Being part of a tag team is a rite of passage in pro wrestling. At one point or another, every major star in the business has been part of a tag team. Some tag teams go on to become legendary. Other tag teams are destined to be forgotten.
RELATED: The Best Tag Title Reign In Each Year Of The '90sThe 90s saw a slew of new teams hit the WWE scene. However, the 90s were also a bit of a low point for WWE in terms of tag team wrestling. While tandems like The Steiner Brothers, The Headshrinkers, and Money Inc. propped up the division, other teams proved to be rather forgettable.
10 The New Blackjacks
Long-time fans know that adding the word "New" in front of anything is a death kiss in the pro wrestling business. If fans know that, it's a little weird that Vince McMahon didn't really notice that trend during the 90s. In that decade, as you'll notice on this list, McMahon greenlit several "New" versions of popular tag teams. The New Blackjacks were one of those teams.
The Original Blackjacks team was made up of Blackjack Mulligan and Blackjack Lanza. In 1997 though, Barry Windham and Bradshaw would become The New Blackjacks. The team experienced very limited success even during a time when WWE desperately needed help in their tag team division. They disbanded in 1998.
9 The Blu Brothers
Twins Ron and Don Harris had long, yet uneventful, pro wrestling careers. The pair debuted in the late 80s and were darlings on the independent wrestling scene throughout the early 90s. They experienced success in the USWA, Smokey Mountain Wrestling, and even ECW as The Bruise Brothers. In 1995, the twins signed with WWE.
Unfortunately, in WWE, the newly dubbed "Blu Brothers" never caught on. The pair would only be in WWE for a cup of coffee before departing in October 1995. They'd return to the promotion in 1996 and in 1997 they'd join the Disciples Of Apocalypse. The gimmick change didn't bring them much success and the pair would once again leave WWE in 1999.
8 The New Foundation
Sometimes in pro wrestling, talented performers can be weighed down by bad gimmicks. This was the case with The New Foundation. In 1991, Bret Hart began his ascent up the WWE card. This left Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart without a tag team partner. Eventually, Neidhart would be paired with one of his other brothers-in-law, Owen Hart.
On paper, it was a great and logical pairing. It was poorly executed though. The team was dubbed "The New Foundation" but dressed like Owen's old team with Koko B. Ware, High Energy. If they were going to be associated with the original Hart Foundation they should've at least kept the old pink and black color scheme. Alas, The New Foundation wouldn't be long for the WWE scene.
7 The Beverly Brothers
Oftentimes, performers will experience success outside the WWE walls only to flop when they finally make it to the promotion. The Beverly Brothers fit that description. As The Destruction Crew, Mike Enos, and Wayne Bloom were a bright spot during the final days of the AWA. After the promotion closed, the team would have brief stints in both WCW and NJPW.
RELATED: 10 Things WWE Fans Should Know About The Beverly Brothers
In 1991, Enos and Bloom signed with WWE and were repackaged as The Beverly Brothers. The gimmick they were given was a pair of rich spoiled brats who wore capes to the ring for some reason. Needless to say, the team was not a hit. They would find themselves losing a lot in WWE and would leave the promotion in 1993.
6 The New Midnight Express
It's hard to think of a "New" version of anything in pro wrestling that was successful. They've all been disastrous, though some have been worse than others. The New Midnight Express might just be the worst of the bunch. The Original Midnight Express is one of the greatest tag teams of all time made up of Bobby Eaton and Dennis Condrey. Stane Lane would eventually replace Condrey.
In 1998, Jim Cornette attempted to "invade" WWE using the old NWA name. Cornette would reform his old team. This time with Bob Holly and Bart Gunn. "Bombastic" Bob and "Bodacious" Bart would never experience any success in WWE and luckily the team was disbanded quickly after forming.
5 The Orient Express
Aside from being a legendary tag team competitor himself, Mr. Fuji also managed a handful of teams in WWE. Most fans remember him as the devious manager of Demolition and later the Powers Of Pain. Fuji managed one more tandem around this time though, The Orient Express. In 1990, Fuji would introduce his new team.
While being wildly talented, the combination of Pat Tanaka and Akio Sato didn't experience an abundance of WWE success. Sato would eventually leave WWE leaving a spot on the team open. Paul Diamond would step into that role, donning a mask as Kato. Neither version was overly successful although they did put on some great matches. The team would disband in 1992 when Tanaka also left WWE.
4 Furnas & LaFon
The pro wrestling business is littered with the corpses of failed performers who had loads of in-ring talent. Regrettably, Doug Furnas and Phil LaFon are among those talented, yet unsuccessful performers. Before arriving in WWE the Can-Am Express was one of the best tandems on the globe from a technical standpoint.
In 1996, the team signed with WWE and became known as Furnas and Lafon. Despite their obvious talent, the pair never truly gained any traction in WWE. They'd rub shoulders with teams like Owen Hart and The British Bulldog as well as the Legion Of Doom but nothing much ever came from those interactions. In late 1997, the pair would be sent to ECW, never to be seen in WWE again.
3 Tekno Team 2000
During the late 90s, putting "2000" at the end of any name was a popular fad. Being so close to the turn of the new millennium, it made sense. In 1995 however, WWE jumped the gun when they introduced Tekno Team 2000. Erik Watts and Chad Fortune would step into the roles of Troy and Travis, respectively. To say they were a flop is an understatement.
RELATED: Tekno Team 2000: WWE's Worst Tag Team Gimmick Ever
The team was supposed to "Bring The New Generation into the 21st Century." They were given a decent push to start their WWE run but that eventually fizzled. By 1996, the team was being used to put over teams like The Smoking Gunns and The Godwins. They were released from their WWE contracts in summer 1996, after never living up to their potential.
2 Well Dunn
Sometimes in pro wrestling, a clever name can go a long way. Other times, a clever name can be wasted on undeserving performers. While Timothy Well and Steven Dunn weren't undeserving of success, they weren't exactly burgeoning superstars either. In 1993, the tandem debuted in WWE sporting bowties and wearing thongs over their singlets.
They had an interesting look, to say the least, but nothing else about the gimmick stood out. They'd experience limited success in WWE. They would often square off against top-tier teams but rarely won those matches. By the end of 1995, Well Dunn would be done with their WWE run.
1 The 1-2-3 Kid & Bob Holly
During the 90s, WWE's tag team division lacked depth. This is why during the decade various random pairings were able to capture the coveted WWE Tag Team Championships. Surprisingly, a couple of those random pairings featured The 1-2-3 Kid. The Kid first won the titles with Marty Jannetty in 1994. Their reign would only last a week.
While that pairing was random and brief, it wouldn't be as random or brief as The Kid and Bob Holly. At Royal Rumble 1995, Kid and Holly would beat Bam Bam Bigelow and Tatanka to win the vacant WWE Tag Titles. Their reign would only last a day though as the team would lose the championships to The Smoking Gunns the very next night and never regain them.
