In part one we looked at the teams that ranked between 30th and 16th and in this part we will conclude the list.
15. Aussie Open
It has been quite the breakout year for these two, putting on a string of great matches on the UK and European scenes. They are currently the PROGRESS, ATTACK! and Defiant tag champions and they also held the HOPE titles for a chunk of time. They have a great dynamic as a team, with the veteran teaming with the youngster. They have a bright future ahead of them.
14. Los Ingobernables de Japon (SANADA & EVIL)
The best of the LIJ teams. These two are great together and they bust their ass every time out. They won the World Tag League for a second straight year, giving them another tag title shot at Wrestle Kingdom 13. They were the most impressive team during the tournament too. They also had a couple of great matches against the Young Bucks during the course of the year.
13. Bandido & Flamita
A team that appeared to come out of nowhere, but one that has done nothing but impress. There aren't a massive amount of great lucha teams doing the rounds so they bring a fresh approach to tag wrestling, with some of the most innovative tag moves I have seen in a while. They have been tearing it up in Japan, Mexico, the UK, and America, and as they have a combined age of 47 they will continue to do this for years to come. Near limitless potential.
12. Moustache Mountain
Now that I'm writing this, it seems a bit low, but every team at this stage is world class. One thing holding them back from being higher on this list is the fact that a large number of their matches this year have been in comedy 6-man tags, which are really fun but follow a similar pattern to each other. When they have gone full bore, though, the matches have been wonderful, as seen in their feud with Undisputed Era. Still one of the best teams in wrestling.
11. The Usos
They haven't had the same incredible level of year that they did in 2017 but the Usos remain one of the best pure tag teams in wrestling, having competed in over 100 matches this year. They are one of the main reasons that the Smackdown tag division is so much better than the Raw one. Whilst they haven't had a stone cold classic match this year, their matches with New Day and The Bar are always entertaining.
10. Rascalz
This team has more athleticism and innovation than almost all of the rest of this list combined. They have been putting in great performances all over the world but it is their performances in PWG that have impressed me the most. Their run as tag champions has been a joy to watch and they stole the show regularly. They have recently been signed to an Impact contract, so hopefully they can help with the rebuilding of that company.
9. Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr)
While not the most traditional of teams, they have nonetheless been kicking the faces off anybody in their way this year. They are truly a nasty team, in the best way possible, and have been involved in some of the best hard-hitting tag matches of the year. They have also held the RevPro tag titles for the majority of the year. All hail Sabre Jr and his angry Japanese dad.
8. Lucha Bros
They might have had a slightly less spectacular year than 2017, as a team at least, but they have still established themselves as one of the very best teams around. Whether it has been in PWG, MLW, CMLL, Impact, or anywhere else, they are two of the most exciting wrestlers in the world and they continue to get bigger and better.
7. New Day
A team that will be a staple of this list for as long as they are together. All three of them are great in the ring and they have near peerless chemistry. Much like the Usos, they will always put on great matches, regardless of how poorly the tag divisions are treated on the main WWE shows. Still want a Big E singles run though.
6. The Bar
Do you want to know how good The Bar are? Despite being involved in a match where a man pissed himself they are still this high on the list. Simply put, they are the best team on the main roster, and they would be right at the top of this list if WWE took their tag divisions more seriously.
5. LAX
The current Impact, and WrestlePro, tag champions have been the best thing about Impact this year and have also taken their talents to anywhere that will have them, and nailed it every time. From their match against Team PAWG at the Beyond/WWR show to the war with the OGz to the great matches with CCK, LAX are a team that can put on top-notch matches against pretty much any team, in any style.
4. Ringkampf
Ringkampf are an outstandingly consistent team, and one whose appearance on a show immediately piques my interest. WALTER is an outstanding wrestler and Thatcher is the perfect foil for him. They have put in absolute bangers in PWG, wXw, RevPro, and Evolve this year, the best of all being the spectacular match against Shingo and Dragunov at BOLA. A no-nonsense magnificent tag team.
3. Young Bucks
It's the Young Bucks, they are one of the most important tag teams of this generation. They put on fantastic matches against Roppongi 3K, SoCal Uncensored, The Briscoes, SANADA & EVIL, and had a 5-star classic against the Golden Lovers. They were one of the driving forces behind ALL IN and they will be starting their own company with Cody, All Elite Wrestling, at some point in the coming year. Whether you love them or you hate them, they ain't going anywhere, and I'm cool with that.
2. Golden Lovers
These two are the best tag team in the world, hands down. So why aren't they number one? Simply put, they aren't a full-time team. One half of the team is the IWGP Champion for fuck sake. What they do have is the highest average match quality of any team in recent memory. They have had two matches that I have rated 5-stars this year, against the Young Bucks and the team of Tanahashi and Ospreay, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. Every single time they go out there you know you are going to see something special. They are absolute magic.
1. Undisputed ERA
This group just works. Every member brings something different to the table and improves the group as a whole. Their gimmick is great, their music is great, and their work as a team is the best thing of all. They consistently deliver on the big occasions too. Their matches on Takeovers this year start with a great match with AOP, followed up with winning the Dusty Classic (complete with Strong joining the group), a banger against Lorcan and Burch, an inferno hot match against Moustache Mountain, and WarGames. They smashed out a bunch of awesome matches on NXT TV and the UK Tournament while they were at it too. Undisputed ERA have been flawless this year.
Comments
Post a Comment