Who is the greatest Tag Team of all time?

The first tag team match in professional wrestling history was held in 1901 in San Franciso, California. The match type became more popular over time, with perhaps a peak of interest in the 1980s.

These days, some federations make their tag division almost an afterthought (WWE) while others emphasize it greatly (ROH.) Make no mistake, however, that tag team wrestling is here to stay. Getting four athletes in the ring at the same time doubles the marketing potential and the dramatic elements for storytelling, which is what wrestling has always really been about.

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Just like singles stars, there are those teams who are so legendary that they stand out above the rest. But which team is the best, the greatest of all time? This question can be highly subjective and vulnerable to nostalgia, but we will attempt to keep the criteria clearly defined to attain some level of objectivity. We will rate teams on four criteria;

Popularity: For face teams, this means cheers. For heels, it means wall to wall boos.

Championships: Holding the gold does matter, so titles held counts toward the overall grade.

Competition: Just ploughing through a bunch of nobodies doesn't count for much. Did the team face legitimately prestigious foes?

Legacy: Was the team innovative, influential, or still spoken of today?

Without further ado, here are the contenders in no particular order.

The Rock and Roll Express

Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson defined tag team wrestling in the 1980s with their high energy never say die ring style. Ricky was akin to Dolph Ziggler in his ability to make anyone look good, and Robert brought the sizzle with his athleticism. Many teams fell victim to their double dropkick finisher.

Popularity: Top marks in this category. In fact, the R and R Xpress was often given grief because they were TOO popular! The NWA would often run two shows in one night, and the Rock and Roll Express drew twice as many fans as the 'main' NWA show featuring stars like Dusty Rhodes. Grade: A+

Championships: Ricky and Robert have held over forty titles in twenty different promotions, including Korea, putting them off the charts in this category. Grade: A+

Competition: The Rock and Roll Express faced such luminaries as the Midnight Express, The Four Horsemen, the Fantastics, and Manny Fernandez/Rick Rude, giving them a top grade. Grade: A

Legacy: Ricky and Robert STILL lace up the boots today for special attraction matches, and are still dearly beloved by wrestling fans of the 1980s. They didn't invent the 'babyface in peril' wrestling trope but they certainly perfected it. Grade: A

Overall Grade: A+

Demolition (Ax and Smash version)

and Smash had a lengthy run as WWE tag team champions.

Known as much for their hard-hitting ring style as their face paint and spiked armour, Demolition held the record for longest tag team title reign in the WWE until the New Day broke it. While acknowledged as a rip off of the Road Warriors, Demolition nevertheless managed to create their own legacy.

Popularity: Demolition spent most of their time as heels, and were booed relentlessly (which is a good thing.) However, their face runs were not as impressive, and once the Legion of Doom (Road Warriors) joined WWF their stock dropped even further. Grade: B

Championships: Demolition held several tag titles after WWE, but they are mostly remembered for their record run as WWF Tag team champions. Grade: A

Competition: Demolition faced many of the top tag teams of their era, including Strike Force, the Can Am Connection, The Powers of Pain, the Brain Busters, and the aforementioned Road Warriors. Grade: A

Legacy: Demolition's legacy is secure in the long title reign they enjoyed, but lack some of the international experience of other teams on this list. Grade: B

Overall Grade: B+

The Fabulous Freebirds

The first team to innovate three-man tag teams (hence the Freebird Rule), the Fabulous Freebirds were often heels in spite of the fact they were proud southerners wrestling in the south. They appeared in the movie Highlander in the opening scene and were the first wrestling act to write their own theme music.

Popularity: As heels, they received wall to wall boos. As faces, they were cheered wildly. You can't do better than that. Grade: A

Championships: The Birds held the big gold in ten different federations, including the prestigious NWA world tag team titles. Grade: A

Competition: The Freebirds faced all the top teams of their era, including internationally. Grade: A

Legacy: From the Freebird Rule to Badstreet USA, the Freebirds's legacy is assured. Grade: A

Overall Grade: A

The Hart Foundation

Bret Hitman Hart and Jim Neidhart were fixtures of WWE's classic era. They were often portrayed as the top team even when they didn't hold the WWF tag team titles, which they did for much of their run.

Popularity: They were booed as heels, but mainly for Jimmy Hart's manager antics. A subsequent face turn fell mostly flat. Grade: B

Championships: Bret and Jim held the WWF tag team titles twice, but held no other titles either in the US or internationally. Grade: B

Competition: Hart and Neidhart faced many great teams, such as the British Bulldogs, Strike Force, Demolition, and the Killer Bees. Grade: A

Legacy: The Hart Foundation is more known for the latter-day five-man stable led by Bret Hart rather than the initial tag team. Grade: B

Overall Grade: B

Harlem Heat

While many are aware of Booker T's stellar singles career, they often forget or fail to mention that he was also a member of one of the most influential and praised tag teams of the 1990s. Harlem Heat were fixtures in WCW until they split up for Booker's face run--and main event elevation.

Popularity: Harlem Heat pretty much got cheered even when they were supposed to be the 'bad guys.' The fans appreciated their athleticism and toughness so much that they were one of the first 'tweener' acts of the 1990s--tweener meaning they existed somewhere between heel and babyface. Grade: A

Championships: Heat are former GFW champions (three times) and held the WCW world tag team titles a record-setting ten times. Grade: A

Competition: Tag wrestling wasn't what it used to be in the 1990s, and Heat faced mainly weaker competition in the form of the American Males and the Faces of Fear. Grade: C

Legacy: While their title reigns are impressive, they lack the international experience and overall popularity of other teams on this list. Grade: B

Overall Grade: B-

The Road Warriors (Legion of Doom.)

Big, muscular, and face painting, the Road Warriors typify what most people's perceptions of pro wrestlers are in all the right ways. Dominant and athletic, they ran roughshod over nearly every team placed before them.

Popularity: Are you kidding? The Road Warriors were possibly the most over tag team of all time, celebrated and cheered everywhere they travelled to. Grade: A

Championships: With twenty reigns in over a dozen different promotions, including the WWE and NWA, the Warriors earn the highest grade here. Grade: A+

Competition: The Road Warriors faced nearly every team of note during their careers, including the Four Horsemen, the Midnight Express, and international teams. Grade: A

Legacy: Their tag-team style of brutality has been quite influential, echoed today in the War Raiders and the Killer Elite Squad. Grade: A

Overall Grade: A

Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson

The Horsemen stalwarts were regarded as one of the most technically sound yet tough as nails teams from the 1980s.

Popularity: Everyone hated the Horsemen and the Brain Busters, just like they were supposed to. Grade: A

Championships: They held the NWA world tag team titles and the WWF tag belts, one of the first teams to do so, but competed little elsewhere. Grade: A-

Competition: The Horsemen faced the best of the best, including the Rock and Roll Express and the Super Powers. Grade: A

Legacy: There are still four fingers being shot up at nearly every wrestling event, and these two men are part of the reason for that. The hall of fame team has a secure legacy. Grade: A

Overall Grade: A

The Outsiders

Scott Hall and Kevin Nash formed their team when they defected from WWE to WCW. Their laid-back coolness and bad boy antics earned them cheers even when they were supposed to be the bad guys.

Popularity: Hall and Nash were supposed to be villains, yet at least half the crowd cheered for them. They sold a lot of merchandise, but they failed in their role as heels. Grade: B

Championships: The duo are six-time WCW tag team champions and one time TNA tag champions but have no experience internationally and their reigns in WCW had little significance other than being part of the NWO dominance shenanigans. Grade: B

Competition: While the Outsiders faced the Horsemen and Harlem Heat, most of their matches were against lower card talent, and they had few memorable feuds. Grade: C

Legacy: There will always be fans of the Outsiders, but they were not the most innovative or even the most popular team on this list. Grade: C

Overall Grade: C+

The British Bulldogs

The perfect blend of power and finesse, the Bulldogs captured their first and only WWF tag championship with Ozzy Osbourne at ringside during the Rock and Wrestling craze. PWI rates them as #5 on their list of greatest tag teams of the 1980s.

Popularity: The British Bulldogs were quite popular in the WWE and their native Canada. They also wrestled extensively in Japan, though they held no titles. Grade: A

Championships: The Bulldogs have one title reign with a major promotion, and a couple with Stampede wrestling, not as impressive as others on this list. Grade: C

Competition: The Bulldogs faced some of the best teams in the world, including the Hart Foundation and the Dream Team, but their short period teaming together gave them less opportunities for big matches. Grade: B

Legacy: Davy Boy Smith is fondly remembered, but the Bulldogs as a tandem have become more of a footnote in wrestling history. Grade: C

Overall Grade: B-

The Midnight Express

Much like the Freebirds, the Midnight Express had four different men as part of their team. Unlike the Birds, the Midnight Express only showcased two of those members at a time--except during the famous feud between the "Original" Midnight Express and the "New" Midnight Express. Blending skill, finesse, toughness, and old school grit with a more exciting ring style, the Midnight Express was poetry in motion.

Popularity: The Midnight Express were top draws in JCP and other southern promotions, whether working as heel or face they always got a reaction from the crowd. Grade: A

Championships: The Midnight Express has racked up over FIFTY title reigns in twenty different federations. Grade: A+

Competition: The Midnight Express faced, and often defeated, every team of note during their era, including the Rock and Roll Express and the Road Warriors. Grade: A

Legacy: Still regarded by many as one of the best teams of all time, the Midnight Express has accrued honors all over the world. Grade: A

Overall Grade: A

And the greatest team of all time is...The ROCK AND ROLL EXPRESS!

Heroes are remembered, but legends live forever.

The Rock and Roll Express are the greatest tag team of all time, edging out the Midnight Express, the Freebirds, and the Road Warriors due to their off the charts popularity and the level of competition they faced.

Rock and Roll never dies...and neither does the legacy of Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson. Congratulations to our two conquering heroes.

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