The "Put Together" Tag Teams

[CM Steel]

I'm glad that the WWE is doing SOMETHING with there weak tag team division. Tag team wrestling matters in the WWE going back to the days of the Hart Foundation of the WWF. But what's up with all these "put together" tag teams from over the past three years? I can name a few...

-MVP & Mark Henry
-Matt Hardy & The Great Khali
-Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne (Current WWE tag team champions)
-The Big Show & Kane
-Cody Rhodes & Drew McIntrye
-R-Truth & The Miz
-Jack Swagger & Dolph Ziggler (Current #1 contenders)
-Edge & Randy Orton (Rated RKO)

I'm getting tired now.

When will the WWE make legit tag teams again like how they got the Uso's over on the Smackdown brand? But the tag team of the JeriShow worked well for a while. Two certified main events keeping the WWE tag team division alive putting their personal single's projects to the side for then just to do so.

But when will see real tag teams back in the WWE in their dying tag division??

 

[The Suplexer Perfecter]

Jerishow was just as much as a put together tag team as the rest. There was no tag division for them.

You'll see real tag teams only if they care to bother to make a tag division.

 

[trashboy]

Really? So you think to be a "legit" tag team, they must come into the company like the Usos.. be related or best friends?? Tag teams can still work even if they're just thrown together.. look at TNA's tag teams, Beer Money were just two guys thrown together but it worked really well.. I'd say even the ones you mentioned worked, they may not have lasted long but they were cool together.. I loved Rated RKO, I thought Henry and MVP were good together, even Kofi and Bourne, and Truth and Miz are working well right now.. nothing wrong with being thrown together.. sure sometimes it makes no sense and doesn't work like Matt Hardy and Khali..

hell, even DX were thrown together.. i know HBK and HHH are best friends in real life but if i'm not mistaken, i believe, storyline wise, they were both forced to team together in a tag match and shortly after DX was born..

but I do hope the tag division can really take off again.. i'm a huge fan of tag team wrestling.. it annoys me when WWE breaks up every tag team they've had.. Deuce N Domino, Cryme Tyme, Hart Dynasty.. they could have just stuck around and helped out the dying division.. hopefully it does pick up again

 

[keehlnate]

when you say 'real' or 'legit' tag teams I bet you mean that they come into the company at the same time, with a team name, wearing the same outfits and perhaps using the same styles? I don't believe that is necessary. And that actually sucks.

I find these 'real' and 'legit' teams that your are talking about pretty boring. Yes boring. They don't have a personality of their own. Just like the Hart Dynasty. Just like The Usos. Just like Cryme Tyme. They can't live without the other one.

On the other hand, this so called 'put-on' tag teams are actually much more interesting. Awesome Truth. Ziggler and Swagger. Air Boom. They are not boring unlike these 'real' and 'legit' tag teams.

 

[TempestH]

when you say 'real' or 'legit' tag teams I bet you mean that they come into the company at the same time, with a team name, wearing the same outfits and perhaps using the same styles? I don't believe that is necessary. And that actually sucks.

I find these 'real' and 'legit' teams that your are talking about pretty boring. Yes boring. They don't have a personality of their own. Just like the Hart Dynasty. Just like The Usos. Just like Cryme Tyme. They can't live without the other one.

On the other hand, this so called 'put-on' tag teams are actually much more interesting. Awesome Truth. Ziggler and Swagger. Air Boom. They are not boring unlike these 'real' and 'legit' tag teams.

But once some of those real teams actually do develop their own personalities they can be reunited by being "thrown together" rather than throwing them into a new pairing that doesn't appeal as much. For example, I would've much rather seen Dashing Cody Rhodes be paired with the Fortunate Son Ted DiBiase than be paired with Drew McIntyre.

Also, Zack Ryder's WWWYKI catchphrase was initially conceived when he was still teaming with Curt Hawkins.

One other thing I'd like to add, breaking up a tag team to give them a singles push is a waste of time. They're only going to be competing in tag matches anyway, Holla holla.

 

[berlinbrawler]

I don't think tag teams the way they used to be will ever come back. Things just don't work that way any more in today's fast-paced monopolized WWE world. Best to make peace with the whole "put together" thing.

They are doing something right with Bourne and Kingston. Team name - check, team outfit - check, team music - check. That's already more thought than they put in most tag teams of the last 10+ years. In my opinion they could do a little more synchronized moves and poses, but that's just me. There is an argument to be made that that would be just awfully cheesy...

And the belts aren't changing at every single PPV (and sometimes once or twice in between), so that's good, too.

What is needed now is MORE "put together" tag teams. The Awful Truth are doing great so far and should pick up on the tag title hunt soon enough. So that's Air Boom, Awful Truth and the Usos. Not enough. More please.

Matt Hardy & The Great Khali

Really??? I don't remember that. My brain must block out that memory in order to prevent serious damage. Lucky me.

 

[mdj2010]

Tag Teams can work when they are just thrown together. But, they have to be put together with some idea in mind, not just with the excuse of 'creative has nothing for you.' Show and Jericho worked for the same reason Show and Miz worked - performers who can bounce off of each other on the mic, the same we are seeing right now with Miz and R-Truth. However, I agree. When you look at the current tag team champs, where is their synogy? Apart from the link of being high-flyers', they are as bland as can be.
Personally, i miss the day when you had teams who dressed alike. i know it sounds meaningless, but it really isn't. It was an easy sell and what it sold was the immediate acknowldgement of them being a combine unit: The Road Warriors, Hart Foundation, Rockers, Natural Disasters, Bushwackers, Demolition, The Powers of Pain - all clearly two men acting as one machine.
When they put two single wrestlers side by side with no link, that is exactly what I see. Especially when they clearly have no understanding of the psychology of tag team wrestling, and why should they? Let's face it, if the company doesn;t care about the tag team division, their aim will be to get their way out of that situation a.s.a.p and back into the singles division.

 

[akrassikauda]

Why has everyone left out Strike Force. Talk about put together tag teams Tito Santana and Rick Martel. They got over with the crowd as a put together tag team. The break up at Wrestlemania was a shock. Which brings me to this question since most of the IWC believes Air Boom will have a similar fate who plays the role of Rick Martel. It seems when put together tag teams break up someone plays the role of Rick Martel. Miz&Morrison?

 

[Viggo]

I don't think we'll see 80's era tag team wrestling anytime soon either. The Perfect Suplexer is correct; there won't be a big tag team division until WWE creative gets a clue and decides to create one. Guarantee at least 20 minutes of Raw and Smackdown be devoted to the tag division, and I think some of the younger talent would give more thought to teaming up on a long term basis. There needs to be at least six teams that are devoted exclusively to tag-teaming to make the division viable.

I'd also like to bring up another difference betwen tag-team matches now opposed to the 80's and early 90s. Tag wrestling now is much briefer and more formulaic. Rarely do I see a tag match that goes beyond one commercial break. Also, the matches always seem to end the same way. The ring fills with both teams, the non-legal men throw each other to the outside, one of the legal men pulls a big reversal or hits their finisher, and the match is over. It happens almost EVERY match. It's tedious. WWE should change the rules for tag matches. Interrupting a pinfall or interference by a non-legal man should result in an immediate DQ. This would force the wrestlers to be more creative with how they pace and end the match.

 

[Remy LaCroix]

I'm glad that the WWE is doing SOMETHING with there weak tag team division. Tag team wrestling matters in the WWE going back to the days of the Hart Foundation of the WWF. But what's up with all these "put together" tag teams from over the past three years? I can name a few...

-MVP & Mark Henry
-Matt Hardy & The Great Khali
-Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne (Current WWE tag team champions)
-The Big Show & Kane
-Cody Rhodes & Drew McIntrye
-R-Truth & The Miz
-Jack Swagger & Dolph Ziggler (Current #1 contenders)
-Edge & Randy Orton (Rated RKO)

I'm getting tired now.

When will the WWE make legit tag teams again like how they got the Uso's over on the Smackdown brand? But the tag team of the JeriShow worked well for a while. Two certified main events keeping the WWE tag team division alive putting their personal single's projects to the side for then just to do so.

But when will see real tag teams back in the WWE in their dying tag division??

I don't recall Matt Hardy and The Great Khali teaming up, so that's a crappy example that goes out the window, along with your credibility.

Is this some sort of oxymoron? What the hell is a real tag team? You just contradicted yourself by saying JeriShow worked well, when they were clearly a "put together" tag team. If you're trying to troll, try harder. You need to get out of Oaksterdam and get some fresh air before making another thread.

 

[IHW]

I think a "legit" tag team is a team that we as fans can see staying together for multiple years.

Example, Beer Money.
Guess what... they were put together, but now they are recognized as a legit TT.

None of the tag team in the WWE are legit to me, except for The Usos.

The other three, Air Boom, Awesome Truth, and Vickies Stable will not last together much longer.

I still dont see why WWE would break up teams like Cryme Tyme and The Hart Foundation (Kidd, Smith, Natalya.) It makes no ince to me, look where those members are today, Two are Fired and Two are lucky to get on Superstars or NXT.

"Real Tag Teams" will take time to get back i the WWE.

 

[The_Reptile_]

Seriously, somebody please explain to me why everyone thinks Air Boom's going to break up soon. There's no reason for it. Ziggler and Swagger aren't so much tag partners as they are two guys in the same stable (That admittedly just consists of them two), and Miz and Truth are tagging because the angle their in permits it. While Kofi and Evan were just put together, WWE has done everything in there power to build them as a legit long term tag team. Same outfit, tag team moves, their own theme music.

And even then, what would happen if they did break up? Kofi goes back to languishing in the mid card, get the US and IC titles another couple of hundred times and put on above average to good matches but nothing show stealing. Evan heads right back to the jobber heap. This is the most relevant thing they've done in years and if I were them I'd try and keep this going for as long as possible.

 

[Skairipa Matrix]

I'm glad that the WWE is doing SOMETHING with there weak tag team division. Tag team wrestling matters in the WWE going back to the days of the Hart Foundation of the WWF. But what's up with all these "put together" tag teams from over the past three years? I can name a few...

-MVP & Mark Henry
-Matt Hardy & The Great Khali
-Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne (Current WWE tag team champions)
-The Big Show & Kane
-Cody Rhodes & Drew McIntrye
-R-Truth & The Miz
-Jack Swagger & Dolph Ziggler (Current #1 contenders)
-Edge & Randy Orton (Rated RKO)

I'm getting tired now.

When will the WWE make legit tag teams again like how they got the Uso's over on the Smackdown brand? But the tag team of the JeriShow worked well for a while. Two certified main events keeping the WWE tag team division alive putting their personal single's projects to the side for then just to do so.

But when will see real tag teams back in the WWE in their dying tag division??

wait so this thread your basically saying the teams you listed above arent good teams and they didnt work as a team and some of them did work pretty good together Rated RKO,The Awesome Truth work great together and there good teams also mvp & mark henry matched up good with showmiz for their fued as their was a power house to match show and mvp matched up with miz good...and then you say show & kane? dude they made a good team when their first started teaming up it was a dominant monster tag team and thats always fun to watch imo im shocked you didnt bring up jerishow,mizshow and london & kendrick as "random thrown together teams"

 

[CM Steel]

wait so this thread your basically saying the teams you listed above arent good teams and they didnt work as a team and some of them did work pretty good together Rated RKO,The Awesome Truth work great together and there good teams also mvp & mark henry matched up good with showmiz for their fued as their was a power house to match show and mvp matched up with miz good...and then you say show & kane? dude they made a good team when their first started teaming up it was a dominant monster tag team and thats always fun to watch imo im shocked you didnt bring up jerishow,mizshow and london & kendrick as "random thrown together teams"

Did you atlease read ALL OF THE THREAD? I did bring up the JeriShow! They had a good run with the title's. And I'm not saying that those tagteams that I've named weren't good. They were just thrown together for dumb reason's. London & Kendrick were a cute little tag team that I really liked and enjoyed. Now why can't we have tag teams like that anymore? Tell me that much neverendingnightmare??

 

[The Suplexer Perfecter]

Really? So you think to be a "legit" tag team, they must come into the company like the Usos.. be related or best friends?? Tag teams can still work even if they're just thrown together.. look at TNA's tag teams, Beer Money were just two guys thrown together but it worked really well.. I'd say even the ones you mentioned worked, they may not have lasted long but they were cool together.. I loved Rated RKO, I thought Henry and MVP were good together, even Kofi and Bourne, and Truth and Miz are working well right now.. nothing wrong with being thrown together.. sure sometimes it makes no sense and doesn't work like Matt Hardy and Khali..

hell, even DX were thrown together.. i know HBK and HHH are best friends in real life but if i'm not mistaken, i believe, storyline wise, they were both forced to team together in a tag match and shortly after DX was born..

but I do hope the tag division can really take off again.. i'm a huge fan of tag team wrestling.. it annoys me when WWE breaks up every tag team they've had.. Deuce N Domino, Cryme Tyme, Hart Dynasty.. they could have just stuck around and helped out the dying division.. hopefully it does pick up again

I say a legit tag team is a tag team that is not randomly put together of successful single stars, or mid card stars who are paired together for simply having nothing else to do.

DX wasn't a real tag team, it was a stable. Sure from 06-09 they were considered a "tag team", but really they were two successful singles stars put together. They really were 1/2 DX.

Historically tag teams last a long time, but all these random tag teams did not.

 

[Daniel]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with put-together tag teams as long as the fans are into them. Are you seriously going to tell me that Rated-RKO was a bad tag team because they weren't brothers? Or that Jerri-Show were somehow sub-standard because they didn't have matching attires? Both of these teams were awesome because the fans were into them so much.

Who would you rather see, a "real team" like The Hart Dynasty or a supposedly inferior "put-together" like DX? Come on, son.

 

[badnewzxl]

There's nothing wrong with putting a tag team together; WWE just needs to have enough patience to let those teams develop a rep.

Look at TNA; they're pretty damn good at it. Beer Money was just a thrown together tag team at first; now they're one of the best tag teams in the world AND through that both guys have elevated their status on the singles rankings. Shelley and Saben were solo in TNA and throughout the indies but their tag team has pushed both guys higher.

A lot of WWE's thrown together teams don't work bc they end them too quickly. Chuck & Billy got over pretty damn good bc they were given time; but then you have them drop the belts to Hogan & Edge (the most thrown together team I've ever heard of)? Rated RKO was good except they had no competition. Jerishow and Mizshow were literally thrown together for the sake of having at least one credible tag champ. Show & Kane had been tag champs before three years ago, so I wouldn't say they were just thrown together. Slater & Gabriel were damn good, but they broke up so they could turn Slater into a jobber and half ass a Gabriel face push. Kofi & Bourne are great bc they are exciting; I hope WWE doesn't butcher Air Boom. Swag and Zig I consider more like affiliates than an actual tag team and Miz & Truth should prolly get the belts before this year is over (If they really wanna help the tag div out)

 

[Notorious718]

I don't have a real problem with teams that consist of two singles wrestlers being thrown together if they have good chemistry and can provide good, watchable matches. I've got no problem with Air Boom. I'll admit, I was skeptical when they first joined the ailing tag team division but I actually enjoy them now. Also, with the tag team "revival" still seemingly about to take place and reports coming out about WWE planning to sign new tag teams to the company, these "put together" teams as you call them probably won't be as big of a deal as you think. Of course, we'll really have to wait and see.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

The idea that tag teams need to have the same sort of gimmick or character to be successful is a little closed minded. I don't care if a team is "put together" or not as long as they're able to keep me entertained and interested in what they're doing.

Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne are a "put together" tag team and they're doing just fine. Fans are behind them, they've made the tag titles actually have some degree of meaning again and they're fun to watch inside the ring. R-Truth & The Miz are a "put together" tag team and, surprisingly enough, they seem to have legitimately good chemistry and continuity. Jeri-Show was "put together" and they made fans give a damn about the tag titles even though the tag team picture in and of itself was on life support. In TNA, Beer Money was a "put together" tag team. One half of the team was a "rich heel" and the other one was a long haired, beer chugging redneck from Tennessee but they worked out just fine also.

 

[kokoBawesome]

While I appreciate the emotion behind this whole "put together" tag team situation, this isn't anything new. If you look back at the tag division from the late attitude era some of the best teams were just put together because they didn't have anything to do in the singles division.

The APA/Acolytes were a couple of leftovers that became a great tag team. Edge and Christian started as singles competitors (not long) before joining the Brood Stable. The New Age Outlaws were made of a former tag champ and a manager. Jeff Jarrett and Owen Hart had a couple of titles. I'm sure I'm missing a few.

Besides we all know Vince's go to move when he's out of ideas... make the champ and the number one contender tag champs. Hasn't this happened to Shawn and Austin, the Rock and Mankind, and a few others that I really don't feel like researching? That or give the title to Kane and the Taker.

 

[One to Remember]

I think the majority of put together teams never transition beyond "bi-singular" mode however. Put together tag teams are not good for the overall growth and stability of the division.

To correct something, anything involving Chris Jericho is legitimate because he was seeking dominance in that title picture just as he was with the I-C title for awile.

Likewise for Miz.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Miz and Truth aren't 'put together' they have singular motives.

I think a lot of you guys don't understand what "thrown together is". It's not two guys seen as singles guys teaming. Likewise a "true" tag team isn't two generic midcarders sharing a gimmick and wearing similar clothes.

As long as a team has a single motivation and that motivation is team achievment, it's a legit team and not "thrown together".

 

[hollowpoint]

A good example of "thrown together" is when Cena won the Tag Titles with HBK and then with Batista (I think). They were literally put together and just happen to win the titles. I actually like that the WWE is at least recognizing they have a tag team division. This is probably the first time in a while that the tag titles are being defended on consecutive PPVs. I'm a huge fan of Tag Team wrestling so I enjoy what's going on and don't have a problem with it. They have a couple of teams out there now going for the gold which makes it that much more interesting.

 

[jkenyon81]

the problem with wanting 80s style "teams" is that the essence of 80s teaming. they were put together to generally put over 1 of its members in the end. Strike force had Tito, Hart foundation had Brett. Rockers had Shawn. it was prepping them for singles. Now in the 2010s everything is too fast to put that much time into a tag team. stories go by in 2 months, not 16 months like those days.

Thrown together teams nowadays should have that same feel. One guy is support to the star. It's how it was successful. Not 2 stars, it gets jumbled.

I came to this thread hoping it was a "who should be thrown together to save tag wrestling threads" because that is how it will come back. I like the teams that have 2 people that seem different but together make complete sense. For example, when you team a Rich southerner with a drunkard you'd think it wouldn't work but with wordplay you get "Beer Money" (not a big tna fan but mega props of the originality there)

I would like to see Ted DeBiase Jr. team with Justin Gabriel and
call it "Flipping Rich" Ha! that would sell. guarantee it.

 

[poppycock]

Avoiding the jumping down your throat route that most seem to be taking I will say I agree and disagree with you on certain things.

I to am a huge fan of Tag Teams who look like a Team and not just two individual singles wrestlers pairing up. I don't think that theory is set in stone though and over the years many exceptions to the rule have entertained me and gone on to do great things in the Tag Team scene. I really prefer Tag Teams to be made up of two people who at that point in time have a sole target of making it as a Tag Team and not as a singles wrestler. Obviously over time things will change and many Tag Teams have produced some of the most iconic singles wrestlers in WWE history. I think having a few Jeri-Shows, Colossel Connections, Kane and X-Pac's on the roster is not a bad thing but I personally would like some more Tag Teams and not Tag Pairings. Right now I just want a Tag Team division though so anything that comes along I would welcome. I have stated in my real men wear skirts thread that I would love for the WWE to bring in some established teams like The Headbangers, Kings of Wrestling...young or old I dont really mind aslong as they are fun to watch and can start some sort of Tag Team scene whilst young WWE teams are developing.