Top 100 Tag Teams Of All Time: 20-1

With the success of our Top 100 Wrestlers Of All Time list, we’ve decided to go even bigger and bolder. We’re going to rank the 100 greatest tag teams of all time!

Our ranking differs from the PWI 500 because we use math. Well, at least we try to. Just as we did before, we all submitted our own list of the top 100 wrestlers of all time, and each ranking represents points. For example, #1 = 100 points, #2 = 99 points, etc. At the end, we’d calculate who had the most points and assign ranking from there.

How do you judge what makes a great tag team? Well, we all have different criteria. Some rely on in-ring ability (which of course, is subjective) and others rely on box-office appeal. In a future episode of The Wrestling Estate Podcast, we’ll all break down the criteria we used in crafting our own lists. We’ll also bust each other’s balls for the names lacking and their absurdly low or ridiculously high rankings.

Here 100-81.

Here are 80-61.

Here are 60-41.

Here are 40-21.

Without further ado, here are 20-1:

20. Los Guerreros (450 points)

Eddie and Chavo Guerrero were uncle and nephew by law, but were really more like brothers considering the circumstances of their upbringing. However you view them, they were, in a vacuum, an all-time great team despite not really getting a ton of longevity in WWE. That’s an unfortunate common theme among a lot of WWE tag teams, though. Of course, the Usos and New Day have stuck it out all these years, but some of the real gems like the World’s Greatest Tag Team and Los Guerreros got two years or less. That may be a big piece of criteria for a lot of rankers on this site, but I dare you to find me a Los Guerreros match between ’02 and ’03 that under delivered. Cohesion went a long way in my rankings as well. When you watched Los Guerreros in the ring, you’d have thought Eddie and Chavo had been doing this together for their entire careers. It’s part of what made Eddie one of the all-time greats and what made Chavo such a solid hand in his own right. And even though they were the true, blue heels in the SmackDown Six equation (Benoit and Angle were considered tweeners, a lost art in wrestling), you couldn’t help but root for them when they sat atop the SmackDown tag division. – Jack Goodwillie

19. Brain Busters (496 points)

As The Four Horsemen’s official tag team, Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard were the quintessential serious southern-style heels. Arn, the tough-talking ass-kicker, and Tully, the tough-talking ass-kickee, excelled at making babyface teams of all backgrounds, sizes and styles look like world-beating stars. If match quality and fan investment can be quantified into a mathematical average, The Brain Busters probably have the highest average of any tag team on this list. – David Gibb

18. Edge & Christian (503 points)

Edge and Christian have been friends since they were 10 years old, but they were only an official team in WWE for three years. In that short span, they became one of the most accomplished teams in WWE history, winning the titles seven times. – Chad Gelfand

17. Von Erichs (504 points)

When I think of the Von Erich family, I think of David, Kerry and Kevin, but the Von Erich tag team we came to know and love is the combo of Kerry and Kevin. In another entry, I will describe the two most popular kinds of tag teams you’ll see in wrestling: those where both guys are kind of interchangeable and those where the skills of each wrestler complement the other. Kevin and Kerry kind of fall into both categories, though. Both guys were young, athletic, had great physiques and a heap of fan support, but at the same time very different. Kerry had the raw charisma and superstar looks, while Kevin was among the best athletes of his day. But together, the Von Erichs carried WCCW on their backs throughout the ‘80s and evoked emotion out of every fan who got to see them live. It certainly helped that they had some great foils in The Fabulous Freebirds and Gino Hernandez and Chris Adams. Go check out the Von Erichs’ Dark Side of the Ring episode if you haven’t already. While it is sad for all the obvious reasons, it also paints a great picture of just how powerful Kevin and Kerry were in the state of Texas at the time. – Jack Goodwillie

16. Beer Money (522 points)

Bobby Roode and James Storm left Team Canada and America’s Most Wanted to form an even greater alliance: Beer Money. They had hellacious battles with LAX, Team 3D and the Motor City Machine Guns while racking up five Tag Team Title reigns. Their “Off the Wagon” challenge was great, as well. Their split came at just the right time, as they propelled each other to the World Heavyweight Championship. – Matthew Smith

15. The Rockers (524 points)

To the untrained fan, The Rockers may have seemed like WWE’s answer to creating their own Rock ‘n Roll Express without having to sign and pay Ricky and Robert. The reality is Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty were touring the northern territories as the Midnight Rockers before WWE got its hands on them. We’ve seen this type of tag team before: flamboyant teen idols who may or may not be related due to similar physique and athleticism. The Rockers, the aforementioned Rock ‘n Roll, Hardy Boyz and Young Bucks all fit this mold and these days the gimmick has sort of become a parody of itself with The Young Bucks feeling the negative effects of that the most. That said, The Rockers had plenty to offer as a standalone team. Of course, one of the team’s best perks was that it had Michaels in it, who is considered one of the greatest of all time. But Jannetty was no slouch himself, particularly when he had his shit together. And when both guys brought their A-game, they could be mentioned among the best teams of their era. – Jack Goodwillie

14. British Bulldogs (528 points)

Most American wrestling fans, even the serious ones, hadn’t seen World of Sport or Stampede Wrestling in the mid-80s when The Dynamite Kid emerged on WWF TV. Over the next four years, he and Davey Boy Smith did their best to give American fans a primer on what British wrestling looked and felt like, changing the U.S. scene forever in the process. Their blend of acrobatics and grappling and exciting matches with the Hart Foundation, Killer Bees and beyond slowly helped erode the plodding style of the WWF and ushered in the era of stars like Bret Hart, Mr. Perfect and Shawn Michaels. – David Gibb

13. Demolition (566 points)

The answer to the Road Warriors. Ax, Smash and Crush captured the WWF Tag Team Titles three times, holding the record for longest reign for almost 30 years. – Juan Bautista

12. Harlem Heat (576 points)

Harlem Heat were 10 time! 10 time! 10 time! WCW Tag Team Champions. Booker T and Stevie Ray had great chemistry as only brothers can have, and became one of the most decorated duos of all time. When you ask who is the best team in WCW history, you’ll either hear them or the Steiners as the answer. – Chad Gelfand

11. Steiners (579 points)

I’m shocked and appalled that the Steiners – who I ranked No. 1 – didn’t even crack the top 10 (blaming you, Steven). The hell with Undertaker, the Steiner brothers caused a true decade of destruction. From 1988-1992, they were the top duo in WCW, becoming Triple Crown Champions (holding the WCW U.S., WCW World and IWGP Tag Team Titles at once). In 1990, they were named Tag Team of the Year by both PWI and the Wrestling Observer. Of course, that meant their matches were exciting – with their legitimate amateur wrestling background from the University of Michigan, as well as their explosive power and agility, Rick and Scott developed a reputation for fucking people up.

Scott doesn’t get the credit he deserves for innovation, creating the 450 splash, Blockbuster suplex, Screwdriver and perhaps the reverse hurricanrana. That’s on top of popularizing the Frankensteiner! (Feeling salty yet, Steven?) Although they won the WWE Tag Team Titles twice, they were never perceived as main eventers like they were in WCW. That’s okay, because when they returned to WCW and battled the Outsiders, they quickly regained their stature before Scott betrayed his bro in 1998 and became Big Poppa Pump. – John Corrigan

10. Wild Samoans (586 points)

Easily the most intimidating tag team ever. Afa and Sika won the WWE Tag Team Titles thrice, becoming the most dominant duo during the Bob Backlund era. The WWE Hall of Famers crisscrossed the country, winning gold in nearly every territory, including in Canada and Puerto Rico. They’re also responsible (along with their uncle High Chief Peter Maivia) for the Samoan dynasty engulfing the industry for the past quarter century. – John Corrigan

9. Briscoes (594 points)

Starting the 2010s as six-time ROH Tag Team Champions, the Briscoe Brothers have proven themselves as the most reliable stars in the company. They’ve weathered many high-profile departures, picking up the slack and constantly delivering in the ring. They’ve added another five title reigns to their resume as of 2020, establishing a record that will surely never be broken. – John Corrigan

8. Young Bucks (605 points) / New Day (605 points)

From spot monkeys to the best tag team today, the Young Bucks’ evolution has disrupted the industry. Even their harshest critics have come around since Matt and Nick Jackson joined the Bullet Club and incorporated more psychology into their matches. Even more impressive is the amount of merchandise they’ve sold over the past decade, rivaled only by The New Day. The Bucks have held the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship a record seven times. They’ve also held the ROH, PWG and IWGP belts simultaneously…twice! When their in-ring days are over, their legacy will continue as executives of AEW, shaping the industry they’ve already dismantled. – Matthew Smith

The most successful tag team of the modern era. The New Day has brought back the “Freebird Rule” and executed it perfectly. Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods are the longest-reigning WWE Tag Team Champions of all time. However, the group’s biggest accomplishment comes outside the tag team division, helping Kofi Kingston win the WWE Championship at WrestleMania while preserving their brotherhood. – Chad Gelfand

7. Fabulous Freebirds (629 points)

The Freebirds didn’t invent Southern rock, entrance music or being in-your-face heels with a gap between arrogance and ability that you could drive a truck through, but they were true students of the game, reforming what previous generations had done into something that spoke to their specific time, place and brand. Michael P.S. Hayes as the slippery mouthpiece, Terry Gordy as the menacing muscle and Buddy Roberts as the beatable middle guy formed a three-man band that every subsequent three-person act needs to survive being compared to. – David Gibb

6. Hart Foundation (636 points)

Bret Hart and Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart joined the WWF as a tag team, and for a while, this seemed to be all they were destined to be. And although Hart is primarily thought of as a heart-on-his-sleeve babyface, for the first six years of his career he found himself miscast as an arrogant heel alongside his brother-in-law Neidhart. But while Bret would later get his shot to become the singles star he knew he could be, The Hart Foundation was an exceptional tag team in the meantime. Both guys were trained by Bret’s father Stu and together had an incredible attention to detail with their every move in the ring. The pink and black attire helped them stand out further, as did having Jimmy Hart in their corner for much of this time (no relation). Additionally, I’ve found over the years there are multiple kinds of tag teams that work well in wrestling. There are teams where both individuals are basically the same guy and are equally interchangeable in a match. THEN, there are teams where the partners have skills and attributes that contrast one another, allowing them to deliver a complete performance in the ring. The Hart Foundation was the latter, and Neidhart’s power combined with Bret’s athleticism made them a lot of fun to watch. – Jack Goodwillie

5. Midnight Express (640 points)

Whether it’s Dennis Condrey and Bobby Eaton or Eaton and Stan Lane, the Midnight Express are universally regarded as a must on the Mount Rushmore of tag teams. They dominated the ‘80s, winning championships in every territory they went. They drew huge money in Mid-South and Jim Crockett Promotions, lighting up the scene with thrilling feuds against the Road Warriors, Magnum T.A. and Mr. Wrestling II, and of course, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express. Trendsetters inside the ring, Jim Cornette’s team made everything look good, inventing new double team moves and redefining the psychology of traditional tag team wrestling. I judge a wrestler by how exciting their squash matches are, and aside from the Steiners, there’s no other team I’d rather watch destroy a couple of ham and eggers than “Loverboy,” “Sweet” Stan and “Beautiful” Bobby, while the Louisville Lip yaps at the announce table.

4. Dudley Boyz (644 points)

Is there a Tag Team Title these guys haven’t held? Their list of titles runs longer than Tommy Dreamer’s McDonald’s order: WWE, Raw, ECW, WCW, TNA, NWA and IWGP. On top of all that, they won All Japan’s World’s Strongest Tag Determination League in 2005. Plus, their the only team to be inducted into the TNA and WWE Hall of Fame. Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley have done it all in professional wrestling, raising the bar when it comes to taking risks. Look no further than their rivalry with the Hardyz and Edge and Christian – they created the TLC genre and ignited WWE’s last boom period for tag team wrestling. No duo has ever accomplished more in the history of the business. – Matthew Smith

3. Road Warriors (647 points)

People probably can’t believe they didn’t top this list. After all, Animal and Hawk were the team of the ‘80s, lighting up the box office wherever they went. They’re the only team to win titles in the AWA, NWA and WWF. It’s a shame their aura was neutered by poor booking in both WWE runs; first by Rocco and then by the infamous drunk Hawk storyline. – Juan Bautista

2. Hardy Boyz (661 points)

The Hardyz are the blueprint for what modern tag team wrestling is today. Matt and Jeff’s high flying and risk-taking style influenced a generation of wrestlers, specifically The Young Bucks, who have gone onto influence a generation of their own. – Chad Gelfand

1. Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (664 points)

Robert Gibson was in two tag teams with partners named “Ricky,” and this one is slightly better-known. Joking aside, the Rock n’ Roll Express were the definitive babyface team of the ‘80s and thereby the principal beneficiaries of the golden era of heel tag team workers. Their exciting style and authentic connection with the crowd opened the door directly for the Harts and Michaelses of the world and set a standard that still hasn’t been matched for emotional fan support. – David Gibb