WCW's 10 Most Popular Tag Teams: How Were They Formed?

The first World Tag Team titles would be developed and defended in San Francisco in the 1950s. Yet the concept of tag team wrestling would take years to develop, By the 1980s tag team wrestling was a cornerstone of every major promotion. The 80s would be the Golden Era of tag teams in the WWE. A tag team match even headlined the original WrestleMania.

Fast-forward to the 1990s and World Championship Wrestling wanted to become a true competitor to WWE. One of the ways that WCW could compete was by developing their tag team division. Throughout the 1990s WWE deemphasized the importance of tag team wrestling, allowing WCW to dominate the tag teams of the 1990s. WCW would be the home of some of the most famous tag teams of the decade. In some cases, WCW would manufacture the teams formation, in other cases the team came together naturally. Tag team wrestling was popular throughout the 1990s in WCW.

10 Faces Of Fear

The Faces of Fear (Meng and Barbarian) and Jimmy Hart

In the mid 1990s, the Faces of Fear were a dominating WCW tag team. Meng and the Barbarian brought a legitimate toughness and hard hitting action to the tag team division. While they never won WCW gold, they would battle the Outsiders at Starrcade 1996 for the titles.

The Faces of Fear would compete as a tag team until Meng's popularity turned him into a face. Meng would defeat his former partner, Barbarian at Road Wild 1998. The Faces of Fear would actually form in WWE. Both men were managed by Bobby Heenan and would team together in the early 1990s. The Faces of Fear even have a WrestleMania 7 match against the Rockers on their resume.

9 Nasty Boys

The Nasty Boys would enjoy two stints in WCW. First in 1990 and then again in 1993 until 1997. During those runs, the Nasty Boys would "nastisize" their opponents and win 3 WCW World Tag Team Championships. The duo known for their hardcore style would even join the New World Order in 1996. Yet, both were attacked shortly after their NWO debut. The Nasty Boys are the rare breed of tag teams that were never placed together by a promotor. Jerry Sags and Brian Knobbs were childhood friends. Growing up in Pennsylvania, the Nasty Boys would debut in the AWA in 1986.

8 Enforcers

The Enforcers as the WCW Tag Team Champions

The Enforcers were Pro Wrestling illustrated's tag team of the year in 1991. As a duo, Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszko would capture the WCW World Tag Team Titles in September 1991. Known for their under handed tactics, Anderson and Zbyszko became infamous heels during their WCW run. Their name, of course was a play off of Arn Anderson being the enforcer of the Four Horseman. Both men came together during a time that WCW was short on credible tag teams. Soon after their formation, they would join the Dangerous Alliance managed by Paul E. Dangerously (Heyman).

7 KroniK

Kronik would form in the dying days of WCW in 2000. Both Brian Adams and Bryan Clark were familiar with new WCW producer Vince Russo. Adams had played Crush in WWE and Clark had portrayed Adam Bomb. That familiarity with Russo (also a former WWE employee) led to Kronik originally assisting Russo. The 6'6 bruisers would go on to become two time WCW World Tag Team Champions. KroniK's popularity would lead to them being signed by WWE during the Invasion angle. Adams and Clark would unsuccessfully challenge the Brothers of Destruction, Kane and the Undertaker.

6 Doom

Doom would be the NWA World Tag Team Champions when WCW came to fruition. This would make Doom the first WCW Tag Team Champions. The dominate duo of Ron Simmons and Butch Reed are one of the most popular tag teams in professional wrestling history. Simmons and Reed would only team for a year and half but would leave their mark on sports entertainment history. The duo was originally put together by Woman, and wore masks to the ring. They were the surprise opponents of the Steiner Brothers at Halloween Havoc 1989.

5 Hollywood Blondes

The Hollywood Blondes Steve Austin and Brian Pillman version is still very popular to this day. Strangely enough the duo did not even tag for a year and are still a legendary team. The former WCW World Tag Team Champions would be named the Wrestling Observer Tag Team of the Year in 1993. The Blondes would split up three times in the course of the year, before finally going their separate ways. Pillman and Austin would reunite for a period in WWE in 1996. The Hollywood Blondes were formed because WCW didn't have any plans for Steve Austin. Yet, they wanted to push Barry Windham as a singles star, and needed his team with Pillman to end. Great booking there.

4 The Outsiders

Kevin Nash and Scott Hall would change professional wrestling forever as the Outsiders in 1996. Ironically enough the duo wrestled their first tag match together in WCW in 1991 as the Diamond Studd and Oz. They would also tag in WWE in 1995 as Razor Ramon and Diesel. Yet, their most success and notoriety would come as themselves, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. They are the original members of the New World Order and would go on to become 6 time WCW World Tag Team Champions. The Outsiders could easily be considered the greatest tag team in WCW history.

3 Road Warriors

Another team in the conversation for greatest of all time in WCW is the Road Warriors. Animal and Hawk are in every GOAT tag team conversation. The duo would dominate professional wrestling in the 1980s and continue their dominance in WCW (& WWE ) in the 90s. The face painted, jacked up behemoths used their strength and intensity to dominate the competition throughout their tag team careers. The Road Warriors were actually paired together by Ole Anderson in 1983. Before the pairing, Animal had wrestled as the Road Warrior.

2 Steiner Brothers

The Steiner Brothers are former 11 time World Tag Team Champions and one of the most popular tag teams of all time. The duo consists of real life brothers Rick and Scott Steiner. The Steiners were predicted to be the team of the 1990s by winning the Pro Wrestling Illustrated and Wrestling Observer Tag Team of the Year award in 1990.

Those awards foreshadowed a hall of fame career for the former amateur wrestlers from the University of Michigan. The brothers begin tagging together in January 1989, after Scott had escorted Rick to the ring at different pay per views. By November of 89 the brothers had won their first World Tag Team Titles.

1 Harlem Heat

Harlem Heat is the greatest and possibly the most popular tag team in WCW history. Booker T and Stevie Ray would win 10 WCW World Tag Team Titles throughout their run in World Championship Wrestling. They would defeat the who's who of professional wrestling tag teams. Booker and Stevie combined athleticism, agility and power into a smooth running tag team. Their ring attire and natural charisma made them must watch tv. Stevie Ray and Booker T are real life brothers, and started wrestling together as the Huffman Brothers in 1989 in the Western Wrestling Alliance. They would move to Global Wrestling as the Ebony Express in 1992, before settling on their WCW wrestling home in 1993.