4. Tag Team Championship: The Great American Bash (2008)
Teamed alongside Curt Hawkins, whom Ryder aligned with during their time in the independent circuits, the “Edgeheads” were on a quest to make names for themselves outside the “La Familia” faction by winning the Tag Team Championships.
The bout was a Fatal 4-Way match that pitted Ryder and Hawkins against the reigning champions, The Miz and John Morrison, as well as Jesse and Festus, and Finlay and Hornswoggle. The fact that The Great American Bash took place in their hometown of Long Island, New York, had the crowd on Ryder and Hawkins’ side despite their heel status.
Ryder and Hawkins emerged victorious, following Jesse’s fall from the top rope at the hands of Hawkins, who pinned Jesse for the victory. Despite the short length of the match at just over nine minutes, and it being criticized for having too much of a comedic element with the involvement of Hornswoggle and Finlay, this win was still notable for Ryder.
What made this victory for Ryder and Hawkins significant wasn’t just the fact that it was their first title win in WWE, but that they became the youngest Tag Team Champions in WWE history at the time, with both of them being just 23 years old. The legitimate criticism of fans believing the duo was only awarded the titles because of their involvement with Edge and the “La Familia” faction relegates this win to last in the ranking of Ryder’s title wins.
