WWE feature: Greatest Tag Teams in WWE History

WWE.com is trotting out all its 2012 lists again as, I dunno, proof positive they’re amazing at running a website.

Which they’re not.

But anyway, it does give us some much-needed Brothers of Destruction history!

Top 50 Tag Teams in WWE History

Again, some great wrestling history in this list, including a look at how often great tag teams were split up deliberately by the draft (because Vince hates tag teams, for some reason). And a cool photo gallery to complement the list as well.

(Disgusted that Lay-Cool made the list, even at #36 – McCool’s series of interviews on her website are pissing me off seriously at the moment, because that’s taking attention whoring to new, never-before seen dizzying depths.)

#32 The Brothers of Destruction

Question: who is scarier than The Undertaker? Answer: The Undertaker and Kane.

As vicious as these two brothers’ sibling rivalry can be, the aggression is doubled during those stints when they joined forces as the feared Brothers of Destruction. The duos in the locker room learned to fear the moments where the bros saw eye to eye, as the twosome stomped over squads like Edge & Christian and KroniK en route to total dominance. Their runs as a team were infrequent, but often paid dividends — The Deadman and The Devil’s Favorite Demon captured three separate tag team titles, and were also the team to unify the WWE and WCW Tag Team Championships, devouring DDP and Kanyon at SummerSlam 2001 inside of a steel cage.

And, bonus! Badass ‘Taker! As points out, WWE.com usually prefers to pretend that era never took place. Which is a damn shame, because hot damn, ‘Taker in jeans is all kinds of hot!

#23 Kane & X-Pac

X-Pac was a crude Minnesota punk who couldn’t go five minutes without pointing at his crotch. Kane was a seven-foot tall sociopath so scarred by childhood trauma that he hid his face underneath a mask. A bromance between the two may have seemed unlikely, but one of sports-entertainment’s most unique friendships was forged in the summer of 1999 as the “Kid” and the “Monster” helped each other become men.

Through X-Pac’s urging, the once-mute Kane gained the confidence to speak with the use of a voice box. And with The Big Red Machine in his corner, Pac found the nerve to face down massive opponents like The Unholy Alliance and The APA. Together, the odd couple grabbed two World Tag Team Championships before a vixen named Tori tore them apart. It’s unfortunate that a woman came between these improbable bros, but nothing this awesome was meant to last.

(Sidenote: I remember hearing Glenn talk in an interview once about how much he hated that voice box!)

Ah, how does this team rate higher than our much loved Brothers of Destruction?

But again, look who featured in the picture for #4, The New Age Outlaws:

Interestingly, the first page of comments on this list are weighted heavily in favour of the Brothers of Destruction needing to be ranked much higher on the list than they are – on this, I actually agree with the WWE Universe!

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WWE Feature: Top 50 Good Guys in Wrestling History

Thanks to my gal Pats, who pointed me to this listing!

Top 50 Good Guys in Wrestling History

So, it’s likely a very cynical exercise, being that Bruno Sammartino is listed as #1 (and we all know how hard WWE is lobbying to include him in the Hall of Fame this year – ass-kissing much? 😉 ), but it’s also interesting how many guys we think of as heels are actually listed as Good Guys.

Little gems of great wrestling history are scattered throughout the list, including this one on #16, Jeff Hardy:

“In 2002, however, Jeff took his daredevil ways solo, which irritated then–Undisputed Champion The Undertaker. Although The Deadman beat Hardy in a thrilling Ladder Match, he couldn’t “break” The Charismatic Enigma. Jeff refused to stay on the mat defeated — a display of the grit the WWE Universe loved — prompting The Phenom to raise Hardy’s hand in a shocking display respect. (WATCH FULL MATCH)”

Trust me, if you haven’t seen this match, click the link above and watch it now. Because it’s bloody BRILLIANT!

#12 The Undertaker

The legend that surrounds The Undertaker is something that has allowed the mythical Superstar to transcend the typical “good guy vs. bad guy” archetype often seen in WWE. The Deadman has been on both sides of the fence, whether representing the dark evil of The Ministry or upholding his status as the quintessential WWE Superstar. However, over the course of his storied career, The Phenom has garnered more respect from the WWE Universe and his peers than any other competitor in history.

The Demon from Death Valley’s actions speak louder than any words spewed into a microphone. He has never demanded or asked for respect — he commands it. Since his debut at Survivor Series 1990, The Undertaker has stood apart from every other WWE Superstar and was often “reborn” with a new attitude or demeanor. Nevertheless, The Deadman’s impact on WWE history is immeasurable and his legacy is one of the few that goes beyond the traditional role of a WWE Superstar.

(Please note, ‘Taker outranks Shawn Michaels as a good guy . . . 😉 )

You can even go and vote for the greatest good guy here – knock yourself out!  And, as I’ve always said, the comments from the WWE Universe are sometimes even more entertaining than the article – I particularly like the guy who’s crawling up Triple H’s ass by insisting loudly that he should have been on the list! 😉

 

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Power 25 – Overall rankings for 2012

Well this is a new one!  The Academy of Wrestling Arts & Sciences have issued a listing of overall rankings for 2012!

In the rankings, Team Rhodes Scholars came in at #23 . . . but look who featured in their picture! 😉

Triple H comes in at #15 . . . largely thanks to someone else, who features in the picture! 😉

The blurb says, “On the surface, it may seem strange that a Superstar with an 0-2 record in the ring this year cracks the top 15. But think about the two matches that Triple H subjected himself to: The Game faced the legendary Deadman at WrestleMania in Hell in a Cell and he went toe-to-toe with a ferocious Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. As longtime friend HBK said on Twitter before the bell rang on Triple H-Lesnar, “This match is gonna be about more than winning or losing, but about surviving.” And despite his loss, The Game is most definitely a survivor.”

Ha!

#13 The Undertaker

Few Superstars can compete in just one match all year and still end up on the Power Rankings. But The Undertaker is in a class all his own, his Hell in a Cell victory over Triple H at WrestleMania will go down as one of the greatest matches of all time. Extending The Streak to an unfathomable 20-0, The Phenom further cemented his place in history. Throw in an unforgettable appearance at Raw 1,000, and it’s only fitting The Deadman clocks in at No. 13.

Big Show comes in at #5, but look who features in the picture with him!

#4 Team Hell No

What began as an inauspicious partnership has blossomed into one of the most dynamic tag teams of all time. In singles competition, both Kane and Daniel Bryan have racked up impressive years (Bryan held the World Title in the early part of 2012), but together, the goat-faced Superstar and The Big Red Monster have embarked on a classic reign as Tag Team Champions. Despite their constant (and often hilarious) bickering, Team Hell No continues to win, and so have secured their No. 4 spot on the rankings.

And there you have it folks – Kane, along with Daniel Bryan, ranks #4 for 2012. Beaten only by John Cena, Sheamus and CM Punk.

Well done, Kane – very well bloody done!!

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17 December 2012: RAW mention – Undertaker

Jim Ross, “Mean” Gene Okerlund and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat awarded Match of the Year to Triple H and The Undertaker

It’s tough to imagine anything announcing the most prestigious Slammy of the night other than the dulcet tones of “Mean” Gene Okerlund. The WWE Universe got two extra bangs for its buck, though, when Jim Ross and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat took to the stage in an effort to present the Match of the Year Slammy. And what else could it have been besides the epic confrontation between The Undertaker and Triple H at WrestleMania XXVIII — the “End of an Era” Match that took The Phenom to 20-0 on The Grandest Stage of Them All. The King of Kings accepted the award on behalf of both men, thanking the WWE Universe and issuing a jaw-dropping promise: “You have not seen the last of The Undertaker.”

If you haven’t seen that match yet, this video of the presentation of the award contains some highlights. (Worth it for hearing JBL on commentary say that, “somewhere watching this at home is a Deadman with a huge smile on his face”!)

Of course, it was Triple H who accepted the Slammy. But he did say we haven’t heard the last of the Undertaker. Jim Ross has been saying that for years – that if ‘Taker was hanging it up, the WWE would hardly let that pass without some kind of tribute or announcement.

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WWE Feature: Top 50 villains in WWE history

Which I had to check out because of this smokin’ hot pic on the WWE.com homepage!

Kane makes it in at #41

And The Undertaker comes in at #22

The full list is here, if you want to check out who’s number 1!