EOTR Tag Team Tuesdays: 5 Classic RAW Tag Team Matches

By @TrueGodImmortal

Raw 25 is a week away and many of us are excited I'm sure. With that in mind, I wanted to briefly take a look at 5 matches that were classic during the history of RAW. RAW has had some amazing matches and the list is extensive, but these 5 choices are some of the absolute best. Let's get into it.

*TLC 4
(Kane vs Bubba Ray Dudley and Spike Dudley vs Christian and Chris Jericho vs Jeff Hardy and Rob Van Dam)

-When we look back at this match, there is a lot to discuss. For one, Kane was without his partner The Hurricane. Two, this match features three men who took part in the first three TLC matches, but with new partners. Three, this was a part of the Raw Roulette that went down, so this match was a special treat. The spots were well executed and the crowd was live for this one, as each team attempted to walk away with the RAW tag team championships, but only one man was left standing: Kane. That's right. TLC 4 ends with Kane defeating the other 3 teams to hold onto the tag titles. Of the era of RAW that many people disliked (2002-2003), this was a definite highlight.

*Owen Hart and British Bulldog vs Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin
(May 1997)

-This match is one of the greatest tag matches in the history of the show, but it is a stand-alone classic as well. Owen and Bulldog were the tag team champions and Austin and HBK were a makeshift team that many didn't expect to work well. This match took place on my birthday, and I remember watching this live. I was excited to see Austin and Shawn team up and what we would get is an amazing match between four men who were at the top of their game. The whole aspect of the Hart Foundation being involved and Bret Hart in the wheelchair during the match was great and the moment that HBK hit the Sweet Chin Music and the three count was made, the crowd erupted for a legendary RAW moment. The beginning, the end, and the aftermath of this match is truly classic.

*Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H vs Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit
(May 2001)

-One of the toughest matches to revisit for multiple reasons, this is the greatest match in RAW history IMO. It is not only the greatest match in RAW history, but in terms of tag team matches, it might be top 3 of all time. Benoit and Jericho were hitting their primes in the ring and Austin was in the middle of his greatest year in the ring while Triple H was still at the top of his game. Through 20 minutes of intense action, it seemed as if neither team would budge. Unfortunately, following Triple H suffering his quad injury, the match would end soon after, with Benoit and Jericho picking up the victory. Truthfully, I wish the Triple H injury never happened, as I believe we could have seen 2 to 3 more minutes of this legendary bout.

*Stone Cold Steve Austin And The Rock vs Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Hulk Hogan
(March 2002)

-The NWO was a force to be reckoned with. Austin and Rock had teamed before, but they had never seen a force like the NWO. With Nash, Hogan, and Hall going against Austin and Rock, two of the greatest ever were at a disadvantage, but they held their own for most of the match. The action was just electric, as seeing Hogan and Austin do battle, Rock and Nash, as well as Austin and Nash was a lot of fun and with Hogan vs Rock on the horizon, the finish would likely be tied into that match and sure enough, Hogan would pick up the 1-2-3 over Rock in this battle. This is still one of my favorite matches on RAW and a true dream match at that. 

*Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, and Edge vs Evolution
(August 2004)

-A slept on match (and I think the elimination match between the teams a few months prior was just as good), this showed the volatile battles that these men would have and how the end of Evolution was fast approaching. With Edge and Orton coming off their match for the IC Title, and Benoit getting ready for his battle at Summerslam with Orton, this match was intense and would set the tone for what was to come. From Flair and Benoit trading chops to Batista imposing his will and strength, as well as Jericho adding his element of speed and skill, this match had it all. Orton picks up the win for his team after the RKO on Benoit.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 2:07 AM  No comment

EOTR Tag Team Tuesdays: The Dudley Boyz vs Edge And Christian vs The Hardy Boyz

By @TrueGodImmortal

As the year 2000 began, the WWF Tag Team scene was amazing with three teams at the top of the ladder, figuratively and literally. After a tough ladder match between The Hardy Boyz and Edge & Christian at No Mercy 1999 and a big battle between The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz in a table match at Royal Rumble 2000, the road would lead to one road and one road only: A triple threat tag title match. As a result of those two previous matches, we would see these three teams embark on a journey that would lead them to four matches over a year's time, involving a ladder and sometimes, tables and chairs. Today, I wanted to take a look back at the feud between these three teams, but only the matches that feature all three teams and take place under special circumstances. Intrigued? You should be. Let's take a look.

*Wrestlemania 2000
Triple Threat Ladder Match 

-This is my favorite match between the three teams. Essentially, it set the tone for the future, as these teams put everything on the line to come away with the tag team titles. Originally billed as a ladder match, these teams would bring out the tables and chairs to make an impact and the result would turn out to be a true classic. What made this match so exciting was that it felt fresh, and there was no shortage of high impact moves throughout. While I was rooting for the Dudley Boyz to win, a precedent for their feud was set when Edge and Christian walked away with a victory and the titles draped over their shoulders. If I had to rate this match on a scale of 1 to 10, this gets no less than a 9 or 9.5. It's that good and really, without this match, TLC wouldn't actually exist.

*Summerslam 2000
TLC 1

-I am not the biggest fan of this match and I'll be honest. I think it's overrated by many because it's the original, but of the four matches I'll discuss here... It's my least favorite. This match managed to incorporate a few more elements that the first triple threat didn't have, including a huge Swanton Bomb from Jeff Hardy from the top of the ladder, but for the most part, this match didn't have the same fire as the original. Perhaps it was the fact that this match wasn't at Wrestlemania, but it just didn't have the big fight feel that their first encounter did. Still, I'm not mad at the action here, but at under 15 minutes, I can't help but think this match could have been given a bit more time to really flesh out. It was 8 minutes shorter than the first one, and perhaps that it is what it took down a notch to me. On the scale of 1 to 10, I would give this match a 7.5 or 8, as it was still good, but was missing what made the first an undisputed classic. Edge and Christian pull off yet another victory to make it two in a row.

*Wrestlemania X-Seven
TLC 2

-This has the same issue IMO that the first one had. It was too short. Don't get me wrong, this is better than TLC 1, but still doesn't have the vibe that you'd expect it to have. It is a good match and many people consider it a classic and I agree. It is a classic. It's a better match than the first TLC but not better than their initial match the year prior at Mania. However, what made me a fan of this one a bit more than the first TLC is that they managed to fit more into this match along with more interference and higher profile spots. Still, there was something about this match that felt important. It felt like the final chapter or the culmination of the feud and of course, as it was in the first two matches, Edge and Christian win with the help of Rhyno. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give this an 8.5 or maybe a 9. If given more time, this would surpass the first contest between the three.

*Smackdown
TLC 3

-This was the last chapter. With Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho added as the fourth team, we got the first ever TLC match with four teams. This match was on par with the first TLC contest and while it wasn't better than the first triple threat match at Wrestlemania 2000, I think it was a bit better than the Summerslam 2000 first TLC encounter. What made this match a bit more exciting to me honestly is the inclusion of Benoit and Jericho as it gave their feud a bit more fire than it had prior. The three team feud was running its course and what better way to finish off their legendary battle than with Benoit and Jericho breaking the curse and winning, marking the first match that involved all three teams that Edge And Christian didn't win. This is a great match and I would rate it around an 8 or 8.5 and it was a great crowning moment for Benoit and Jericho and a silent, but powerful end to the best feud of the Attitude Era for tag teams.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 2:51 AM  No comment

EOTR Tag Team Tuesdays: 5 Tag Team Matches At The Royal Rumble

By @TrueGodImmortal

With the Royal Rumble a few weeks away, and it being Tuesday again, I wanted to take a brief look at some of the better tag team matches that took place at the beginning of the year event. There hasn't been a classic tag team match in years so most of these will be at least 10 years old. Let's take a look.

*1-2-3 Kid and Bob Holly vs Bam Bam Bigelow and Tatanka
Royal Rumble 1995

-This match was for the vacant WWF Tag Team Titles and it was much better than it had any business being. Both Bam Bam and Tatanka were a part of the Dibiase Million Dollar Corporation, and this would be the final round of a vacant tag team title tournament. This match was fast paced surprisingly, and at the end, the unthinkable happened: Bob Holly and 1-2-3 Kid were the new WWF Tag Team Champions in a hot match that helped open up the Rumble PPV.

*The Smoking Gunns vs The Bodydonnas
Royal Rumble 1996 

-Another tag team title match that didn't seem promising, this would end up being a solid match on a weaker PPV. Both teams were solid in the ring and as a result, this would be a short but enjoyable contest that would end with the Smoking Gunns retaining the titles. There was a tease coming in this contest of perhaps Sunny leaving the corner of the Bodydonnas and eventually she would manage The Smoking Gunns, and the seeds were planted with this match.

*The Hardy Boyz vs The Dudley Boyz
Tables Match
Royal Rumble 2000

-There were three teams that were viable during this Attitude Era run and two of them were in this match. This was a match that I think deserves more credit for being a beginning point for the three way rivalry that changed tag team wrestling forever. With these two teams going at each other and trying to put the other through tables, this would showcase the brutality that made the Attitude Era so much fun. This was the first ever tag team tables match and it didn't disappoint at all. The Hardy Boyz would walk away with the victory and set another piece of the rivalry between the two teams into action and for the future.

*The Dudley Boyz vs Edge And Christian
Royal Rumble 2001

-The crowd was hot for this match, another tag team match that would open the show. With the tag titles on the line, The Dudleys would try to right their wrongs from last year and walk out victors. Though this match was a bit shorter, it had enough action to entice the live crowd who were firmly behind Bubba Ray and D-Von. At the 10 minute mark, after a huge 3D, the Dudleys got the three count and would be walking out of the area victorious and as the new tag team champions. Of all the matches on this list, this might very well be my personal favorite of them all. It has a fast pace, a great crowd, and the right winner. Dope match.

*The Hardy Boyz vs MNM
Royal Rumble 2007

-My last choice is a match between a team that was beyond their prime and a team that never really hit their prime. While MNM had a lot to offer in terms of ability and athleticism, they never quite got it right as a team IMO. They were tag team champions and had a decent gimmick, but they aren't as memorable as they should be considering, but this match was actually a highlight of their run. Kicking off the show with a mostly hot crowd, these two teams put on a high flying athletic show that would end with the Hardy Boyz having their hands raised in victory, but MNM put up a great fight. While the Rumble hasn't had a ton of classic or great tag team matches, you should take a look at all 5 of these battles before the big event.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 1:26 AM  No comment

EOTR Tag Team Tuesdays: The Mega Powers

By @TrueGodImmortal

Last week, I took a look at the tag teams of the 80s and I left off a team that was my favorite makeshift team during the era. While I wasn't quite born or alive by the time they actually became allies, years later through the benefit of Coliseum Video, I was able to relive the greatness of the Mega Powers, Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan. While both Hogan and Savage were top stars as singles wrestlers, I never would have expected them to become a tag team and partners. At the time, Savage was a heel, transitioning to a tweener role, and of course, Hogan was Hogan. With these two stars being on different paths, it would take a random encounter to occur before they would be able to combine forces and when I say random, it really was the most random beginning of a pairing. There hadn't been any buildup or teasing of a friendship budding between the two men before Saturday's Night Main Event would give us an iconic moment.

Savage would attempt to get the Intercontinental Title back from Honky Tonk Man in the early fall of 1987, but his attempt was thwarted on an episode of SNME by interference from the Hart Foundation. After Miss Elizabeth was pushed by Honky Tonk Man, she retreated and for some reason, returned with Hulk Hogan in tow to save the day. Hogan would help clean house and then Savage would extend his hand out of respect for what Hogan did. They would shake hands and become instant allies there, and for many, this was a match made in heaven. 

Hulkamania and Macho Madness were two of the most important things in the WWF at the time, and with Savage trying to make the transition into the top tier face role, who better to have at his side than Hogan, the star of the company. After these two would make themselves allies, Hogan and Savage teamed up numerous times on house shows, mostly in six man tag matches against the likes of The Hart Foundation, Honky Tonk Man, Rick Rude, King Kong Bundy, and more. Their next big televised moment came right before Wrestlemania 4, on SNME, as Hogan would once again save Randy from an attack, this time at the hands of Andre The Giant, Virgil, and Ted Dibiase.

At Wrestlemania 4, Hogan would help Savage overcome the odds and defeat Ted Dibiase to win the WWF Title tournament and become the new WWF Champion. In retrospect, The Mega Powers only existed so that Hogan could be close to the title and not away from the main event scene, as Savage really felt like a secondary star even as the champion. Still, these two powerhouses complemented each other well, and when Savage and Hogan were on screen together, there was a lot of chemistry between the two. This would lead them to their official televised tag team debut on Summerslam 1988, as the Mega Powers went toe to toe with the Mega Bucks, Andre The Giant and Ted Dibiase. The match is one of the most infamous Summerslam main events and rightfully so, as Miss Elizabeth stripping down was controversial for the time, but most fans weren't complaining at all. Hogan and Savage would win and continue rolling on, but something was brewing big time. After the next few months, we would start to see tension rise between the two men as Hogan became more friendly with Miss Elizabeth, making Savage rightfully jealous.

At Survivor Series 1988, we would see Hogan and Savage lead a team that would face a team led by the Twin Towers, Big Bossman and Akeem. Hogan and Savage would win the match, but visibly, we could see the wheels turning. It seemed like the plan was now for Hogan and Savage to eventually split. Lost in all of this Mega Powers nonsense is that essentially, Savage was WWF Champion, and he spent all of the big events in the shadow of Hogan as a tag team instead of headlining the shows on his own. That would likely also be a real life reason for tension, but for the most part, during their feud with the Twin Towers, it was swept under the rug while teasing the eventual breakup. After another incident at the Royal Rumble 1989, the breakup would finally come to a head during an episode of The Main Event, a special on NBC. After Savage left Hogan to fend for himself in a tag team match, Hogan would attempt to reason with Savage and Elizabeth. While Elizabeth was understanding, Savage responded by attacking Hogan in the locker room and officially ending the Mega Powers after a little over a year.

While the Mega Powers aren't a team with longevity like Demolition, Hart Foundation, and many others, anytime you take the two biggest stars and put them together, you're bound to have something special. For the most part, The Mega Powers were everything we expected and more, and it all led to an epic clash between Hogan and Savage at Wrestlemania 5, which is one of my favorite Randy Savage matches and easily one of the best Hulk Hogan matches in the WWF. The Mega Powers were an important tag team in the late 80's, showing how two great singles stars can combine for an alliance.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 12:18 AM  No comment

EOTR Tag Team Tuesdays: 5 Legendary Tag Teams Of The 80's

By @TrueGodImmortal

The 80's were an interesting time in wrestling. While Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage were huge in the business, one aspect of the industry that was alive and well was tag team wrestling. Today, I wanted to take a look at 5 legendary teams from the 80s in the WWF and what made them so legendary. Let's get into it.

*The Rockers 

-Whether they were in AWA or WWF, the tandem of Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels were high flying and fun to watch. These two were different for their time, as they were two wrestlers who were on the same path and had mostly the same high flying style, unlike the power and technical prowess of The Hart Foundation, the hard hitting style of The Brain Busters, the power of The British Bulldogs, or the smash style of Demolition. They were the perennial high flying team of the WWF and they excelled at just about everything they did.

*Hart Foundation 

-Anytime you can have one of the greatest wrestlers ever alongside one of the best powerhouses of the era, you have something special. In terms of the tag team division at the time, there was no one better than the Hart Foundation. Bret Hart and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart were at the top of the mountain and they were regulars in the tag team title picture. Whether feuding with The British Bulldogs or Demolition, they delivered time and time again. They are my all time favorite team from the 80's and a top 5 team of all time without question.

*Demolition 

-One of the better teams of the decade has to be one of the longest reigning champions ever. Though their gimmick wasn't my favorite, it's hard to deny Ax and Smash and what they did. They were a viable team that would go at anyone in their path and throughout their time in the WWF, they were at the top of their game. The most memorable feud for this team IMO was against The Hart Foundation. Demolition is a legendary team and they easily are one of the greatest of the 80's.

*The British Bulldogs 

-Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid were two of a kind. They had some great moments, and most of them came in the 80's. They were a strong team with a lot of fire within and they would deliver every time they were in the ring. The truth is, their best moments in the ring came across from their greatest opponents, the Hart Foundation. Sometimes their legacy goes underrated as a team but for the most part, they are recognized as the true legends they were. The British Bulldogs aren't just one of the greatest from the 80's, they are one of the greatest ever.

*The Brain Busters

-Arn Anderson. Tully Blanchard. Two great solo performers who were amazing as a duo. They were the team that became the central influence for teams of today like The Revival, as they were no frills, no bullshit, and they were ready for any challenger. I think they are one of the most underrated legendary teams, as they were unique for the era in a way, and without the fancy gimmicks. They were a hard hitting team who were ready for any fight, and they definitely were one of the best of the decade in the WWF and beyond.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 1:54 AM  No comment