MR TAG TEAM WRESTLING HERE. Tag-team matches are a staple of professional wrestling, the added dynamic of wrestlers having to work as a team makes it a completely different experience to singes completion. So it’s obvious that on the grandest stage of them all, we’re bound to have witnessed some amazing tag-team bouts.
This article breaks down the best tag matches in WrestleMania history.
Honourable Mention – Hulk Hogan and Mr T vs. Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff (WrestleMania I)
The main event of WrestleMania I was interesting. Fans at the time loved Hogan and despised Piper, and the match they truly deserved was a singles bout between Hogan and Piper. However, with the first WrestleMania being a huge gamble, it’s understandable as to why Vince wanted to jam pack the main event with anything that would draw crowds.
Hogan vs. Piper would have been a great main event of the first WrestleMania. However, this match isn’t on this list because of its in-ring work, it on the list because it’s potentially the most important tag-team match in history.
FIVE: L.O.D. and Ahmed Johnson vs. The Nation of Domination (WrestleMania XIII)
This match is not for the faint of heart!
The feud between Farooq and Ahmed Johnson had been brutal, and this match (if you can call it that) perfectly suited the tone of the rivalry. Following the masterclass of Austin vs. Hart and preceding the shambles of Undertaker vs. Sycho Sid this Chicago Street Fight was perfectly placed on the card.
Instead of a wrestling match, this was an all-out brawl, with only a handful of wrestling moves performed. The match may have been slow, but it was absolutely devastating, and the Rosemont crowd ate it up.
It’s a one of a kind match, unlike most ‘hardcore’ matches which are total spot fests, this match perfectly fits its billing as a Chicago Street Fight. From the use of nightsticks to trash cans, it came across as more of a gang fight than a wrestling match.
FOUR: Evolution vs. Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection (WrestleMania XX)
The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection was and always will be one of the most over tag teams in WWE history. When The Most Electrifying Man in All Entertainment and The Hardcore Legend teamed up once again to battle the dastardly heels of Evolution, it was bound to be magical.
As always The Rock was on fire, and it sent a tingle down the spine to see him and Flair face off in the centre of the ring. Not only that, but Foley and Rock made sure to make the youngsters Batista and Randy Orton look like a million bucks, by selling to perfection.
In a pretty stacked card, this match shone out amongst the crowd. Taking its place on this list by perfectly meshing the past and (then) future of the WWE, no matter how many times you watch this match it, never gets boring.
THREE: The Hart Foundation vs. The Nasty Boys (WrestleMania VII)
Spoiler alert this is the only match on this list that doesn’t have a gimmick.
On a show that had four tag-team matches, one of which was a serious contender for this spot (The Rockers vs. The Barbarian and Haku), this match was one of the best on the card. It seemed obvious that The Hart Foundation would walk out with the belts.
However, the fact The Nasty Boys (or Bulk and Skull from The Power Rangers as I like to call them) makes this match all the more special. Despite the lack of a gimmick to this match, Jim Neidhart and Bret Hart were able to but on a tag-team classic with the Nasty Boys.
The ending to the match was also the perfect way to bring The Hart Foundation’s tenure as a team to an end. With the team still looking strong, but also giving them a reason to go their separate ways. Leading to Bret’s legendary singles career.
TWO: Triangle Ladder Match: The Dudley Boyz vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. Edge and Christian (WrestleMania XVI)
Put these three teams in a ring, give them some weapons and watch some beautiful unfold. WrestleMania XVI was… okay, the main event was overbooked to hell and there were some pretty mediocre matches on the card. This meant that the spotlight was there to be stolen. Boy did these teams steal the spotlight and redefine tag team wrestling.
This match was something audiences had never seen before. They’d witness hardcore matches in the past, but nothing like this Ladder Match. With death-defying bumps, crazy constructions and Christian sandwiches!
This match put these three teams on the map as legends of tag team wrestling, it seemed like this match could never be topped. Yet one year later, this match’s craziness was taken to the next level with…
ONE: TLC II: The Dudley Boyz vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. Edge and Christian (WrestleMania XVII)
Very rarely is the sequel better than the original, the only examples I can think of are the Godfather 2 and this insane bout.
This match was next level. If the ladder match the previous year was crazy, there are no words to describe this match. Not only did these six men destroy each other, their associates Lita, Rhyno and Spike joined the fray.
The insane spots like Edge’s spear from the ladder, to Jeff Hardy putting Rhyno and Spike through a table on the outside, blew minds even harder than the previous year. Unlike the year beforehand, this match took place at a stacked WrestleMania and could have easily been lost in the crowd. Yet the innovation and sheer madness of these superstars make this match potential the second-best on the card! (Second only to The Rock vs. Austin).
Even over sixteen years on TLC II is an amazing watch, and no matter how many times WWE try to replicate the wow factor of this match, it will never be done. That is why it is the greatest tag team match in WrestleMania history. Period.
There are Kaybabe Krimes top five Tag Team Matches at Wrestlemania, but what is your favourite tag match at Wrestlemania? Let us know below or tweet us @SLTDWrestling
SLTD Wrestling brings you all the greatest wrestling content. from blogs, to podcasts to exclusive Predictions and Fantasy Leagues.
Recent Comments