be a great team however (a) the WWE is gonna nip that in the bud sooner rather than later and (b) it was supposed to be Jericho & Edge until Edge went down. Interesting post though.

 

[vertigolowe]

Just to provide a sort of counterpoint, I think that the WWE is actually doing a decent (not great) job of elevating the titles themselves. They are sitting on two main eventers in Jericho & Show. The perception is that it takes main event caliber talent to hold the belts. While I think some actual title defenses would be helpful, their feud with DX has been good and a potential feud with the BoD would be helpful.

I can't argue that WWE hasn't really bothered with 'career tag teams' but what they've done now is helped set things up so that if for example the Hart Dynasty win the belts it gives them a bigger rub because the belts have been elevated in that main eventers hold them.

I can't say that tag teams have to be introduced together and stay together and wrestle exclusively as a team. The Machine Guns were both established singles guys (alright X division guys). Despite Storm being in AMW, he had been doing the mid card thing as well as Roode.

TNA is a mess. At this point they have the TNA belts on the Brittish Invasion and the IWGP on 3D. I still don't know why TNA feels the need to promote the IWGP titles when they could just be promoting their own belts, but whatever.

And the TNA Knockout Tag Belts are the definition of thrown together teams. Even if their plan was to put them on Sky & Love where do they go from there? The only other two who seemed like a possibility were Sayid & Kong.

I have to admit I'm not really up on the goings on of RoH, but everything I've ever seen from them has been great.

Just food for thought though, I saw ROH in Boston about a month ago for the Danielson tour and his opponent was Davey Richards, 1/2 of the Tag Champs in a singles match, while Austin Aries (ROH Champ) was in a tag match.

 

[markmeout]

I have to disagree with the fact that the barber shop segment with shawn and marty ended tag team wrestling. I think you have to look to the Attitude era for the answer to this. The Rock and Sock team had to be the single most important thing that killed tag team wrestling. It showed the WWE that combining big stars together wil provide bigger ratings then pre-existing "tag teams". I think this one team has been the blue print on which to make teams since they were formed. Look at RVD and Kane both guys who were popular, rated rko, cena and batista, austin hhh, rock taker, rock jericho, batista mysterio, batista cena, hogan edge, the list can go on and on. WWE sees that this works and brings in more viewers then teams such as TOO COOL and DUDLEYS so they run with this idea. The ROCK AND SOCK TEAM WAS THE DEATH OF TAG TEAN WRESTLING NOT THE BREAKUP OF THE ROCKERS.

 

[spinningtorturerack]

I think it was the attitude era, not because if rock n sock, but because of austin. I know it happened before with hogan, but austin was the big face of the company and did all these great things. This showed everyone that singles action is where the big matches are, the big money. Its very rare that a tag team match is top of the bill in a ppv, where as the world belt is nearly always there unless its a special feud going on, and even then that is normally singles competitors.

This spawned a lot from austin because of the stunts, drama and extreme amount of focus, it took, dudleys, hardys & E&C a to carve out a niche that got them limelight, but it was not traditional tag wrestling, so now tag teams suffer.

 

[goodlay]

I think it was the right decision to unify the tag belts, because otherwise we wouldn't even be getting the decent tag action with JeriShow that we currently have. But even with the unification, take away JeriShow, and there really isn't a legit tag division. I like how they are using JeriShow to add some credibility to the division, but after their reign is over, who will take over?

 

[Chill]

I thought the death of the tag team division in WWE had already occurred. I can't actually remember when the division was taken seriously by them, for such a long time now the division has been weak. John Morrison and the Miz are one of the few successful tag teams I can recall that were produced in recent years...but even then it wasn't like they had a lot of competition.

Now it seems tag teams are thrown together out of necessity for storyline purposes (which isn't necessarily always a bad thing) such as Jericho and Big Show. In order for the division to fully thrive though, I think it should be lead by the likes of the Hart Dynasty, Legacy, Cryme Tyme and whoever else WWE might consider an actual tag team. It's okay for main event wrestlers to occasionally visit the division and help out but I think the way forward is to actually establish a few credible teams and let it go from there. Of course, if that doesn't happen then the division will continue to flounder (as it has been doing for quite a time already)...

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I have to admit that I'm kind of disappointed with how the tag division in the WWE has been going. When Jeri-Show was formed and won the titles, I stared to care about the tag division in the WWE again. Hell, it looked as though the tag division in the WWE was about to become something of a priority again. For a while, I think it was. Jeri-Show had some good, solid matches with some of the WWE's tag teams. The matches were good and the teams came off as looking like credible contenders against two decorated stars and multiple time tag team champions.

However, the WWE has put Jeri-Show into the World Heavyweight Championship scene and, over the past few months, that's eroded a lot of the progress that I personally feel that the WWE has made in rebuilding the tag team division. The team also helped out the Big Show quite a bit. He hasn't been nearly as interesting in years and I feel he and Jericho have a great balance as a team. Part of me is somehow hoping that, after tonight, somehow Jeri-Show can somehow go back to what it was before and start building the tag team division and stop using the tag titles as props. It's probably not going to happen, but there's nothing wrong with hoping.

 

[Nature Boy]

WWWF/WWF/WWE has had so many great teams over the decades, and it is so sad to see that division has been dying slowly for quite some time.

Maybe those at Titan Towers think that Tag Team Wrestling isn't popular anymore?

Let's not forget they have next to no knowledge of any Wrestling outside of the WWE.

It's sad.

I really hope that the WWE start investing time and effort in finding and/or creating at least 5 or 6 proper tag teams and really get the division going again. I've always been a huge fan of Tag Team Wrestling, which is a fairly big reason I watch TNA, ROH and the NWA.

Their Tag Team divisions are fantastic!

I don't see that happening though sadly.

 

[Tastycles]

On the myth of strong tagteam divisions, by Tastycles

It's a myth perpetuated amongst wrestling fans that the tag team division was ever a primary focus of anyone ever. In wrestling history, there have been two half decent tag eras with long fallow periods inbetween that have churned out the odd decent team like the Steiners and MNM. Don't believe me? Then feast your eyes on the fact laden post that follows.

The early days

As far as I'm aware, there wasn't a major national tag team championship prior to 1970, so that is where we begin our tale. The 1970s saw both the WWWF and NWA start pushing a national tag belt in earnest. Lets look at the early champions, i.e. Champions before 1984.

In total there were 65 reigns, 30 of which were from consistent long term tag teams, and thats including two different versions of the Valiants. The rest, well over half of the total, were haphazard temporary teams with very limited longevity, and occaisionally teamed for the purposes of feuding. If you take out people who eventually won singles titles, and I mean World Titles, the number falls to 23, just over a third of the total. At this point, it doesn't look good for tag team wrestling. Take out the Minnestoa Wrecking Crew, and matters would have been much, much worse.

Tagamania is running wild

Then we hit 1984 and the tag division seems great. Between 1984 and 1992, there were a total of 45 tag team reigns in NWA/WCW and WWF. Of those, a staggering, and this is staggering compared to just a few years previous, 41 of them were from consistent tag teams. Not necessarily career tag teams, but remember those previous 28 included many that weren't.

So, what happened?

They say a picture speaks a thousand words, but this one requires me to speak for it. These two men provided consistency in the main event for two different reasons in this time frame. For two very different reasons, I hasten to add.

Taking Hogan, he was a champion, yes, and a long term one, yes, but that had been done before. What was it then about the balding one that made him different. I'll tell you brother, and it's a range of reasons. It was the fact he was the first truly national touring champion. It was the fact that he was extremely charismatic and could be put in the same feud for a very long time, thus freeing up everyone else to be in a tag team and it was because he was so over that other singles matches could be shit, and people could be left in the tag division. Want proof? Bret Hart was a tag team wrestler in this period and the longest running midcard champion was the Honkey Tonk Man.

Flair is a bit more complicated. Flair held the NWA title for almost all of this period, periodically losing it to various people. But that was the thing. Flair periodically lost it, but it was always him challenging whoever picked it up. Flair was also associated with a tag team, through the 4 Horsemen throughout the majority of this time frame. What does this mean? It means tag teams could get over, because they were either fighting with or against the Champion indirectly.

So, we have so far established that between 1984 and 1992 the tag team division was considerably more independant and stronger than it was in the years prior. Now lets look at what happened next.

The wilderness years

The next period we shall look at is 1992-1999. This is different in the way it lacked a solid division, but all the while still very telling. Let's look at the figures. There was a total of 77 reigns, of which 53 were by recognized tag teams. Now, that seems like a reasonably high figure and there are two reasons for this. Firstly, WCW had a reasonably solid tag division over this time.

Secondly, and more importantly there is a second issue of longevity. Teams like the Steiners, Harlem Heat and the Nasty Boys artificially boost those figures. Of those 53 championships, there were only 11 multi time champions. The rest were largely slap dash teams with a name designed to get Marcus Bagwell over. This period is basically defined by two sets of brothers in Harlem Heat and The Steiners in WCW being good and lacklustre stars being put in tag teams elsewhere. Again, if we discount teams were one of the members eventually won a World Title, that 53 reduces to 30, which is again barely a third of all reigns.

What we saw in this period was singles stars retiring or becoming stale, and thus the tag division was used to quickly build stars into singles wrestlers. What you should take from this era is that there were proper tag teams as it were, but most of them were shortlived. Those that weren't, were totally shit and I'm looking at you The Godwinns.

The silver age of tag team wrestling

From 1999 to the invasion saw a second suprise boom in tag team wrestling. 56 out of 67 tag reigns were by teams that were together for a while and had names. The thing that probably unfairly sets this era above the others is the high quality of gimmick matches. This era, in my eyes, isn't as good as the 80s one, largely because a lot of the secondary level tag teams were alliances amongst main eventers. The longevity here was short, but the teams that lasted through the whole era were generally pretty good.

Now, the question needs to be posed here. Why was this era abundant in regular tag teams, just as it in the late 80s, but unlike the years before, and as we'll see since. The answer again is quite simple. This was a period of hotness in wrestling. Had I put the cutoff point at 1996, this would have been even more pronounced, but the point is still illustrated. At this time there were across both companies obvious and hugely popular main eventers.

What does that mean? It means you keep teams together and you can keep wrestlers in them. Edge didn't need to be on his own because The Rock was there. Mark Jindrak didn't need to be a midcarder because Scott Hall was there. The repurcussions are endless.

For the sake of posterity, I shall do the era from the beginning of the Invasion until the present, but you should by now see what my conclusion is going to be.

Modern times

The figures for the modern times involve both WWE tag championships until they were reunited, and the WCW reigns under the WWE banner. The number of reigns was 90 (counting Edge/Jericho and Jerishow as 1 each). Of those 90, 49 were won by regular teams, which is about half, and which is what we should expect given the fact we aren't in a boom period.

The TNA way

In a moment I'll present my conclusions, but first I want to address a point made by many that TNA has somehow developed a strong tag team division. To those people I ask when was the last time you saw a tag championship programme without either Beer Money or Dudleys involved somewhere?

I've given figures elsewhere, so it's only fair I should here. In TNA's history only three championship winning teams have stayed together for 3 or more years - AMW, LAX and 3D. In the same period, the WWE has had the same amount, funnily enough - The Dudleys, London and Kendrick and The APA. There's a few others that were very close to it too on both sides, suggesting that 2 years is about right as a cutoff point.

Conclusions

What we can conclude is the following.

Premise 1. Tag team divisions are only independant and strong when there is a strong and small main event.

Premise 2. For the largest proportion of wrestling history, tag team divisions have been around one third full of genuine tag teams.

Premise 3. Occaisionally there will be a popular long term team within these troughs, but they are few and far between.

Premise 4. A typical tag team lasts around 2 years in the modern age of TV exposure in televised companies.

So, for the WWE's tag division to be close to death, and not in the general cycle of tag team wrestling, it must be failing to meet these premises. Is it? Let us see...

[ Tag team divisions are only independant and strong when there is a strong and small main event.

There is not currently a strong main event, the viewing figures tell us that, so we cannot expect a strong independant tag division.

For the largest proportion of wrestling history, tag team divisions have been around half full of genuine tag teams, and the rest is haphazard.

We have six major teams in the company when you think about it: Legacy, Hart Dynasty, DX, Jerishow, Cryme Tyme, MVP/Henry

3/6 = One half.

Occaisionally there will be a popular long term team within these troughs, but they are few and far between.

Cryme Tyme comes out to a big pop. Deuce and Domino come out to a silent crowd

I even put occaisional, and there's no denying that the fans like Cryme Tyme.

A typical tag team lasts around 2 years in the modern age of TV exposure in televised companies.

Ryder and Hawkins, Miz and Morrison, Cade and Murdoch, Deuce 'n' Domino, Jesse and Festus

All of whom lasted around 2 years...


So basically, what we have shown is that the current state of affairs is what you should expect from tag team wrestling and basically people are guilty of looking at the past with rose tinted spectacles. Ric Flair and Greg Valentine were a team a hell of a long time before Jerishow, and this problem, if you see it as that, is as fundamental to wrestling as making big charismatic guys world heavyweight champions.