EOTR Tag Team Tuesdays: 5 Of The Worst WWE Tag Teams Of The 2010s

By @TrueGodImmortal

The 2010s hasn't been the best decade for wrestling overall, and it definitely wasn't so kind to tag team wrestling until recently. The decade saw some makeshift tag teams, most of whom were pretty cringe worthy, and a few full time teams that missed the mark. With that being said, I wanted to look at five of the worst teams in the WWE since 2010. Let's take a look.

*Tons Of Funk
(Brodus Clay and Lord Tensai)

-The only saving grace of this team was Naomi and Cameron. Literally. The fact is, the shuck and jive of Brodus Clay wasn't anything worthwhile, and adding in the former Prince Albert wasn't any better. The Lord Tensai gimmick was a joke from the start and once these two competed in a dance off (after Tensai came out in lingerie), they would become partners. Still, this entire tag team run was pointless, continuing for months before Brodus Clay turned heel. Lord Tensai had nothing else to do shortly after and Brodus Clay would eventually leave WWE. This tag team was horrible and I really can't think of a reason that WWE thought this team was a good idea.

*RybAxel
(Curtis Axel and Ryback)

-I really didn't understand this team at all. Two of the worst possible choices were placed together to go at CM Punk and help Paul Heyman. Soon after they were placed together as the worst Paul Heyman guys, they eventually broke away from Heyman and became a jobber tag team for a little while. They would challenge The Usos for the titles, but come up short. Two wrestlers that aren't that great combining to make a team.... usually makes for a disappointing tag team, and this was no exception. Rybaxel was such a horrible team.

*Slater Gator
(Titus O'Neil And Heath Slater)

-This was another short lived team, but boy, was it terrible. I think Titus is talented and Heath is cool as well, but this was a makeshift tag team that literally served no purpose. They had no success in their short time together, except for a few small wins over Zack Ryder and Sin Cara and one big win over Goldust and Stardust, but they would also rack up a loss to the small team of El Torito and Hornswoggle, as well as losses to Big E and Kofi Kingston as New Day was just getting started. After a useless feud between them and Adam Rose (and his Bunny), this team disbanded. Some people remember this tag team fondly, but to me, they were a horrible team overall. Period.

*Hunico and Camacho 

-If there was ever a tag team that was just horrible.... this is one. Camacho never worked and Hunico was too stereotypical of a gimmick to really work. However, these two were together for a while, and they literally had zero success. The only spectacular moment they even had as a team was challenging for the Tag titles briefly against R-Truth and Kofi Kingston. Otherwise, this team was nothing more than a waste of time and space on WWE TV.

*The Ascension
(Konnor And Viktor)

-In NXT, this was a good team. They were dominant. They were interesting. Granted, they were a rip off combination of Demolition and the Road Warriors, but still, they were good in NXT. Since coming to the main roster however, they've been glorified jobbers. There aren't any significant feuds to speak of for them on either RAW or Smackdown. The most recent success they have had came from being a joke in the Fashion Files. After being one of the first teams called up from NXT, this is without a doubt the most disappointing team of the decade considering all of the hoopla surrounding them in NXT. Of course, WWE never knows what to do on the main roster with their NXT teams and this was no exception.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 8:01 PM  No comment

EOTR Retro: What If Wade Barrett Won The WWE Title In 2010

By @AmeenKnows

Everyone's favorite game is a game of "What if?" and I've already gone into what if John Cena had stayed drafted to Smackdown a year after the topic of this story here. In 2010, Wade Barrett was experiencing, unfortunately, the biggest push of his career as the leader of the group of future up and comers, The Nexus. Now I don't have to tell you who they are because you know already but in November of 2010 Wade Barrett was blessed with two title shots at Randy Orton's coveted WWE Championship. The first he won by disqualification at Bragging Rights, but the title did not change hands.

In the midst of this potentially great storyline, John Cena was forced to join the Nexus after losing a match to Barrett at Hell in a Cell. So with Barrett's upcoming rematch at Survivor Series it was ultimately decided that John Cena would be named special guest referee. Leading up to the event it was Barrett who threatened to fire Cena if he didn't win the title. Cena being the goody goody two shoes he is, called the match down the middle and Randy Orton would go on to retain which means no job for Cena. That didn't last very long as Cena would go on to single handedly wash the Nexus and get his job back then, figuratively and literally, bury Wade Barrett before we kicked off 2011. But what if we could undo all that by having WWE pull the trigger on a Barrett title run? Just a year earlier, WWE had built up Sheamus to be a dominant monster and gave him a WWE Championship run by beating, guess who, John Cena. Shocking. Barrett had more Charisma, was a better talker and he could go in the ring so why not champion him?

So let's just say Barrett does win. That means Cena is no longer part of the Nexus and doesn't have to rampage on them to get his job back by making the group look sorry. Orton was a lackluster champion but he served a purpose for putting The Miz's Money in the Bank Cash In over. So in this hypothetical scenario we’re going to push that back. Orton is owed an rematch, Cena is still a foe and Miz is biding his time. Let's fix this by continuing the feud and booking Orton vs Barrett at TLC in place of Miz for the WWE Championship. Cena and Miz need something to do so we can have them stake their claim to the title in a segment and have them jumped by Nexus which sets up a Tag Team match between Miz and Cena and Two Nexus members. Now seeing as Barrett just won the title I don't want to take the belt off him just yet with a Miz cash in or Orton win so he leaves the arena with both his title run in tact and his group still thriving after Miz walks out on Cena for the win on Nexus's behalf.

Royal Rumble is coming up so a number one contender needs to be decided so I say we have a Triple Threat match that originally included Barrett, Sheamus and Orton and make it Cena, Miz and Orton. This also pushes back CM Punk's takeover of the Nexus so we'll get back to that. Let's say Cena wins here, Miz goes ballistic and attacks Orton setting up Miz and Orton at Royal Rumble. At RR, Nexus helps Cena retain and Miz cheats his way to beating Orton again. Eliminaton Chamber comes with Cena, Miz, Orton, Barrett, Punk and whoever else you wanna throw in for filler, say R-Truth. Miz gets eliminated early, Nexus comes to ringside and pass Punk a lead pipe that he uses to eliminate Barrett. Cena ends it by beating Punk and Miz cashes in after the Nexus jumps Cena again.

Punk comes out the next night and has a mic segment with Barrett. Punk explains that the Nexus was tired of being berated by Barrett who had become a dick to them after winning the WWE Championship. The Nexus comes out and Barrett gets jumped but escapes and he crosses over to Smackdown. Punk later in the night attacks Orton and their WrestleMania feud is right on track with 2 months in between for Orton to take out the New Nexus and Punk to explain his motivations. Miz cashed in on Cena so this means Cena can let go of the Nexus feud because the WWE title takes precedence over the Nexus which means their feud is on track and The Rock starts mocking them just a week later than he officially did which means everything is right on track for Mania. Barrett goes to Smackdown, starts the Corre and instead of Orton stealing the World Heavyweight Championship from Christian, its Barrett who does it after Extreme Rules, they feud for the summer and you have another star who's potential wasn't wasted.

-Ameen

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Eyes on the Ring 3:43 AM  No comment

Eyes On NFL: Week 8 Games To Watch

By @TrueGodImmortal

The NFL has managed to pick up the pace over the last few weeks as we've seen some great games and some interesting finishes. However, as the midseason mark hits, a lot of teams are in desperate need of big wins. The truth be told, this is a do or die week for many teams, which makes it a very intriguing week of games. Let's take a look at the games you'll want to keep an eye on in Week 8.

*Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

-NFC South Supremacy is on the line. Okay, not really. For the Panthers, this game represents a chance to bounce back, and for the Bucs, this game represents an opportunity to get a much needed victory. Cam vs Jameis is going to end up being a solid QB battle, but of course what will make the difference in this game is none other than defense. If the Panthers defense can step up and Cam can recover, the Panthers should walk away with the win. I predict a big game for Cam and the Panthers to pull away with a 10 point victory.

*Oakland Raiders vs Buffalo Bills 

-Two teams that really need a win will do battle on the field. The Raiders look like they could be on the comeback trail, but the Beast Mode suspension could possibly be an issue. Still, Derek Carr seems focused again and after his best game of the season, could this be the turning of the tide for Oakland? The Bills have surprised many of us, so it'll be interesting to see how this game turns out. I predict the Raiders win a close contest, but this could go either way.

*Houston Texans vs Seattle Seahawks 

-Deshaun Watson is having a great start to his career. He could possibly be looking at a playoff berth if the Texans win their division, but most of all, he's having a great rookie season. He looks poised and seems more comfortable on the field than most rookies. The truth of the matter is, one can only wonder if the Seahawks defense can stop him. If so, it'll be up to Russell Wilson and their offense to win the game. I think the Seahawks can pull it out, but if the game becomes a shootout, I think it might favor Deshaun and the Texans. This could be a really good game.

*Dallas Cowboys vs Washington Redskins 

-Division rivals. The Redskins are short handed and still look pretty good. After a tough game against the Eagles, this huge rivalry in the NFC East continues with a game that could shift the dynamic of the division and the Wild Card race for the Conference. Both of these teams desperately need a win. Both of these teams want a playoff spot. Both of these teams don't look bad. It's really hard to gauge who should and will win this game. Kirk Cousins has been solid overall this season, while Dak and Zeke have been doing their thing as well. This game could very well end up going into OT or be decided on the final drive. I expect a great back and forth game. 

*Pittsburgh Steelers vs Detroit Lions 

-The Lions are coming off their bye week and seem ready to play again. The Steelers have a bit of momentum again, and seem poised to take the AFC North once again. Will Big Ben and AB do damage on the Lions defense? Will Matt Stafford bounce back and have a big game? Will Le'Veon Bell put up a huge game on the ground? All of that remains to be seen, but I don't doubt that we'll see a huge from the Steelers offense and the Lions will likely also make it competitive. I predict the Steelers win a hard fought game however.

*Denver Broncos vs Kansas City Chiefs 

-I have a feeling of indifference about this game. Both teams are coming off back to back losses, and the Broncos were shut out by a mediocre Chargers defense due to their lack of offense. However, the Broncos and their defense tend to play tougher against the Chiefs and one can only hope we see Trevor Siemian have a big game finally. The Chiefs are looking to recover after letting the Raiders come back and beat them, and this could be the rebound win they need. This should actually be a good game overall, one that I'm excited to see play out. Keep your eyes open for Kareem Hunt this game as well.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 2:54 AM  1 comment

EOTR WWE Retro: The 6 Greatest WWE Heel Turns

By @TrueGodImmortal

Sometimes, turning heel can change a career around. We are witnessing it happen once again with Sami Zayn, as his heel turn has garnered him a main event spot weekly so far and huge attention. There are many other instances where the heel turn worked wonders and today, I wanted to take a look at those instances. Let's look at 6 of the best heel turns in WWF/WWE history.

6. Stone Cold Turns Heel (2001)

-Many people hated this. I was in the minority who loved it. It changed the business. It elevated guys who had not been given the type of run they probably felt they deserved. Austin joining forces with Vince McMahon was risky and in a way unnecessary, but it worked out in the end, giving us the infamous "What" phrase and a number of classic moments and matches. Austin vs Benoit, Austin vs Jericho, Austin vs Angle, even Austin vs RVD was due to the heel turn. Austin and his heel turn might not be remembered as the greatest, but to me it's one of the most impactful and greatest turns ever.

5. Chris Jericho Turns On HBK (2008)

-When Jericho came back, he was essentially a rehashed version of Y2J and it just wasn't working as well. So, he gave himself new life by going against the one and only HBK and turning on him. This represented a different side of Jericho and would change his career forever. Unlike the Y2J heel from before who was smug and ridiculous, this was a different Jericho. Stoic, serious, and to the point, this version of Jericho was more menacing and probably the best run of his career, which makes this a huge heel turn and one of the most important.

4. The Mega Powers Implode (1988)

-Randy Savage was WWF Champion, but of course, there would be an issue between himself and Hulk Hogan, started mostly by perceived jealousy of Hogan and Miss Elizabeth. After the Mega Powers teamed for quite a while, they would end up breaking up just in time for Wrestlemania 5, and one of the biggest main events in WWF history would occur. It was the start of a huge heel run for Savage once again after a short face run side by side with Hogan. In many ways, I think Hogan should have been the one to turn, but WWF decided to go with the small tired outcome of Hogan going over at Mania and winning the title back.

3. Andre The Giant Turns On Hogan (1987)

-It seems like Hogan always had someone turn on him to set up their next feuds. In this case, the Andre turn was huge, as he was one of the most popular wrestlers in the company, but once he got with Bobby Heenan, it seemed as if he began to make changes instantly. This heel turn led to one of the biggest main events and moments in WWF history, as we would get Hogan vs Andre in front of 90,000 people at Wrestlemania 3. Without Andre turning heel and ripping the chain off Hogan's neck, the intensity in the match and feud would have been much lower. This is a huge heel turn.

2. Shawn Michaels Turns On Marty Jannetty (1992)

-Of course, this was the turn that changed the career of Shawn Michaels. As a part of The Rockers, Shawn shined some, but the truth is, he was ready for his own spotlight. This would manifest itself through a Barber Shop segment where it seemed The Rockers put their differences aside and got back on track before Shawn delivered the superkick heard around the world. Then, he thr we Marty through the window of the shop, solidifying that moment in wrestling history. Without that heel turn, we might not have the prime era of the greatest wrestler to lace up the boots, The Heartbreak Kid.

1. The Rock Goes Corporate (1998)

-This is my no. 1 choice for so many reasons. It was unexpected. It was risky, as Rock  was getting over as a face, and he was a huge selling point of the entire Survivor Series 1998 tournament for the vacant WWF Title. I had no idea the show would end as it did, but with The Rock "selling out", we were treated to one of those rare moments where everything comes together perfectly. After aligning with Vince and Shane, The Rock would end up becoming WWF Champion, setting the tone for the future of his career, which of course is the most successful crossover wise of any wrestler, and without this moment, it wouldn't be possible honestly.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 3:47 AM  No comment

EOTR Tag Team Tuesdays: The 5 Greatest Survivor Series Teams

By @TrueGodImmortal

With Survivor Series on the way, and such an emphasis placed on Survivor Series teams, I figured what better way to celebrate this than to give you something different for the Tag Team Tuesdays article. Let's take a look at the 5 best teams that were assembled for Survivor Series.

5. Shawn Michaels, Rob Van Dam, The Dudley Boyz, Booker T
(Survivor Series 2003)

-On paper, this might be the best collection of talent ever, unfortunately, this team came up a little short in their Survivor Series. This team wrestled for the honor of Stone Cold Steve Austin, as the stipulation for their match said that if Austin's team lost the match, then Austin would lose his job. Regardless, I still think this team was a solid one, with a ton of talent who normally would have easily won any elimination match they were in. I actually think this was a better assembled team than the one that actually beat them.

4. Triple H, Shawn Michaels, CM Punk, and The Hardy Boyz
(Survivor Series 2006)

-This is an actual team that won their match, and as a matter of fact, they absolutely dominated the contest they took part in. This collection of talent is absolutely ridiculous, and looking back, the Hardy Boyz ended up being the least important pieces of this team. Labeled Team DX, this team would take on Team Rated RKO, which consists of Edge, Randy Orton, Johnny Nitro, Mike Knox, and Greogry Helms. Mike Knox was eliminated early, then Johnny Nitro, followed by Gregory Helms, and then of course near back to back final eliminations of Edge and Orton, sweeping the competition for this group of extremely talented wrestlers. This team is an All Time great Survivor Series team.

3. Stone Cold Steve Austin, Rob Van Dam, Shane McMahon, Kurt Angle, and Booker T
(Survivor Series 2001)

-It's a bit strange having teams on here that didn't win their respective matches, but look at this team and tell me that there is another team not on this list that possesses this type of star power, draw power, and legacy. Booker T? Legend. Kurt Angle? Legend. Stone Cold? Legend. Shane and RVD at the time provided a different element to this team and as a result, I thought they were a well oiled machine. They would take part in the greatest Survivor Series match ever, but of course, they fell short. Still, this is another dream team in Survivor Series history that would have garnered a win against any other team.

2. Hulk Hogan, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, and Demolition
(Survivor Series 1989)

-This is my bias: The fact that Hogan and Jake teamed up makes this no. 2 on my list. Hogan was on top of the world honestly, as the champion and face of the company and this team would end up being a bigger deal than expected. Being backed by Hogan helped, but the thing that makes this team so special to me is how well they actually worked together. Facing off against Ted Dibiase, Zeus, and the Powers of Pain, the Hulkamanicas would emerge victorious and I still can't believe that Hogan teaming with Jake didn't lead to a big feud between the two over the WWF Championship. What a waste.

1. The Rock, Chris Jericho, Kane, Big Show, The Undertaker
(Survivor Series 2001)

-There is no other team in Survivor Series history with this collection of talent in it. Not even close. The Rock, an all time legend. Chris Jericho, an all time legend. The Undertaker, an all time legend. Kane, another legend. Big Show, a legend in his own regard. This was one of the most stacked teams of all time and they would face off against my third pick on this list in the greatest Survivor Series main event in the history of the event. I loved watching the battle back and forth between those two teams, but more importantly, seeing all of those legends on one team is now a moment in time. This is without a doubt, the greatest Survivor Series team of all time.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 11:23 AM  No comment

Eyes On WWE: The Top 5 Kurt Angle Feuds

By @TrueGodImmortal

Kurt Angle is back in the ring and it seems as if he might be back for good. If this is the case, there's a lot of matches and feuds I would love to see Angle have. However, his legacy is solidified already through the feuds he's taken part in throughout his career. Today, we look at the 5 best Kurt Angle feuds. Let's get into it.

5. Kurt Angle vs Stone Cold Steve Austin 

-These two were polar opposites, and it worked. Throughout the first few years that Angle was in WWF, he crossed paths often with Austin. From their short lived partnership that wasn't really a partnership to their great feud in late 2001, these two had great chemistry and put on great matches during the entire Alliance run. The best match remains Summerslam 2001, one of the most intense encounters in the company at that time. Angle vs Austin wasn't the greatest feud, but I would consider it the feud of 2001, which says a lot about the quality of it.

4. Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels 

-Angle had wrestled so many in WWE by the time 2005 came that it was pretty evident he would eventually cross paths with HBK. Their feud was short, but well done, from the "Sexy Kurt" deal to the returns of Marty Jannetty and Sensational Sherri, all the way to their classic matches through the year. Their Wrestlemania 21 encounter was epic, and their Vengeance 2005 battle was almost as good. Their October 2005 RAW Ironman contest was also solid, showing that two of the best to do it can take things even higher when in the ring together.

3. Kurt Angle vs Edge 

-Once up on a time, Kurt and Edge were friends on TV. They were teaming up together and they had comedic chemistry. However, when it came time for the two to feud, they proved they were better enemies than friends. Edge and Angle put on a number of great matches over the years, from their King of the Ring 2001 Final to their underrated Backlash 2002 match and of course their epic Judgment Day 2002 Hair match. These two raised the bar every time they battled and their feud is one of my personal favorites, because they pushed each other to the limit in every single match.

2. Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit 

-We just discussed this feud on the site in more length, but it was tough to not put this one at the very top. Angle and Benoit had immense chemistry and would put on some amazing matches over the duration of their legendary feud including classics at Unforgiven 2002, Backlash 2001, and of course, their best match at Royal Rumble 2003. Other great matches took place in this feud on the golden era of Smackdown, and of course their Wrestlemania 17 encounter was enjoyable, as was their Judgment Day 2001 match. There are so many great matches in this rivalry that if you had this at the top of your list, I wouldn't be mad. It's legendary. 

1. Kurt Angle vs Brock Lesnar 

-I chose this as the best because it was magnetic every time they faced off. 2003 was built around Brock vs Angle and that made the year great for Smackdown overall. Their Wrestlemania 19 encounter was a near classic, and considering the fact that Angle was injured badly, it's a shock that this match was as good as it turned out. Their next battles, which took place at Vengeance in a triple threat with Big Show, as well as their Summerslam match were both classics. They would cap off their nearly year long feud with an amazing Ironman match on Smackdown that went the full 60 minutes. Brock and Angle together was magic and their feud definitely takes the top spot here.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 7:56 PM  No comment