Professional wrestling tag team match types
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Much like the
The following are match variations that are specific to tag team wrestling.
Multiple wrestlers teamed matches
Tag team matches can range from two teams of two fighting, to multiple person teams challenging each other. Such examples are six-man tag team matches (known as '"Trios" in
Relevos Australianos
A six-man tag team match between two teams of three wrestlers. Each team has one wrestler designated as team captain. To win, a team must either score a fall against the opposing team's captain, or one fall each against both of the other wrestlers. These matches are often two out of three falls and rules about tagging in are often stretched. This match type is called relevos Australianos (Australian relay) in Mexico and is most often seen in lucha libre promotions such as
Team Relay match
The Team Relay match has two or more teams of between 3-12 members to a team and before the match there will be a coin toss to see which team switches out first. Every 3 or 5 minutes the teams will switch. The first team to get a pinfall or a submission wins. Sometimes performed with hardcore rules.
Football Classic match
A Football Classic match is a match where two cages are placed at ringside, inside each of which is locked a manager with a weapon. The key for each cage is fastened to a football. Two teams of wrestlers must try and gain possession of the football and take it over to their manager's cage, use the key to unlock the cage, then use the manager's weapon to attack the other team. To get the ball to the cage, the wrestlers must pass it between themselves and attack any opposing wrestlers who have possession of the ball. In his autobiography; Mick Foley describes the match as "A fun, fan-inclusive cross between keep away, monkey in the middle, and kill the guy with the ball."
Elimination-style matches
Elimination tag team matches
Elimination tag team matches are the same as a normal
Three-way tag team elimination match
In a three-way tag team elimination match, three teams compete as tag teams with two or more members per team. One member of two teams start. Anyone can be tagged in by anyone else and can be subject to immediate disqualification for failure to accept a tag. When a wrestler is pinned or forced to submit, the entire team is eliminated and the last team left of the three wins.
Four-way tag team elimination match
Much like in a three-way tag team elimination match, a four-way tag team elimination match (also known as a "fatal four-way tag team elimination match", and at times has also been called the "Raw Bowl" and the "Superstars Bowl"), four teams compete. Anyone can be tagged in by anyone else and can be subject to immediate disqualification for failure to accept a tag. When a wrestler is pinned or forced to submit, the entire team is eliminated and the last team of the four wins.
Tag team turmoil
Tag team turmoil is another version of an elimination tag team match. Two teams start, and when one is eliminated a new team comes to the ring until all teams have competed, the remaining team is the winner. Teams may either make their entrance from backstage one at a time when it's their turn to wrestle, or - particularly if the match consists of four teams - all occupy a corner each at the start of the match waiting for their turn. Tag team turmoil matches have taken place at
Tables and stables
Tables and stables are similar to table matches, however, in an elimination styled-manner. Two teams consisting of four compete, and one wrestler can be eliminated either getting dropped by their opponent through a table, or accidentally falling by themselves. As with a normal table match, the match is a no disqualification and a no countout match.
Captain's fall match
A captain's fall match is a match where two teams of multiple competitors compete in an elimination match and captains are assigned to both teams. The purpose of the match is to score a fall over the captain to get the win. Eliminations may occur until the captain is pinned or forced to submit and the team loses if a captain is pinned or forced to submit.
Mixed matches
Intergender tag team match
This tag-team match features mixed-sex teams. It differs from a
Mixed tag team match
This type of match features either mixed-sex or mixed-size (
Parejas increibles match
In this match the teams are composed of
In the United States, however, this type of tag team format is used sometimes used in WWE, where it is called a "strange bedfellows" match. The now-defunct World Championship Wrestling referred to this type of tag team format as the "lethal lottery", with the members of the winning tag teams advancing to the Battlebowl battle royal.
In traditional/old school British wrestling, a frequent storyline occurrence sees heels fall out with - or otherwise get into a feud with - other heels, and the more sympathetic heel form an alliance and hence a tag team with blue eye enemies of the pure heel (without necessarily making a permanent turn to blue eye.) Legendary masked heel Kendo Nagasaki was frequently an enemy of fellow heels, notably Mark Rocco who would, in their feud, ally with blue-eyes against him (although Nagasaki also occasionally formed such alliances such as the "strange and unholy alliance" with clean-cut blue-eye Steve Veidor in a 1977 house show against heels Bruno Elrington and Bronco Wells as well as a 1976 match reuniting with his mentor Count Bartelli to defeat Wild Angus and John Kowalski.)
Parejas suicidas
Another lucha libre variation of the tag team match, this one begins as a regular tag match but the two members from the losing team are forced to face each other in a
8-4-1 match
In this match, two teams of four face each other. After the first fall, the losing team is eliminated and the match becomes a four-way singles match between the winning team. It first appeared in
Scramble
Primarily associated with
Scramble cage
A match held inside a
Tag team battle royal
This match is conducted similarly to a
Tornado tag team match
Originally known as the Texas Tornado match. In this match, all wrestlers involved are allowed to be in the ring at the same time, and thus all wrestlers are vulnerable to having a fall scored against them. Whether or not it is truly a
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.
- ^ "Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increibles". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved October 8, 2010.