Hi, and welcome back to SteelChair’s Countdown of the best tag teams, male and female, of 2019. If you’ve already checked out Part One, then you’ll know that we’re bringing you our definitive rundown of the best and brightest tag teams in a year jam-packed full of them. We know that you’re here really to see who got those all-important Top 10 spots so, without further ado, let’s get into it.
Words by Laura Mauro, Steph Franchomme, Humza Hussain, Tom Mimnagh, Tom Beasley, Joe Raczka, John Dinsdale, Dave Adamson, Bradley Tiernan, Stephen Goodman, and James Truepenny.
From 10 to 1
10 – Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen) – AEW
One of the youngest and exciting tag teams in AEW’s roster, Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen have an incredibly bright future ahead of them. Since impressing in the early PPVs for the company, the pair went on to compete in the AEW tag team tournament where they shocked the world by defeating the Young Bucks only to then lose to eventual runners up Lucha Bros. At just 22 and 25 years old, there is much more to come from this team. Their win over the Young Bucks was a telling insight into how much the company values them as a duo and the importance of building them up as future stars for the promotion.
09 – Medusa Complex (Millie McKenzie & Charli Evans) – Sendai/EVE
Charlie Evans and Millie Mckenzie spent a good portion of 2019 as Sendai Girls Women’s Tag Team Champions, but as Paul Ellering once said, “Being champions is a matter of achievement, being the best in the industry is a matter of pride.”, and like the Road Warriors they just blew everybody away with their intensity. Starting off the year in Pro Wrestling EVE, they won the Battle Bowl at She Who Dares Wins in January. They took the Sendai Girls titles on May 27th in Tokyo. The Riptide Tag Tournament followed with them beating The Rascalz, Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz, in the final. All business, all power and all technique. They owned the year 2019.
08 – Schadenfreude (Chris Brookes & Kyle Fletcher) – European Wrestling
Schadenfreude is Chris Brookes, Kid Lykos, Kyle Fletcher, Mark Davis, Jonathan Gresham, Timothy Thatcher and Lucky Kid. Brookes and Fletcher (the only wrestler to appear twice on this list), having teamed in 2018 at IPW’s Tuesday Night Graps, entered Fight Club: Pro’s Dream Tag-Team Invitational. Beating RED’s PAC & Eita and FCP Tag champs The Besties in the World before losing in the finals to The Lucha Bros. They would later win the titles. While not everyone approves of their methods and shitty flags, you can’t help but respect the work they’ve done to advance tag wrestling in the UK.
07 – Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher) – UK Wrestling – Were #8 last year
What a year for these wonders from Down Under. This year alone Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis have also won the ATTACK! tag titles and been core members of Schadenfreude in Fight Club: Pro, not to mention running their own shows. After winning the Rev Pro tag titles, they fought against the IWGP tag champs G.O.D. at New Japan’s Royal Quest. They have also won the WxW tag titles in Germany. What a year for these breakout stars. After an injury took out Mark Davis, Kyle Fletcher has had to go it alone. Hopefully, we’ll see these two back together again soon.
06 – SCU (Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian) – AEW
Having been one of the early signings for AEW in the year, SoCal Uncensored’s Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky have gone from strength to strength. With experience and agility on their side, they were able to become the first-ever AEW World Tag Team Champions by seeing off Lucha Bros in the final of the AEW tag team tournament. They are currently THE team to beat on Dynamite with Sky and Kazarian developing as the top duo whilst Daniels invaluable years of experience is being put to use outside of the ring as one of the company’s talent scouts.
05 – Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) – NJPW – Were #5 last year
Who doesn’t love these two shiny good boys? This year saw SHO and YOH ascend to new heights, proving their individual worth with strong showings in the Best of the Super Juniors tournament. But this is about tag teams, and you’ll struggle to find a more cohesive, competent and downright likeable unit than these two. Riding high on their record-breaking third consecutive Jr Tag League victory, it seems junior competition isn’t enough for SHO and YOH: successfully pinning current champs GoD during the Destruction tour granted Rocky Romero’s brightest protégés a shot at the IGWP Tag Titles. They were ultimately unsuccessful, but watch this space. They’ll be back for more.
04 – Moustache Mountain (Trent Seven & Tyler Bate) – NXT UK – Were #1 last year
Is there a more recognisable, sartorially elegant team in British wrestling than Moustache Mountain? The Don and the Big Strong Boi: Trent Seven and Tyler Bate. Seven is arguably one of the most naturally charismatic men in NXT UK and British wrestling in general, whilst Bate continues to turn heads with every appearance. The popularity of Moustache Mountain stretches beyond the United Kingdom and for good reason. Seven is the fighting father figure that we’d all like to have, whilst Bate is beyond comparison when it comes to athleticism and in-ring work. No matter where they end up in their journey, the world will be watching.
03 – Young Bucks (Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson) – AEW – Were #4 last year
Superkick Party! Nick and Matt Jackson have long been regarded as one of the greatest tag teams of all time, but despite a less active year than usual (with the launch of AEW) they have continued to demonstrate their considerable skill at every opportunity. Spending much of the year engaging in tag team dream matches with The Lucha Bros, including a spectacular ladder match, they have since had outstanding outings with Proud N Powerful and Private Party, and under-the-radar fun matches with Strong Hearts, as well as The Best Friends. All the while they have been running the AEW tag division backstage. Expect a big 2020 from The Young Bucks.
02 – Undisputed Era – (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish) – NXT – Were #2 last year
If you were assigning the word ‘consistent’ to any tag team, arguably no team deserves the adjective more than The Undisputed Era. They are the number one act in NXT, and whether it’s Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong, or the new combination of O’Reilly and Bobby Fish, they never disappoint. This year the pair have had countless incredible matches against the likes of Street Profits, a fatal four-way ladder match at NXT TakeOver: XXV, and more recently, a highly praised “dream match” with The Revival. And if anyone questioned the team’s ability, Survivor Series weekend squashed any doubt as they delivered at WarGames and a triple threat tag match.
Our 2019 Tag Team of The Year – The Lucha Brothers (Pentagon Jr & Rey Fénix) – MLW / Impact Wrestling / Lucha Libre AAA / AEW
Their names have been synonymous with the best over the last few years, all over the world. Pentagon Junior and Rey Fénix are real-life brothers, but as good as in-ring opponents as they are as a team. This year, they have held nothing more than 8 different titles in 7 different promotions. From MLW, Impact Wrestling, Lucha Libre AAA in Mexico, their home country, to finally AEW, The Lucha Bros literally stole this year.
Their biggest asset is their difference, as they stated to SteelChair Magazine earlier this year. Rey Fénix sees his brother as a teacher, a friend, and the mind of The Lucha Brothers when Pentagon describes their team as the most different and complete tag team in the entire wrestling universe even if he really does love a face-to-face confrontation with him because Fénix brings out the best in him.
It would be difficult to describe the nearly 100 matches they have wrestled since the beginning of 2019. Right in January, they offered a serious Match of The Year contender when they wrestled LAX for the Impact World Tag Team Championships at Homecoming. The matches that followed until Rebellion PPV in April literally stole every show they were in. On AEW, they quickly set the tone with a series of crazy matches against The Young Bucks. Even if they failed to become the inaugural AEW World Tag Team Champions, it’s just a matter of time until they reach this new height.
Pentagon and Fénix banned the world impossible from their vocabulary, defying gravity, elevating traditions, and being innovative. 2019 has been their year and it will probably not be the only one.
All pics courtesy of AEW, WWE, Beyond Gorilla, Oli Sandler, NJPW, Riptide Wrestling