WCW World Tag Team Championship
Encyclopedia
The World Championship Wrestling (WCW) Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling
world tag team
championship
in World Championship Wrestling
. It was the original world tag team title of WCW and remained active until it was unified
with the WWF Tag Team Championship.
. Following the title's introduction in 1975, the Minnesota Wrecking Crew
became the inaugural champions on January 29. The title was renamed the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) World Tag Team Championship in 1991 when Ted Turner
bought Jim Crockett Promotions
and became World Championship Wrestling
. Despite the title's name in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, the National Wrestling Alliance
did not recognize its own NWA World Tag Team Championship
until 1992 when Terry Gordy
and Steve Williams won a tournament for the title. As a result of Gordy and Williams being the WCW World Tag Team Champions when they became the inaugural official NWA World Tag Team Champions, both titles were defended together until WCW left the NWA in September 1993. On January 17, 2008, the NWA withdrew its recognition of every WCW World Tag Team Champion linked to the NWA World Tag Team Championship, officially stating that their titles were formed in 1995.
In March 2001, the World Wrestling Federation
purchased WCW. Soon after, "The Invasion" took place in which the WCW/ECW Alliance was ultimately dismantled. During this time, the title was referred to as the WCW Tag Team Championship, with WWF wrestlers winning WCW titles, and WCW wrestlers winning WWF titles. At SummerSlam 2001
, the title was unified
with WWF Tag Team Championship in a Steel cage match when the present WCW Tag Team Champions at that time, Kane and The Undertaker, defeated Chris Kanyon and DDP for the WWF Tag Team titles. The titles were only unified temporarily, as Kane and The Undertaker first lost the WWF Tag Team Titles on the September 17, 2001 edition of Monday Night Raw to the Dudley Boyz, followed by the loss of the WCW Tag Team Titles on the September 25th edition of SmackDown to Booker T & Test. At Survivor Series 2001
, the then-current WCW Tag Team Champions, the Dudley Boyz
, defeated the then-current WWF Tag Team Champions, the Hardy Boyz
, to unify the WCW and WWF Tag Team Championships. The former was then retired and WWE (the former WWF) officially recognizes the Dudley Boyz as the final WCW Tag Team Champions.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
world tag team
World Tag Team Championship
The World Tag Team Championship was the original professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in World Wrestling Entertainment . It served as the premier title for tag teams in WWE from 1971 until 2002 when a second WWE Tag Team Championship was established...
championship
Championship (professional wrestling)
A Championship or "title" in professional wrestling is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations.Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in scripted rivalries...
in World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
. It was the original world tag team title of WCW and remained active until it was unified
Championship unification
Championship unification is the act of combining two or more separate professional wrestling championships into a single title.-History:In professional wrestling, championships may be unified to consolidate the number of championships in a given promotion, or to add legitimacy and prestige to a...
with the WWF Tag Team Championship.
History
The WCW Tag Team Championship was originally known as the NWA World Tag Team Championship of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling run by Jim Crockett PromotionsJim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
. Following the title's introduction in 1975, the Minnesota Wrecking Crew
Minnesota Wrecking Crew
The Minnesota Wrecking Crew was originally a professional wrestling tag team that was formed by Gene and Lars Anderson but since then has featured a number of wrestlers who wrestled under the Anderson family name despite not being blood related.-History:...
became the inaugural champions on January 29. The title was renamed the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) World Tag Team Championship in 1991 when Ted Turner
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
bought Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
and became World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
. Despite the title's name in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
did not recognize its own NWA World Tag Team Championship
NWA World Tag Team Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Championship is the professional wrestling world tag team championship within the NWA framework.-History:...
until 1992 when Terry Gordy
Terry Gordy
Terry Ray 'Bam Bam' Gordy, Sr. was a professional wrestler who was best known in North America for being a member of the Fabulous Freebirds.-Career:...
and Steve Williams won a tournament for the title. As a result of Gordy and Williams being the WCW World Tag Team Champions when they became the inaugural official NWA World Tag Team Champions, both titles were defended together until WCW left the NWA in September 1993. On January 17, 2008, the NWA withdrew its recognition of every WCW World Tag Team Champion linked to the NWA World Tag Team Championship, officially stating that their titles were formed in 1995.
In March 2001, the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
purchased WCW. Soon after, "The Invasion" took place in which the WCW/ECW Alliance was ultimately dismantled. During this time, the title was referred to as the WCW Tag Team Championship, with WWF wrestlers winning WCW titles, and WCW wrestlers winning WWF titles. At SummerSlam 2001
SummerSlam (2001)
SummerSlam was the fourteenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on August 19, 2001 at the Compaq Center in San Jose, California...
, the title was unified
Championship unification
Championship unification is the act of combining two or more separate professional wrestling championships into a single title.-History:In professional wrestling, championships may be unified to consolidate the number of championships in a given promotion, or to add legitimacy and prestige to a...
with WWF Tag Team Championship in a Steel cage match when the present WCW Tag Team Champions at that time, Kane and The Undertaker, defeated Chris Kanyon and DDP for the WWF Tag Team titles. The titles were only unified temporarily, as Kane and The Undertaker first lost the WWF Tag Team Titles on the September 17, 2001 edition of Monday Night Raw to the Dudley Boyz, followed by the loss of the WCW Tag Team Titles on the September 25th edition of SmackDown to Booker T & Test. At Survivor Series 2001
Survivor Series (2001)
Survivor Series was the fifteenth annual Survivor Series pay-per-view professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation...
, the then-current WCW Tag Team Champions, the Dudley Boyz
Dudley Boyz
Team 3D was a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Brother Ray and Brother Devon, formerly sporadically joined into a stable by Brother Runt on several intervals...
, defeated the then-current WWF Tag Team Champions, the Hardy Boyz
Hardy Boyz
The Hardy Boyz are a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of real-life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy...
, to unify the WCW and WWF Tag Team Championships. The former was then retired and WWE (the former WWF) officially recognizes the Dudley Boyz as the final WCW Tag Team Champions.