PTB Episode 254: All Time WWE Tag Team Tournament

[Bigelow34]

In this new episode of the PTB Podcast, Scott & Justin are joined by wrestling historian and all around good guy Graham Cawthon as they decide the greatest WWE Tag Team of all time. The PICs have selected and ranked 64 teams of the modern WWF/E era and distributed them into brackets. Join Justin, Scott and Graham as they break down each matchup and decide which team will be crowned All Time Champions!

 

So fire up this action packed episode and join Scott, Justin & Graham because it is time for another edition of the PTB Podcast!

 

http://placetobenation.com/ptb-episode-254...eam-tournament/

 

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@Place2BeNation

[Superstar Sleeze]

So I watched this mostly because I have been immersing myself in the 80s WWF tag matches and I wanted to take a step back and see what more casual observers remembered of the matches.

 

 

The best part of the show I will admit is knowing that Soup will be on soon to break down the tag teams soon so I will definitely be listening to that.

 

So lets break it down:

 

In the Sweet Sixteen:

 

7 of 16 teams were 80s tag teams (I exclusively have been watching 80s tags). 7 of 16 were 90s/Attitude Era and the remaining two were from the Cena era. The recent era has had a lot of thrown together tag teams so I understand the usual bias against them even though I have not watched them with a careful eye. I would say that in general I have that biased also.

 

Just some quick notes on this and the early rounds. I would debate the NAO going over on the Steiners based on being a draw so I thought you all got it right. I think you called the resuscitation of tag division with Owen/Bulldog way too early. the tag division was not revitalized until the NAO took the belts. Outside, of the title switch to Austin/HBK, Owen &Bulldog really were not featured as a team and did not have any "great" matches. Owen & Bulldog strike me as one of those teams that remember more fondly than their push or matches.

 

I think don't feel like the Shield are out of place as a Top 20 team in WWE history, they have been pushed strong and have a great resume of tag team matches.

 

The Quebecers are so much better than the Rougeaus and I glad you didn't pick the Rougeaus because they are such a lackluster tag team. Rougeaus are perhaps the most boring tag team in WWF history. O yeah, the Killer Bees are not underrated either, they are just boring as all hell. The Quebecers Rule with great matches against the Steiners, Kid & Marty, and the Harts. January 1994 is this weird bizarre month where WWF has the best tag division in the world with Quebecers, Kid & Marty, Harts, Steiners and Headshrinkers. Then by mid-'94 you have Headshrinkers and Diesel/Shawn barely defending the belts.

 

The Elite Eight:

 

7 of 8 teams are 80s teams! There is just one 90s team. I think this is a function of the WWF never really having a very good tag team division. So the 80s since there were a lot of tag teams people associate that when it was good. I have enjoyed the Rockers and the Islanders/Strike Force, but wallowing through it I find there is more mediocre/blase than there is good.

 

Twin Towers out and out suck. I am taking this an ironic love because Akeem may be the worst gimmick I have ever seen. From a match quality standpoint, the Rockers are the best WWF tag team and one of the best tag teams of all-time

 

Demolition & LOD had shockingly good matches against each other in 1990. The Warrior six-man tag from SNME 1990 is wicked good and they had a straight tag match from 11/90 that maybe Crush's best match ever. I watched the LOD face the Hart Foundation in '91 and again it was a pretty good match. LOD was definitely revitalized by this run.

 

I love the Demolition Love. They were the aces of 80s division and there was no tag team pushed harder than Demolition for that period of time. If I was going from a strictly business/kayfabe perspective, throwing out match quality (not that Demolition did not have quality matches) I would say Demolition is the greatest WWF Tag Team. I am so glad you didn't go they were Road Warrior's ripoff and just shit on them like so many other fans.

 

Hart Foundation vs Bulldogs, I was dreading this. Two of the most overrated tag teams of all-time. Bret Hart was an incredible ring general in his tag matches, but he shined in singles matches in the 80s against Steamer, Savage, Perfect, DiBiase and Martel. The Bulldogs have the Dream Team feud, which is one of the best WWF tag feuds ever. After the Dynmaite injury, they never really were the same. The Hart Foundation's face run is incredibly lackluster: a feud against the Rougeaus (that sucked), Bret's '89 singles run (so no feuds, just one-off matches), the '90 run against a decrepit division (Demolition & Rhythm 'n' Blues) and the shitty tag title loss to the Nasties (I think Bret still may be in that camel clutch, yawn). Bulldogs take this because of Dream Team feud.

 

I am going to pretend you taking the Brainbusters over the Hardys did not happen. If you include the NWA stuff then it is Arn & Tully in a walk, but the WWF run is just two programs: Rockers & Demolition. My thoughts on the Demolition program is they gotten eaten alive and I know others who have watched the footage disagree with me, but I was not a fan of that series. The Rockers SNME sprint is one of the best matches of the era, but I do not think Busters have nearly enough on their resume to warrant beating the Hardys. Like you all said, the Hardys is not just the Attitude Era their reunion stuff was some of the best tag team stuff of the Cena era. Edge & Christian is pretty overrated due to their awesome promos, but never really dug them as an in-ring tag team. What's interesting is I am more inclined to see the Busters over E&C than Hardys, but you guys took them over both.

 

Final Four

 

All 4 are 80s tag teams! Demolition vs Rockers '88 MSG match is one of the best tag matches in WWF history, definitely check that out. Whenever I see lists like this, to me there are two type of pro wrestling lists. The Hogan List that's a llist that emphasizes the attributes that would allow Hogan to claim he is the greatest wrestler of all time. And the Flair list that that emphasizes the attributes that would allow Flair to claim he is the greatest wrestler of all time. Demolition is my Hogan List champion for WWF tag teams and the Rockers are my Flair List champions. It is a pick 'em and I would say this was the side of the bracket, I most agreed on.

 

I really think there is absolutely nothing the Hart Foundation can claim that is the consistent level of Busters/ Rockers, E&C/Haryds/Dudleyz, Bulldogs/Dream Team, Rockers/Everyone, and Demolition as a draw. The Hart Foundation have the Bulldogs feud, but it is underwhelming due to the injury and then for '88-'89 Bret was in the singles ranks barely paying attention to the tag ranks. By 1990, the tag division had shit the bed. I feel like the Hart Foundatuion is everyone's default answer because of how hard WWF has pushed Bret Hart as this all-time great and the only reason the Rockers don't get the same treatment is they never won the tag titles. Championships do matter and it is why teams like Hart Foundation get elevated above these other teams. I have watched Hart Foundation against pretty much every opponent. Their matches are solid, but they are really not that good.

 

Hogan List Top 4:

 

1. Demolition

2. New Age Outlaws

3. Hardys

4. Edge & Christian/Dudz (I would want to hear arguments for a 4th team)

 

Flair List Top 4

 

1. Rockers

2. Hardys

3. Islanders

4. Strike Force

 

 

To me when you are talking the greatest tag team of WWF, it is a three team race between Demolition, Hardys and Rockers. From a ring quality, I do not think anyone can touch Rockers and since I am a fan of in-ring quality they would be my pick.

 

Anyways fun show that was breezy and was cool to get people's perspective that are not so immersed in 80s WWF Tag Wrestling.

 

EDIT: We do have Busters vs Bushwackers, but WWE.com does not have up in full. I have not checked it out, but if that is indeed the finish that is some Hogan-Era WCW booking right there.

[soup23]

Awesome Superstar, I definitely took into account some of your reviews while making the brackets (Pushed for the Islanders to get good placement). I totally agree with your 1994 assessment. The January is really chocked full of awesome tags of short lived teams. Really the Quebeccers were not even together near as long as you would think which is a shame. I knew your thoughts on teams like Demo's/Harts etc and also had a general feeling of where Scotts/Justin's taste would lead them and knew there would be some contrast. I loved Tully/Arn but I do think the Hardyz got jobbed and I was kind of hopping for a Hardyz/Rockers final when looking at the complete bracket.

 

I am also pleased to say that in addition to myself, Charles (Loss) and Peter (PeteF) will be joining the show on Wednesday night.

[JerryvonKramer]

I'm really looking forward to that show. Thought Pete F was awesome on our AWA redo Chad -- just a kickass cool voice -- and I love listening to Charles. Shame Scott and Justin couldn't get a bigger name to represent Georgia, eh.

 

I listened to all of this show too, but forgot to comment. It was good, and naturally I was rooting for my boys DiBiase and Shyster. I still hate Demolition.

[Bigelow34]

Great feedback, Superstar. Glad you enjoyed the show and premise.

 

I agree on the Rockers...looking back, I wish I stumped harder for them to advance on to the finals. I got caught up in Buster mania as we moved along.

 

Can't wait for the summit tomorrow night...should be a lot of fun.