There's been a lot of talk here at Tha "O" Show over the past week or so about tag-teams. The resurgence of tag-teams, the lack of tag-teams today, our favourite tag-teams...whatever.It's no secret that good tag-team wrestling requires a unique type of in-ring philosophy and storytelling. Like for heels...when to distract the ref in order for your partner to choke out an opponent in your corner. Or for babyfaces...when to set up the hot tag when one team member has been getting his ass handed to him and the other is jumping up and down on the apron ready to be a "house on fire".
There in an excitement to tag-team wrestling that is just, simple and plain, different than a one-on-one match. Who hasn't created their own tag-team monikers with a brother or friend when they were kids? To this day, my wrestling moniker is still "Mayhem".
Back in '91, I used to watch pay-per-view events by my boy Strida's house. Together we were "Destruction". He was "Terror" and I was "Mayhem". We got the name straight from a lyric from LL Cool J's brand new (at the time) song, "Mama Said Knock You Out": "Destruction, terror and mayhem, pass me a sissy soft sucker, I slay him!".
Our respective younger brothers of course, were a little less inventive. They were "Razor" and "Blade". My brother Brian (Blade) still takes pride in sharing a namesake with Wesley Snipes' vampire character.
Tag-team wrestling creates a sense of brotherhood and comradery and by the same token, betrayal and revenge. Teams like The Rockers enjoyed success as high-flying babyfaces who inevitably allowed for a superstar to emerge in the form of Shawn Michaels. His 'betrayal' of Marty Janetty, not only cemented HBK's future as a major superstar but gave birth to one of the greatest heel-turns ever. Who could forget Shawn Michaels' superkick to Marty Janetty sending him flying through the window of the Heartbreak Hotel...or was it The Barber Shop? (Remind me guys).
Anyway, last night TNA crowned new tag-champs in the form of Homicide and Hernandez of the Latin-American X-change. "TNA Impact!" had this bout as its main event, strengthening the ever-growing argument that tag-team wrestling deserves a greater amount of respect. The match definitely had its high spots...how could it not when A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels are involved? I think the concept of the tag-team straps as prestigious titles needs to be evoked even more...especially in WWE.
What would you do to strengthen the tag-team circuit in the "E"...or in TNA for that matter? Would you unify the TWO tag-titles? Create more tag-teams? Which two superstars would you create a tag-team out of? Let the debate rage on...
4 comments: on "New TNA Tag Champs - The Tag-Team Debate Continues..."
ya kurts gone sad day in wretling im now wearing a armband ala alex shelly "kev" ~kc starr~
First off I want to say I will forever miss Mr. Angle. I started watching wrestling again only a few months before he came on the scene and he's been one of my favorites ever since. He was THE most legit man to strap on some tights, and is in my top 5 EASY. I wanted really bad to see his career expand in extreme. I really REALLY REALLY hope that after a year or two he returns.
That being said onto tag teams. I would unify the belts on Raw and Smackdown and allow for challenges from any show. The rule would be that the champions would wrestle on THERE show but could field invasion-style challenges from other brands, creating ongoing tension and connection between shows as well as adds some intrigue as to just WHO could be on a program. I realize the road schedule would be a bit brutal if it wasn't planned out well ahead of time, but i think it could be done. Going with this rule we could see the Highlanders invading Smackdown to take on the Pitbulls for number one contendership. Kendrick/London battling the Spirit Squad for supremacy. Or even an ECW team stealing the belt and forcing all comers to take them on Extreme style to get it back. In these scenarios, tag teams have a longer shelf life and more options to go to for rivalries.
As a side note Id also retag Cade and Murdock.
As for tag teams from childhood, me and my best friend formed the "death squad" and eventually when it became apparent neither of us was threatening thug types as our names suggested we took an egotist type gimmick. He was also in a tag team with another friend called the Jackasses. They acted kind of like the spirit squad without the male cheerleader part. Im embarressed to say we were young kids immitating wrestling moves but they used to do a a combination submission maneuver called the "U" theyd set it up by saying to one another "I LOVE U" then having one person apply a boston crab while the other apply a camel clutch, turning their victim into a U shape. As I was often their opponent, I can say it hurt like all getout.
More recently I tried getting him involved in a local small beans wrestling troup, as a trekkie tag team called "the away team" but when he learned the work that would be involved just to job at a low level league, he opted out. We even had moves set up. Our team move would be ironically the unfortunately named "scotdrop" which we termed "the prime directive". I also did a piledriver I called the "warp driver" and he did a samoan spike type thing he called the "vulcan neck pinch" We had a bunch of other stupid move names ranging from "the clothesline from romulus" to the "Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhnnn-ton bomb" Let me tell you we'd have a home on ECW
see signguy your tag teams were way cooler than mine! and boo all you want watch-wrestling, Vinny Mac would LOVE The Away Team. Just imagine millions of fans screaming: KAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHNNNNNNNN! as I come off the top rope. (youre right it IS a terrible idea)
My buddy is considering joining as a singles wrestler though with an equally gay gimmick: Al Kayda. Way to bring a heat to a 3-county wrestling circuit eh? He's training as we speak, and I hear he wants to do a moves called the "suicide bomb" the "van turbinator" and the (god i cant believe im saying this) Afghani-slam. I'll keep you all posted!
Youre just mad because you didnt think of it
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