Some might think that tag team wrestling is something of a lost art in today’s WWE. In some ways it is difficult to disagree with that notion, considering the belts often find themselves relegated to pre-show matches and have champions who do not win too many matches, such as The Revival or Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder for instance. However, this hasn’t always been the case. In fact, tag teams used to be extremely important drawing cards for the promotion.
The Tag Team champions routinely headlined house shows for WWE back in the 1980s such was the drawing power of these well booked tandems.
The WWE Hall of Fame is reflective of that history and currently boasts 16 tag teams and stables as part of their ranks.
They are:
The Valiant Brothers inducted in 1996
The Blackjacks inducted in 2006
The Wild Samoans inducted in 2007
The Brisco Brothers inducted in 2008
The Funks inducted in 2009
The Von Erichs inducted in 2009
The Road Warriors inducted in 2011
The Four Horseman inducted in 2012
The Bushwhackers inducted in 2015
The Fabulous Freebirds inducted in 2016
The Rock n Roll Express inducted in 2017
The Dudley Boyz inducted in 2018
The Hart Foundation inducted in 2019
Harlem Heat inducted in 2019
D-Generation X including The New Age Outlaws inducted in 2019
Although that list may seem comprehensive, there are many more teams deserving of a spot in WWE’s Hall of Fame.
This slideshow looks at five such teams.
Let us know if you agree or not, or if we have missed some teams in the comments section below!
#5 The Midnight Express
The Midnight Express deserve to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Not the 1998 version in WWE which consisted of Hardcore Holly and Bart Gunn, but the famed version that lit up the AWA, World Class Championship Wrestling, the NWA and others throughout the 1980s.
Their most famous opponents, The Rock n Roll Express were enshrined in 2017, ironically enough inducted by the Midnight Express’s manager, Jim Cornette.
The Midnight Express initially comprised of Dennis Condrey, Randy Rose and Norvell Austin in the regional promotion, Southeast Championship Wrestling before finding true fame in 1983 in WCCW, with Condrey and new member, Bobby Eaton competing under the name.
It was during this period that they first began feuding with The Rock n Roll Express, a team which they were still competing against on wrestling cards with over three decades later, such was the appeal of the diametrically opposed teams and their hitherto unseen before chemistry.
Cornette’s charges have had a few different make ups of members over the years, with Stan Lane being part of another famous incarnation in the NWA in 1989 with Eaton.
However, no matter who were the members, the Midnight Express was a legendary tandem that stood the test of time, except when Bart Gunn and Bob Holly utilised the name of course.
They will be inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame no doubt, but when?
#4 The Fabulous Kangaroos
Unknown to many modern WWE fans, The Fabulous Kangaroos were a very famous and talented act that graced WWE rings when the company was known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation, back in the 1950s and 1960s.
At that time, WWE’s premier Tag Team titles were the United States Tag Team Championships, which the Kangaroo’s held on three occasions. Their longest reign, which lasted a massive 409 days, began when they defeated the team of Johnny Valentine and Buddy Rogers and finally ended when they dropped the belts to Valentine and his new partner, Bob Ellis.
The Kangaroos were enshrined into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003, but are conspicuous by their absence in the WWE Hall of Fame.
Might they find themselves as part of the Legacy class in 2020? They would definitely warrant a spot.
#3 Demolition
Demolition are probably the most overdue tag team for induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, considering their celebrated 1987-1991 run in WWE is still widely remembered among the WWE Universe.
For good reason too. There second reign lasted a record breaking 478 days. It was a record that stood until 2016 when The New Day surpassed it.
The act was created as WWE’s version of the NWA’s premier tag team, The Road Warriors (later The Legion of Doom) in WWE.
However, Demolition, grew from much more than a copycat act and became a hugely over, effective tandem in their own right.
They dominated the division and contested famous matches with the likes of The Hart Foundation, The Killer Bees, The British Bulldogs and LOD, when they joined WWE in summer 1990.
Demolition are currently on the outs with the company that made them famous as they are part of a concussion lawsuit against the company.
Until that is resolved, don’t expect Demolition to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
#2 The Steiner Brothers
Rick and Scott Steiner were famed amateur wrestlers from The University of Michigan.
The Steiners tenure in WWE as a tag team was short. They spent just 18 months in the promotion between 1992-1994. They did capture the World Tag Team Championships on two occasions, however they are best remembered for their rewarding runs in WCW between 1988-1992 and 1994-1998.
They split as a team at Superbrawl VIII in February 1998 and went solo. Scott returned to WWE as a single act for an unmemorable run between 2002-04.
The brothers were an amazingly powerful and athletic tandem during their peak years between 1990 and 1996 and had exciting contests with the likes of Hall of Fame teams such as the Four Horsemen and Harlem Heat, amongst others.
Scott’s Frankensteiner finisher was revolutionary for it’s time, unlike anything ever seen in wrestling.
Strangely, the Steiner brothers are rarely mentioned on WWE television these days but no doubt, there are few tandems more deserving of induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.
#1 Edge and Christian
Edge and Christian must be leading contenders to be the tag team inducted into the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame.
Edge was inducted as a solo act back in 2012 after he had been forced into early retirement due to a devastating career ending neck injury.
That was a deserved enshrinement as Edge had a fantastic solo career from 2001 to 2011, particularly fro, 2005 onwards when he created the Rated R superstar character that propelled him to permanent main event status.
Prior to his solo run, Edge achieved superstardom in WWE with his storyline brother, later retconned to his best friend, Christian. Originally formed in late 1998 as part of Gangrel’s feud, Edge and Christian later revolutionised tag team wrestling in the west with their Tables, Ladders and later TLC matches with the Hardy Boyz and Dudley Boyz.
Their Triangle Ladder match at Wrestlemania 2000 and TLC contests at Summerslam 2000 and Wrestlemania X-7 bouts were three of the greatest tag team matches ever held. Edge and Christian solidified their status as WWE’s premier tag team of the 2000-2001 period by winning all three of those stunt filled masterpieces.
No team in WWE history is more deserving of the Hall of Fame honour.
0 votes
