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: 5 Great WWE Tag Team Feuds

By @TrueGodImmortal

Tag team wrestling was once a foundation that the WWE was built upon. We saw all the legendary tag teams from Demolition to the Hart Foundation to The Rockers, and many more rise through the ranks and become popular. The thing is, these teams all needed a great rival to become who they are. Today, we look back at some of the best tag team feuds in the WWE history. Some of these are more recent, as two of the best feuds of the 2000s for the entire company have come in the last year. With that being said, let's take a look at 5 great WWE tag team feuds.

*The Hardy Boyz vs Edge & Christian 

-Of course, there's no other feud from the Attitude Era that shaped wrestling quite like this. One would argue that the Dudley Boyz should be included but the truth of the matter is, there was no need to include them into the rivalry aside from the tables element for TLC. While that was a big deal and a huge part of the rivalry, this feud kicked off with The Brood (Edge and Christian) splitting from Michael Hayes and The Hardy Boyz taking their spots, then the two young teams fighting over the managerial services of Terri Runnels. Literally, from May 1999 onward, these two teams were feuding with each other off and on for the better part of two years. The feud got heated with the great Terri Runnels Invitational series that culminated in a classic Ladder Match and from there, tag team wrestling was never the same. The two teams would do battle in a very good match at No Way 2000, which is underrated, and then of course, they would have their epic series that included the Dudley Boyz, spawning three classic TLC matches and a classic Triple Threat Tag Team Ladder Match. There are more great matches between just the two teams, along with a ladder Match on RAW shortly after Summerslam 2000, and a great Steel Cage Match for the titles at Unforgiven 2000. There are no two teams that are more synonymous with each other than these two teams, and it's possible this is the greatest tag team feud in WWE history.

*Los Guerreros vs Rey Mysterio and Edge vs Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit 

-A short lived feud that stands as the best tag team feud of the Ruthless Aggression era. It's crazy, because with all of the other teams from the era, these three teams are the most memorable and their 2 month feud for the Smackdown tag team titles gave us a number of classic matches. First, we can talk about Kurt Angle and Benoit going against Los Guerreros on Smackdown prior to No Mercy 2002 to set up the Smackdown tag title tournament Finals, which was a great match. Or, we could talk Edge and Rey Mysterio vs Kurt Angle and Benoit in one of the greatest tag team title matches ever at No Mercy 2002. We could also reference the Edge and Rey Mysterio vs Los Guerreros tag team match that took place a week later on Smackdown. That was another great battle. Or, for good measure, we could also talk about the classic 2 out of 3 falls Tag Team Title match between Angle and Benoit vs Edge and Mysterio, another match that absolutely raised the bar. The match that closed out the feud officially was the epic triple threat Tag Team Elimination match at Survivor Series 2002, where Los Guerreros walked away as the winners of the titles and the winners of the feud. This is the greatest short feud of all time in WWE, as there is no three way feud that spawned more classics in two months than this. Not even close.

*Hart Foundation vs British Bulldogs 

-Going back to the older WWF days in the 80's, these were the top two teams in the world. When the wrestling world refused to adapt and evolved, the Hart Foundation and British Bulldogs attempted to make them evolve and their matches were the first sign of the next wave that would actually hit the WWF some years later. Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid made up one of the best yet most underrated teams ever, while the legacy of Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart is solidified. From matches on the MSG Network, WWF Superstars, house shows, Prime Time Wrestling, and Wrestlemania 3, these two teams battled it out for years and would end up having the tag team rivalry of the 80's without question. Their best match however came on Saturday Night's Main Event in a best two out of three falls that finished with a screwed ending, but the action was top notch. These two are the best teams of the 80's, so it is no shock their feud makes this list.

*The New Day vs The Usos 

-Is it too early to call this a classic feud? After what I just witnessed this weekend? No. Not at all. In fact, I don't even want this feud to end. It's the best thing going in WWE right now and I can remember everyone saying they wanted New Day to break up just a few months back... hell even a year ago. Now look at them. The New Day and The Usos are having the feud of the year over on Smackdown and they are the highlight of that show at the moment. The Usos and The New Day have feuded before this year, and their feud then was fun to watch, but once The Usos hit their stride as heels and The New Day found new life by coming to Smackdown, everything changed. Starting with their match at Money In The Bank 2017, their feud seemed to get better and better. Battleground 2017 would see the two teams have another great match, before reaching their peak at Summerslam on the pre-show. They would put on a classic street fight in Vegas at Smackdown, and this would then lead to their most recent battle, and perhaps their best, inside  Hell In A Cell. These two teams have traded the tag team titles back and forth, and despite the title changes, they've made tag team wrestling fun again in 2017. Aside from their awful rap battle with terrible host Wale, these two teams have had a flawless feud, making this one of the best tag team feuds we've seen in years.

*The Revival vs DIY 

-There haven't been many feuds in the WWE this decade that has really hit the mark, but NXT struck gold with their greatest tag team feud in their short history. One could argue that The Revival vs American Alpha is close to this rivalry, and you would be correct in that assumption, but there was something about this rival that we just couldn't get enough of. Whether it was their involvement in the Triple Threat Tag Team Title match at NXT Takeover Orlando, their two out of three falls classic at NXT Takeover Toronto, or their near classic at NXT Takeover Brooklyn 2016, these two teams delivered every time they faced off, and I only wish we could have seen a few more contests between the two. Still, what we've witnessed from both teams is beyond legendary and when we look back on this feud 10 years from now, it'll still be remembered as a classic feud, just like the rest of these listed.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 2:37 AM  No comment

EOTR Tag Team Tuesdays: The 5 Greatest Attitude Era Tag Teams

By @TrueGodImmortal

When we look back at the Attitude Era, we remember so much about the singles wrestlers that we forget the role played by the tag teams of the era. Today, I wanted to take a look at the best teams of the Attitude Era, and while there were many to choose from, I wanted to narrow it down to the top 5. Who makes the list? Let's take a look.

5. The APA

-This spot could have gone to any team from Too Cool or even a temporary tag team like The Rock and Sock Connection, but this team matters because they changed the course of both of their careers together. The APA would legitimize Bradshaw and it would certify the legend of Ron Simmons, as they were regularly in the tag team title picture and extremely popular over the years.  Their matches usually weren't classic or anything, but solid enough to kick off a show or be near the main event. The APA was really a great team to watch in this era.

4. Edge And Christian 

-You might be surprised to see this team this low. The truth is, I loved them but they took a while to finally get going through the era and their impact and popularity didn't quite have the same power as their two biggest opponents. Edge and Christian were the winners of most of their tag team feuds and superb heels for the Attitude Era, but as a team, I feel like they were just a small notch below the cream of the crop. Their 5 second photography was excellent and got them over more as the era came to an end, but I just feel there are a select few teams with slightly more impact.

3. The New Age Outlaws

-I used to think the Outlaws were the best team of the era, but first of all, fuck Road Dogg Jesse James. With that out the way, I think there's much to be said about the Outlaws and their impact through the entire era. The Outlaws came together as two jobbers in need of direction and they turned it around to become eventual legends. With Road Dogg on the mic, the Outlaws started to get very popular, and once they became a part of DX, they took off even more. Feud wise, they weren't as memorable, but gimmick and popularity wise, they are huge catalysts for the Attitude Era becoming so big, thus why they are ranked top 3.

2. The Dudley Boyz 

-When we look at the teams of the era, we have to go back to that time. There were only two teams I saw kids trying to emulate and be like during the later years of the Attitude Era and one of those teams was The Dudley Boyz. They made using tables in wrestling a regular staple, took things to the extreme, and had the most popular tag team finisher of the era with the 3D. You add that to the fact that they had their crowd pleasing "Whassup" move and their iconic phrase "Get The Tables", and the Dudley Boyz could do no wrong during the Attitude Era. Without the Dudley Boyz involved, the TLC stipulation wouldn't have been as legendary and the rivalry between the three teams would have suffered a bit. They are a big component of the Attitude Era period.

1. The Hardy Boyz

-I was never personally a fan of The Hardy Boyz like that. I was a Dudley Boyz fan more so, but I acknowledged that the Hardys were talented in the ring and exciting to watch. The duo underwent a number of changes throughout the years, going from having Terri Runnels as a manager briefly to bringing in Lita to form Team Xtreme, which worked well for them and boosted their popularity. The masters of the ladder match, the most popular tag team of the era, and the most entertaining, the Hardy Boyz rank at no. 1 without question.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 4:32 PM  No comment