Best Pro Wrestling Tag Teams Of All Time: Top 5 Duos, According To Fans

There’s nothing more riveting than watching professional wrestling tag teams battle it out for glory. The best pro wrestling tag teams of all time are masters of the ring, display amazing teamwork, and have a knack for captivating audiences. Simply put, tag team wrestling is fast-paced, exciting, and always fun for pro wrestling fans. 

And speaking of exciting sports action, a recent survey of 2,400 sports fans found that 66 percent of them feel they’re the biggest reason their team wins or loses. In other words, the average sports fan is superstitious. However, these superstitions go well beyond sports fans themselves as nearly 40 percent of sports fans feel someone in their family is ‘bad luck’ while over 80 percent of those fans have even gone as far as asking that family member to leave during the game. Hopefully, they said goodbye and ‘I love you’ on the way out. 

However, another study found that hearing the words ‘I love you’ doesn’t bring as much joy to sports fans as seeing their favorite team win. A poll of 2,000 sports fans found that the happiness associated with hearing those three magical words from a loved one lasts an average of four hours while the boost from seeing their favorite sports team earn a victory lasts for four hours and nine minutes. That’s some serious fandom, folks. 

And speaking of serious fandom, just who deserves to make the list of the greatest duos in wrestling history? StudyFinds did the research, consulting 10 sports and wrestling websites in an effort to bring you the consensus best pro wrestling tag teams of all time. Our list comprises the five most frequently listed teams from across these sites. As always, feel free to share your picks with us in the comments section below!

The List: Best Pro Wrestling Tag Teams of All Time, According to Fans and Critics

1. The Legion of Doom/Road Warriors

Topping the lists of the best pro wrestling tag teams of all time is none other than The Legion of Doom, also known as The Road Warriors. The Legion of Doom is a legendary tag team that featured Hawk and Animal, two of the nastiest characters you could ever come across. Together, Hawk and Animal ruled the tag team ranks of professional wrestling for decades and they’re widely considered the best tag team in history. 

The Legion of Doom:"Precious" Paul Ellering,with Animal and Hawk,The Road Warriors pic.twitter.com/xpg5kDK4FD

— Rasslin' History 101 (@WrestlingIsKing) March 8, 2023

“This shouldn’t come across as any surprise to long-time pro wrestling fans. The team of Hawk and Animal are recognized as both innovators and being one of the most intimidating tag teams in the history of professional wrestling. In terms of innovation, the Road Warriors were famous for popularizing the use of face paint, making use of power moves and their impressive physiques to win over fans and creating a tandem move in the form of the Doomsday Device. The team was notable for quickly rising as top-level talents in their earliest formation in Georgia Championship Wrestling in the early 1980s, where their chemistry and popularity allowed them to be top-level tag teams within every wrestling promotion where they wrestled,” writes Bleacher Report. 

The Legion of Doom were like characters out of a Hollywood action movie (see “Mad Maxx”). Hawk and Animal sported huge shoulder pads complete with sharp metal spikes protruding from all angles. Couple the deadly shoulder pads with painted faces, muscle-bound physiques, and raspy voices, and you have one of the most intimidating and best pro wrestling tag teams in the history of sports entertainment. 

“I don’t think any team represented the pure escapist potential of pro wrestling better than The Legion of Doom. Here was a world in which rules didn’t matter, and you could dab up in warpaint and call yourself Animal and Hawk if you wanted. The tenor of wrestling has changed drastically since the Legion’s heyday, but that has only made it more vital,” adds Sports Illustrated. 

It’s common for members of successful tag teams to go on to singles careers, but that wasn’t the case for Hawk and Animal. The Legion of Doom was as successful as any singles wrestlers and their name was as synonymous with pro wrestling as some of the best singles wrestlers of all time. 

“Few Tag Teams can claim to be as big as any singles competitors, but the Road Warriors often exceeded the World Champion’s popularity. Under the banner of the Legion of Doom, many claimed to be part of Paul Ellering’s dominant force, (Hei-Den-Reich) but none ever matched up to Hawk and Animal. Though this pair was far more brutal than technical, their connection with the fans, long list of accomplishments, and enduring popularity made them the clear choice for the top tag team of all time,” writes Den of Geek. 

2. The Dudley Boyz

Next up on the list of the best pro wrestling tag teams of all time is The Dudley Boyz. The team of D-Von and Bubba Ray Dudley started wrestling in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) before making their way to the mainstream World Wrestling Federation (WWF), now known as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Without a doubt, the Dudley Boyz is one of the most decorated tag teams in the history of professional wrestling. 

Where do you rank The Dudley Boyz among the all-time great tag teams? pic.twitter.com/VEDIMJpa6D

— Just Talk Wrestling (@JustTalkWrestle) April 21, 2022

“No matter where they turn up, The Dudley Boyz are treated like wrestling royalty- and rightfully so. Over the course of their legendary careers, The Dudleys have been tag team champions a whopping 18 times. Pioneers in ECW, a staple in the WWE, and even successful international stars, The Dudley Boyz are arguably the greatest tag team of all time. They are the only team to hold the WWE, WWF, ECW, WCW, TNA, NWA, IWGP, and AJPW tag team championships. They reached the top of the mountain in every promotion they have ever been a part of. The Dudley’s are infamous for their inclusion of tables in their matches and the way they shaped both hardcore and tag team wrestling. The Dudley’s are one of the most well-respected duos in wrestling history and were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018,” explains USA Network. 

The Dudleys have been part of some of the best wrestling matches of all time, and not just tag team matches, either. The Dudleys were fearless and the duo is infamous for setting up a table before violently smashing their opponents through it. 

“Recent WWE Hall of Famers D-Von and Bubba Ray Dudley first originated as part of an ECW stable called the Dudley Brothers, but quickly found greater success as a duo. They soon split off on their own, and eventually made their way to WWE after several years of success in Paul Heyman’s extreme promotion. The pair contributed to bringing a more hardcore style of wrestling into McMahon’s company during the years of the Attitude Era, notably through their use of tables as weapons. The two have held titles all around the world,” adds WatchMojo. 

The Dudleys were successful in every promotion they were a part of, and that’s rare for professional wrestling. Still, D-Von and Bubba Ray Dudley are beloved by wrestling fans everywhere. 

“The Dudley Boyz are the most decorated tag team in not only WWE history but wrestling history as a whole, with a total of 25 Tag Team Championship reigns as a team across various promotions. They are the only team to have held the WWE, WCW, ECW, NWA, TNA and IWGP Tag Team Championships during their careers. The Dudley Boyz were also inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2018,” adds TVovermind. 

3. The Hart Foundation

Slamming into the third spot on the list of the best pro wrestling tag teams of all time is none other than The Hart Foundation. Comprised of Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart and Jim ‘The Anvil’ Neidhart, The Hart Foundation were the quintessential tag team of the ’80s and early ’90s. The Hart Foundation featured the perfect combination of power and technical wrestling. 

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A post shared by Bret (@brethitmanhart)

“It always made me laugh that the Hart Foundation was originally conceived after a young Bret Hart turned down a cowboy gimmick. Seriously, can you imagine ‘Cowboy Bret Hart?’ Instead Bret suited up in the pink and black with Jim Neidhart and had dozens of great matches with The British Bulldogs, The Rockers and Demolition. Obviously The Hitman went on to one of the greatest solo careers of all time, but his legacy began here,” writes Sports Illustrated. 

It was The Hart Foundation that dominated the division at the time, winning the tag team championship twice during their time together. Two championship reigns might not sound like a lot, but this happened during a time when titles did not change hands all that frequently.   

“Bret was a technician who would target a specific body part with precision and also emphasized his impressive sense of speed. The Anvil was a powerhouse who would intimidate and overpower his opponents. They complimented each other perfectly, thereby creating the perfect tag team. They only had two championship reigns during their partnership that lasted from 1985 to 1991, but they were always a staple of the WWF tag team division. They have influenced many modern-day tag teams and will go down in history as one of the very best,” adds One37PM. 

Of course, Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart went on to become one of the best pro wrestlers of all time, but none of that would have been possible without his time as a member of the Hart Foundation. Bret is the cornerstone of the Hart family, and what a family it is, too. The Hart family is wrestling royalty, so of course, several family members have tried to recreate the vaunted Hart Foundation tag team. But, none of them have been able to duplicate the success that Bret and his brother-in-law Jim experienced during their time as a tag team. 

“The Foundation had a six-year run in WWE, from ’85 to ’91, and it was enough to cement their place as one of the greatest tag teams the company ever employed. Working in an era with less frequent title changes, they only held tag team gold two times, but in days spent as champions they actually rank high on the all-time list, an impressive 483 days. Various Hart family members have tried to recreate the team over the years, most notably Neidhart himself with Bret’s brother Owen as The New Foundation, but no attempt has ever been able to match their work in the ring, or rival their legacy outside of it,” adds Wrestling Inc. 

4. The Hardy Boyz

The Hardy Boyz tag team was comprised of actual brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy, and these two highflyers never disappointed wrestling fans. “Brothers Jeff and Matt Hardy brought true excitement to the tag ranks during the Attitude Era and beyond. While they did not invent the ladder match, they helped popularize it as a fast-paced daredevil stunt show that WWE would go back to again and again ever since. While the Hardys didn’t do it alone, when you think of that era and you think of the ladder matches and/or the TLC matches, chances the team you’re thinking of is them. They were the daredevils, the ones you expected, or maybe sometimes even worried, were going to do something insane, and usually you were right. Jeff always seemed eager to find a new height he could jump from and Matt with his flying legdrops wasn’t too far behind,” writes Wrestling Inc. 

The Hardy Boyz are actually brothers who grew up together in North Carolina, which is a hub for pro wrestling fans. Still, Matt and Jeff Hardy were extremely talented individuals who knew what fans wanted to see. 

“They worked as WWF enhancement talent until officially being signed and paired up with Michael Hayes in 1998. They immediately became popular for their high-flying tactics and daredevil-like antics. They had 0 fear, lived in the moment, and would take any risk just for the adrenaline rush they got from their in-ring exploits. Their feuds with The Dudleyz and Edge & Christian are simply unforgettable. They also helped popularize TLC matches along with those two teams. During all of their stints as a team, they enjoyed eight-tag team title runs in the WWF/E,” writes One37PM. 

The Hardy Boyz won several tag team championships during their career as a tag team before going on to success as singles wrestlers. Together, The Hardys, The Dudleys, and Edge and Christian redefined the tag team division of the WWE. 

“Over the course of their tumultuous 25 year careers, Matt and Jeff Hardy have proven that they are in contention for being the greatest tag team of all time. The Hardys were high-flying innovators when they came to the WWE. Their early matches against the Dudley Boyz and Edge & Christian put them on the map, and Team Extreme would go on to find great success both as a tag team and as singles competitors. After a few years away from the company, Matt and Jeff came back winning the belts once again, and although Matt Hardy has announced his retirement, lets hope one last team up is in store for this legendary duo,” adds WatchMojo. 

5. Edge and Christian

Edge and Christian truly climbed the ranks of the WWE before realizing success as a tag team. These two worked with the Dudleys and the Hardys to redefine tag team wrestling during the WWE’s Attitude Era. 

This Edge and Christian hug hit different 😢 pic.twitter.com/DI7e7RQYRV

— B/R Wrestling (@BRWrestling) March 8, 2021

“Before both becoming successful singles stars, real-life childhood friends Edge and Christian debuted in the WWE as brothers in a vampire stable called the Brood. After splitting off on their own and turning face, Edge and Christian quickly found success in the tag division. They found themselves feuding against the Hardy Boyz and the Dudley Boyz over the tag team championship in a series of bouts that included the first-ever TLC matches. They are 7-time tag team champions, and remain great friends to this day, with their own podcast and show on the WWE network,” writes WatchMojo.

Edge and Christian are natural entertainers, and the duo became really popular among wrestling fans for their hilarious promos combined and backed up with their in-ring performances. These two grew up together and their chemistry was simply undeniable. 

“They could be goofy with their 5 Second Pose routine, but Edge and Christian were all business when it came to tag team matches. Just like the Hardy Boyz, E&C would take major risks to take down their opponents, and to entertain the hell out of us. Not only could they wow us with their talent and dangerous spots in Ladder and TLC matches, but together they had undeniable charisma and character. They didn’t have to talk tough to intimidate you; all you had to do was look at the train wreck (and I mean that in a good way) matches with the Hardyz and the Dudleyz for that. When you’re WWE World Tag Team Champions seven times, you’re not lucky, you do totally reek of awesomeness,” adds Den of Geek. 

Seven tag team championships are a lot by any stretch of the imagination. Of course, those title reigns helped set the stage for successful singles careers. Both Edge and Christian went on to become singles champions and Edge went on to become one of the best pro wrestlers in history.  

“Along with the Dudleyz and Hardyz, Edge & Christian were one of the most popular teams during the Attitude Era, taking part in legendary ladder and TLC matches alongside the aforementioned teams, with Edge & Christian becoming 7 times Tag Team Champions before both becoming singles competitors. Both Superstars became world champions, but Edge became the most popular of the 2, winning a total of 11 world championships during his career,” furthers TVovermind. 

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• Best Pro Wrestlers of All Time
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Sources: 

• Bleacher Report
• Sports Illustrated
• TVovermind
• WatchMojo
• Wrestling Inc
• USA Network – USA Insider
• DailyDDT
• One37PM
• Den of Geek
• Atletifo

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