There have been many tag teams that were successful, but didn’t get much press, or had incredible fan support but suffered from lack of corporate support. Here’s our list of the guys who were so much better than anyone gave them credit for.
10: The Pitbulls. This is the WWE version of the team, consisting of Kid Kash and Jamie Noble. Both were veterans of the squared circle. Kid Kash first cut his teeth in ECW, while Jamie Noble first started in WCW. Both are former champions, having cruiserweight, tag team, television, X-division and world championships between them. Both are beloved for being tough as nails and remarkably versatile. But Kash’s release by WWE ended it.
9: The (Self Proclaimed) World’s Greatest Tag Team of Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas are prime examples of talent wasted by the mainstream. Despite multiple runs as tag team champions and a very impressive 8 month long stint as Intercontinental champion by Benjamin, they were for the most part ignored. After being fired from Team Angle, they won and held titles, but received no fanfare. It wasn’t until they were released by WWE that they found brighter shores in ROH and received the attention they deserved.
8: Jesse and Festus were the resident redneck stereotypes of WWE with a lemon twist. With Festus’ surprising agility and Jesse’s agility and genetics (he’s Terry Gordy’s progeny) one would think they’d be fine. But no, despite several entertaining segments, vignettes hyping their debut, and solid ring work, they faded away. Festus’ last claim to fame was working as Luke Gallows in CM Punk’s SES.
7: Deuce n Domino had a fun gimmick in an age of anti-heroes. Taking their cues from 50s greasers, they cruised into the arena in a classic hot rod with doo-wop playing. They were the epitome of The Fonz knockoffs. They also happened to be hard hitters and backed up their attitude. One would think that Deuce’s lineage would come in handy, being the son of Jimmy Snuka. However, despite a reign as tag champs, they soon split and parted ways from WWE.
6: The Highlanders were like the Bushwhackers on a bad day with a Scottish theme. Tough as nails and unpredictable to boot. They were known for their questionable hygiene and their unquestionable toughness. They were certainly a hit with the kids, always a prime target audience. Even as hells they had a good thing going. But they were seemingly too “different†for WWE.
5: The only ECW team making the list, the bWo has had an interesting history. Despite having never held a title, they remained remarkably popular. With Blue Meanie’s bulk and agility, Nova’s surprising mat skills, and Big Stevie Cool’s solid super kick, they had no need for belts. They just wanted to have fun. And the crowds ate it up.
4: The Bashams were fairly simplistic, which was just fine. Blunt, cocky, and identical, they were a force to be reckoned with. As members of JBL’s Cabinet, they briefly held the tag team titles. After leaving the Cabinet, they could have easily continued on to greater heights as a team or possibly used their twin nature to their advantage in singles title matches. Sadly, the Draft Lottery broke them apart.
3: Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch were multiple time tag team champions, as well as each being solid singles competitors. Cade especially was trained by HBK himself. Between Murdoch’s brawling and Cade’s pure athleticism, they could fight on the ground and in the air. Not to mention Murdoch’s fabulous singing voice.
2: The Naturals, Chase Stevens and Andy Douglas. Quite possibly one of the most fitting monikers on here. They were both natural athletes with excellent conditioning and mat wrestling. Having held the NWA-TNA tag team titles 3 times, their only missing link was some sort of character. They were stuck at mid-card level simply for being generic looking. Even after being taken under the wing of Shane Douglas himself, they just couldn’t find their niche.
1: The Diamonds in the Rough. Easily the most unique team name on this list. With Skipper’s unbelievable agility and athleticism combined with Young’s raw, fire hydrant-like power, they had all the tools. Add in Simon Diamond’s veteran teaching and charisma, it would seem to be the perfect winning combination. Skipper had already held 4 NWA-TNA tag titles, not to mention the cruiserweight and cruiserweight tag title in WCW. Despite a decent start, they soon fizzled out, and were split, and released.
Leave a Reply