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When it comes to professional wrestling, something that separates it from any other type of combat sports variant is the concept of tag team wrestling.
The first tag team pro wrestling match was held in San Francisco around the turn of the twentieth century. While the match variant enjoyed a great deal of popularity in the southern California territories, it didn't really catch on in the rest of the world until almost thirty years later.
So why is tag team wrestling so exciting? For one thing, it puts double the amount of characters in the ring at a time, increasing the drama and storyline possibilities. For another, it allows for tandem offense, leading to such intricately named moves as the Doomsday Device and More Bang for Your Buck.
In Mexico, tag team wrestling is considered an art form, and goes far beyond the normal two-man teams. Lucha Libre events might feature six-man, eight-man, or even ten-man teams comprised of men, women, and minis. Lucha Libre tag rules are unique in that tags are not required if a member of the team leaves the ring, voluntarily or otherwise.
In recent years, tag team wrestling has seen something of a glut as the world's largest pro wrestling organization the WWE tends to focus on singles wrestlers rather than tandems. However, this appears to be changing, and a new emphasis on tag team wrestling can be seen in promotions from New Japan, Impact, and Ring of Honor, as well as the aforementioned WWE.
Without further ado, here are ten of the best active tag teams in pro wrestling today, in no particular order.
#1 The Revival
The Team: Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder
Combined Weight: 446 pounds.
Hometown: Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina
Wrestling Style: Smashmouth brawling with technical prowess--but definitely no flips!
The former NXT and Raw World Tag Team champions are the spiritual successors of classic tag teams such as the Minnesota Wrecking Crew and the Hard Liners. Their motto is 'no flips, just fists,' which perfectly encapsulates their exciting and vicious style.
Long considered one of the best, if not THE best tag team in WWE, The Revival recently made headlines because they asked for their release from the company. The WWE refused, urging them to stay and give the promotion a chance to re-emphasize tag team wrestling.
Dash and Dawson are definitely 'top guys' in tag team wrestling!
#2 The Usos
The Team: Jimmy and Jey Uso
Combined Weight: 479 pounds.
Hometown: San Francisco, California
Wrestling Style: A mix of US Standard worker and high flying.
The Usos are members of the famous Anoa'i family which also includes Nia Jax, their father Rikishi, and some guy named The Rock -- perhaps you've heard of him?
When it comes to tag teams, brothers always seem to do quite well as a tandem, and the Usos are no exception. Despite being twins, they don't rely on confusion to win matches, though at times they will definitely bend the rules to their advantage.
Jimmy Uso is married to Total Divas star and former Women's champion Naomi, and they also compete together on WWE's Mixed Match Challenge as a unit.
The Usos always put on dynamic, exciting matches, and their multiple reigns as tag team champions definitely attest to this fact.
#3 The Briscoes
The Team: Jay and Mark Briscoe
Combined Weight: 460 pounds.
Hometown: A chicken ranch in Sandy Fort, Delaware
Wrestling Style: Jay Briscoe: Top notch brawler with technical acumen. Mark Briscoe: Martial arts striker with high flying.
Not to be confused with another famous tag team of the same name -- Gerald and Jack Brisco, who were of a different generation and no relation to Jay or Mark -- The Briscoes have been tearing up the tag team wrestling world since 2000. Longtime Ring of Honor stalwart loyalists, they have also plied their trade in Combat Zone Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling, and Major League Wrestling.
What makes the Briscoes special is the fact that they are clearly similar, yet different. Jay is the no-nonsense fighter, who went over two years without being pinned or submitted. Mark is a master of 'Redneck Kung Fu' and is, at times, unabashedly silly. Their multiple reigns as ROH tag team champions attest to their skill in tag team wrestling, but they also excel as singles stars.
#4 The Bar
The Team: Sheamus and Cesaro
Combined Weight: 499 pounds.
Hometown: Lucerne, Switzerland (Cesaro) and Dublin, Ireland
Wrestling Style: Power wrestling (Sheamus) and technically skilled brawler (Cesaro).
Many of the tag teams in WWE these days seem to be thrown together for no particular reason, like the Glorious Alphas, or Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler before they split up. Frankly, Cesaro and Sheamus were put together because WWE's creative writers didn't know what else to do with them.
But when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, and Sheamus and Cesaro have certainly done that. They have strong social media game, are quite popular with the female fans (check out all the Cesaro is Daddy signs in the audience) and have actually gelled into quite the effective tandem.
They have multiple WWE tag team championship reigns to their credit, and get better with every match as a unit.
#5 Fallah Bahh and KM
The Team: Fallah Bahh and KM (Kevin Matthews)
Combined Weight: 690 pounds
Hometown: New York City (KM) and Nueva Ecija, Philippines (Bahh)
Wrestling Style: KM: Us standard worker Bahh: Superheavyweight.
Pro wrestling's odd couple, Fallah Bahh and Kevin Matthews (or KM if you're into the whole brevity thing) have been one of the most pleasantly surprising success stories of the beleaguered Impact Wrestling promotion. Despite the fact that they have little in common, or perhaps precisely because of it, the tandem have become one of the more entertaining and popular acts on the sports entertainment stage.
Kevin Matthews is a decent worker, and makes few mistakes, but make no mistake; Fallah Bahh is the star of the duo. His "People's Toe" is one of the most uproariously hilarious moves in pro wrestling today, and his propensity to steamroll his opponents -- The Panda Express -- looks devastating and goofy all at once.
#6 Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish - Undisputed Era
The Team: Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish
Combined Weight: 397 pounds.
Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia (O'Reilly) and Saratoga Springs, New York (Fish.)
Wrestling Style: Martial arts striker and submissions (O'Reilly) Striker and technician (Fish.)
While they have only just begun their WWE careers on the NXT brand, the tandem of Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly are no strangers to pro wrestling fans. For years they plied their trade as ReDragon in Ring of Honor, New Japan Pro Wrestling, and various independent promotions.
Though they are on the smaller side for pro wrestlers, they are often billed as hardcore badasses, particularly O'Reilly who has a plethora of MMA inspired moves in his offence. As a tandem, it has been said that Bobby Fish sets the table (by wearing down the opponent,) and then Kyle O'Reilly sits down to eat (usually finishing them off.)
As part of the Undisputed Era, the duo represents not only tag team wrestling but their roots in the Ring of Honor promotion, which is the only other pro wrestling organization that WWE seems willing to acknowledge.
#7 War Raiders
The Team: Todd Hanson and Raymond Rowe
Combined Weight: 552 pounds.
Hometown: Reno Nevada (Hanson,) Cincinnati Ohio (Rowe.)
Wrestling Style: Power wrestling and high flying (Hanson), Power wrestling and striking (Rowe.)
Ever wondered what would happen if King Kong and Godzilla formed a tag team? Well, War Raiders is your answer to that query. Originally they were rivals, battling each other in the Ring of Honor promotion, but a funny thing happened while they were beating the tar out of each other; They developed a mutual respect.
Ex-Ring of Honor announcer Kevin Kelly said it best; there's just something special about War Raiders. Their smashmouth style and tendency to overpower their opponents leads to many favorable comparisons to teams such as the Road Warriors and the Steiner Brothers, with good reason. They recently captured the NXT tag team titles from Undisputed Era, and have shown no signs of slowing down.
#8 The New Day
The Team: Big E, Xavier Woods, and Kofi Kingston
Combined Weight: 702 pounds.
Hometown: Tampa, Florida (Big E), Ghana, East Africa (Kingston,) and Angel Grove, California (Woods.)
Wrestling Style: Power wrestling (Big E,) high flying (Woods,) and striker with high flying (Kingston.)
One of the most unlikely success stories of recent pro wrestling memory, The New Day started out as a throwaway ethnic stable but wound up becoming one of the most popular wrestling units in sports entertainment. Their merchandise sales are second only to Roman Reigns, and their popularity extends beyond the squared circle thanks in part to Xavier Woods's strong social media game and video game podcast, Up Up Down Down.
Possessed of a goofy demeanor, yet able to throw down in a very physical way, The New Day often utilizes the "Freebird Rule," where any of the three can defend the tag team championships they frequently have around their waists.
#9 The Lucha Brothers
The Team: Fenix and Pentagon Jr.
Combined Weight: 386 pounds.
Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico
Wrestling Style: Lucha Libre
Our third brother tandem on our list, the Lucha Brothers are real-life family, having trained together and broken into the business together. Strict traditionalists (particularly Pentagon Jr) they never appear in public sans masks.
In terms of wrestling ability, the Lucha Brothers are possibly among the best sports entertainers working today. Their mix of high flying, superior timing, and 'blink and you'll miss it' high spots have earned them a justifiable reputation for being exciting and dynamic.
Despite the fact that he's ostensibly a heel wrestler, Pentagon enjoys one of the biggest followings among pro wrestling today, and has become an international superstar. The duo recently captured the Impact world tag team titles, to go along with the numerous other titles they have accumulated in their career.
#10 The Young Bucks
The Team: Matt and Nick Jackson
Combined Weight: 479 pounds.
Hometown: Rancho Cucamonga, California
Wrestling Style: A mix of high flying, striking, and technical wrestling.
The Young Bucks are, quite possibly, the best tag team working today. Not only have they proven that it is possible to be successful without working for a 'big' promotion, they have also taken full control of their own brand, AEW, and created their own merchandise.
If you've ever heard the term 'superkick party,' it's a direct reference to the Young Bucks. Matt and Nick Jackson are fluid, dynamic, and able to get the crowd emotionally invested in their matches. They also have a strong social media game, and these days are even working as promoters for the newly minted All Elite Wrestling brand.
The Young Bucks aren't afraid to make fun of themselves, and are known to give their all in their matches whether they are performing for a hundred people or ten thousand.
