MLB Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 With Cole/MJF taking off recently as a successful duo, I've been thinking about odd couple tag teams that have gotten over and won championships. WWE obviously loves this trope. Recently, we've had RK-Bro, Asuka and Alexa Bliss. Kane managed to pull off a hat trick with Danielson, the Hurricane and X-Pac. Tajiri did it twice by winning tag team gold with Regal and Mikey Whipwreck. The Rock 'n Sock Connection is the most famous example. There's Owen and Yoko. Austin and Angle had that energy but unfortunately didn't actually tag together. Tony Khan has proven something of a knack for this, although not necessarily in tags, with Daddy Ass and the Acclaimed, Adam Page with the Dark Order being unlikely allies that found a connection. There's probably a million of these I'm forgetting. This isn't about rivals teaming up, but contrasting personalities that found chemistry and clicked together. What are some other memorable odd couples in the fashion of Cole/MJF? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.S. Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 Regal and "The Earl of Eaton" Robert (Bobby) Eaton is a classic example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLB Posted July 22, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 This is kind of a stretch, but the Hart Foundation were an odd couple when compared to other classic WWF teams like the Killer Bees, Demolition, the Bulldogs, the Rougeaus, the Rockers, the Islanders, the Bushwackers, LOD and The Nasties that were all basically twins and looked nearly identical. Bret was the cool technical wrestler and Anvil the loud bulldozer, very different styles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLB Posted July 22, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 1 hour ago, C.S. said: Regal and "The Earl of Eaton" Robert (Bobby) Eaton is a classic example. So great, that one slayed me. I have to add Booker T and Goldust, too. Murdoch and Adonis. Ciampa and Gargano. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawadaSmile Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 Abyss and Matt Morgan tagged for a while and it was certainly odd. Other examples that come to mind, but ended up working, even as one offs: The Roadie and Rockabilly, Roman and Bray, Seth and Jason Jordan, Seth and Braun Strowman... Also, Kane paired with RVD as well. Shit, the reason he's considered a good worker heavily relies on his tag team work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLB Posted July 22, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 Great picks, @KawadaSmile. Regal is all over this topic as he also won tag titles with Eugene. Hookhausen is another weird AEW team. AJ Styles and Jerry Lynn were the first TNA Tag Team Champions. Big Josh and Ron Simmons won the WCW U.S. Tag Titles. ShowMiz was pretty odd looking back at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted July 23, 2023 Report Share Posted July 23, 2023 This right here might be the most oddball tag matchup in wrestling history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLB Posted July 23, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2023 Heath Slater and Rhyno fit the definition and they kept it going in IMPACT. The Twin Towers were an odd combination of gimmicks, a prison guard from Cobb County teaming with "the African Dream"? Slick's presence made it even odder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dav'oh Posted July 24, 2023 Report Share Posted July 24, 2023 Hard-as-fuck Greg Valentine and a Chippendale called Brutus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLB Posted July 24, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2023 Right, Dream Team. Good call, they were tag champions as well. Scanning through WWE tag team records: 1-2-3 Kid and Bob Holly won the titles. Ivan Putski and Tito Santana held the belts in the 70s. CM Punk and Kofi Kingston are former champs (I have zero memory of that). The Godfather and Bull Buchanan. Rico and Rikishi are ex-champions. Another thing that jumps out at me is that Austin won the tag titles with basically everyone he feuded with: Undertaker, HBK, Foley, HHH. I don't remember the Rock and Undertaker being tag champions but it happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El McKell Posted July 24, 2023 Report Share Posted July 24, 2023 18 hours ago, NintendoLogic said: This right here might be the most oddball tag matchup in wrestling history. Sabu is surprisingly the MVP of this match Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted July 24, 2023 Report Share Posted July 24, 2023 Eddie Gilbert and fresh off the Blade Runners Sting was an odd pairing at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLB Posted July 24, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2023 Owen and Jarrett were kinda odd. Both are sons of promoters. There wasn't an explanation that comes to mind other than being guys Austin didn't want to wrestle, while at the same time being managed by Austin's future ex-wife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dav'oh Posted July 24, 2023 Report Share Posted July 24, 2023 Just getting back to the Hammer and the Beefer, has there ever been a bigger difference in talent between two partners? Eadie (as Ax) and Crush? I see Putski and Santana listed above (I'm not aboard the recent Putski reappraisal train). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted July 24, 2023 Report Share Posted July 24, 2023 The team of Bobby Eaton and George Gulas is legendary in that regard, but we don't have the footage to say for certain. And Beefcake wasn't that bad before the parasailing accident. I think I'd go with Randy Savage and Zeus overall and Daniel Bryan and Kane among teams that worked more than a handful of matches together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyonthewall2983 Posted July 24, 2023 Report Share Posted July 24, 2023 Not so much an odd pairing but two names I didn’t think I’d see next to each other, Ric Flair and Big John Studd were tag team champs in the Crockett territory for awhile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
...TG Posted July 24, 2023 Report Share Posted July 24, 2023 During that brief Facebook show they had, Alexa Bliss and Braun had some great chemistry. But then I suppose that Big Galoot + Tiny Hot Lady is sort of an archetype couple in fiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLB Posted July 24, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2023 Miro and Kip Sabian flopped as an odd couple, a lot of AEW fans were confused by that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Posted July 24, 2023 Report Share Posted July 24, 2023 3 hours ago, Dav'oh said: Just getting back to the Hammer and the Beefer, has there ever been a bigger difference in talent between two partners? Eadie (as Ax) and Crush? I see Putski and Santana listed above (I'm not aboard the recent Putski reappraisal train). Putting bad wrestler in with good wrestler to cover their weaknesses is just a logical booking move. Gulas and Eaton is obvious and mentioned above. Jerry Lawler once won a tag team championship with Plowboy Frazier (Uncle Elmer). William Regal started his career teaming with Big Daddy. I'm gonna go ahead and nominate Ric Flair and Triple H though and duck the incoming tomatoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alucard Posted July 24, 2023 Report Share Posted July 24, 2023 15 hours ago, MLB said: Another thing that jumps out at me is that Austin won the tag titles with basically everyone he feuded with: Undertaker, HBK, Foley, HHH. John Cena also has this where every tag title run he had was with someone he was actively feuding with at that time (Shawn, Batista, David Otunga, & The Miz), though only the Shawn team lasted more than a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blehschmidt Posted July 26, 2023 Report Share Posted July 26, 2023 Cactus Jack and Mikey Whipwreck. Tajiri and Mikey Whipwreck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyonthewall2983 Posted July 26, 2023 Report Share Posted July 26, 2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.S. Posted July 26, 2023 Report Share Posted July 26, 2023 On 7/23/2023 at 10:12 PM, Dav'oh said: Hard-as-fuck Greg Valentine and a Chippendale called Brutus. Rhythm and Blues too. Even if Greg did change his gimmick to match Honky's, it was still odd. On 7/24/2023 at 9:17 AM, Dav'oh said: Just getting back to the Hammer and the Beefer, has there ever been a bigger difference in talent between two partners? Eadie (as Ax) and Crush? I assume Ax is the talented one in your mind? While I don't think Crush was that bad - maybe limited, but he handled himself well enough - Bill Eadie has a major career as The Masked Superstar long before ever becoming Ax. 7 hours ago, Blehschmidt said: Cactus Jack and Mikey Whipwreck. Tajiri and Mikey Whipwreck Rock 'n Sock was rightly one of the first mentioned, but Stone Cold and Mankind is a great forgotten example of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLB Posted July 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2023 I watched an odd WCW tag from Bash '98 yesterday, Hogan and Hart vs. Savage and Piper. Piper and Savage had some chemistry as faces by cutting off the ring with quick tags, but Hogan and Hart was definitely odd to see. ECW didn't shy away from odd couple teams like Guido and Smothers, Doring and Roadkill, or "The Gangstanators" New Jack and Kronus. Oh, and I almost forgot to add Headcheese (Al Snow and Steve Blackman) and T & A (Test and Albert). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blehschmidt Posted July 27, 2023 Report Share Posted July 27, 2023 4 hours ago, MLB said: Guido and Smothers What's odd about a couple of Italian guys teaming together? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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