May is Tag Team Appreciation Month at Wrestling Merchandise & Memories, with nearly 100 unique and interesting articles on the art of tag team wrestling.
We've looked at the Top 50 Tag Teams Of The 1980s, the Top 50 Tag Teams Of The 1990s and the Top 50 Tag Teams of the 2000s. And after a de-emphasis on tag teams in the previous decade, the phenomenon started a rebound right around 2010.
While WWE was the dominant promotion for the entire decade (including a tag team renaissance in their NXT division), we also saw great tag team wrestling in TNA, Ring of Honor and New Japan. In addition, All Elite Wrestling began operations in 2019, qualifying many of their teams for this 2010-2019 countdown.
In counting down the Top 50 Tag Teams of the 2010s, we looked at the following criteria:
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How prominent was the team between 2010 and 2019?
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Were they a dominant duo in their chosen promotion(s)?
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Did they capture championship gold, and if so, how frequently?
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Was the team promoted at or near the top of the card?
If you'd like to be a part of this conversation, Tweet us at @canadianbulldog using the hashtag #Top50, or leave a comment below.
50.
Air Boom
Air Boom (Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne) began teaming together in the summer of 2011, and defeated the duo of David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty to win the Raw Tag Team Championship, which they for more than five months before losing to...
48.
The Kabuki Warriors
Late in the 2010s, Paige brought together NXT alumnae Asuka and Kairi Sane as The Kabuki Warriors. After a feud with The Iiconics, they won the Women's Tag Team Championship in 2019, hanging on to the gold fo nearly six months.
46.
The B Team
The B Team (Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel) began as part of the larger Social Outcasts faction and then set out on their own, where they became The Miz's Miztourage members. They then became The B Team and won the Raw Tag Team Championship.
44.
The Lucha Dragons
The Lucha Dragons (Kalisto and Sin Cara) formed in NXT in 2014 and soon captured the NXT Tag Team Championship from The Ascension. They would move up to WWE's main roster a year later and face the likes of The Dudley Boyz, The Usos and The New Day.
42.
Eric Young & ODB
Eric Young and ODB began teaming in Impact Wrestling in late 2011 and soon after (somehow) winning the Knockouts Tag Team Titles, they also pursued a romantic relationship, getting married in the ring. The duo were the longest-reigning Impact Tag Team Champions.
40.
Heath Slater & Rhyno
In 2016, Heath Slater wasn't drafted by either Raw or SmackDown and couldn't land a job despite having kids to feed. Enter Rhyno, who helped him get hired, and the duo became the inaugural SmackDown tag Team Champions.
38.
The Kingdom
Initially part of a faction formed by Adam Cole, The Kingdom grew to include Matt Taven and Mike Bennett, managed by Maria Kannelis. In various incarnations, The Kingdom held tag team titles in both Ring of Honor and New Japan.
36.
The Iiconics
The Iiconics (Billie Kay and Peyton Royce) began teaming in NXT in 2015, quickly becoming two of the top heels on that roster. They joined the main roster and captured the WWE Womens Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania XXXV.
34.
Private Party
Private Party (Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen) began teaming on the indepedent circuit in 2015, competing in Game Changer Wrestling among other promotions. In 2019, they became one of the initial tag teams in All Elite Wrestling.
32.
Los Ingobernales de Kapon
While Los Ingobernables de Japon is a faction that also includes Tetsuya Naito, Bushi and others, the team of Evil and Sanada are the duo who dominated New Japan, holding the IWGP Tag Team Titles three times and winning the World Tag League two years in a row.
30.
The Authors Of Pain
The Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar) debuted in NXT in 2016, managed by WWE Hall of Famer Paul Ellering. The pair would win both that year's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and well as tag team gold in both NXT and on Raw.
28.
Best Friends
Although the group has increased in members over the years, Best Friends (Chuck Taylor and Trent?) have been teaming since 2013, competing in Pro Wrestling Guerilla, Ring of Honor, New Japan and All Elite Wrestling.
26.
Santana & Ortiz
Santana & Ortiz began teaming in 2017 as part of Konnan's LAX faction but eventually went off on their own as a duo. In addition to success in Impact Wrestling, the team was also part of the inaugural All Elite Wrestling roster.
24.
Bayley & Sasha Banks
Bayley & Sasha Banks, also known as The Boss 'n' Hug Connection, first began teaming in WWE in 2016 following their legendary rivalry in NXT. The pair became the first WWE Womens Tag Team Champions in February 2019.
22.
The Street Profits
Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford began teaming in NXT in 2016, but it would be another year before they became The Street Profits. The duo captured the NXT Tag Team Championship in 2019 and by year end would be part of the Raw roster.
20.
The Viking Raiders
The Viking Raiders (Erik and Ivar) first began competing in 2014 in Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling, where they were known War Machine. Later in the decade, they competed in NXT and on Raw as well.
18.
The Big Show & Kane
The Big Show and WWE Hall of Famer Kane were frequent tag team partners over the years. In 2011, they reformed to feud with The Corre and won the WWE Tag Team Titles for a second time. They were later also members of The Authority.
16.
Enzo Amore & Big Cass
Enzo Amore & Big Cass began teaming in NXT in 2013 and soon became one of the most popular duos on the roster. They eventually came to Raw and while they never held tag team gold, they were always "the realest guys in the room."
14.
The Lucha Brothers
The Lucha Brothers (Pentagon El Zero M and Rey Fenix) began teaming in 2007 but began making a mark on U.S. audiences the following decade. They competed in PWG, MLW, Impact and elsewhere before joining AEW in 2019.
12.
The Brotherhood
What's with all the brother teams (and a few more still coming)? The Brotherhood (Cody and Dustin Rhodes) began teaming in 2013. With father Dusty Rhodes in their corner, they captured the WWE Tag Team Championship. They also competed as Goldust and Stardust, and again in AEW.
10.
The Revival
The Revival (Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson, now known as FTR in AEW) began teaming in 2014 in NXT. Their throwback "No Flips, Just Fists" style helped them capture tag team gold in NXT, on Raw and on SmackDown.
8.
The Hardy Boyz
While The Hardy Boyz began teaming in 1993 and had legendary matches in the 2000s, they had a career renaissance in Impact Wrestling as The Broken Hardyz, which led to their "Expedition of Gold" and a return to WWE in 2017.
6.
The Bar
The Bar (Cesaro and Sheamus) began as enemies on WWE Raw and eventually formed a team. It would become an incredibly successful one, with the duo winning four Raw and one SmackDown tag team championships over the next three years.
4.
Gallows & Anderson
Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson (a/k/a Gallows and Anderson or The Good Brothers) began teaming in 2013. As part of The Bullet Club, the duo dominated in New Japan and Ring of Honor before joining WWE in 2016 and becoming two-time Raw Tag Team Champions.
2.
The Young Bucks
The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) started teaming in 2004 and by the 2010s, began revolutionizing the business one of the most in-demand tag teams in the world. The Bucks made waves in Chikara, Dragon Gate USA, TNA and New Japan before helping found All Elite Wrestling in 2019.
49
Epico and Primo Colon
Primo Colon stopped teaming with brother Carlito in the late 2000s and instead formed a duo with his brother Epico. They held the Raw Tag Team Championship for more than 100 days, and also competed under such names as Los Matadores and The Shining Stars.
47.
3MB
Although 3MB (Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre) were largely treated as comedy wrestlers throughout their run, the trio battled teams such as Los Matadores and The Usos during their three-year stint as a rock band.
45
The Beautiful People
While The Beautiful People has had several iterations in TNA/Impact Wrestling over the years, in the 2010s the group largely consisted of Velvet Sky and Madison Rayne, although Angelina Love would reunite and feud with the group over the years.
43.
The Vaudevillains
The Vaudevillains (Aiden English and Simon Gotch) first began teaming in NXT, portraying turn-of-the-century carnies. They captured the NXT Tag Team Championship from Blake and Murphy in 2014 and feuded with the likes of American Alpha before moving to Raw.
41.
Damien Mizdow & The Miz
In 2014, Damien Sandow became The Miz's "stunt double" and eventually was renamed Damien Mizdow. The unusual pairing led to a run with the WWE Tag Team Championship later that year before they went their separate ways.
39.
The Ascension
Although there were early members of the team in FCW and NXT, The Ascension's Konnor and Viktor dominated as a team in NXT, holding the league's tag team titles for about a year and then having a forgettable run on WWE's main roster.
37.
The Prime Time Players
The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) began teaming up during the final season of the NXT reality show. They joined WWE's main roster, having a series of ups and downs, including a brief WWE Tag Team Title reign in 2015.
35
Blake & Murphy
Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy began teaming in NXT in 2014. While their first year didn't go very well, they soon recruited Alexa Bliss in their corner and captured the NXT Tag Team Championship from The Lucha Dragons.
33.
Cesaro & Tyson Kidd
Cesaro and Tyson Kidd began teaming in late-2014, accompanied by Kidd's wife Natalya. They would go on to feud with The New Day and The Usos, briefly winning the WWE Tag Team Championship at Fastlane in 2015.
31.
The American Wolves
The American Wolves (Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards) began teaming in Ring of Honor in the late 2000s and went on to capture that promotion's tag team championship twice. They also competed in Impact Wrestling beginning in 2014 as The Wolves, where the duo also captured tag team gold.
29.
The Kings of Wrestling
The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli) began as part of a faction in Chikara, and later dominated promotions such as CZW, JCW and ROH. In 2010, they held the ROH Tag Team Championship for almost a year.
27.
The Motor City Machine Guns
The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) have been teaming since 2005, but during the 2010s, the duo had huge success in TNA/Impact, ROH and New Japan.
25.
The Dudley Boyz
While WWE and TNA Hall of Famers The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley) first began teaming in the 1990s, their final run was in the 2010s, which included stops in Impact Wrestling, All Japan, House of Hardcore and WWE.
23.
American Alpha
American Alpha (Chad Gable and Jason Jordan) began as a duo in NXT in 2015 and eventually they captured that promotion's tag team championship. They also won the SmackDown Tag Team Championship roughly one year later.
21.
Beer Money Inc.
Beer Money Inc. (James Storm and Bobby Roode) began teaming in TNA in 2008. They would go on to win the promotion's tag team championship a record-tying five times, as well as competing in AAA and New Japan Pro Wrestling.
19.
The Guerillas of Destiny
The Guerillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) began teaming in 2008. Along with Jado, the group have held the IWGP Tag Team Championship a recod seven times. They've also competed in Ring of Honor and Impact Wrestling.
17.
DIY
DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) began teaming in 2015 in NXT. Following some ups and downs, the duo won the NXT Tag Team Championship from The Revival. DIY would break up and re-form several times over the years.
15.
The Briscoe Brothers
The Briscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark Briscoe, not to be confused with WWE Hall of Famers The Brisco Brothers) have been competing since 2000. They've primarily wrestled in Ring of Honor, where they are 12-time tag team champions.
13.
The Bludgeon Brothers
The Bludgeon Brothers (Luke Harper and Erick Rowan) began teaming in 2012 as part of The Wyatt Family in NXT, where they held the NXT Tag Team Titles. They would come to Raw in 2013 and would later win the SmackDown tag team titles.
11.
SoCal Uncensored
Although SoCal Uncensored also included Scorpio Sky, the duo of Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian began teaming up in 2012. Whether as part of Fortune, Bad Influence or The Addiction, this team made major waves in TNA, Ring of Honor, New Japan and AEW.
9.
reDRagon
reDRagon (Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly) began teaming in 2012, winning championships in Ring of Honor and New Japan. As part of The Undisputed Era with Adam Cole and Roderick Strong, their group held the NXT tag team titles twice.
7.
The Shield
The Shield (Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose) debuted in WWE in 2012. Dominating the competition, Reigns and Rollins would hold the Raw Tag Team titles three times, with Rollins and Ambrose also winning gold a few years later.
5.
Team Hell No
One of the biggest wrestling stories of 2012 was the formation of Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and WWE Hall of Famer Kane), who went from enemies to reluctant tag team partners and capturing the WWE Tag Team Championship. They briefly reunited for a short run in 2018.
3.
The Usos
Although The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) began teaming up in 2009, the twin brothers would hit their stride the following decade. The Usos would win both the WWE and SmackDown Championships several times, battling all of WWE's top teams.
1.
The New Day
The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) dominated tag team wrestling in the 2010s. They formed in 2014, originally as a heel group but were soon cheered by fans for their antics. In December 2016, the trio set the record for the longest tag team title reign in WWE history (483 days).