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WWE will soon be releasing their list of the Top 50 Tag Teams in wrestling history on the WWE Network. No doubt all the big names that first come to mind when you think of great tag teams will be there - The Rockers, The Hart Foundation, The Dudley Boys, The Hardy Boyz, The Ding Dongs...
But amongst the greats are often individuals or teams who, only when we look back in hindsight, we recognize might not have been as appreciated or given their just dues for the time.
Here are five of the most underappreciated teams in wrestling history!
#5 Power and Glory
In WWE in early 1990, Paul Roma was being used as an enhancement talent after the break up of The Young Stallions (Roma and Jim Powers.) At the same time, Hercules was treading water as a singles competitor after a solid run in the midcard for the previous couple of years. Hercules had been involved in feuds with the likes of Ted Dibiase and Ultimate Warrior, but his push seemed to have come to an end.
In the summer of that year, the two men were put together in a heel tag team that came to be known as Power and Glory. They were managed by “The Doctor of Style” Slick.
Power and Glory looked to be on the road to success in the WWE tag ranks. They defeated The Rockers at SummerSlam 1990 and were winners at that year’s Survivor Series as members of the Visionaries. They went on to compete in the main event, along with Rick Martel, The Warlord, and Ted Dibiase against Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, and Tito Santana.
Many fans felt P&G were destined for gold, and there were rumors that they were being considered as the team to ultimately defeat then-tag champions the Hart Foundation for the titles.
Power and Glory were formed in WWE in 1990
However, this would be the peak of Power and Glory’s run. While they received many championship opportunities at The Hart Foundation, the pair never won the tag team titles. They then strangely lost to Legion of Doom at WrestleMania VII in just 59 seconds while the Hart Foundation dropped their tag titles to The Nasty Boys instead.
They'd go on to be on the losing end of most of their matches until Roma left the WWE in October 1991. Hercules would follow in mid-1992.
#4 Faces of Fear
During their time in the WWE, both The Barbarian and Meng (then known as Haku) found themselves as members of Bobby Heenan's Heenan Family. While they did team up from time to time in the WWE in the early 90s as fellow members of the stable, it wasn’t until both men signed with WCW that they became a more full time tag team.
Joining up with Kevin Sullivan’s Dungeon of Doom, Meng and The Barbarian would come to be known as the Faces of Fear.
Meng and Barbarian first began teaming together in the WWE
Granted, the Faces of Fear never held the WCW Tag Team Championship or were involved in any great, technical masterpieces. Their most memorable match, and for all the wrong reasons, is probably their participation in the Doomsday Cage Match at Uncensored 1996 where Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage defeated eight men!
But something about this team just worked. Their similar size, strength, and style meshed well together, and they looked believable because they were believable. The Barbarian, and most especially Meng, are renowned in the WWE, and the wrestling world as a whole, as legit tough guys outside of the ring.
#3 The New Foundation
After Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart split up in WWE as the Hart Foundation in 1991, both members focused on their singles careers.
In November 1991, Neidhart had a match against Ric Flair on WWE TV in which he was “injured” after suffering the figure four leg lock. As he exited the ring, the Beverly Brothers made their entrance for a tag team match and jumped Neidhart. When Neidhart returned about a month later, he returned with Owen Hart as back-up.
They formed a team dubbed The New Foundation. However, the duo were short-lived due to Neidhart being released from the company in February 1992, just three months after the formation of the team.
Jim Neidhart and Owen Hart first teamed in WWE as The New Foundation
The New Foundation is probably most remembered for their unique parachute pants attire and brightly colored jackets, but should also be remembered for being a solid team that worked well together in the ring and made a lot of sense storyline-wise as well.
Owen and Neidhart had only one pay-per-view appearance as a team, but it was a great match with The Orient Express (more on them later) at the 1992 Royal Rumble that is still talked about in fan circles today.
#2 Orient Express
In early 1990, manager Mr. Fuji brought The Orient Express (Akio Sato & Pat Tanaka) to WWE as his latest addition to the tag team division.
The Orient Express kicked off a prolonged feud with The Rockers with a countout win at WrestleMania VI after Sato threw salt in Jannetty's eyes while they were outside the ring. The two teams continued to feud off and on.
Success would be few and far between for the Express in WWE from that point forward, however. The Orient Express were next placed in a lopsided feud with the Legion of Doom in which they lost all their matchups.
In fact, after the big win over the Rockers at WrestleMania VI, Tanaka and Sato only made two more pay-per-view appearances while in the WWF as a team. At SummerSlam 1990 they were defeated by "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan and Nikolai Volkoff. They were then a part of the Sgt. Slaughter led team "The Mercenaries” at Survivor Series 1990 in which they were both eliminated quickly.
There were two versions of The Orient Express in WWE
When Akio Sato decided to leave the US wrestling scene in late 1990, the WWE decided to replace Sato with Paul Diamond under a mask. He was referred to as Kato in this new version of the Orient Express.
During this time the team had a very well received match with their old enemies the Rockers at the 1991 Royal Rumble and another great match against The New Foundation at the 1992 Royal Rumble. However, these were the only two PPV appearances for the New Orient Express before being disbanded for good.
#1 Beverly Brothers
In May of 1991, Wayne Bloom and Mike Enos, formerly referred to as The Destruction Crew, were transformed in WWE, becoming Beau and Blake Beverly, The Beverly Brothers.
In stark contrast to their previous personalities, they were portrayed as spoiled rich brats from California, and wore flamboyant purple tights and capes to the ring. They soon also acquired The Genius as a manager.
In 1991 they were featured in a TV feud with the Legion of Doom. They also unsuccessfully challenged then-tag team champions The Natural Disasters at SummerSlam 1992.
The Beverly Brothers debuted in WWE in 1991
By the latter part of 1992, however, they would be used primarily to put over other up-and-coming tag teams or used in more comedic matches with the likes of the Bushwhackers. Their run of losses included a loss to the Steiner Brothers at the 1993 Royal Rumble in the Steners’ WWE pay per view debut.
Bloom left the WWE in April 1993 while Enos stayed a bit longer, but was only used as an enhancement talent.
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