WWE // 2009 // 540 Minutes // Rated
Reviewed by Judge Franck Tabouring // August 5th, 2009
This time, it's all about teamwork!
Welcome to WWE: Allied Powers: The World's Greatest Tag Teams, a presentation of some of wrestling's greatest teams and their memorable matches. Hosted by John Morrison and the Miz, this ultimate collection takes a closer look at some of the best tag teams the WWE has ever seen. Here are the nominees:
* British Bulldogs vs. Hart Foundation at Madison Square Garden in 1985
The Bulldogs go up against the Harts in this opener, and while it's not
necessarily the most fast-paced match, it's not that bad either. At 17 minutes,
this tag team battle is a tad too long, but viewers get to witness at least some
solid wrestling from both teams. The Harts slow down the whole thing by staying
on the defense most of the time, but the Bulldogs deliver some powerful moves
that eventually turn this one into a decent matchup.
* The Steiner Brothers vs. Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki in a Title vs.
Title Match in 1991
Clocking in at 10 minutes, this match is incredibly
entertaining, with the Steiners pulling off a vast array of awesome high-risk
maneuvers and a bunch of other power stunts. They work together well with their
skilled opponents, and the result is one vibrant wrestling match that absolutely
deserves a spot on this collection.
* The Killer Bees vs. Demolition in a 2 out of 3 Falls Tag Team Match in
1987
This tag team matchup is rather boring after the last one. Sure, the
Killer Bees and the guys from Demolition know what they're doing inside the
ring, but their battle lacks innovation and variety. You get to see lots of
holds, punches, and kicks, but that's about it. At 18 minutes, it's also a bit
too long.
* Edge & Christian vs. The Hardy Boys in a #1 Contender Match in 1999
Watching these two teams inside the ring is always fun, and this match is
certainly no exception. Edge & Christian and the Hardys do everything they
can to entertain the crowd, and they sure succeed. This one showcases their
flexibility and skills to deliver clean, impressive moves, and the result is
intense. Too bad this match only lasts for 5 minutes.
* The Fabulous Freebirds vs. Kerry Von Erich & Kevin Von Erich in a
Country Whipping Tag Team Match in 1983
Each of the wrestlers in this
6-minute match carries a leather strap, and that means we get so see lots of
whipping. Unfortunately, that's not all that exciting. High-risk maneuvers are
scarce, and part from a few kicks and punches, this one's got nothing
interesting in store for us. In other words, this is the first big
disappointment of this collection.
* The Funk Brothers vs. Brisco Brothers
At around 3 minutes, this is a
pretty short but well-structured battle between the Funks and Briscos.
* Harlem Heat vs. The Steiner Brothers in a WCW Tag Team Championship Match
in 1996
Even though this is not the worst of tag team matches, neither
Harlem Heat nor the Steiners give it their best in this rather slow-moving
15-minute battle. The few moves we do end up seeing are well-coordinated and
entertaining, but all in all, this matchup lacks consistency and energy. It's
too bad, really, because both teams have what it takes to deliver a solid show.
Something went wrong in this match, however, and it certainly does not deserve
its spot on this set.
* Fantastics vs. The Midnight Express in a NWA United States Tag Team
Championship Match in 1988
Things are improving in this tag team title
match, during which the four athletes offer their fans a decent variation of
team action, powerful moves, kicks, and a few submission moves. The Fantastics
and the guys from The Midnight Express work together quite well, and their
energy and enthusiasm in this battle make this one highly enjoyable to
experience. Let's hope the good vibes will last for a while.
* Public Enemy vs. The Nasty Boys in a Anything Goes, Falls County Anywhere
Street Fight in 1996
This is by no means the best hardcore tag team match
I've seen, but then again, it's not exactly terrible either. In fact, I found it
quite refreshing to watch Public Enemy and the Nasty Boys having fun with tables
and trash cans outside the ring. The match does get a tad too monotonous after a
while, but all in all, this is still a decently entertaining battle. At 8
minutes, it's rather short, but amusing nonetheless.
* The Rockers vs. The Brain Busters in 1989
Here's the last match of
the first disc, and it sure doesn't disappoint. Clocking in at 12 minutes, this
one's neither too short nor too long, giving both team plenty of opportunities
to put their athleticism on display. A mostly clean battle quickly ensues, and
viewers will be treated to some nice team action, high energy, and a bunch of
good moves. Yes, this one rocks indeed.
* Strike Force vs. Demolition in a World Tag Team Championship Match in
1988
Disc Two kicks off with a seven-minute tag team title match between
Strike Force and Demolition, but unfortunately, both teams keep the intense
wrestling action to a minimum. Instead of a variety of high-risk maneuvers, all
we get to see for most of the match's duration is a bunch of kicks and slaps.
The final two minutes of the battle are by far more interesting to follow than
the rest, but by then, it's a little too late.
* Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo vs. Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff in a
World Tag Team Championship Match in 1985
This 6-minute fight isn't as
tedious as the previous one, but it's not exactly a memorable wrestling match
either. On a more positive note, we do get to see more classic wrestling action
in this one, and all four athletes keep the match flowing at a steady, vibrant
pace. A quick but well-executed body move here and there keep this one
interesting enough to watch.
* Dudley Boyz vs. Hardy Boys in a Steel Cage Match for the Unified Tag Team
Championship in 2001
I admit I always enjoyed watching both the Dudley
Boyz and the Hardy Boys going at it in the ring, and while this matchup is at
times a tad too predictable, it's also utterly entertaining and by far one of
the most fast-paced fights we've seen in this collection so far. Clocking in at
15 minutes, both the Dudley Boyz and the Hardy Boys show off their flexibility
and skills in pulling off impressive stunts and dives inside the ring and from
the top of the cage. Bold moves and other risky maneuvers inject this title
match with plenty of energy, and it's quite simply amusing to witness.
* Outsiders vs. Harlem Heat in a WCW Tag Team Championship in 1996
The
Outsiders and Harlem Heat obviously belong into this set, and while this match
is not necessarily their best, it's still quite a vibrant title fight. At 12
minutes, the matchup features enough variety from both teams, each offering fans
a bunch of solid power moves and strong kicks, several submission holds, and
even a bit of well-executed team action. It's definitely one of the better
matches on here.
* Sting & Nikita Koloff vs. Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard in a NWA
World Tag Team Championship Match in 1988
This 19-minute tag team battle
certainly delivers the goods, with Sting in particular putting on an intense
show that's hard not to enjoy. Koloff occasionally slows down the match's rapid
pace via repetitive submission holds, but all in all, these four athletes pull
off a well-coordinated battle filled with big moves and strong enough kicks to
please the crowd. Great matchup indeed.
* Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens vs. Red Bastien & Billy Robinson in
1972
With a small audience surrounding the ring, this one feels a tad more
intimate. However, Bockwinkel, Stevens, Bastien, and Robinson all prove they've
got what it takes to deliver a solid match, and they successfully manage to keep
their match interesting enough for a whole 14 minutes. They've clearly got the
skills, and they don't shy away from sharing them with viewers.
* The Miz & John Morrison vs. Rey Mysterio & Shawn Michaels in
2008
Now the hosts of this collection get to show off their techniques,
and this tag team match against Mysterio and Michaels is anything but boring. On
the contrary, all four athletes display an incredible flexibility, and although
the matchup only lasts for only 8 minutes, it serves as a vibrant showcase of
high-risk maneuvers and other impressive moves.
* Rougeau Brothers vs. Hart Foundation
Sure, both of these teams had
their share of memorable moments, but I wouldn't go as far and call this tag
team battle a classic. At 12 minutes, it's neither too short nor too long, but
the only regret I have here is that neither team really takes the initiative to
turn this in-ring encounter into a great wrestling show. In other words, there's
not that much to get all excited about. The moves we get to see here mostly work
out fine, but in the end, the match as a whole fails to live up to the quality
of some of its predecessors. That's it for Disc Two.
* Edge & Christian vs. The Dudley Boyz vs. The Hardy Boys in a TLC Match
for the World Tag Team Championship in 2000
Tables, ladders, chairs, the
Hardys, Dudley Boyz, and Edge & Christian -- what more do you want? Watching
these teams battle each other is usually tons of fun, and this encounter is no
exception. These guys know exactly what they're doing, and they offer us a
variety of crazy stunts and impressive maneuvers that should have every hardcore
wrestling fan cheering. Way to kick off Disc Three.
* The Rock 'N' Roll Express vs. Ivan Koloff & Khrusher Khruschev in
1985
NWA fans rejoice, because this tag team match lasts for 27 minutes.
Surprisingly, it's not even boring or in any way dragging, really. Both teams
handle the action quite well, and the series of moves, submission holds,
punches, and kicks these four wrestlers deliver turn out to be both efficient
and quite entertaining as well. Okay, maybe this one runs a tiny bit too long,
but to be honest, it's not really a big issue.
* The New Age Outlaws vs. The Rock 'N' Sock Connection in 1999
Yeah, I
clearly remember this one. Watching The Rock and Mankind team up inside the ring
always used to be a lot of fun, and this matchup proves these two superstars
were dab hands at working together. Except for the final act, this 16-minute tag
team battle is wildly amusing, with both teams showing off their energy and
athletic skills via a series of quick, coordinated, and powerful moves. In the
end, it's a great addition to this set.
* D-X vs. Edge & Randy Orton in 2006
This one is still a fairly
recent one, but I believe it deserves its spot on this set, particularly because
all four wrestlers display a lot of endurance and willingness to deliver an epic
show in this 17-minute fight. Needless to say, every single athlete involved in
this matchup fully masters his moves and techniques, and that's certainly a big
contributing factor to the matchup's overall success. I could have done with a
better ending, but all in all, this one's really amusing throughout.
* Los Guerreros vs. World's Greatest Tag Team in 2003
The Guerreros
delivered many matches during the past years, and although this one was
certainly not their best, it does however serve as a solid showcase for their
wrestling skills and ability to work flawlessly as a team. Clocking in at 12
minutes, this is a mostly amusing and technically interesting match, despite a
rather disappointing finish.
* Tully Blanchard & Lex Luger vs. Nikita Koloff & Dusty Rhodes in
1987
I really hoped this collection would go out with a bang, but that's
not the case, as the two final matches don't quite live up to the level of
quality of most other battles on these three discs. This 17-minute tag team
matchup, for instance, failed to keep me engaged. You would expect something
unforgettable from these talents, but this is one to miss.
* The Legion of Doom vs. Money Inc. in 1992
Both these teams look
hilarious in their respective costumes, but sadly enough, their performance
inside the ring isn't as energetic or creative. The match between Doom and Money
Inc. is by no means a waste of time, but the battle lacks the spark and action
potential of previous matches.
As far as special features are concerned, the second disc offers a mix of backstage interviews, short vignettes, and a series of other mostly hilarious sketches featuring some WWE's greatest tag teams. As usual, most of these clips are ridiculously silly, but at least they provide a humorous break between all these matches.
From a technical point of view, the three discs offer decent full-frame presentations, with the quality of the image varying based on how old the footage is. Most of the footage looks clean, and I have no complaints whatsoever when it comes to the video transfer. The same applies to the audio.
WWE: Allied Powers: The World's Greatest Tag Teams is yet another solid DVD collection released by the WWE. Although the set clearly misses some tag teams and memorable matches that should've been included, I admit I enjoyed revisiting some of these great fights. Some of the matches on here fail to entertain, but all in all, this is a set I would recommend to every wrestling fan.
Not guilty.
Review content copyright © 2009 Franck Tabouring; Site layout and review format copyright © 1998 - 2012 HipClick Designs LLC
Scales of Justice
Judgment: 85
Perp Profile
Studio: WWE
Video Formats:
* Full Frame
Audio Formats:
* Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (English)
Subtitles:
* None
Running Time: 540 Minutes
Release Year: 2009
MPAA Rating: Rated
Distinguishing Marks
* Backstage Footage
Accomplices
* WWE.com
http://www.wwe.com