This week I would like to discuss the tag team division and its evolution throughout the years. Tag teaming, while not nearly as old as singles wrestling, does have a rich history that dates back to the early 20th century and originates from the western United States. Yes, the tag team match is an American product. It did not rise in popularity, however, until a bit after World War II in the 1940s. Some of the dating might be a bit off, but it is generally presumed to be around that time period. In the beginning tag teaming was considered to be a gimmick much like battle royals or the steel cage match, and the idea of having its own division and champions was unheard of at the time. However, as it grew in popularity among the many promotions, tag teaming was soon taken seriously, and world tag titles would eventually be created and defended by the companys respected champions. Now the history of tag teaming, much like the rest of professional wrestling, gets rather complicated when one takes into account the other territories having their own tag champs. Some tag titles were even defended in other territories. Imagine if you will the WWE tag champs defending their titles in TNA one week, and then in New Japan the next week. Now add about twenty more companies in the United States alone, and you have got a severe headache of a title history. So just to keep things simple, let us stick with the history of the WWWF/WWF/WWE tag team titles.

In 1971, the first champions were Luke Graham and Tarzan Tyler. They had no team name, had no team finisher, and I think it is fair to say that they were more popular in the singles division. For the most part, tag teaming was just two singles matches taking place at the same time. There was tagging, but there was also a lack of any real “teamwork” between the champions. Finally, in 1975, a tag team simply known as The Blackjacks captured their first World Tag Team Championship. The Blackjacks, Mulligan and Lanza, were the inaugural “tag team” of the wrestling world. Their success was not in singles competition, but in the tag team division. They dressed the same, had the same attitude, and even performed tag team moves to the delight of the audience. Soon other tag teams were formed, and by the 80s there were more than a handful in the WWE alone, but The Blackjacks have the honor of ushering in the golden age of the tag division.

Ok, you can wake up now. The history lesson is over. So what was the point of all that? Well not only did it set the proper atmosphere, but it also allows me to dissect the positive and negative aspects of tag team wrestling while knowing its history. Plus it makes you guys think I am the Mike Tenay of TWNP which is always a plus. Anyway, the tag team division has undergone a number of changes throughout the years. There have been rule changes, the addition of extra men, championship unification, de-unification, and re-unification, and to top it all off, a countless amount of gimmick matches designed to cause as much havoc and chaos as humanly possible without it being illegal. Yet throughout all these changes, it still hangs on like that stubborn baby tooth that you just cannot seem to pull out. It has become so big in fact that most, if not all, wrestling promotions are required to have a tag division. Let us face fact; tag teams are going to be around long after any of us kick the bucket. But there have been moments that question whether tag teaming will in fact stay around for that long. Vince has had his moments where he at one point places great emphasis on tag team matches, and the next he acts like they do not even exist. My theory is that Vince relies on the tag team division when his regular storylines are either in the works or are not pleasing the audience in the way he thought they would. This is why tag team matches are thrown together haphazardly around pay per view time, and also why the tag team champions are able to go on any show they wish. It is not a privilege, but rather it is a type of insurance claim that says “if these main storylines are not doing it for you, maybe this tag team one will.” I think it is good to have a safety net that encompasses all the WWE shows, and give a small taste of variety among the wrestlers who only appear on certain shows. In this regard, tag teaming will remain active.

Some people love tag team wrestlers, and others could care less. I fall into the former, but only as long as the teams make sense and the wrestling itself is both innovative and exciting to watch. Otherwise I view it as time filler before the more hyped up matches. This is where I believe tag teaming loses its identity at times and Vince, among other promoters, ends up giving us mixed messages about how one should view tag teams as a whole. One on hand, tag teams are treated as their own division; they have their own champions, their own set of rules, and the audience will more often than not see something they could not possibly see in a singles match. On the other hand, tag teams can be compared to stepping stones that a wrestler must take before reaching the ultimate goal of being in the main event of a singles competition. This tells us that, much like the IC and U.S. titles, tag teams are just a filler group for all wrestlers before they eventually make their way into singles competition.

So we have got these two sides, and with these two sides we have defense for both. Representing tag teams as a division, we have world famous teams such as The Dudley Boys, The Road Warriors (Legion of Doom), The Midnight Express, The Blackjacks, and The Rock N Roll Express. On the other side of the coin, teams that propelled certain wrestlers to superstardom, there is The Rockers (Shawn Michaels), The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart), The Steiner Brothers (Scott Steiner), Harlem Heat (Booker T), and The Hardy Boys (Jeff Hardy). Each team had a weaker member who, for whatever reason, faded away while the other went on to achieve world title status. So what are we to believe? Can tag teams be respected as their own division with their own legendary heroes, or are tag teams merely a glorified precursor for the next great wrestling star in the industry? Did the idea behind the tag team change with the times? If so, is it possible to change it again?

I want you guys to discuss this and let me know what you truly think. Also, if you have any ideas for what my next silver lining should be, or if you just want to throw me into the Jeritron 5000, e-mails me at tagibbs4@yahoo.com

And as always, remember that every ring is bound to have a silver lining.