One of the most important elements of professional wrestling is tag team fightand the WWE is no exception. Doubles competition is distinguished from singles competition as a concept under two-on-two rules. Two opponents start the match and whenever one side becomes exhausted, they can tag their partner to continue where they left off, until the match reaches a pinfall or submission victory.
Next to basic singles wrestling competition, tag team competition is the simplest concept in the wrestling industry, but wrestlers have found ways to entertain and innovate the concept over the years. While most main events are reserved for singles matches, usually for the World Heavyweight Championship, tag team matches often steal the spotlight as the best match on the card due to their high-speed action. This is largely due to the duos who paved the way for the concept and deservedly hold a place among the best in history.
10
Paul London and Brian Kendrick
Unsung Pioneers of Modern Tag Team Wrestling
In the same way that The Rockers changed the game on what tag team wrestling could be, Londrick helped define what modern tag team wrestling looks like. Their fast-paced, tandem attack took the template The Rockers created and elevated it, setting a whole new standard. The same can be said of the Motor City Machine Guns, who can be cited as modern pioneers for the same reasons, but made an impact outside of WWE, not signing until recently.
London and Kendrick took the energetic style that made WWE's Cruiserweight division unmissable and brought it to WWE's tag team division. Their journey was relatively short, but they accomplished a lot in two years, including holding the record for longest-reigning WWE Tag Team Champions during the Era of Relentless Aggression. Without Londrick, tag team wrestling would be very different than it is today.
9
Legion of Doom / Road Warriors
What a rush they made for the Tag Division!
Whether they called themselves the Legion of Doom in WWE or Road Warriors elsewhere, Animal and Hawk made an impact wherever they went. If teams like The Rockers and Londrick wrote new chapters in the book of tag team wrestling, LOD was the author of the text. They innovated moves like the Doomsday Device while finding success across territories thanks to their imposing physicality and connection with the audience.
The only thing stopping them from ranking higher in their status as a WWE tag team is that the end of their run left a sour taste in everyone's mouths. Exploring Hawk's real-life drug addiction is considered one of the low points of the Attitude Era. Credit where credit is due, though, WWE would redeem LOD with a respectable run in the mid-2000s in honor of the late Hawk, with Heidenreich making a suitable replacement for one last tag title reign.
8
The Hart Foundation
Running excellent Tag Team matches
Many teams have taken the playbook created by pioneers like LOD and found ways to improve on it. Speaking of books, Bret “The Hitman” Hart recalled on his own that he hated the idea of picking up a Doomsday Device, convinced he didn't care if his opponent received the move safely. So he and his brother-in-law Jim Neidhart conspired to make a safe version of the Doomsday Device, which would become the Hart Attack.
This kind of mindfulness and creativity is what helped the Hart Foundation impress people's minds years after its dissolution. Bret's creative mind mixed with The Anvil serving as solid muscle created a great combination. They are also a rare example of a tag team that never had a formal breakup. They split in order for Bret to pursue singles success, but would reunite to form a larger Hart Foundation stable in the late '90s, adding Owen, British Bulldog and Brian Pillman to the mix.
7
Legal
A Standout Women's Tag Team
Michelle McCool and Layla excelled as a tag team at a time when the WWE women's tag team no longer existed. In truth, the work these two delivered in the ring and on the microphone was enough to spike in fan interest in the idea of WWE potentially reviving its long-dormant women's tag team division. Some might even argue that the reason there is currently a women's tag team division in WWE is because of the stellar work done by Laycool. One of the few bright spots of a watered-down PG era, Laycool paved the way for the likes of Pure Fusion Collective and Damage CTRL to function today.
Instead, they dominated the women's singles division as a duo, going so far as to become co-holders of the only Women's Championship at one point. If one thing holds them back, it's that their shallow characters are often considered a ripoff of TNA's Beautiful People tag team (which ushered in a TNA women's tag team division and titles).
6
Demolition
A belated Hall of Fame spot
To think that Ax and Smash of Demolition weren't already in the WWE Hall of Fame at the time of this writing seems like a crime. For a long time, they held the longest reign of all time for any World Tag Team Championship under the WWE brand. Demolition took the LOD formula and perfected itproving incredibly popular as the ring's giant dominants with painted faces.
The demolition wasn't just a flashy gimmick for a combined weight of 580 pounds. They were genuinely good in the ring, having entertaining matches with the likes of Hart Foundation and The Rockers. Maybe it's just a testament to their chemistry as a unit, but contrary to what most people would expect from two great wrestlers from that era of wrestling, Demolition can go to the ring. It's hard to mention tag team or tag team reign without mentioning Demolition in this conversation.
5
The Dudley Boyz
Tag Team Table Bosses
The Dudleys were always destined to at least be in the top five, but a strong argument can still be made for them to be the greatest tag team of all time, not just in WWE. While The New Day holds the record for most WWE brand tag team championship reigns at 12, The Dudley Boyz are recognized for having the most tag team reigns of all timeincluding reigns in ECW, NJPW, TNA and countless other promotions.
There isn't a single company that Bubba (aka Bully) Ray Dudley and D-Von have shared where they haven't won gold. His lone work was influential in the wrestling industry, while his rivalry with Edge, Christian and The Hardy Boyz helped change the game when it came to tag team competition. To say they are a pioneering team would be an understatement.
4
Edge and Christian
A reign that totally reeked of grandeur
During that era-defining trio tag team rivalry, Edge and Christian would miraculously come out on top every time. The initial Triangle Ladder match and the first two TLC matches led them to victory, despite The Dudleys and Hardys generally being fan favorites. Even when Edge and Christian were unable to match these teams in terms of in-ring ability, their personalities stood out to the audience and helped them overcome character work as the Canadians continued to improve in the ring. That's why they held the Tag Titles seven times, which was a record at that time.
Especially at the time, there was a stereotype that suggested that after every tag team breakup, there was always one Superstar who achieved critical acclaim and success, while the other failed to achieve the same success. Although the post-breakup of many of the tag teams on this list suggests that to be true, Edge and Christian break the stereotype of two former world champions who are incredibly popular in and outside of WWE.
3
The Hardy Boyz
Human Feature Reels
Matt and Jeff Hardy are another rare exception to a team that has enjoyed both singles and tag team success. What's most impressive about this is that despite going through several breakups, they always seem to come back to each other's side and not only reunite as a duo, but continue to be successful. Through its evolution, both men managed to win gold in four different decadesrecently winning the TNA Tag Team Titles in October 2024.
Tag teams don't usually achieve this level of success, especially across eras, but the Hardys have found a way to do it over and over again. They've managed to continually evolve their characters over time while maintaining the human quality of the highlights that has always made them an exciting team.
2
The Uses
Among the best since day one Ish
The Usos are a tag team best defined as undeniable. Even when their characters were softer and when combined with an icy Roman Reigns circa 2016, their in-ring ability justified always being at the center of the tag team division. It wasn't until the brothers took off the face paint and brought a new twist to their promos that the WWE Universe was ready to give the Usos the time of day. Once they were finally taken seriously with the opening of the Uso Penitentiary, it was off to the races.
His career-defining feature came in his rivalry with the New Day, which included one tremendous match after another, including what is arguably the best Hell in a Cell tag team match. Briefly, The Usos participated in conversations about the best tag teams not only in WWE, but in the world. His record reign of 622 days helps support this claim.
1
The new day
A decade of greatness
Even after being usurped for the longest tag team title reign by the Usos, The New Day remains the most decorated tag team in WWE history, largely thanks to holding the most tag team reigns. For a tag team that struggled to connect with audiences in their original debut, crowds have become obsessed with everything the trio is involved in. This level of investment includes his ventures outside of WWE, such as a Netflix crossover with The Undertaker and an official Booty. The cereals released by FYE.
A decade after their debut, they haven't lost a step, as teases for a breakup have proven to be Raw's most captivating storyline in late 2024. On the subject, The New Day also presents a happy exception as a team they never needed break away to achieve success as singles, turning their popularity into individual achievements. Versatile and entertaining with unprecedented longevity, The New Day is unquestionably the greatest tag team to ever enter a WWE ring.