Wrestling Gold: The History of the ROH World Tag Team Championship
Wrestling Gold: The History of the ROH World Tag Team Championship
Throughout the history of professional wrestling, the business has awarded championship belts in many divisions. While some have been forgotten over the years, some titles have stood the test of time.
The WWE has seen almost 30 titles defended, but today only six remain.
TNA Wrestling began with three titles—the NWA World and Tag Team Championships as well its own X-Division title, but today it owns its own belts and fans see six titles defended between its ropes.
Ring of Honor Wrestling began with just two, but has since added another title to its ranks.
While Shimmer has only been around for a few years, the most well-known all-women’s wrestling promotion currently holds two titles.
Wrestling Gold will concentrate on the active titles of the companies listed, as well as the NWA World and Tag Team Championships, and any other active title the readers would like to see!
For this edition of Wrestling Gold, I present the history of the ROH World Tag Team Championship!
First named the ROH Tag Team Championship, the titles were established in September 2002, six months after the company was formed. A tournament was set up to crown the new champions, but Ring of Honor didn’t have physical championship belts yet. The first champions, Christopher Daniels and Donovan Morgan, were presented a trophy instead.
Actual belts were quickly made, though, and have gone through four different designs since then.
In July 2006, the titles became the ROH World Tag Team Championship when the belts were defended in Japan.
Since its creation 11 years ago, ROH’s tag titles have seen 36 teams hold the belts. Let’s get started!
The Prophecy (Christopher Daniels and Donovan Morgan)
Defeated: Bryan Danielson and Michael Modest
Where: Philadelphia
When: Sept. 21, 2002
Event: Unscripted
Title Reign: 175 days
Christopher Daniels and Donovan Morgan of the Prophecy defeated Bryan Danielson and Michael Modest in a tournament final to become the first ROH Tag Team champions.
The Prophecy formed in Ring of Honor in 2002 with Daniels and Morgan, but would see six other wrestlers join including Allison Danger, Xavier and Mark Briscoe. The name Prophecy came from the leader, Daniels, who declared that he and his group were there to destroy the Code of Honor.
With Daniels and Morgan as champion, the group used the Freebird Rule which stated that any member of the Prophecy could defend the titles
Where Are They Now?
Donovan Morgan can now be seen wrestling on the independent circuit.
AJ Styles and Amazing Red
Defeated: The Prophecy (Christopher Daniels and Xavier)
Where: Cambridge, Mass.
When: March 15, 2003
Event: Expect the Unexpected
Title Reign: 175 days
Xavier would fill in for Morgan in this match, but I was unable to find out why. Due to the Freebird Rule, though, he was a legal substitution.
The titles would become vacant on Sept. 6, 2003 after the Amazing Red suffered an injury.
Originally, AJ Styles was to team with Paul London in a Fatal 4-Way tag team match to determine the No. 1 contenders for the titles. Instead, Styles decided to compete by himself in the match and defeated the Backseat Boyz, S.A.T. and the Carnage Crew to gain the title shot.
For the match, Styles chose the Amazing Red to be his partner, and the two of them walked away with the titles. Styles and Red would successfully defend the titles against the Briscoe Brothers on multiple occasions before the Prophecy took out Amazing Red.
Styles would defend the titles successfully with Homicide against them before vacating the titles. AJ Styles and Amazing Red continued to work together afterwards, though mostly as opponents in TNA’s X Division.
Where Are They Now?
AJ Styles can be seen in TNA Wrestling, where TNA, the Aces & Eights and Bad Influence (Daniels and Frankie Kazarian) want him to fight alongside them. The Amazing Red currently wrestles on the independent circuit.
The Backseat Boyz (Johnny Kashmere and Trent Acid)
Defeated: The Briscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark), Special K (Hydro and Deranged, Izzy and Dixie), The Ring Crew Express (Dunn and Marcos)
Where: Philadelphia
When: Sept. 20, 2003
Event: Glory by Honor II
Title Reign: 26 days
The Backseat Boyz would win the titles here in a five-team Gauntlet match.
The Backseat Boyz formed in 2000 in Combat Zone Wrestling. They won the company’s tag titles four times and were a part of an invasion angle where wrestlers from CZW came into ROH. The storyline saw them win ROH’s tag titles as well, but they weren’t able to hold onto them for very long.
The Backseat Boys were short-lived in ROH, as Kashmere left the company shortly after the title loss. While Acid did compete in ROH as a singles star, they continued to team with one another outside the company.
The team would disband in 2010, but under very unfortunate circumstances. Trent Acid passed away on June 18.
Where Are They Now?
After Acid passed away, Johnny Kashmere went back to the independent circuit.
Special K (Izzy and Dixie)
Defeated: The Backseat Boyz
Where: Glen Burnie, Md.
When: Oct. 16, 2003
Event: Tradition Continues
Title Reign: 16 days
Special K formed in 2002 as a group of spoiled rich kids. The gimmick saw them doing “drugs” and drinking liquids representing liquor and cough syrup.
The group of wrestlers were high flyers and competed against many of ROH’s tag teams, and since there were so many of them at one point, they were able to compete as multiple teams. Special K were also notorious for drugging their opponents in an effort to either win a match, or get someone to join them.
After a short reign with the tag team titles, Special K began to disband in 2004. One member, Hydro, became Jay Lethal while others just went their separate ways. Four members, who were Izzy, Deranged, Cloudy and Cheech, stuck together longer with valet Lacey as Lacey’s Angels.
Where Are They Now?
Izzy has since retired from the ring, but Dixie can still be seen on occasion on the independent circuit. (Thanks to reader James Chiofalo for the information!)
The Briscoe Brothers (Mark and Jay)
Defeated: Special K
Where: Elizabeth, N.J.
When: Nov. 1, 2003
Event: Main Event Spectacles
Title Reign: 175 days
Mark and Jay Briscoe made their professional wrestling debuts in May 2000 in ECWA. There first big break came with their 2001 debut in Combat Zone Wrestling. They were at first used as jobbers, and then singles competitors, before being paired up as a team.
In July, they captured their first of two CZW World Tag Team Championships, but their first reign was cut short at two weeks. They would appear sparingly afterwards, and would make their final appearance in June 2003.
They would return in December 2010 to challenge for the CZW tag titles once again, which they won in February. Their second reign would end up lasting three months. The Briscoe Brothers continue to appear for Combat Zone Wrestling here and there.
The Second City Saints (CM Punk and Colt Cabana)
Defeated: The Briscoe Brothers
Where: Chicago Ridge, Ill.
When: April 24, 2004
Event: Reborn: Stage Two
Title Reign: 21 days
CM Punk and Colt Cabana formed the Second City Saints in March 2003 in Ring of Honor. They would become stars in ROH with feuds with the Briscoe Brothers, The Prophecy, Generation Next and Raven.
Their popularity would lead to two reigns with the ROH World Tag Team Championship and a reign with the ROH World Heavyweight Championship for Punk. The team would disband in August 2005 when Punk signed with WWE, but Cabana would reform the team shortly afterwards with Ace Steel.
They didn’t last long, though, as Steel signed with WWE in July 2006. Cabana would soon follow when he signed in 2007.
The Prophecy (BJ Whitmer and Dan Maff)
Defeated: The Second City Saints
Where: Lexington, Mass.
When: May 15, 2004
Event: Round Robin Challenge III
Title Reign: a few minutes
The Prophecy would feud with ROH’s top talent, including CM Punk, Bryan Danielson and Samoa Joe. They would capture all of the company’s titles at the time and became a dominant force within Ring of Honor.
The group would disband in June 2004, though, after TNA Wrestling stopped ROH from using TNA contracted talent.
The Briscoe Brothers
Defeated: The Prophecy
Where: Lexington
When: May 15, 2004
Event: Round Robin Challenge III
Title Reign: a few minutes
The Briscoe Brothers would make their Jersey All Pro Wrestling debuts in March 2001. Their first match was with JAPW Tag Team champions Insane Dragon and Dixie, which they lost. A feud started up between the two teams, and it ended when the Briscoes unsuccessfully challenged for the tag titles.
They came back into the title picture in 2002 when the titles were vacant. Jay would end up capturing the JAPW Tag Team Championship in July with Insane Dragon after they both pinned a member of a third team. They would lose the titles the following month, and after the Briscoes failed to win the titles from Da Hit Squad, they disappeared from JAPW.
They returned in 2005 and once again targeted the tag titles, but they would never win them together. Their last appearance would be in 2008 when they faced Homicide and Hernandez of the Latin American Xchange.
The Second City Saints
Defeated: The Briscoe Brothers
Where: Lexington
When: May 15, 2004
Event: Round Robin Challenge III
Title Reign: 84 days
There would be a one-time reunion of the Second City Saints when CM Punk and Colt Cabana teamed up in Ohio Valley Wrestling’s final show under WWE.
Punk was already on the main roster at the time, but Cabana soon found himself on SmackDown at Scotty Goldman. While Cabana would be released in 2009, Punk would go onto become one of WWE’s top stars.
Where Are They Now?
CM Punk is currently with WWE, but he is taking a break at the moment. Colt Cabana can be seen throughout the independent circuit.
The Rottweilers (Ricky Reyes and Rocky Romero)
Defeated: The Second City Saints
Where: Philadelphia
When: Aug. 7, 2004
Event: Testing the Limit
Title Reign: 196 days
The Rottweilers formed in Ring of Honor in 2003 when leader Homicide was feuding with Steve Corino. Homicide soon began feuding with ROH World champion Samoa Joe as well as the Briscoe Brothers.
Homicide would never get the title from Joe, but Reyes and Romero would ultimately take these titles from the Second City Saints. Homicide would eventually win the ROH World Title in 2006 from Bryan Danielson, but his reign at the top lasted less than two months.
The Rottweilers would go through many members throughout their run in ROH and disband in 2007 when TNA Wrestling pulled all talent from Ring of Honor shows.
At the time, Homicide was under contract to TNA, and seeing as he was their leader, the group was no more once he left.
Where Are They Now?
Ricky Reyes can currently be seen on the independent circuit, though he did appear as Brian Andrews last year in a Handicap match against Ryback on SmackDown.
BJ Whitmer and Dan Maff
Defeated: The Rottweilers
Where: Elizabeth, N.J.
When: Feb. 19, 2005
Event: Third Anniversary Celebration: Part 1
Title Reign: 42 days
The titles were declared vacant on April 2 after Maff left Ring of Honor.
After the breakup of the Prophecy, Whitmer and Maff stayed together and went onto win the tag titles one more time. Their pairing was short-lived, though, as Maff would leave ROH in April.
The titles were vacated and Whitmer was left to become a singles wrestler, though that didn’t last too long.
Where Are They Now?
After leaving ROH, Dan Maff would retire from the ring. He would return seven months later, though. You can see him on the independent circuit and in Japan.
BJ Whitmer and Jimmy Jacobs
Defeated: Samoa Joe and Jay Lethal
Where: Asbury Park, N.J.
When: April 2, 2005
Event: Best of American Super Juniors Tournament
Title Reign: 98 days
BJ Whitmer and Jimmy Jacobs won a tournament final by defeating Samoa Joe and Jay Lethal to win the vacant titles.
Whitmer and Jacobs formed as a team after Dan Maff left ROH. Upon entering the tournament for the vacant titles that Whitmer just lost, they won the belts and went onto hold them for three months.
They feuded with the Carnage Crew, who they traded the belts with, and ultimately lost the titles for good in October 2005.
After losing the titles, Whitmer and Jacobs joined Lacey as the new Lacey’s Angels. The team didn’t last long, though.
The Carnage Crew (HC Loc and Tony DeVito)
Defeated: BJ Whitmer and Jimmy Jacobs
Where: New York City
When: July 9, 2005
Event: Escape from New York
Title Reign: 14 days
The Carnage Crew formed in 2002 and fought in hardcore-style matches. They feuded with similar teams at first, namely Da Hit Squad and the Natural Born Sinners. Carnage Crew would lose at first, but soon began to make an impact by defeating both teams.
By that time, Masada was added as a member and the team main evented Night of the Butcher in a Bunkhouse match against Homicide and future WWE Hall of Famer Abdullah the Butcher.
Justin Credible joined the group in 2003, which saw them begin a feud with the stable Special K. After a failed attempt to win the tag titles, Masada formed the New & Improved Carnage Crew, while Credible left ROH.
Loc and DeVito ultimately took out the new team, though. In 2005, the Carnage Crew finally won the tag titles. Their reign only lasted for two weeks, and they were last seen at the Night of the Grudges II event.
Where Are They Now?
Both HC Loc and Tony DeVito can be seen on the independent circuit, though not necessarily together as a team.
BJ Whitmer and Jimmy Jacobs
Defeated: The Carnage Crew
Where: Philadelphia
When: July 23, 2005
Event: The Homecoming
Title Reign: 70 days
As Lacey’s Angels, Whitmer and Jacobs entered back into the tag titles scene. Jacobs would fall in love with Lacey, though, and cost himself and Whitmer multiple matches. When Jacobs’ love for Lacey cost them a Tag Team Championship match, Whitmer turned on him.
The team disbanded and the feud lasted until the early months of 2007 with the inclusion of Colt Cabana and Daizee Haze on Whitmer’s side, and Brent Albright backing Jacobs and Lacey.
Where Are They Now?
BJ Whitmer would retire in 2008, but he would make his return to the ring in 2011. You can currently see him in Ring of Honor.
Sal Rinauro and Tony Mamaluke
Defeated: BJ Whitmer and Jimmy Jacobs
Where: New York City
When: Oct. 1, 2005
Event: Joe vs. Kobashi
Title Reign: 77 days
Sal Rinauro and Tony Mamaluke formed their team in ROH around the time they won the belts. They became quite the successful team, defending the titles against the likes of the Rottweilers and Generation Next.
It would be Generation Next that would eventually take the titles away from them, though. After losing the belts, Rinauro and Mamaluke stuck together until 2006 when Mamaluke signed with WWE.
Where Are They Now?
Both Sal Rinauro and Tony Mamaluke can be seen on the independent circuit, though Mamaluke would get the chance to compete for both WWE and TNA Wrestling after this.
Generation Next (Austin Aries and Roderick Strong)
Defeated: Sal Rinauro and Tony Mamaluke
Where: Edison, N.J.
When: Dec. 17, 2005
Event: Final Battle
Title Reign: 273 days
On July 9, 2006, the ROH Tag Team Championship were renamed the ROH World Tag Team Championship after Generation Next successfully defended the titles in Japan.
Generation Next formed in May 2004 with leader Alex Shelley and Austin Aries, Roderick Strong and Jack Evans. At the Generation Next event, they dominated the show by defeating Special K, the Briscoe Brothers, Jimmy Rave and John Walters.
The group would feud with the Second City Saints and Ricky Steamboat before Aries and Strong turned on Shelley. Aries became the leader at Final Battle 2004 and also won the ROH World Championship from Samoa Joe that night.
Matt Sydal soon joined the group as well. After Aries lost the World title to CM Punk, he and Strong went on to win these titles. They held the belts for almost 300 days, and broke up Generation Next in the middle of the reign.
After losing the titles, Aries and Strong went their separate ways.
Where Are They Now?
Austin Aries is currently a member of TNA Wrestling in a tag team with Bobby Roode, while Roderick Strong is still with Ring of Honor.
The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli)
Defeated: Austin Aries and Roderick Strong
Where: New York City
When: Sept. 16, 2006
Event: Glory by Honor V: Night 2
Title Reign: 70 days
The Kings of Wrestling formed in February 2005 in the Chikara promotion. They would go onto win the Campeonatos de Parejas and Tag World Grand Prix in 2006. They also appeared in CZW, where they won their Tag Team Championship twice before officially joining Ring of Honor.
They weren’t together in ROH at first, as Chris Hero declared war on ROH as a member of CZW while Claudio Castagnoli pledged allegiance to ROH. In a CZW vs. ROH match, Castagnoli turned on ROH and rejoined Hero as the Kings of Wrestling.
Castagnoli was kicked out of the group in 2007 when he signed with WWE, but they would reunite two years later.
Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal
Defeated: The Kings of Wrestling
Where: Edison, N.J.
When: Nov. 25, 2006
Event: Dethroned
Title Reign: 91 days
In 2006, Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal had a series of three matches, with Daniels winning two and Sydal taking the third. They gained a mutual respect for one another and began teaming during the summer.
They first challenged Austin Aries and Roderick Strong for the titles in August but failed. Three months later, they defeated new champions the Kings of Wrestling and went onto have successful defenses against three other teams before losing the belts to the Briscoe Brothers.
After the loss of the titles, Daniels and Sydal disbanded as a tag team.
Where Are They Now?
Christopher Daniels is currently a member of TNA Wrestling in the Bad Influence tag team with Kazarian. Matt Sydal is now known as Evan Bourne in WWE.
The Briscoe Brothers
Defeated: Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal
Where: Chicago
When: Feb. 24, 2007
Event: Fifth Year Festival: Chicago
Title Reign: seven days
The Briscoes made their Ring of Honor debuts at their first show in 2002, but only Jay could wrestle at the time since Mark was under 18. ROH shows took place in Pennsylvania at the time, and it was illegal for people under the age of 18 to wrestle.
When ROH made its Boston debut, his first ROH match ended up being against Jay and a feud began between them. Jay would defeat Mark at ROH’s first anniversary show, and after the match, they began teaming in the promotion.
They won their first of eight ROH World Tag Team Championships in 2003 and became a staple at Ring of Honor shows afterwards. They made their last appearance with ROH at the 2004 Testing the Limit event after feuding with the Rottweilers.
They would return in 2006, though, at the fourth anniversary show and have been with Ring of Honor ever since.
Naruki Doi and Shingo
Defeated: The Briscoe Brothers
Where: Liverpool, England
When: March 3, 2007
Event: Fifth Year Anniversary: Liverpool
Title Reign: 27 days
Naruki Doi and Shingo were enemies in Japan, but were paired up when they appeared for Ring of Honor during a tour of the United States. They held the titles for less than a month, which was how long their team lasted.
Where Are They Now?
Both Naruki Doi and Shingo can be seen wrestling in their native Japan.
The Briscoe Brothers
Defeated: Naruki Doi and Shingo
Where: Detroit
When: March 30, 2007
Event: All-Star Extravaganza III
Title Reign: 275 days
The Briscoes made their debuts with Pro Wrestling Guerrilla in October 2003, but due to a break from pro wrestling, they didn’t appear for PWG again until May 2006.
Their time with PWG would be filled with them no-showing many events, some of which had them fighting for the PWG Tag Team Championship. Despite the many no-shows, PWG still brings the Briscoes in for events.
They last appeared for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla in March 2011 in a losing effort to the team of Kevin Steen and Akira Tozawa.
The Age of the Fall (Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black)
Defeated: The Briscoe Brothers
Where: New York City
When: Dec. 30, 2007
Event: Final Battle
Title Reign: 27 days
In 2007, messages began to appear relating to Project 161. In ROH's return to Chicago, Jimmy Jacobs, Tyler Black and Necro Butcher assaulted the Briscoe Brothers. They hung Jay Briscoe upside down, and as the blood dripped onto Jacobs, he announced the arrival of the Age of the Fall.
After the arrival of Allison Wonderland, Jacobs and Black defeated the Briscoes for the titles. They would lose the belts about a month later, but would regain them in the summer.
No Remorse Corps (Davey Richards and Rocky Romero)
Defeated: The Age of the Fall
Where: Chicago Ridge
When: Jan. 26, 2008
Event: Without Remorse
Title Reign: 77 days
In the early months of 2007, Davey Richards helped Roderick Strong turn on Austin Aries, which disbanded Generation Next for good. They formed No Remorse Corps and were soon joined by Rocky Romero.
After feuding with Aries' new group The Resilience, Richards and Romero took the tag titles from the Age of the Fall. They held onto them for four months before the Briscoe Brothers took the belts from them.
By the end of the year, No Remorse Corps was no more when Richards turned on Strong to join Sweet 'n' Sour.
Where Are They Now?
Rocky Romero can currently be seen on the independent circuit.
The Briscoe Brothers
Defeated: No Remorse Corps
Where: Edison, N.J.
When: April 12, 2008
Event: Injustice
Title Reign: 28 days
When Mark Briscoe was injured, Austin Aries subbed for him during a title defense. The injury turned out to be more serious than expected, so the titles were vacated on May 10, 2008.
The Briscoes made their debuts in Pro Wrestling Unplugged in Sept. 2005. In their debut, they won a Triple Threat match to win the vacant PWU Tag Team Championship. They held the belts for seven months before losing them in April 2006.
During one of their appearances, Jay accidentally hit Mark in the mouth with a chair which knocked out a number of his teeth. They made one final appearance later in 2006 at an event that also included Juggalo Championship Wrestling. The Briscoes have not appeared since.
The Age of the Fall
Defeated: Kevin Steen and El Generico
Where: Hartford, Conn.
When: June 6, 2008
Event: Up For Grabs
Title Reign: 105 days
Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black of the Age of the Fall defeated Kevin Steen and El Generico in a tournament final to become the new champions.
The Age of the Fall would see many members throughout their time in Ring of Honor. The stable saw the likes of Delirious, Joey Matthews, Zach Gowen and Shimmer champion MsChif before the group disbanded.
Kevin Steen, El Generico and former member Delirious would hang Jacobs above the ring in the summer of 2009, which saw the end of the group.
Where Are They Now?
Tyler Black is now a member of the WWE roster. Known as Seth Rollins, he can be seen alongside Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns in The Shield.
Kevin Steen and El Generico
Defeated: The Age of the Fall
Where: Boston
When: Sept. 19, 2008
Event: Driven
Title Reign: 203 days
After being both opponents and partners in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and in Chikara, both Kevin Steen and El Generico joined Ring of Honor in 2005. While they would cross paths here and there, it wouldn't be until 2007 when they formed their team.
They at first feuded with the Briscoe Brothers and would have one of the most memorable feuds of 2007 in ROH. Their epic battle would end in Ladder War at the Man Up event.
Their partnership led to an almost seven-month reign as ROH Tag Team champions. In December 2009, Steen turned his back on Generico at the Final Battle event, and they waged war for an entire year.
Generico won the feud at Final Battle 2010, which forced Steen out of ROH. The two met one final time at Final Battle 2012 in Ladder War with Steen's ROH World Heavyweight Championship on the line. Steen would come out of that encounter victorious.
Where Are They Now?
Kevin Steen went onto to win the ROH World Heavyweight Championship and is still with Ring of Honor. After his match with Steen, El Generico made his way to WWE. He is now known as Sami Zayn in NXT.
The American Wolves (Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards)
Defeated: Kevin Steen and El Generico
Where: Philadelphia
When: April 10, 2009
Event: Ring of Honor Wrestling
Title Reign: 253 days
The American Wolves formed in December 2008 when Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards were both members of the Sweet 'n' Sour group. After only four months as a team, the American Wolves defeated Kevin Steen and El Generico for the titles.
The Wolves would have a lengthy title reign before losing the titles to the Briscoe Brothers. Richards and Edwards failed to regain the titles and went their separate ways in 2010.
Both wrestlers would go onto win the ROH World Heavyweight Championship, Edwards in March 2011 and Richards in June from Edwards. After Richards lost the title to Kevin Steen in May 2012, he and Edwards reformed the American Wolves.
Where Are They Now?
Both Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards are still members of the Ring of Honor roster. They are also still together as the American Wolves.
The Briscoe Brothers
Defeated: The American Wolves
Where: New York City
When: Dec. 19, 2009
Event: Final Battle
Title Reign: 105 days
In September 2006, the Briscoes made their debuts with Full Impact Pro. They would quickly win the FIP Tag Team Championship and held onto the belts for an entire year.
During that time, both brothers also tried to capture the FIP Heavyweight Championship, but neither of them were able to do so. After losing the tag titles to Kenny King and Jason Blade in 2007, they left Full Impact Pro.
The Kings of Wrestling
Defeated: The Briscoe Brothers
Where: Charlotte, N.C.
When: April 3, 2010
Event: The Big Bang
Title Reign: 363 days
In 2009, the Kings of Wrestling reunited and brought in the “Queen of Wrestling” Sara Del Rey as well. They would win the Tag Team Championship for a second time and went onto become the longest reigning champions in the title's history.
After losing the titles to Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team, they both signed with WWE. That would disband their team, but the Kings of Wrestling would reunite once when they teamed up in NXT to face CM Punk and Seth Rollins in August 2012. They haven’t teamed since then.
Where Are They Now?
Both Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli are still members of the WWE roster. Hero goes by the ring name Kassius Ohno in the developmental territory NXT, while Castagnoli is now Antonio Cesaro on the main roster.
Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team (Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas)
Defeated: The Kings of Wrestling
Where: Atlanta
When: April 1, 2011
Event: Honor Takes Center Stage Chapter 1
Title Reign: 250 days
Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team formed in 2002 when Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas were put together as Team Angle in WWE. Also known as the World's Greatest Tag Team, Benjamin and Haas went onto win the WWE Tag Team Championship on two occasions before their breakup in 2004.
As singles competitors, Benjamin went onto become a three-time WWE Intercontinental champion and one-time WWE United States champion, while Haas didn't find much success on his own. He did go onto win the tag titles one more time with Rico, though.
They reformed in 2006, but were unable to find the same success. Benjamin and Haas once again disbanded after Benjamin was drafted to ECW in 2008.
The Briscoe Brothers
Defeated: Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team
Where: New York City
When: Dec. 23, 2011
Event: Final Battle
Title Reign: 141 days
Throughout 2007, the Briscoe Brothers toured with Pro Wrestling NOAH, a Japanese promotion. The highlight of their tour would be their capturing of the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship in January.
They would only hold the titles for 14 days, though. When the tour ended in July, they returned to Ring of Honor. The Briscoes still tour with NOAH once in a while.
Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team
Defeated: The Briscoe Brothers
Where: Toronto
When: May 12, 2012
Event: Border Wars
Title Reign: 43 days
In 2009, Benjamin and Haas were seen together here and there on SmackDown until Benjamin was once again drafted to ECW.
In 2010, they reformed their team, now known as Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team, in Ring of Honor. The duo went onto capture the ROH World Tag Team Championship twice before Benjamin left ROH in December 2012.
He would return in February, but Haas would turn on him during a tag title match. They were set to do battle at Supercard of Honor VII, buts Haas would announce his retirement before the event.
Where Are They Now?
Shelton Benjamin can still be seen with Ring of Honor, while Charlie Haas is now considered retired.
The All Night Express (Rhett Titus and Kenny King)
Defeated: Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team
Where: New York City
When: June 24, 2012
Event: Best in the World
Title Reign: 16 days
The titles were declared vacant on July 10, 2012 after Kenny King left ROH to go to TNA Wrestling.
The All Night Express formed in January 2010 when Kenny King left his partner Kenny Omega to form an alliance with Rhett Titus. After Austin Aries joined them as their mentor, ANX began a winning streak and even gained a few shots at the tag titles, which they lost.
They continued to hunt the tag belts, while also gaining popularity with audiences. After winning a Ladder match against the Briscoe Brothers in September 2011, they officially reentered into the title picture. It took them nine months, but the All Night Express finally took the ROH Tag Team Championship away from Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team.
Their reign would be very short-lived, though, as King would make an appearance for TNA Wrestling just two weeks later. ROH decided to cut ties with him, which resulted in ANX breaking up and being stripped of the titles.
Where Are They Now?
Rhett Titus remains a member of Ring of Honor and is aligned with S.C.U.M. Kenny King can be seen in TNA Wrestling, where he is the current TNA X Division champion.
S.C.U.M. (Steve Corino and Jimmy Jacobs)
Defeated: Charlie Haas and Rhett Titus
Where: Chicago Ridge
When: Sept. 15, 2012
Event: Death Before Dishonor X: State of Emergency
Title Reign: 92 days
Steve Corino and Jimmy Jacobs defeated the team of Charlie Haas and Rhett Titus in a tournament final to win the vacant titles.
After Kevin Steen was forced out of ROH in December 2010 when he lost to El Generico, he would return in June 2011 to revolt against ROH. In December, he gained a new contract after defeating Steve Corino.
After he won the ROH World Championship in May 2012 with help from Jimmy Jacobs, Steve Corino joined them to form S.C.U.M., which stands for Suffering, Chaos, Ugliness and Mayhem. Corino and Jacobs would go onto win the vacant tag titles in a tournament, and the S.C.U.M. takeover grew stronger.
Despite losing the belts in December, the group retained their power due to Steen having the World title and Rhino being their enforcer. In March, the stable grew larger and stronger with the additions of Cliff Compton, Jimmy Rave, Rhett Titus and Matt Hardy.
Steen would lose his title to Jay Briscoe, which would see the group turn on him and Corino taking leadership.
Where Are They Now?
Both Steve Corino and Jimmy Jacobs are still with Ring of Honor and still members of S.C.U.M.
The Briscoe Brothers
Defeated: S.C.U.M., Caprice Coleman and Cedric Alexander
Where: New York City
When: Dec. 16, 2012
Event: Final Battle: Doomsday
Title Reign: 76 days
This was a Triple Threat tag team match for the titles.
In November 2009, Mark and Jay had a tryout with WWE. They wrestled a dark match before a SmackDown taping and were invited for another tryout at Florida Championship Wrestling, now NXT.
Nothing came of the tryout, so they returned to Ring of Honor.
Where Are They Now?
The Briscoe Brothers are still with ROH. Jay Briscoe is the current ROH World Heavyweight champion, while Mark is currently a contender for the ROH World Television Championship.
reDRagon (Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish)
Defeated: The Briscoe Brothers
Where: Chicago Ridge
When: March 2, 2013
Event: 11th Anniversary Show
Title Reign: 53 days and counting
Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish, known as reDRagon, just formed their team. Just a few months after forming, they took the titles from the Briscoe Brothers and have held them ever since.
Where Are They Now?
Being the current ROH World Tag Team champion, reDRagon are still with ROH. With ROH’s next event, Border Wars, coming up, they may be defending the titles. As of this writing, they are not scheduled to do so, though.
Statistics and Final Thoughts
Most Reigns: The Briscoe Brothers (8 reigns)
Longest Title Reign: The Kings of Wrestling (363 days)
Longest Combined Reign: The Briscoe Brothers (8 reigns at 807 days)
Shortest Title Reign: BJ Whitmer and Dan Maff of The Prophecy, The Briscoe Brothers (a few minutes each)
The tag team division in Ring of Honor has always been exciting. Even though I didn’t start watching on a regular basis until about two years ago, I have seen many matches thanks to websites like YouTube and Daily Motion.
Their division has been, and still is, filled with great teams comprised of some of wrestling’s most talented performers.
When I watch WWE and TNA Wrestling, I see divisions and titles that don’t really matter. WWE’s division has been on the back burner for years, and TNA’s consists of a total of three teams nowadays.
Ring of Honor shows fans that their titles matter, and in turn, so does the division that the belt is a part of. ROH Wrestling truly doesn’t get the credit that they deserve. The art of tag team wrestling is still very much alive thanks to Ring of Honor.
Thanks for reading! Come back next week for the final Ring of Honor title, the ROH World Heavyweight Championship!
Previous Installments
WWE Divas│TNA Knockouts│TNA Knockouts Tag│WWE Tag│TNA Tag│Shimmer│WWE US 1│WWE US 2│TNA TV│TNA X-Division│ WWE IC 1│WWE IC 2│WWE IC 3│WWE IC 4│ROH TV
Abandoned Series
WWE Women’s│WWE European│ECW Television│WCW Hardcore│WCW US Tag Team│WWF Martial Arts│WWF International│WCW Women’s│ECW World│WWE Cruiserweight│WWF Light Weight│ECW Tag Team│FTW World│WCW 6-Man Tag Team│Million Dollar│WWF Junior│WWF Women’s Tag Team│WCW International│ WCW TV pt.1│WCW TV pt. 2│WWE Hardcore │WCW Tag Team pt. 1│WCW Tag Team pt. 2│World Tag Team pt. 1│World Tag Team pt. 2│ World Tag Team pt. 3│World Tag Team pt. 4│WWWF USA│AWA World
Sources
http://www.rohwrestling.com/wrestlers/champions
http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/roh/roh-t.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ROH_World_Tag_Team_Champions
Team information provided by Wikipedia
Title “Wrestling Gold” thought up by editor Jeff D. Gorman