The Headshrinkers/Samoan Swat Team/New Wild Samoans just squeaked into my top 50. They were around for close to a decade, had Yokozuna in their ranks at one time, competed in AWA, NWA, and WWF and were the WWF's top team for most of 1994 when people still gave a damn. They also had great matches/feuds with both The Steiners and LOD.

Aug 3, 2021 1:05:53 GMT Shootist said:

The Headshrinkers/Samoan Swat Team/New Wild Samoans just squeaked into my top 50. They were around for close to a decade, had Yokozuna in their ranks at one time, competed in AWA, NWA, and WWF and were the WWF's top team for most of 1994 when people still gave a damn. They also had great matches/feuds with both The Steiners and LOD.

The Usos should've been branded as the New New Headshrinkers.

Yeah I mean spoiler alert but Headshrinkers aren’t making the list and I’m okay with that. Before my rewatching of that era and research for this list I would have thought they made 50 easily… but not so much.

I was holding back some in the Superstars thread just in case they made this list … I wanted to save some thoughts. In the end they weren’t special in the least and their portrayal of the gimmick was embarrassing more often then not.

Also they weren’t successful in kayfabe terms in an era in the WWF where being the best tag team wouldn’t have been that hard. Nor did they produce many or any memorable matches.

I’m not an expert on their WCW run and I presume that where Shootist is coming from but the fact I know very little about that run also says something.

Aug 3, 2021 1:05:53 GMT Shootist said:

The Headshrinkers/Samoan Swat Team/New Wild Samoans just squeaked into my top 50. They were around for close to a decade, had Yokozuna in their ranks at one time, competed in AWA, NWA, and WWF and were the WWF's top team for most of 1994 when people still gave a damn. They also had great matches/feuds with both The Steiners and LOD.

I’m like 40% into 1994 and that isn’t the case yet. I know they are prepping them for the Quebecers feud but it still doesn’t feel like they are on top team trajectory.

Aug 3, 2021 1:11:38 GMT UT said:

Yeah I mean spoiler alert but Headshrinkers aren’t making the list and I’m okay with that. Before my rewatching of that era and research for this list I would have thought they made 50 easily… but not so much.

I was holding back some in the Superstars thread just in case they made this list … I wanted to save some thoughts. In the end they weren’t special in the least and their portrayal of the gimmick was embarrassing more often then not.

Also they weren’t successful in kayfabe terms in an era in the WWF where being the best tag team wouldn’t have been that hard. Nor did they produce many or any memorable matches.

I’m not an expert on their WCW run and I presume that where Shootist is coming from but the fact I know very little about that run also says something.

The Marietta Massacre alone puts the Headshrinkers above the Usos at least, I was taking in their entire body of work, not just WWF:

I'm with UT on this one. Never really thought much of the SST/Headshrinkers regardless of whether they WWF or NWA, faces or heels. They were always just kind of there for me. Their big claim to fame is that 4 month WWF tag title reign which was hardly the stuff of legends. UT nailed it with this bit...

"Also they weren’t successful in kayfabe terms in an era in the WWF where being the best tag team wouldn’t have been that hard. Nor did they produce many memorable matches."

Aside from the awesome Lee Scott squash, their NWA run was much the same, only with even less kayfabe success.

I will credit Shootist with reminding me they had a career before their 1989 NWA run. I forgot about that.

I'll also admit there's a chance I'm still subconsciously biased against them because of their 1989 feud with the babyface Midnight Express  :lol:

Aug 3, 2021 1:38:38 GMT Shootist said:

Aug 3, 2021 1:11:38 GMT UT said:

Yeah I mean spoiler alert but Headshrinkers aren’t making the list and I’m okay with that. Before my rewatching of that era and research for this list I would have thought they made 50 easily… but not so much.

I was holding back some in the Superstars thread just in case they made this list … I wanted to save some thoughts. In the end they weren’t special in the least and their portrayal of the gimmick was embarrassing more often then not.

Also they weren’t successful in kayfabe terms in an era in the WWF where being the best tag team wouldn’t have been that hard. Nor did they produce many or any memorable matches.

I’m not an expert on their WCW run and I presume that where Shootist is coming from but the fact I know very little about that run also says something.

The Marietta Massacre alone puts the Headshrinkers above the Usos at least, I was taking in their entire body of work, not just WWF:

That may be a shining moment but it doesn’t account for a whole body of work.

29 .) The Brisco Brothers

Well, I nailed this one! I think I've actually seen a handful of their matches. I think exclusively against the Funks. Recall it making me a big fan of both teams. I've cited dream matches already of Briscos vs. Briscoes and Briscos vs. Patterson & Stevens. Not sure there are any to add, other than feeling pretty confident any Briscos vs. Funks match is generally dream match quality.

I'm way behind on commenting and probably won't catch up until more teams I'm familiar with get posted but here's who I voted for that has appeared so far:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13. The Briscoes
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22. The Revival
23.
24. The Usos
25.
26.
27.
28. The World's Greatest Tag Team
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36. The Eliminators
37.
38.
39.
40.
41. The Crusher & Dick The Bruiser
42. Brothers of Destruction
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49. Beer Money
50.

...

Couple recent teams posted were not on any "greatest" lists that I referenced but probably wouldn't have been included on my list anyway.

16. The Brisco Brothers (Jack and Jerry)- 129 points

Again high marks across the board, they were hugely successful in a kayfabe sense, were top draws in the south and in Japan and were great technicians. They were also quite versatile working both as heels and faces simultaneously in Georgia and Mid Atlantic in the early 80's.  Their feuds with Steamboat/Youngblood, Flair/Piper/Steamboat (both as heels) and the Road Warriors (as faces) were quite enjoyable to watch and they were real credible heels despite their good ol' boy exterior and technical prowess. When the real old heads bring up the great tag teams the Briscos are always near the top of the list.

Brisco Brothers- I'll confess to not giving them much of a look. I know about the Funks feud, and am vaguely aware of the major happenings in Crockett & WWF towards the tail end of their careers, but I've always heard more about how great Jack supposedly was as a singles competitor than the tag team.

The Funks feud is legendary among old timers. They were big in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Even had a WWF run towards the tail end of their career after selling out to Vince. Had a pretty famous match with Murdoch & Adonis during that run.

I don’t know Baker - the sheer amount of titles they held as a team is incredibly impressive. And across some major territories.

Aug 3, 2021 19:33:37 GMT UT said:

I don’t know Baker - the sheer amount of titles they held as a team is incredibly impressive. And across some major territories.

I didn't intend to besmirch the Briscos. I'm fine with them where they are. It was more a case of kicking myself for casually dismissing them without even bothering to do any research.

How do you know a team is legit? If they have belts in the archive.

FUCK YOU BOD.

I consulted quite a few "greatest all time" lists from both fans and "experts" and I don't recall seeing The Brisco Bros on any of them. Same goes for Doom and MNM (kinda surprised they made the list if I'm being honest).

Everyone else listed so far showed up on one list or another.

Aug 3, 2021 21:11:47 GMT RT said:

I consulted quite a few "greatest all time" lists from both fans and "experts" and I don't recall seeing The Brisco Bros on any of them. Same goes for Doom and MNM (kinda surprised they made the list if I'm being honest).

Everyone else listed so far showed up on one list or another.

If Briscos didn't make any lists you consulted, I think you need to quit starting your research on the third page of Google results.

Aug 3, 2021 22:03:14 GMT 🤯 said:

Aug 3, 2021 21:11:47 GMT RT said:

I consulted quite a few "greatest all time" lists from both fans and "experts" and I don't recall seeing The Brisco Bros on any of them. Same goes for Doom and MNM (kinda surprised they made the list if I'm being honest).

Everyone else listed so far showed up on one list or another.

If Briscos didn't make any lists you consulted, I think you need to quit starting your research on the third page of Google results.

I use Bing.

I wonder if any votes got counted as the other Briscoes due to typos.

Aug 3, 2021 23:35:44 GMT @ness said:

I wonder if any votes got counted as the other Briscoes due to typos.

Calm down MAGA man. I know what I’m doing. :@

I enjoy that the Bushwhackers made the list and made it this high , I had them in the 30's but really no qualms overall.

I remember when they made the WWE HOF quite a few years back and everyone was complaining and throwing massive shade at the induction as proof as to why the HOF is a joke and that shit irked the hell out of me. I loved the Bushwhackers as a kid and still do - no they weren't in the WWF to be great workers or be the face of the division for a four year run but they were there to be cheered and loved and fan favorites that you could throw into any match and not have to worry about the crowd being bored. That was their job and they did it better than anyone could have asked for and were one of the most over acts in the entire company for a stretch - no small feat in that era where a ton of people were over.

Furthermore and I'm not as familiar with their work prior but I have went back and watched Sheepherders stuff prior to their WWF run and they were a completely different type of team and personalities and really good workers. Violent and brutal as can be and I enjoyed it - it wasn't the same nostalgic feel the Bushwhackers gave me but it made me appreciate them on a different level. The complete transformation and 180 they did from the SH to the BW is one of the craziest turn arounds you'll see in wrestling - at least that works to that degree.

I also really enjoyed their STTW pod that Bruce did. Hearing the stories about Vince pitching the idea to them that they are going to be faces was entertaining - especially because they thought themselves it would never worked and they were too beat up and ugly by that point to ever get over. Happy they were wrong and what a crazy vision by Vince that actually worked.


The reason I do knock them is because by like 93ish 94ish it just went on a little too long and they went from goofy yet credible team to just complete jokes. Though I did get a kick out of them for 3 seconds and the crowd popped nicely when they showed up as the Doinks.

36. The Kiwis/Sheepherders/Bushwackers (Luke Williams and Butch Miller)- 100.50 points

This was a bit like pulling teeth, I was not a Bushwackers fan in real time but the body of work does not lie. 30 plus years as a team, they were incredibly versatile going from two hellraising brawlers to kid friendly favorites during the golden era of WWF tag teams. Seeing the Sheephehrders stuff from the mid 80's was quite eye opening, their feud with the  Fantastics didn't disappoint. Also seeing their earlier stuff as the Kiwis in Stampede (again my dad's era) was quite the trip with their blonde afros being perfect for soaking up all that blood. They transitioned so well to the cartoon world of the WWF you would have had no idea of their brutal past. They did what they had to do to get their payday from the Fed and they did it well, I have a new respect for the two goofy New Zealand brawlers. Still not a fan of Johnny Ace as their flag bearer though  .

Bushwhackers were my first favorite tag team.

Aug 4, 2021 18:32:46 GMT KING KID said:

Bushwhackers were my first favorite tag team.

Did you walk around licking people?

Aug 4, 2021 18:36:06 GMT UT said:

Aug 4, 2021 18:32:46 GMT KING KID said:

Bushwhackers were my first favorite tag team.

Did you walk around licking people?

Probably. Haven't stopped.

I did used to do the armpit to the face to my sister when we were young. I think that was the Nasty Boys thing though that I found amusing as a youth.

26 .) The Bushwhackers

Frankly, I'm not sure I have a dream match for them. They've been around so long, through so many eras, as such different incarnations of their characters, that I'm pretty sure any potential dream matches have likely already occurred.

I only know of the Bushwhackers on a very shallow casual level. So much so that I shouldn't even be allowed to mention it in History.

I didn't have a lot of exposure to the Briscoe Bros, but I definitely think they deserve a place on this list.

35. Bushwackers

My dad and I loved these guys. No teeth, bald heads, licking and biting people...what's not to like?  My dad probably felt a kinship to them.

I actually met them in 2008 at an RoH show in Orlando.  Nice guys.  At least they were to me. 

I had a hard time how and where to rank The Shield.

On one hand they are one of my 5-10 favorite acts in history and one of the best things the WWF has done in decades IMO. On the other hands I've always thought of them as more of a stable than a classic tag team and they didn't use the Freebird Rules to the full extent so that doesn't really apply.

On the other , other hand multiple iterations of the three guys have won titles together so that certainly qualifies them IMO.


Overall I had them probably too high at like 15 because of personal bias , probably should have been closer to the range they landed on the overall list. Their best matches came as a trio as opposed to a duo , but they were consistently stealing the show and putting on just burner after burner weekly and on PPV's so they deserve credit for that.

I had The Shield at 60. I was a little harsh on their kayfabe success since belts of any sorts are more like props instead of trophies nowadays. I was pretty favorable to them though in my other categories as they did generate some buzz when they came on the scene and all three guys have made hay as singles stars. It was a cool concept but in our ADD culture today they didn't have the staying power as unit like some other teams. If I hadn't graded on a curve they could have cracked 49 or 50.

51. Bushwhackers- My very last cut. It came down to them and the Moondogs for the 50 spot. I'll admit to bias kicking in. WWF Bushwhackers are among my least favorite acts of that, or any, era. So I went with the Dogs of the Moon.

But before that they spent a decade+ bleeding and brawling their way all around the world as The Sheepherders. They were big in Portland, Puerto Rico, Memphis, Mid South, and probably some other places. 

I don't remember seeing them in real time when I watched Watts UWF. It's possible they were gone by then. But I did get catch their NWA run that followed. Back then they had the good kind of heat with me as a dangerous duo of deranged uglies who weren't quite all there. For years I knew Johnny Ace best as their flagbearer.

Then they went to WWF. And I actually recognized them! But it was all downhill from there. Hated the stupid 'Whackers. Towards the tail end of their WWF run I did have one friend who was a fan of the facelickers- the Razor Ramon-loving middle of the three brothers. He had always gotten the biggest kick out of their antics. He's also the only person I ever knew who liked babyface Kamala. So I guess he just had a thing for cool territorial heels turned kiddified crap.

Yet even I must grudgingly give the 'Whackers some credit. They completely changed their style from bloodthirsty brawlers to a silly kid friendly act and got a surprisingly long run in the big time out of it. Pretty sure they went part time their last few years in the company. But they'd still show up Superstars every so often and I'd be all annoyed about it. Think they usually just worked tag title tournaments when WWF needed an 8th team to fill out the brackets during those last few years.

Anyway, the other day Shootist made a post in the Superstars thread about worlds colliding with Macho Man calling a Duke The Dumpster match. I think I've got one to top that. Did you know The Bushwhackers interacted with Brian Pillman(!) on an episode of Superstars in 1996? 

They also earn bonus points by having a "B Team" in Jonathan Boyd & Rip Morgan. I remember the BHerders being surprisingly effective in mid 80s Memphis. Both men looked the part and Boyd was actually a pretty good promo.