Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel: International Airstrike

[Jack-Hammer]

According to a report from PWInsider.com, Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel have reportedly named their tag team International Airstrike.

I'd just go with Airstrike personally, but I like it overall. Both men are from foreign countries seperated by thousands of miles and both men are agile high flyers with a high energy offense.

The only problem now is that both men need to actually be featured on Raw & SmackDown! instead of being almost exclusively relegated to Superstars and NXT. I've seen some of their matches on Superstars and they're a fun team to watch. Neither is especially big on charisma at this point in time, but they're still entertaining to watch inside the ring.

If it's true that this is their name, hopefully they'll actually be featured on WWE television.

 

[FlexAmerican Dynamite]

The sudden bump in tag teams has me really hoping for Tag Team Turmoil come NOC. No particular tag team is my favorite but I'm glad to see they are at least trying again. Now my thoughts on Kidd/Gabriel personally is I think they have potential, thought the only time I've seen them in action was the Mania pre-show tag title match. The name is okay but just like you said it should only be AirStrike. I think once Kofi/Truth lose the belts they'll become the main faces of the tag division.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

It will probably be shortened to Airstrike eventually. Long names tend not to go over well. I like Kidd's in ring work, and Gabriel is a competent high flyer, and both have experience in tag teams, so if Gabriel can stay healthy this go round then I think they can make some noise.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Ditto on the name being too long. Airstrike rolls of the tounge much easier. I am hopeful that they can put on some entertaining matches with the other established teams. I don't need backstory in the tag world, just each team wanting to wear the gold (or bronze or pewter or copper or whatever that belt is made out of). If this team can gel and maybe get a powerful, recognizable theme they could play the role of hype men to warm up the audience at the beginning of a show similar to the way the Hardys used to do it.

Regardless of all that, I want more Rosa on my TV.

 

[IHW]

I think Tyson Kidd could have been a successful singles wrestler. Around MITB, Kidd was picking up some good wins here and there. Thats the only problem I have with this team. I want to see Tyson successfully alone.

But, the two will no doubt add to the tag team division. The need is there, and the appeal is there. I'm ready to see where they'll go.

 

[Jessie Lynn DivaGirl]

Both men can do fantastic in single's competition as we've seen in the past, but it's a solid argument that they do better in a tag team. I like watching these guys as a team and if WWE yanks Truth and Kofi from the title picture, these two should be at the very top of the list for a shot at it off of whoever gets it. Their team is too good to be forever trapped in Superstars and NXT. I really hope with this name they will finally be regonized as a soild team and used on TV.

But International Airstrike? Really?

 

[Dagger Dias]

That's an interesting name. I'd predict it will end up getting shortened to just Airstrike. My only real problem with it is that it comes off as a little unoriginal.... It sounds an awful lot like Air Boom, and we already have Air Truth (unofficial name) so this will be the third "Air" team. They could have come up with something better, but things could be worse. The team getting a name is a good sign. I hope they do get some time onscreen. Why name the team and make a big deal about the name change if nothing is going to change as a result of it?

If it leads to a push onscreen for them then I would be very interested in seeing how it plays out. Feuds with the PTP as well as Air Truth are very possible. Perhaps the tag team division will finally get better again. I anticipate finding out what International Airstrike will bring to the table, even if they could have come up with a shorter name that also doesn't have the word "Air" in it. It's better than having no name and not being onscreen, though, that's for sure.

 

[Ethelion]

I guess I'll be the first poster in this forum who isn't down with their team name. It feels forced, especially since they've been randomly paired together with absolutely no history as to how and why they got together. But I agree with Jack-Hammer on them being featured more on Raw and Smackdown if the WWE really wants to promote this team. I can't even remember seeing them together on TV.

Personally though, I'm not a fan of Team Gabriel-Kidd. I never found Kidd interesting, but I like Gabriel. I would rather have Gabriel reunite with Slater again since they already have a history together and they already have great chemistry. They WERE Three-Time WWE Tag Team Champions together, unlike Kidd, who only had one lousy reign with David Hart Smith, the guy who I believe SHOULD have stayed, NOT Kidd, but that's a different story.

 

[Rulk25]

Ugg bad Name this has a chance to really blow up in the WWE face in Muhammed Hassan fashion.....Imagine if some Airstrike goes wrong and kills civilians in Fill in the Blank Country just after they win the tag titles

But yeah I hope we do see a Turmoil with Usos, PTP, Colons, IA, Air Truth and Ascension and someone...anyone take the titles off the pretender tag team

 

[HBsam31]

I agree that the name is to long, but I like the idea of the team. I think Airstrike would be fine. At this point I feel that the addition of any teams is a good thing for the division. Now all they need to do is feature the two on Raw and Smackdown, and another piece to the tag team puzzle could be solved. I think a few more teams that actually get some tv time will go a long way to getting the division noticed again.

 

[yellowdog22]

International Air Strike is a good idea from a different generation. To me it sounds like an updated version of "Strike Force" and I think what they need to capture in their name is not so much their international flair as that tends to be a heel thing in wrestling. No, this team could definitely be more of an updated version of "The Thrill Seekers" (if you haven't seen The Thrill Seekers Rock America - check it out on youtube. It's from Smokey Wrestling and I can't imagine how much money was wasted on it... but I digress.)

One idea I have for the team name is "Generation Thrill" invoking that they are going to thrill us in the ring. If they are willing to be workhorses and be high spot machines, I'd advise them to use this name or "Team Airstrike (if they are hell bent on using that name.)

Another possible name would be "The Transcendents." They can talk about representing the people who came before them and the fact that they are willing to dare to be great. It has a lot of different ways it can be looked up and used.

 

[Giddy]

I really like this team, kinda like a modern day Rockers- very innovative and highflying in the ring, high energy, can get the crowd going. I agree, I think just "Airstrike" would've been better, but the fact that they have a name is great, as it means WWE is behind them. Hopefully they can do big things.

 

[sanefan_har]

Screw the name, just use them properly. Use them instead of video recaps. Continuous tag team action involving legit tag teams on NXT, Superstars and Raw/Smackdown is vital for the revival of the division.

Airstrike would've been fine. Though its yet another team that uses the word "Air" in their name. I hope they don't go on a trend of using the next element of survival, water. Imagine teams with names like Waves of Doom, Aquatic Ambience, etc.... lol....

 

[zephyrs]

It's not a name that rolls off the tongue.

Too bad Apollo 55 is taken. I think something similar to that would have been great. The name conjures thoughts of the NASA moon missions, and it doesn't get much more high flying than that. Their entrance music could have started with, "Houston, we have lift off" or something. It would've been good and sounds much better than the current name.

International Airstrike just seems long, clunky, and doesn't roll of the tongue. And Airstrike by itself is bland.

Of course, all of this team name stuff won't matter if they can get over, and if WWE lets them get over.

I don't really follow WWE much right now, but if they haven't already, WWE needs to really push that these two are a team. Give them new a new entrance song and everything.

And am I the only one that hates how WWE forms these tag teams, and then most of the time the guys are working singles matches?

 

[HeenanGorilla]

International Air Strike is a good idea from a different generation. To me it sounds like an updated version of "Strike Force" and I think what they need to capture in their name is not so much their international flair as that tends to be a heel thing in wrestling. No, this team could definitely be more of an updated version of "The Thrill Seekers" (if you haven't seen The Thrill Seekers Rock America - check it out on youtube. It's from Smokey Wrestling and I can't imagine how much money was wasted on it... but I digress.)

One idea I have for the team name is "Generation Thrill" invoking that they are going to thrill us in the ring. If they are willing to be workhorses and be high spot machines, I'd advise them to use this name or "Team Airstrike (if they are hell bent on using that name.)

Another possible name would be "The Transcendents." They can talk about representing the people who came before them and the fact that they are willing to dare to be great. It has a lot of different ways it can be looked up and used.

I don't want this to seem like I am bashing you; but, these names seem to be kind of deep for wrestling tag teams. I'm thinking of the tag team era of the 80s. Killer Bees = Both names started with B and they wore yellow/black stripes. Hart Foundation = names had Hart in them British Bulldogs = From Britain / had a bulldog Islanders = from the islands. haha...simple, catchy, colorful names. Transcendents just doesn't do it....but again, not bashing you. I just see the crap the TT division has become and think simplicity---not to the ridiculous level of naming every tag team Joe and Steve or Tom and Luke---but simple names people can follow and have fun with will work better.

 

[The Architect of Anarchy]

I'm use going to generalise my point towards the whole tag team division. What would you think if they built good superstars, put them over in singles division. Once they look great, why not bring that momentum into a tag team?

Look at air boom or what so. Both Kofi and Truth add only a little sparkle to the tag team titles. That's because they haven't been built properly in terms of feuds as solo artists. For example, Truth only main evented capitol punishment - lost in a triple threat. However, you had Survivor Series. You could have had him win with miz against Cena and Rock by cheating. By cheating, I mean Rock takes out Cena, thus Truth getting the pin. If events somehow unfolded similar to that - Rock and Cena could have added more heat to their feud and R Truth would have looked great coming back from the main event.

These things make a tag team a whole lot better. Put Jack swagger and a young guy into a tag team. And see what happens?!