WE ARE TWO days away from the Ides of March, which marks the anniversary of one of history’s most imitated heel turns. Today, though, we are choosing to put aside more recent public doublecrosses, such as the end of Toxic Attraction, in favor of celebrating grappling groupings of all kinds—from duos and trios to a certain legendary pro wrestling foursome.

We hope you enjoy this latest tag team edition of the Weekly in the spirit of peace and unity with which it was created. Word to the wise, though: If you should find yourself standing across a ring from the likes of Jacy Jayne, we’d still suggest that you watch your back!

TAG TEAM OF THE WEEK

Even with the most crystalline of crystal balls, it’s hard to imagine that anyone could have foreseen the current union of Becky Lynch & Lita. Not only are the former rivals now competing in relative harmony, but they have captured the WWE Women’s tag team championship (a career first for Lita). With the aid of a little Stratusfaction, Lynch and Lita dethroned the Damage CTRL duo of Dakota Kai & Iyo Sky on the February 27 edition of Monday Night Raw. On top of winning tag gold, the two delivered some heavily sought-after comeuppance to the detested Bayley. Though the unlikely pairing of WWE’s most famous flame-haired females may not be long for this world, it’s nevertheless rekindled interest in the company’s Women’s tag team ranks.

SPOTLIGHT ON …

If you love trios action, Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide has got you covered. With both men’s and women’s brackets on tap, this Sunday’s 2023 Lucha Libre World Cup is sure to provide a ton of high-flying action with some nationalistic pride on the line. With three-person teams from Mexico, the U.S., Canada, Japan, and more, AAA has pulled in a proverbial who’s-who of big names to represent their respective nations. Given that we here at PWI have quite the list of international contributors working with us, don’t be shocked to see some friendly social media banter between staffers around this globally focused event.

A QUICK WORD ABOUT …

EVER THE PICTURE OF COHESION, THE MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS (ALEX SHELLEY & CHRIS SABIN) MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE RING AT HARD TO KILL, CLUTCHING BOTH THE IMPACT AND NJPW STRONG TAG TEAM BELTS. (PHOTO BY ALLIE McPHETRIDGE)

Call us sticklers for attention to detail. When it comes to tag team wrestling—outside of the in-ring prowess of whichever duo we are talking about—there are a few things that, most of us at PWI agree, make for a true team.

Team Name: This helps set the tone. We are not just witnessing two individuals who happened to join up; rather, a cohesive unit putting egos aside in favor of collective ambition. Think about every sports team ever. Most, if not all, have a name that isn’t just made up of the players involved!
Matching Gear: This is really an extension of showing how much of a cohesive unit the team is. Would The Road Warriors have been as iconic if only Hawk had worn spiked shoulder pads and face paint, while Animal donned jeans and a t-shirt? We think not.
Common Entrance: If two singles wrestlers join together to form a makeshift tag team, that’s fine. But, in doing so, please discard your old music and solitary entrance until you are a singles competitor again. And don’t be coming at us with some weird mash-up of your two entrances themes!

What say you, readers? Let us know your thoughts on what makes a random pairing become a real tag team.

FROM THE VAULT

PHOTO BY THE LATE, GREAT EDDIE CHESLOCK. A LONGTIME RINGSIDE FIXTURE OF THE NORFOLK/HAMPTON ROADS REGION, CHESLOCK SADLY PASSED AWAY IN LATE-JANUARY, 2023.

Capturing what many feel is the quintessential Four Horsemen line-up, this snap of Barry Windham, Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, and Arn Anderson from 1988 sees the quartet dripping in gold at the height of its collective powers. By the fall of that year, however, the stable’s dominance within the NWA would be over. Anderson and Blanchard moved on to the World Wrestling Federation, with Windham following suit a few months later. Though 35 years have since passed, this undeniable foursome left quite the impression on future generations of wrestlers—not least of whom are their children/nephews, who have been keeping the family legacy alive in recent years.

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

PWI Weekly for March 13, 2023