TNA had a deep roster of talented wrestlers even though they didn’t always have the best track record of building new stars. The tag team division was a strong focus for the company with all-time great teams like Beer Money and the Motor City Machine Guns. However, there were many challenges to the belts from unlikely teams.
Various duos were placed together with singles wrestlers being paired together in tag title matches. The stories range from experiments that worked in the short term to those who missed the mark completely. Find out just what caused each scenario to become part of the division with the oddest teams to challenge for the TNA Tag Team Championship.
10 Kevin Nash & Samoa Joe
The alliance between Kevin Nash and Samoa Joe saw them working together for quite some time on TNA television. Nash was an unofficial mentor to Joe as the duo teamed up on a few occasions against TNA heels.
AJ Styles and Tyson Tomko defended the TNA Tag Team Championship against Joe and Nash in a solid match at Final Resolution 2008. The duo of Styles and Tomko had stronger chemistry in the ring and moved forward with the TNA tag belts. Nash betrayed Joe a few months later to join the Main Event Mafia faction.
9 Matt Morgan & Joey Ryan
TNA paired together Matt Morgan and Joey Ryan for one of the strangest short-term tag teams. Ryan was trying to get a TNA contract when feuding with Al Snow until Morgan helped him get on the roster looking out for each other.
Morgan and Ryan challenged Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez for TNA Tag Team Championship at Final Resolution 2012 and Genesis 2012. Both matches ended in losing efforts leading to Ryan and Morgan moving forward on their own.
8 Ken Shamrock & Sami Callihan
The rivalry between Ken Shamrock and Sami Callihan gave Shamrock a chance to come back into the industry with a heated rivalry. Callihan and Shamrock would beat each other in matches leading to them developing a mutual respect for one another.
The duo had one match together teaming up against The North for the Impact Tag Team Championship. TNA did not go as far as to put the belts on them, and they stopped teaming shortly after. The North continued their dominant run as the tag champs.
7 BG James & Bob Armstrong
The Armstrong family has been involved in wrestling for many decades. Road Dogg’s success in WWE helped him have more name value in TNA under the name of BG James. Bob Armstrong was the father of BG and decided to return to the ring at the age of 68.
TNA allowed them to challenge AJ Styles and Tyson Tomko for the TNA Tag Team Championship. Styles and Tomko retained, but the older Armstrong pulled off some moves that had fans rooting for them. BG was content just getting to work with his dad again.
6 D'Angelo Dinero & Devon
TNA tried to make D'Angelo Dinero and Devon a tag team with the age gaps playing into an interesting dynamic. There were two tag title matches on PPV with Devon and Dinero attempting to score the ultimate success.
Final Resolution 2011 saw Crimson and Matt Morgan defeating the duo to retain the TNA Tag Team Championship. Another shot at No Surrender 2011 ended in disappointment as Mexican America took them out. The tag run eventually turned into a singles feud with Dinero turning on Devon.
5 Kurt Angle & Samoa Joe
The rivalry between Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle was one of the best in TNA history with a few interesting twists and turns. Angle and Joe teamed up at Victory Road 2007 as the TNA World Champion and X-Division Champion putting all the belts on the line against Team 3D.
The win for Joe and Angle gave them the TNA Tag Team Championship together despite having nothing but issues. Angle eventually let Joe to have ownership of all the belts as the end game, so most fans forget they won the tag titles together.
4 Abyss & Matt Morgan
TNA hoped to find success with the singles stars of Abyss and Matt Morgan teaming up for a few months. Both wrestlers were among the bigger names in TNA and used that power advantage in their matches.
There were four title shots for Morgan and Abyss at the TNA Tag Team Championship, but they were never able to score the win. Abyss and Morgan each had title reigns later in their runs with various other partners.
3 Eli Drake & Scott Steiner
The Impact Tag Team Championship reign of Eli Drake and Scott Steiner was one of the most forgotten title runs in company history. Drake used his Feast or Fired briefcase to cash in a title shot with the partner of his choice.
A returning Scott Steiner and Drake became the new champs when defeating LAX with the easy victory by striking when weak. The title run only lasted two days as the duo of Andrew Everett and DJ Z defeated Steiner and Drake to end their short time together.
2 Chris Harris & Matt Hardy
There was only one match for the tag team of Matt Hardy and Chris Harris due to the storyline involved. Hardy picked Harris as his partner to face the new top team Beer Money for the TNA Tag Team Championship at Sacrifice 2011.
The purpose was to have James Storm’s former partner at Matt’s side to try to overcome his new team. Harris was no longer the same performer and took the loss before separating from TNA again. The match was a disappointment to leave little to no impact on viewers watching.
1 Rick Steiner & Road Warrior Animal
The most unlikely team to ever receive a TNA Tag Team Championship match featured two all-time great tag team wrestlers teaming up for the first time. TNA planned to have the Steiner Brothers face Team 3D at Slammiversary 2007.
Scott suffering an injury caused TNA to scramble for a replacement partner. Road Warrior Animal of the Legion of Doom appeared at Rick’s side to have the former rivals now on the same side. Team 3D defeated Rick and Animal to continue their TNA Tag Team Championship reign.