Hello ladies and gentlemen and welcome to another fantastic edition of The Master’s Dojo!! Today, my article will be discussing some of WWE’s, TNA’s (sort of) and ECW’s greatest Tag Teams. So before I bore you with any more opening crap, let’s get this thing started!!

I’ll start with a Tag Team who has competed in ECW, WWF/E and TNA: The Dudleyz (also known as the Dudley Boyz and Team 3D). The duo of Buh-Buh Ray and D-Von Dudley started out in ECW in 1996. They had previously debuted, however, in 1995. It wasn’t until early 1997 though, until they won their first of many ECW Tag Team titles against John Kronus and Perry Saturn (The Eliminators). This soon became the first feud for The Dudley Boyz, who then lost the titles at the first ever ECW Pay-Per-View, Barely Legal, to the Eliminators. A short while later, however, the team won the belts back in a Handicap Match versus Kronus, who’s partner (Perry Saturn) was injured. The next rivalry for the team was with New Jack and Mustafa Saed, aka The Gangstas. Around a month after the Dudley Boyz retained their titles against The Gangsta’s, the team rebounded and thwarted the Dudleyz in a Steel Cage Weapons Match to win the belts. However, less than a month after that, Buh-Buh Ray and D-Von won the ECW Tag Team Championship for the 3^rd time at Hardcore Heaven. Shortly after, Mastafa and Perry Saturn left ECW, and the two remaining men from their teams (Kronus and New Jack) for med their own Tag Team, The Gangstanators, and competed for the belts against the Dudleyz. They next got a shot at the belts in November in a Four Way Dance Tag Team Match, which was won by the F.B.I.  Their next feud took place with Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman, and eventually Spike Dudley (originally an ally) after Buh Buh and D-Von turned on him.  These groups feuded for a while, until Dreamer, The Sandman and Spike defeated The Dudley Boyz in a 3 on 2 Handicap Street Fight Match, subsequently ending the feud. In late October of 1998, The Dudley Boyz won their fourth ECW Tag Team Championships against Rob Van Dam and Sabu, but then lost them again in November to Masato Tanaka and Balls Mahoney. With Sabu banned from United States competition, The Dudleyz (well, specifically D-Von) defeated Rob Van Dam to once again become champions.  In total, The Dudley Boyz won the ECW Tag Team Championships 8 times, but lost them right before they jumped ship to WWF.

The Dudleyz debuted as Bubba Ray and D-Von (still the Dudleyz/Dudley Boyz) in 1999. They began to wear big, thick, taped glasses and camouflage gear as their normal attire. They started a feud with D-Generation X in 2000, which ended at King of the Ring 2000, in a Dumpster Match, which included the riving of Tori through a table (a signature of the Dudley Boyz). At WrestleMania X7, they competed in a Triangle Ladder match (with the Hardy Boyz and Edge and Christian) for the World Tag Team Championships. The team of Edge and Christian won (the same match occurred previously at Summerslam 2000, also won by the E&C, and also at WrestleMania 2000). As 2001 progressed, Bubba Ray and D-Von became members of the Alliance, and we all know how that storyline played out. However, during the Invasion, The Dudleyz became the only team to ever hold the ECW, WCW and WWF Tag Team titles. The Dudleyz unified the WCW and WWF Tag Team Championships in a Steel Cage match against the Hardy Boyz at Survivor Series 2001 (also the site of what I like to call “The Alliance’s Last Stand”). When 2002 started, Bubba Ray and D-Von started a feud with Tazz and Spike Dudley. That feud took its course, and then after WrestleMania X8, the name change and brand extension, The Dudleyz were split up, with D-Von going to RAW and gaining a protégé by the name of Deacon Batista, and Bubba Ray went to SmackDown and aligned himself with the previously bitter Spike Dudley. At Survivor Series 2002, the original Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) reformed, following Bubba Ray being helped in a match by D-Von. They competed together and aligned themselves with former (current at that point in time) RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff, and then aligned themselves with Spike Dudley when they were sent to SmackDown. Before teaming with Spike, however, The Dudleyz were working for Paul Heyman, GM of SmackDown and adversary of The Undertaker. They lost to The Undertaker in a Handicap match at The Great American Bash, which, even though it was the opposite of the stipulation, resulted in The Undertaker’s long-time manager and “friend”, Paul Bearer, being buried in cement. In 2005, the Dudleyz made their final WWE appearance, at ECW One Night Stand, where they defeated Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman in the main event (Spike Dudley also appeared). They were told that there contracts would not be renewed or renegotiated, and that they could no-longer use the name “Dudley”. This did not sit well with any of them, but they have not used the name yet in their new company, and they seem to be doing just fine.

On October 1^st, 2005 on TNA Impact, Team 3D debuted. The duo debuted with the aforementioned name, and with the individual names Brother Devon and Brother Ray (Spike Dudley is now known as Brother Runt). Due to length constraints, this section of the article is being trimmed, but I’d like to include some of Team 3D’s biggest feuds and moments in TNA. 3D has feuded with AMW, Team Canada, Shark Boy and Curry Man, LAX, Beer Money, Inc. and more. Some big moments so far of 3d in TNA include being the last NWA Tag Team Champions in TNA (due to the end of TNA/NWA relations) and subsequently becoming the first TNA Tag Team Champions. They’ve also been Tag Team Champions three times in TNA: once as NWA Tag Team Champions and twice as TNA Tag Team Champions.

Another famous Tag Team I’d like to cover today is Edge and Christian. They both debuted in 1998 (as storyline brothers) and quickly became members of The Brood, along with Gangrel. The group defeated The J.O.B. squad at the In Your House: Rock Bottom PPV, and then joined forces with The Undertaker’s Ministry of Darkness, including giving the Undertaker a noose, in which he hung Big Boss Man at WrestleMania XV. They left the stable when Christian was removed by The Undertaker because of some storyline garbage. Eventually, Gangrel turned on Edge, but Christian stood by Edge, which began the epic Tag Team that was Edge and Christian. Their first feud was with The Hary Boyz, who eventually aligned themselves with Gangrel and became known as The New Brood. The two teams competed in the Terri Invitational Tournament, in which they competed for the services of Terri Runnels as a manager, as well as a lot of cash. The Hardyz won three straight to end the tournament, including a Match #5 win at No Mercy in a Ladder Match. As 2000 rolled around, the Hardy Boyz turned face (and Gangrel was completely removed from any association with them) and Edge and Christian obviously turned heel, and changed from goth-like loners into comedic surfer dudes. They’d always make fun of opponents (and a lot of others) and would use catchphrases, the most common and popular being the term “reek of awesomeness”. They’d also have their famous “5 Second Pose” where they would pose ridiculous, imitating various occurrences/people. They really were hilarious. At WrestleMania 2000, the duo took on The Hardy Boyz and The Dudley Boyz in a Triangle Ladder Match (as I mentioned earlier) and they won (the match and the World Tag Team titles). They also won the first ever TLC (Tables, Ladders and Chairs) match, between the 3 teams, at Summerslam 2000, and then won again at WrestleMania X7. At Royal Rumble 2001, Edge and Christian lost to the Dudley Boyz, and lost the World Tag Titles. As mentioned earlier (twice) they won the belts back at X7 (with help from associate Rhyno). This was the final time they hold the belts. Shortly after WrestleMania, on April 19^th, Edge and Christian lost their titles on SmackDown to Kane and The Undertaker, The Brothers of Destruction. At King of the Ring 2001, all four members of Team RECK (Rhyno, Edge, Christian and Angle; the group Edge and Christian were involved with) were in the semifinals of the tournament, which Edge eventually won. Christian appeared on-screen to be jealous of his “brother” and assaulted him on Spetember 3^rd, 2001 in Toronto, and he (Christian) joined the Alliance. They feuded over the Intercontinental Championship for a few months, and the team obviously split. For them, it turned out to work for both. Edge has gone on to win 9 World Championships and a total of 14 Tag Team Championships. Christian has left and come back to WWE, and he had great success while he was away from WWE in TNA, and he’s enjoyed success since returning. For the fans however, it was sad to see them split. As a team, they won the World Tag Team Championships 7 times.

Well ladies and gentlemen, thank you for tuning in this week, I hope you enjoyed the article. Remember to check out The Master’s Dojo again next week for another great article. Until then, I am The Master of Puppets, the dojo is closed and I AM OUT!!!!