Professional wrestling tag team match types
Encyclopedia
Much like singles matches, tag team
professional wrestling
matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore
tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder match
and variations are also frequently used as a title feud
blow-off match.
Stipulations, such as "I Quit" or "loser leaves town" may also be applied.
The following are match variations that are specific to tag team wrestling.
can range from two teams of two fighting, to multiple man teams challenging each other. Such examples are Six Man Tag Team matches or Eight Man Tag Team matches, in which two teams of three or two teams of four fight in a standard one fall tag team match.
except that a wrestler who suffers a loss is eliminated from participation. The match continues until all members of one team are eliminated.
A further variation is where teams of four or more are composed of tag team
s, and once a member of a team is eliminated their partner is also eliminated.
with one member of each of two teams starting. Anyone could be tagged in by anyone else and can be subject to immediate disqualification for failure to accept a tag. When a wrestler is pinned the team is eliminated and the last team of the four wins.
Another variation of Tag Team Turmoil took place at WWE Night of Champions (2010)
, on September 19 2010. Two teams start, when one is eliminated a new team comes to the ring until all teams have competed, the remaining team is the winner. In this version the champions enter as the first team.
This would again be used on the May 31, 2011 edition of NXT
, with a team consisting of a WWE Pro and his NXT Rookie. Two teams start, but as each team is eliminated another team takes its place, as stated above. The winning team will earn 3 Redemption Points for the Rookie in this version.
, an Ultimate Endurance Match is an elimination match that typically includes three to four tag teams
. The match starts off with a particular set of special stipulations (i.e. falls count anywhere), with the stipulation changing every time a team is eliminated. The stipulations are predetermined and are not limited to any specific type.
.
This label is also used for other unusual pairings, such as a normal sized wrestlers teaming with midgets
, when the differing wrestlers are not allowed to face one and other.
. It is meant to illustrate the tension between the desire to win and the hatred for one's rival.
, a Scramble tag team match has one difference from the normal rules: when a wrestler goes out of the ring either of their own volition or by being forced out, a partner can come in as a replacement without being tagged in. This format is most commonly used in either four corner tags, or with teams of more than 2. The Scramble match can also be done as a six man scramble where anyone can tag in anyone.
" moves. All men are allowed inside and outside of the cage. The match begins with two teams with another entering every two minutes. The match cannot be won until every team is in the match.
. If a wrestler is thrown over the ring ropes, both they and their partner are eliminated from the match. In most cases both wrestlers are considered active at the same time and there are no tags, as in a tornado tag match.
Another variation of the tag team battle royal was used during the 2011 WWE Draft
, where the wrestler's team has to eliminate all members of the opposing team, much like an elimination tag team match where the losing wrestler of a team, who just got thrown over the ring ropes, must return to his locker room. In this variation, the team consists of more than 2 men.
is debatable, as it involves no tagging, but it is contested between tag teams.
The first match of this kind was held on October 2, 1937 in Houston
between Milo Steinborn and Whiskers Savage against Tiger Daula and Fazul Mohammed. It was the brainchild of promoter Morris Sigel.
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder match
Ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling that is most commonly used to describe a match where an item is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item...
and variations are also frequently used as a title feud
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
blow-off match.
Stipulations, such as "I Quit" or "loser leaves town" may also be applied.
The following are match variations that are specific to tag team wrestling.
Multiple man teamed matches
Tag team matchesTag Team
Tag Team was a hip hop/pop rap duo from Atlanta, Georgia, United States active from 1993 up to 1995. The duo was made up of Cecil Glenn and Steve Gibson . They are best known for their #1 single, "Whoomp! ", which was released in 1993, but rereleased as a remix in 2000...
can range from two teams of two fighting, to multiple man teams challenging each other. Such examples are Six Man Tag Team matches or Eight Man Tag Team matches, in which two teams of three or two teams of four fight in a standard one fall tag team match.
Elimination tag team matches
Elimination tag team matches are the same as a normal tag team matchTag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
except that a wrestler who suffers a loss is eliminated from participation. The match continues until all members of one team are eliminated.
- WWE uses the term Survivor Series match to denote an eight or ten person match held during their yearly Survivor SeriesSurvivor SeriesThe Survivor Series is an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view event held in November by WWE. It is one of the "Big Four" events, along with WrestleMania, Royal Rumble and SummerSlam, as It is one of the original four pay-per-views produced by WWE....
pay-per-viewPay-per-viewPay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
. - Lucha LibreLucha libreLucha libre is a term used in Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, for a form of professional wrestling that has developed within those countries...
companies uses the term Torneo CiberneticoTorneo ciberneticoA Torneo Cibernetico is a type of elimination tag-team match that frequently appears in Lucha Libre promotions.The match is a 16-man elimination tag team match consisting of 2 teams of 8. It uses standard Lucha Libre tag-team rules with elimination occurring with a pinfall, submission,...
(cybernetic tournament) for multi-man elimination matches. Sometimes in these matches, there can be only one winner, so after the other team has been eliminated former teammates face each other in an elimination match.
A further variation is where teams of four or more are composed of tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
s, and once a member of a team is eliminated their partner is also eliminated.
Four corners tag team elimination match
In a Four corners Elimination tag team match (which has also been called the Raw Bowl and the Superstars Bowl), four teams compete as tag teamsTag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
with one member of each of two teams starting. Anyone could be tagged in by anyone else and can be subject to immediate disqualification for failure to accept a tag. When a wrestler is pinned the team is eliminated and the last team of the four wins.
Tag Team Turmoil
Tag Team Turmoil is another version of an Elimination tag team match. The match has a team in each of the four corners to start the match, but as each team is eliminated another team takes its place, similar to a gauntlet match.Another variation of Tag Team Turmoil took place at WWE Night of Champions (2010)
Night of Champions (2010)
Night of Champions was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , that took place on September 19, 2010 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. It was the third annual event to be promoted solely under the Night of Champions name and the tenth...
, on September 19 2010. Two teams start, when one is eliminated a new team comes to the ring until all teams have competed, the remaining team is the winner. In this version the champions enter as the first team.
This would again be used on the May 31, 2011 edition of NXT
WWE NXT
WWE NXT is a sports entertainment television program produced by WWE that debuted on February 23, 2010. Described as a hybrid between reality television and WWE's scripted live event shows, the premise of the show follows select talent contracted to WWE's developmental territory Florida...
, with a team consisting of a WWE Pro and his NXT Rookie. Two teams start, but as each team is eliminated another team takes its place, as stated above. The winning team will earn 3 Redemption Points for the Rookie in this version.
Ultimate Endurance Match
Primarily associated with Ring of HonorRing of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
, an Ultimate Endurance Match is an elimination match that typically includes three to four tag teams
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
. The match starts off with a particular set of special stipulations (i.e. falls count anywhere), with the stipulation changing every time a team is eliminated. The stipulations are predetermined and are not limited to any specific type.
Intergender tag team match
This tag-team match features mixed-sex teams. It differs from a Mixed Tag Team match in that men and women can be in the ring at the same time and face each other. Six person Intergender Tag Team matches are also common, popularized in the early 2000s by Team ExtremeHardy Boyz
The Hardy Boyz are a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of real-life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy...
.
Mixed tag team match
This type of match also features mixed-sex teams, but differs from an Intergender match in that only wrestlers of the same sex may be in the ring at the same time. For example, if a woman tags her male partner, both women leave the ring and both men enter.This label is also used for other unusual pairings, such as a normal sized wrestlers teaming with midgets
Midget wrestler
A midget professional wrestler is a dwarf or person of short stature who competes in professional wrestling. The heyday of midget wrestling was in the 1950s and 1960s, when wrestlers such as Little Beaver, Lord Littlebrook, and Fuzzy Cupid toured North America, and Sky Low Low was the first holder...
, when the differing wrestlers are not allowed to face one and other.
Parejas Increibles Match
In this match the teams are composed of enemies or rivalsFeud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
. It is meant to illustrate the tension between the desire to win and the hatred for one's rival.
- As the name suggests, matches with these pairs are used more frequently in MexicoLucha libreLucha libre is a term used in Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, for a form of professional wrestling that has developed within those countries...
than anywhere else.
- In the United States, however, this type of tag teamTag teamTag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
format is used in WWE, and it is called a "Strange Bedfellows" match. The now-defunct World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
referred to this type of tag team format as the Lethal Lottery, with the members of the winning tag teams advancing to the Battlebowl battle royalBattle royal (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
.
Parejas Suicidas
Another lucha libre variation of the tag team match, this one begins as a regular tag match but the two members from the losing team are forced to face each other in a Lucha de Apuesta.Scramble
Primarily associated with Ring of HonorRing of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
, a Scramble tag team match has one difference from the normal rules: when a wrestler goes out of the ring either of their own volition or by being forced out, a partner can come in as a replacement without being tagged in. This format is most commonly used in either four corner tags, or with teams of more than 2. The Scramble match can also be done as a six man scramble where anyone can tag in anyone.
Scramble Cage
A match held inside a cage with wooden platforms in each of the corners for "high riskProfessional wrestling aerial techniques
Aerial techniques are maneuvers, using the ring and its posts and ropes as aids, used in professional wrestling to show off the speed and agility of a wrestler. These moves are mainly done by smaller, quicker wrestlers who are unable to do most of the power moves. There is a wide variety of aerial...
" moves. All men are allowed inside and outside of the cage. The match begins with two teams with another entering every two minutes. The match cannot be won until every team is in the match.
Tag team battle royal
This match is conducted similarly to a battle royalBattle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
. If a wrestler is thrown over the ring ropes, both they and their partner are eliminated from the match. In most cases both wrestlers are considered active at the same time and there are no tags, as in a tornado tag match.
Another variation of the tag team battle royal was used during the 2011 WWE Draft
2011 WWE Draft
The 2011 WWE Draft was the eighth annual draft held by WWE, which took place on April 25. With a core business of professional wrestling, the corporation held a draft to exchange personnel assigned to one of its two television programs that are independent brands that represent WWE...
, where the wrestler's team has to eliminate all members of the opposing team, much like an elimination tag team match where the losing wrestler of a team, who just got thrown over the ring ropes, must return to his locker room. In this variation, the team consists of more than 2 men.
Tornado tag team match
Originally known as the Texas Tornado match. In this match, all wrestlers involved are allowed to be in the ring at the same time, and thus all wrestlers are vulnerable to having a fall scored against them. Whether or not it is truly a "tag team match"Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
is debatable, as it involves no tagging, but it is contested between tag teams.
The first match of this kind was held on October 2, 1937 in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
between Milo Steinborn and Whiskers Savage against Tiger Daula and Fazul Mohammed. It was the brainchild of promoter Morris Sigel.
Trios rules (Relevos Australianos)
A six-man tag team match between two teams of three wrestlers. Each team has one wrestler designated as team captain. To win, a team must either score a fall against the opposing team's captain, or one fall each against both of the other wrestlers. These matches are often two out of three falls and rules about tagging in are often stretched.- This match type is called Relevos Australianos ("Australian Tag Team Match") in Mexico and is most often seen in lucha libre promotions such as Asistencia Asesoría y AdministraciónAsistencia Asesoría y AdministraciónAsistencia Asesoría y Administración is a lucha libre professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico...
(AAA) and Consejo Mundial de Lucha LibreConsejo Mundial de Lucha LibreConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre is a Lucha Libre-style professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City while running cards in Guadalajara, Puebla and elsewhere in central and southern Mexico...
(CMLL) although some promotions have used them as gimmick matches.