{"id":43519,"date":"2019-04-06T14:13:11","date_gmt":"2019-04-06T18:13:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonprowrestling.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=43519"},"modified":"2019-05-11T10:18:48","modified_gmt":"2019-05-11T14:18:48","slug":"andnew-the-wwe-tag-team-titles-at-wrestlemania","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2019\/04\/06\/andnew-the-wwe-tag-team-titles-at-wrestlemania\/","title":{"rendered":"#AndNEW: The WWE Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania"},"content":{"rendered":"

So far we’ve looked at all the title changes on the Grandest Stage of Them All, for the WWE Championship<\/a>, Women’s Championships<\/a> and Intercontinental Championships<\/a>, and this time we turn our eyes towards the title changes of the various incarnations of the WWE<\/a> Tag Team Championships over the years at WrestleMania!<\/p>\n

WrestleMania I: The Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff Defeat The US Express (Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo) for the WWF World Tag Team Championship<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"\"
Photo: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Iron Sheik<\/strong> was only a year removed from being the company’s top heel and WWF World Heavyweight Champion, whose loss to Hulk Hogan<\/strong> launched Hulkamania on the world. A year later, he was partnered with the big Russian Nikolai Volkoff<\/strong>, and guided by “Classie” Freddie Blassie<\/strong> defeated the rising young tandem of Barry Windham<\/strong> and Mike Rotundo<\/strong>, The US Express, to become WWF Tag Team Champions.<\/p>\n

WrestleMania II: The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith & Dynamite Kid) Defeat The Dream Team (Brutus Beefcake & Greg “The Hammer” Valentine) for the WWF World Tag Team Championship<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"\"
Photo: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of WWF’s acquisitions following acquiring Stu Hart<\/strong>‘s Stampede Wrestling<\/strong> was the groundbreaking UK duo The British Bulldogs<\/strong>. Lead by a reformed Captain Lou Albano<\/strong>, and with the assistance of legendary English rock star Ozzy Osbourne<\/strong>, the duo beat The Dream Team<\/strong> for the WWF Tag Team titles at the second annual WrestleMania.<\/p>\n

WrestleMania IV: Demolition (Ax & Smash) Defeat Strikeforce (Tito Santana & Rick Martel) for the WWF World Tag Team Championship<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"\"
Photo: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Demolition<\/strong> made their first WrestleMania count, when the painted monsters Ax & Smash<\/strong> defeated the popular Strikeforce<\/strong> duo of Tito Santana<\/strong> and Rick Martel<\/strong> for their first reign as WWF World Tag Team Champions, in part to the assistance of manager, Mr. Fuji<\/strong>. They would go on to hold the belts for 478 days, setting a record that would stand until the New Day’s record-breaking reign in 2016<\/a>.<\/p>\n

WrestleMania VI: Demolition (Ax & Smash) Defeat The Colossal Connection (Andre the Giant & Haku) for the WWF World Tag Team Championship<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"\"
Photo: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Two years later, and now babyfaces, Demolition faced Bobby Heenan<\/strong>‘s tag team champions, The Colossal Connection<\/strong>. But miscommunication between Heenan, Andre the Giant<\/strong> and Haku<\/strong> cost them their titles and Demolition won their third set of tag team titles. The loss caused Andre the Giant to snap and turn on his manager.<\/p>\n

WrestleMania VII: The Nasty Boys (Knobbs & Sags) Defeat The Hart Foundation (Bret “Hitman” Hart & Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart) for the WWF World Tag Team Championship<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"\"
Photo: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With The Hart Foundation’<\/strong>s Bret “Hitman” Hart<\/strong> and Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart<\/strong> now fighting for good, their former manager Jimmy Hart<\/strong> recruited new clients in the Nasty Boys<\/strong> to take the gold from his former protegees. The team of Brian Knobbs<\/strong> and Jerry Sags<\/strong> did just that at WrestleMania VII<\/strong><\/em> in Los Angeles. It was a send off in many regards, as Bret Hart would soon head to singles competition, becoming a multi-time Intercontinental and WWE World Champion in the coming years.<\/p>\n

WrestleMania XI: Owen Hart & Yokozuna Defeat The Smoking Gunns (Bart & Billy Gunn) for the WWF World Tag Team Championship<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"\"
Photo: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By 1995, Yokozuna<\/strong> was a 2x WWF World Heavyweight Champion, but under the new guidance of Jim Cornette<\/strong>, there were other plans. He was paired with the rogue Hart member Owen Hart<\/strong> and together the two became a dominant force in the tag team division. They finally won tag team gold at WrestleMania XI<\/strong><\/em> in Hartford, Connecticut and held the gold for 176 days.<\/p>\n

WrestleMania XII: The Bodydonnas (Skip & Zip) Defeat The Godwinns (Henry O. & Phineas I. Godwinn) for the Vacant WWF World Tag Team Championship (Free For All)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"\"
Photo: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Following an injury to Billy Gunn<\/strong> in February, the WWF World Tag Team titles were stripped from The Smoking Gunns<\/strong> and two drastically different teams were slated to face off at WrestleMania XII<\/strong> <\/em>for the vacant titles. On the Kickoff Show entitled\u00a0Free For All<\/strong><\/em>,\u00a0<\/em>the athletic cocky Bodydonnas<\/strong>, featuring Skip<\/strong> (Chris Candido) and Zip<\/strong> (Dr. Tom Prichard) and managed by Sunny<\/strong>, defeated Hillbilly Jim<\/strong>‘s country boys The Godwinns<\/strong> to become WWF World Tag Team Champions.<\/p>\n

WrestleMania 14: Cactus Jack & Chainsaw Charlie Defeat The New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn & Road Dogg) for the WWF World Tag Team Championship<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Wrestlemania\"
Photo: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The WWF World Tag Team scene in 1997 was a very different landscape, with D-Generation X<\/strong> running the entire company. Their tag team duo New Age Outlaws<\/strong>, featuring “Bad Ass” Billy Gunn and “Road Dogg” Jesse James<\/strong> were tag team champions and played with the tag team division like a cat with a mouse. But Mankind<\/strong> brought out his violent former alter ego Cactus Jack<\/strong>, who brought out a new partner to face the NOA when he brought out Chainsaw Charlie<\/strong>, an even more twisted persona of his longtime friend and rival Terry Funk<\/strong>. In a foreshadowing to DX’s collapse from power, Cactus Jack & Chainsaw Charlie defeated the Outlaws for the tag titles, hours before their leader Shawn Michaels<\/strong> would lose his WWF World Championship to “Stone Cold” Steve Austin<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

WrestleMania 2000: Edge & Christian Defeat The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & Devon Dudley) (c) and The Hardy Boyz (Matt & Jeff Hardy) in a Ladder Match for the WWF World Tag Team Championship<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Wrestlemania\"
Photo: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At the turn of the millennium, tag team wrestling saw a resurgence in the WWF not seen since the 1980s, and it was thanks to three very different but exciting tag teams. Edge & Christian, the Dudley Boyz<\/strong> (Bubba Ray & Devon Dudley) and the Hardy Boyz<\/strong> (Matt & Jeff Hardy) electrified the audience and the WWE Universe alike with an epic ladder match that remains a classic to this day. But ultimately it was the two Canadian boys who won the match and the gold.<\/p>\n