Notes from the Nosebleeds #132
September 3, 2011
By: Matt O’Brien of Wrestleview.com
“And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Ecclesiastes 4:12
Tag team wrestling is often called a lost or forgotten art. There were the days of the Hart Foundation, British Bulldogs, Rockers, Killer Bees, and so may others back in the 1980s. They were the teams that many point to as childhood heroes. At the end of the 1990s, tag team wrestling hit a resurgence with teams like Edge & Christian, Hardys, Dudleys, APA, Too Cool, New Age Outlaws, and Canadian Country. Tag teams began to die off shortly thereafter until Smackdown held its tag team title tournament in 2002 that showcased some of the best wrestling of the year. Today, WWE rarely has more than a couple of fulltime tag teams, and they are not featured too prominently. Rumors of a tag team division revival have made their way through the wrestling media. It seems every few years the company tries to do this. Could it really be so this time?
Coupled with speculation the brand extension may soon end, a tag team resurgence might be coming at the perfect point. Should WWE decide to bring in a few teams, there are several talents to choose from, but with the roster the WWE currently has, the company need not look too far for potential teams in the coming months. There are several combinations of superstars that could become prominent teams. What follows are just a few alliances that could help usher in a tag team revolution.
Sheamus & Ezekiel Jackson
Talk about a couple of power houses. Sheamus is a great worker wherever he is on the card. With several performers currently topping the WWE roster, Sheamus might be a good fit in the tag team division and could really help in bringing Jackson along. Both men are surprisingly great baby faces for big, powerful brutes. A run with these two could be reminiscent of the Road Warriors. Once they return, a clash with Bog Show and Kane could cause the ring to collapse.
Drew McIntyre & Dolph Ziggler
Ziggler is another guy who can go anywhere on the show. Sure he is a part of the Unites States title picture, but that doesn’t need to be the only area where he competes. Meanwhile, McIntyre has been relegated to Superstars duty. That’s too bad. McIntyre has come a long way in the past year. The man who had a run as Intercontinental Champion is far different from the current worker Drew has molded into. A partnership with Ziggler would be a great heel pairing that would make a great foil for any baby face alliance. With the help of Vicki Guerrero, there is no telling how far they could go.
Mark Henry & Christian
The big man/small man teams are always a good choice because there are two different types of workers that complement each other. Henry and Christian not only work in that regard, but their characters fit well together. Just envision Henry standing in the corner while Christian stands behind him, whispering in his ear. It’s almost like a demon commanding a beast. Christian would know how to hide behind Henry, yet at the same time manipulate him. It’s an easy formula that leads to an eventual split when Henry gets tired of taking orders. It can be long and drawn out, or could happen after a few months. Either way, during that time Christian and Henry could have the type of alliance that headlines house shows and live TV.
John Morrison & …
The last couple of years, Morrison’s work has proved he belongs in the tag team ranks. It’s not that he is a bad worker or undeserving of his spot. His offense is just better suited to a tag team atmosphere where it doesn’t get tiring and overused. It’s best to keep him on the outside for a hot tag to he can come in and clean house with his stuntman offense. Back when Jeff and Matt Hardy were teaming in the late 1990s, Jim Ross made a comment that Jeff was the sizzle, but Matt was the steak. Jeff was the one with all the cool moves, but Matt built up to Jeff coming in and doing those moves. That’s what John Morrison needs – a steak. He needs the guy that can build up to him coming in yet keep the match interesting leading up to that point. At the same time, it is important not to overshadow Morrison. Morrison needs a partner who can carry a match, has a good move set that would work well as a team, and also have a charisma that doesn’t overshadow or underwhelm. There is really only one choice on the WWE roster – Daniel Bryan. Bryan may be one of the best workers on the roster today and on his way to headline WrestleMania, but he can certainly have a team with Morrison in the meantime. Also, a lot of fans would see them as a type of dream team. Should Ziggler and McIntyre team up, those two teams would have some great matches, not to mention the air shows they could put on with
Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne
Will it happen? Tough to say. Tag team wrestling is not that big of a draw for the company, but that doesn’t mean things can’t change. Billy Gunn spent several years in the tag team ranks before he went all in with Jesse James and put the eyes of WWE fans on the division. Jeff and Matt hardy made the occasional television appearance before crashing into the living rooms of home audiences when they had their spectacular series with Edge & Christian. There are certainly going to be those out there who have their doubts and that is normal. It seems fans have been promised tag team revivals before, only for it not to happen. In some capacity, tag team wrestling will always be around in WWE. It’s just a matter of what they do with what they have. It all depends of it proves profitable enough to invest in. Here is to tag team revival.
Matt O’Brien
Columnist, Wrestleview.com
mattman5436@yahoo.com