The tag match formula

[BHK 0]

Now, I'll admit that my wreslting viewing only goes back about 15 years or so. But for the life, especially after last night's Raw 6 man, I can't remember the last tag match that didn't follow the generic formula:

 

back and forth exchange ---> Face in peril----> hot tag to other face that cleans house.

 

Have there ever been any tag matches that haven't worked like this? Or is that just kind of how al ltag matches go? I can't seem to recall any ever, let alone in the last 5 years.

 

If that's true, what exactly can they do to spice up the tag formula?

[MillenniumMan831 0]

The Bulldogs/Dream Team Tag Title Match from WM2 and the Hart Foundation/Brain Busters match from SumSlam89 deviated from the formula quite a bit and were much better for it. I'm sure there are dozens more out there but these are some readily available ones.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

That is the same basic formula for competitive tag matches; the babyfaces shine for a while, the heels get the heat, the babyfaces make their comeback, and they go to the finish. There are little things here and there that can be done to mix things up which is a must especially when, like in WWE, you have the same few times fighting each other. The reason it works, which it usually does, is that it’s a story that the people can very easily buy into; the good guy gets cheated by the bad guy but doesn’t give up and fights back to win, or not.

 

The changes to the basic formula usually come into play with gimmick matches, which is when spots should be worked in that get over the gimmick and the storyline that led to that gimmick match being set up.

[Just John 0]

At No Way Out 2000, The Hardys and E/C had a regular tag match that didn't really follow that formula. The thing was they were both faces at the time, so they split the offense pretty evenly, or I guess you could say each team had a "face in peril" situation.

 

In WCW, they didn't follow this formula as much, especially with the Lucha Libre multi-man tags, which just had guys going everywhere. Also in Steiner Bros matches, they often controlled more offense than face teams usually did. They only really did the "face in peril" when fighting Harlem Heat or the Outsiders.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Face v Face are worked differently, which is why E and C versus the Hardy's was done like that. As for the Lucha matches in WCW, neither side was really face or heel and they weren't going to establish the characters in any way, so it was easier just to have them go back and forth with spots.

[TheBostonStrangler 0]

The Austin/HHH vs. Jericho/Benoit match had some changes, notably the faces cheating as much as the heels. It definitely gave the match a different feel.

[Dangerous A 0]

The Kobashi/Misawa vs Kawada/Taue tags from the early/mid 90's, as well as some of the Misawa/Akiyama vs Kawada/Taue matches from the 96 RWTL go away from the usual tag formula. However...

 

1) Because they were the ME, they were given tons of time to tell a different story.

 

2) As HTQ brought up, in some of the matches, heel/face lines were blurred a bit as even when Kawada and Taue would heel it up, the fans would often still cheer them.

[Guest jm29195]

I always thought Steiners/Sting/Luger, didn't really adhere to that formula, again it's because both teams were faces....

[zyn081 0]

The Austin/HHH vs. Jericho/Benoit match had some changes, notably the faces cheating as much as the heels. It definitely gave the match a different feel.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I was thinking of that match. I think it was pretty well done since the way they portrayed it was that Jeircho and Benoit had had enough of Austin and HHH's cheating and took every oppourtunity to hit back at them.

 

IMHO there is cheating and then theres cheating. The faces making hay whilst the refs back is turned is not really cheating.

[JJMc 0]

In Jim Cornette's shoot from 2003, he talks about using a different formula in a OVW match that he booked. I can't remember off the top of my head, but it involved different uses/placements of heat segments and stuff like that. I thought it was really cool. Has anyone seen this that remembers? I don't have the tape anymore.

[Guest Rrrsh]

The Benoit/Malenko v Sabu/Tazz was totally non-formula when Benoit and Malenko won for the Triple Threat the Tag belts, and it was the second best Tag match ever in ECW imo.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

In Jim Cornette's shoot from 2003, he talks about using a different formula in a OVW match that he booked. I can't remember off the top of my head, but it involved different uses/placements of heat segments and stuff like that. I thought it was really cool. Has anyone seen this that remembers? I don't have the tape anymore.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He was talking about a 2/3 falls match with Conway and Dinsmore against Damaja and Machine. Instead of having three sets of shine, three sets of heat and three sets of comebacks, he had Conway and Dinsmore win the first fall in 30 seconds, go into the regular match with Damaja and Machine cheating to win the second fall, and then had the babyfaces make the comeback and go into the finish of the third and final fall from there.

 

And not having the tape anymore makes baby Jesus cry.

[tekcop 0]

So... sort of like the lucha formula?

[Betty Houle 0]

I was just watching a WCW match the other day (Pretty Wonderful vs. Bagwell and one of his many partners) that ended without a hot tag. I'm seen this done many times.

[haws bah gawd 0]

Heres one thing that has always bothered me about tag matches:

 

Why is it that heels are allowed to tag behind the refs back, and all they have to do is say they tagged, and the ref ALWAYS takes their word for it? God forbid the faces tag behind the refs back, because a crowd of 8000 fans, and God himself could not convince the ref that the faces tagged, because the ref didnt SEE it, thus causing the "face in peril" to get beat down by the heel team while the ref is busy getting the face's partner to stay in his conrner until hes tagged.

 

Then the worst part of all comes, the heels usually switch WHILE the ref is busy getting the face to stay in his corner, and they'll tell the ref they tagged which he accepts as fact. Seriosuly, what the fuck is wrong with this picture? It makes the refs look like total idiots.

[nl5xsk1 0]

Why is it that heels are allowed to tag behind the refs back, and all they have to do is say they tagged, and the ref ALWAYS takes their word for it?  God forbid the faces tag behind the refs back, because a crowd of 8000 fans, and God himself could not convince the ref that the faces tagged, because the ref didnt SEE it, thus causing the "face in peril" to get beat down by the heel team while the ref is busy getting the face's partner to stay in his conrner until hes tagged. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Because the heels clap their hands together really loudly, to make it SOUND like a tag. The faces make their normal, barely audible tag.

 

And I liked the formula of the Road Warriors/Midnites tag match when the Warriors won the belts. Brutalize one guy to the point that he's almost out of commission; struggle with and then ultimately overpower the outnumbered partner; have the weakened guy tag himself in but ultimately lose because of weakened state. It made the Warriors look like dick-ish heels; the Midnites look like they had the hearts of warriors, and made for a good, quick match

[Guest Fook]

Then the worst part of all comes, the heels usually switch WHILE the ref is busy getting the face to stay in his corner, and they'll tell the ref they tagged which he accepts as fact.  Seriosuly, what the fuck is wrong with this picture?  It makes the refs look like total idiots.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

What I've always found funny about this is that a 150 pound referee can hold back the 280 pound wrestler trying to get in the ring.

[The Tino Standard 0]

Why is it that heels are allowed to tag behind the refs back, and all they have to do is say they tagged, and the ref ALWAYS takes their word for it?  God forbid the faces tag behind the refs back, because a crowd of 8000 fans, and God himself could not convince the ref that the faces tagged, because the ref didnt SEE it, thus causing the "face in peril" to get beat down by the heel team while the ref is busy getting the face's partner to stay in his conrner until hes tagged. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Because the heels clap their hands together really loudly, to make it SOUND like a tag. The faces make their normal, barely audible tag.

 

And I liked the formula of the Road Warriors/Midnites tag match when the Warriors won the belts. Brutalize one guy to the point that he's almost out of commission; struggle with and then ultimately overpower the outnumbered partner; have the weakened guy tag himself in but ultimately lose because of weakened state. It made the Warriors look like dick-ish heels; the Midnites look like they had the hearts of warriors, and made for a good, quick match

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Gotta love it when the heels are perfectly capable of making a legal tag, but choose to do an illegal switch and make the "CLAP" noise just to be dickish heels. DRAW THAT HEAT, baby.

[Jericholic82 0]

Why is it that heels are allowed to tag behind the refs back, and all they have to do is say they tagged, and the ref ALWAYS takes their word for it?  God forbid the faces tag behind the refs back, because a crowd of 8000 fans, and God himself could not convince the ref that the faces tagged, because the ref didnt SEE it, thus causing the "face in peril" to get beat down by the heel team while the ref is busy getting the face's partner to stay in his conrner until hes tagged. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Because the heels clap their hands together really loudly, to make it SOUND like a tag. The faces make their normal, barely audible tag.

 

And I liked the formula of the Road Warriors/Midnites tag match when the Warriors won the belts. Brutalize one guy to the point that he's almost out of commission; struggle with and then ultimately overpower the outnumbered partner; have the weakened guy tag himself in but ultimately lose because of weakened state. It made the Warriors look like dick-ish heels; the Midnites look like they had the hearts of warriors, and made for a good, quick match

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Yea I just saw that on the warriors dvd and I agree, very innovative, yet simple booking that gets both teams more over at the same time.