The Lost Art of Tag Team Wrestling

Through the course of wrestling history, eras have come and gone, and the overall product continues to adapt.  While some change is for the better, some change has turned for the worst.  When looking at wrestling of today (particularly in WWE), a glaring hole is present in what was once a focal point of professional wrestling.  This is none other than the use (or lack) of tag-team wrestling.

In the 1980s, teams such as The Legion of Doom, The Steiner Brothers, and British Bulldogs took the wrestling world by storm.  As the 90s came around, Harlem Heat, The Dudley Boys, and The New Age Outlaws sprung up, and helped provide legitimacy within tag-team wrestling.

When looking at the WWE today, it is clear that what was once a mainstay of wrestling, has become heavily neglected.  One of the aspects that shows this neglect is simply the lack of tag-teams.  When looking at the WWE roster, tag-teams are hard to come by. The Usos, Goldust & Stardust, Miz & Mizdow, Los Matadores...and then what? With this lack of tag-teams comes a lack of importance in the titles.  Rather than seeing heated rivalries like years past over the titles, we are left with no real competition. The lack of tag-teams results in constant rematches, as well as no apparent hierarchy. In decades past, there was typically a visible sense of where each tag-team stacks up in the pecking order. You had teams that are perceived as legitimate threats for the Tag-Team Titles, those who were somewhere in the middle and could occasionally pull an upset over a Championship caliber team, and those at the bottom who were typically used to put the better teams over.

Another existing problem is the trend of singles wrestlers being thrown together almost randomly, typically when it appears the creative team has no direction for each individual as a singles competitor. Often times, these makeshift tag-teams soon develop animosity toward the other, which leads to a split of the tag-team and a resulting singles feud. While this can be done effectively at times, it's a tactic that's become very predictable (present example being Miz and Sandow). In addition to this, pairing two singles wrestlers often lacks the feeling of a "team" identity, and instead feels like exactly what they are...two separate and distinct wrestlers teamed together. Although one benefit of this method does add more depth to the tag-team division, it doesn't provide a long-term fix given these teams don't typically last very long.

While the tag-division can't be fixed overnight, there are certainly steps that the WWE can take to help put the luster back in tag-team wrestling. With proper hype given to incoming teams, and focus on their desire to become champs, this may generate more interest in the titles and the tag division.

Elite 8: Greatest Wrestlers To Never Win A Major Championship

 

When looking at the history of any World/Heavyweight Championship, whether it be WWE or WCW, the lists of former title holders obviously show the who's who of top wrestlers over the years. However, these lists only tell half the story, as there are many "All-Time" greats who never had the privilege of holding a major championship during the course of their careers.  With that said, here is the list of the top 8 wrestlers to never win "The Big One".  This strictly refers to the WWE/F singles Championship, as well as the WCW Championship.

8)  Owen Hart:  While it was brother Bret who received most of the attention and accolades, Owen was right there with him in terms of wrestling ability.  In fact, many argue that Owen was the better overall in-ring performer.  Owen incorporated more elements as a high-flyer than Bret ever did, which complimented his superb technical ability.  Having won multiple singles titles during his stay in the WWF, we sadly never got to see his ceiling due to his early death.

7)  Jake "The Snake" Roberts:  One of the greatest interview guys in the history of the business, Roberts delivered tremendous promos, both as a heel and face.  In the late 80s and early 90s, he was always one of the most over guys in wrestling, and he never truly needed a Championship to help with getting himself over.  When considering his longtime issues with drug and alcohol abuse, WWF and WCW might have felt that it wasn't worth taking a gamble on him by pushing him too far to the top.

6)  "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase:  When I think about the best heels that have come along, DiBiase is one of the first guys that comes to mind.  He was one of the best at getting under people's skin, and played his role to perfection.  Having never won a singles championship in the WWF (If you don't count his self-created Million Dollar Championship), he was another one of those guys who never really needed a Championship to get themselves over with the crowd.

5)  "Ravishing" Rick Rude:  One of the best bodies in wrestling, Rick Rude had a lot of success in WWF, and it continued when he made his way into WCW.  In WWF, he would have a solid run with the Intercontinental Title in 1989.  When entering WCW, he did win the NWA title, (which then became the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship), however this was the secondary belt to the WCW Heavyweight Championship, which was held by Ron Simmons at the time.

4)  Scott Hall (Razor Ramon):  While Hall was just about always a solid upper mid-card talent during his runs in WWF and WCW, he never quite broke into the main event scene.  The mid-90s features his best work, with some very memorable matches with HBK, and of course his involvement with the NWO angle.  Like Roberts, Hall has had a long history of substance abuse, which likely prevented him from hitting his full potential.  Regardless, I still feel as though he would have been a better option for the WWF Title in 1995 compared to Nash, as Nash is widely considered the worst drawing WWF/E Champion ever.

3)  Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat:  You may have known that Steamboat did win the NWA Heavyweight Championship, however, due to the guidelines of this list and his talent, The Dragon deserves mentioning.  Considering the caliber of his matches, with the likes of Savage, Flair and others, you would have thought that Steamboat would have been in line to win the top title during his years in WWF and WCW.  For casual wrestling fans, Steamboat's name doesn't often resonate as much as some of the others on this list, which is definitely unfortunate.  If you're unfamiliar with his work, I highly recommend looking up his matches with Flair at WrestleWar 1989, or Savage at WrestleMania 3.

2)  Mr. Perfect (Curt Hennig):  In terms of pure wrestling ability, Hennig was one of the best technical wrestlers of all-time.  Combine his in-ring talent with his "Perfect" persona and you had a guy that had the whole package.  Like others in this list, Hennig was heavily involved with the Intercontinental Title, but never quite reached the upper echelon.  Late 1990 to 1991 would have been an ideal opportunity as a heel champion, but the WWE opted to go with Sgt. Slaughter instead in the midst of the Gulf War.

1)  Rowdy Roddy Piper:  For years, Piper played the villain of all villains, and served a major role in launching Hulk Hogan's legend status in the midst of the 1980s.  Following this run, he became one of the most beloved faces, and eventually became the Intercontinental Champion.  As one of the greatest entertainers and showman in wrestling history, Piper is who I consider to be the greatest wrestler to have never won a major Championship.

Top 10 Intercontinental Champions of All-Time

Since it's inception in 1979, the Intercontinental Championship has been involved in some of the greatest feuds and matches in WWE history.  While the belt is not nearly as esteemed today, there is no doubting it's importance and value in years past.

Originally considered the secondary belt to WWE/F title, this belt has been used as a key element in regard to propelling wrestlers towards the top, and often serving as a platform for one day going after the WWE title.  Without further ado, here is who I consider to be the 10 Greatest IC champions of all-time.

10.    The Rock (2 reigns, 339 days):  While his first reign as the face Rocky Maivia wasn't the most memorable run ever, The Rock demonstrated his inner greatness when making a heel transition in the Nation of Domination.  Upon showing prowess on the microphone and great feuds over the title with Austin and Triple H, The Rock showed that he was destined for the next level.

9.   The Honkytonk Man (1 reign, 454 days):  As the all-time record holder for longest streak as champion, it's tough to leave Honky off this list.  An ideal heel, The Honkytonk Man was able to claw and cheat his way through matches to hold onto the belt.  While he may not fit the billing of the  "greatest Intercontinental champ of all-time" as he claimed, there's no doubting that he has his place as one of the most memorable champions of all-time.

8.   Chris Jericho (9 reigns, 318 days):  As the all-time record holder for most reigns as Intercontinental champ, Y2J has had plenty of memorable matches for the belt with the likes of Kurt Angle, Edge, Rob Van Dam, and various others. Apart from this, Jericho is one of the last few guys in recent years to make the title feel important. His in-ring work, mic skills, and overall talent brought back legitimacy to the IC belt.

7.   Pedro Morales (2 reigns, 619 days):  Unlike most other wrestlers, Morales first won the IC belt after having previously been the WWE champ (then called the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship), making him the first wrestler ever to do so.  As the all-time record holder for most combined days spent as IC champ, Morales was able to establish a high esteem for the title.  With feuds against Billy Graham and Don Muraco, the title was always highly coveted.

6.  Don Muraco (2 reigns, 541 days):  Having won the title from Morales both times, the original Rock had two very successful runs when the title was near it's peak in value.  One of his most memorable title defenses came against Jimmy Snuka  at Madison Square Garden, where Snuka flew off the top of the steel cage.

5.  Razor Ramon (4 reigns, 438 days):  First winning the title in September of 1993, The Bad Guy was a staple of the Intercontinental title in the mid-90s.  With feuds against the likes of IRS, Jeff Jarrett, Diesel, and of course Shawn Michaels, Razor carried the belt well and put on plenty of memorable performances.

4.   Bret Hart (2 reigns, 290 days):  The Hitman is a perfect example of someone who used the IC belt as a stepping stone to the top.  When The Hart Foundation was dismantled and Bret tried his hand as a singles wrestler, he was able to establish his credibility by winning the strap.  With great matches against the likes of Mr. Perfect, Shawn Michaels, and Rowdy Piper, it was evident that Bret was well on his way to the WWF championship.

3.   Shawn Michaels (3 reigns, 406 days):  Based on appearance alone, the IC belt always seemed to look great on HBK.  Even more great, were his tremendous matches during the  midst of him reaching his prime.  First winning the title from The British Bulldog in late 1992, Michaels would go on to face the likes of Marty Jannetty, Jeff Jarrett, and of course Razor Ramon, in what would include plenty of memorable moments. HBK fit the mold of the workhorse in the ring during his time with the belt, which was a role that many of the greats who had held the title up until this point possessed.

2.   Mr. Perfect (2 reigns, 406 days):  The Perfect Wrestler, and the Perfect IC Champion,  Mr. Perfect carried the belt at a peak era.  It simply just felt right having the belt around his waist.  One of the greatest technical wrestlers of all-time, it is surprising that Perfect was never elevated to the WWF world title scene.  Either way, the credibility of the IC title benefitted tremendously by being in the hands of perfection.

1.   Randy Savage  (1 reign, 414 days):  Ohhh Yeahhh.  The greatest Intercontinental Champion of all-time is none other than the late great "Macho Man" Randy Savage.  At a time when Hulk Hogan was the WWF champ, Savage was right there next to him as the two biggest icons in the WWF.  With the title around his waist for over a year, the credibility of the belt was at its peak, and the star status of Savage continued to grow.  To conclude his run as IC champ, Savage on what many consider one of the greatest WrestleMania matches of all-time with Steamboat at WrestleMania I.  As a guy whose face is on many peoples Mount Rushmore of professional wrestling, Savage will forever be remembered as a great wrestler and a great champion.


Honorable Mentions:  Rick Rude, Tito Santana, Ultimate Warrior, Ricky Steamboat, Pat Patterson, Steve Austin, Jeff Jarrett, Greg Valentine

Social Media and Wrestling: How Times Have Changed

With the rise of Twitter, Facebook, and countless other social media services, change in social media has lead to change in the wrestling world.  Countless WWE wrestlers, past and present, have followed suit with these services, and the WWE itself has fully embraced them (If you've watched WWE programming in the last few years or so, Michael Cole will make this known for you). Through this, feuds and storylines are no longer solely seen on television, but are spilt over on the internet as well.

In the business sense, this has been a tremendous way for WWE to generate more interest in their product.  WWE frequently features some of the most popular trending topics, especially during their television programming and pay-per-views.

In an old-school wrestling sense, too much social media emphasis seems to take away from the magic and mystique of professional wrestling (Thankfully, as far as I know, The Undertaker does not have a twitter).   Sure the idea of kayfabe (the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true") has already been vastly tarnished, but you would think that the WWE would try to maintain at least some sense of realism.  When seeing the face-heel interaction on Twitter, the 12-year-old wrestling fan is ripped of the magical aspect of wrestling.  Of course one day they will find out that what they see on television is "fake", but I'm sure they'd rather have figured that out on their own, rather than finding out by seeing Tweeted pics of their favorite hero hanging out with their most hated villain.

At the end of the day, money is the key for WWE, and if it means gaining more worldwide publicity, they are more than willing to sacrifice any amount of mystique that wrestling still has.