Over the weekend, the professional wrestling world mourned the passing of Shad Gaspard. He died a hero by saving his ten year old son from drowning. While it’d been a while since he’d last been in the spot light with his partner, JTG, as the tag team Cryme Tyme, he was never really out of fans’ thoughts.
As much as we loved their gimmick in the WWE and hoped they’d surface again in AEW, we knew there was a possibility it wouldn’t have happened. And now that fate has decided the matter for us, it’s important to remember him for the person he was, and the joy he brought to millions as part of Cryme Tyme.
With that in mind, I thought it’d be a fitting tribute to rate the WWE’s top ten tag teams in honor of him and Cryme Tyme. The tag team division is often ripped apart by WWE creative to create singles stars, but there was a time it had some of the greatest tag teams in history.
Prerequisites
The prerequisites for being selected unfortunately eliminates Cryme Tyme, but that doesn’t mean they won’t get an honorable mention with several others.
The list is based on the team’s impact, storytelling ability, longevity, competition, and influence on tag teams in general. These lists are always opinion as we all have our favorites and view things differently, so as we count down each team over the next few days, please take a minute and share your thoughts on who you think should be were.
Nothing is ever set into stone, and this is no different.
Honorable mentions
As a general sports fan, it’s impossible to compare teams over different generations as the styles are vastly different. Still, it’s impossible to ignore skill when it comes to telling a story, and many fall into it naturally.
While these are in no particular order, they’re likely to spark a few debates as a case can be made for any and all of these teams to be on the list. Without further ado…
Cryme Tyme. It’s only right they get a mention as the inspiration behind the upcoming list, but they’re gimmick was one of the more entertaining ones in recent memory. While it’s considered racist for stereotyping street thugs by many, it doesn’t diminish what they brought to the table at the time.
Two Man Power Trip. Any tag team that had Triple H and Steve Austin on it with multiple championships needs an honorable mention at least. This was the 90s version of the Mega Powers, but they never got a chance to really get moving before Triple H tore his quad and missed nine months.
Mega Powers. This is a no brainer, but while Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan formed the most dominate tag team at the time, it was only a vehicle to further their storyline between WrestleManias 4 and 5, thus not making them a legitimate tag team. Sorry guys.
British Bulldogs. This is a tough one to leave off the top ten as Davie Boy Smith and the Dynamite Kid were among the first face tag teams in Vince McMahon’s WWF and were inspirations to many. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t last more than a few years and seemed to disappear as the WWE tag division blossomed.
The Rockers. Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty were the first true high flyers in the WWE tag division, but while competitive, they seemed to be little more than fodder to put over other tag teams.
The Usos. Jimmy and Jey Uso are the sons of WWE Legend Rikishi, and have carved out a spot as one of the top WWE tag teams currently on the roster. Their athleticism is second to none, but it feels like something’s missing from them. This is probably the hardest team not to include in the top ten. In hindsight, a top twenty list would’ve been better and easier.
The Twin Towers. Hakeem the African Dream and Big Boss Man made an imposing and entertaining team. With Slick as their manager, they won tag team gold and made life miserable for many opponents before breaking up.
Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross. With the women’s tag team division still trying to find its footing, this pair have held it together as their charisma and skill are a perfect mesh. They could make it onto the list in another year, but right now, it feels too early to include them.
Money Inc. Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster (IRS) were one of the perfect tag teams of the Golden Era as they played up to the greedy millionaire and crooked CPA perfectly. As memorable as they were, they are also just as forgettable to many. It’s a shame as they had so much potential.
Brothers of Destruction. Like Two Man Power Trip, this had the potential to be one of the truly great tag teams in history as the Undertaker and Kane were virtually unbeatable. This was also part of the reason they didn’t seem to work as only a team like Austin or Triple H could realistically beat them. Still, keeping them off the list hurt.
Well, there it is. We’ll have the top ten list tomorrow.
As mentioned above, I should’ve done a top twenty list, but then there’d be other teams that wouldn’t have made it. It’s the fun and rough choices that make these interesting. Who’s on your list? Let us know in the comments below.
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