Abandoned: The History of WWE's World Tag Team Championship, Part 1

Kyle SchadlerFeb 5, 2012

Throughout history, professional wrestling has seen many championships.

In WWF/E, there are six major titles. Not many know that the company has had a total of at least 19 different titles, 13 of which have been abandoned for one reason or another.

The other two major companies owned by WWE are WCW and ECW, which have at least 15 abandoned and forgotten titles between them.

For as long as it takes, I will be concentrating on those forgotten titles.

Each slide will feature the champion, who they defeated, where and when they won it, the length of their title reign, any special circumstances that happened during their reign and a bit of commentary.

Belts with a lengthy history will get their own articles and may be broken up into two depending on the length. Titles with a short history may be featured in a standard article, but if they’re really short, they’ll be at the end of another title.

We have come to the final title championship belt in the series.

For this edition of Abandoned, I present part one of WWE’s World Tag Team Championship.

Some say the title is made up of three different belts. Arguments can be made for both sides whether it does or not, but I put them together anyway.

The first major tag-team titles for the WWE were the Northeast versions of the NWA United States Tag Team Championship.

They were established in 1956 when the WWE was Capitol Wrestling Corporation and a member of the National Wrestling Alliance.

When CWC withdrew from the NWA in 1963, the company became known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation, and the titles were renamed as such.

The titles were abandoned in 1967 when one of the champions gave up his half of the titles.

The titles were then replaced by the WWWF International Tag Team Championship in 1969. While the WWWF World Tag Team Championship was created in 1971, the international tag belts continued on for a bit.

When the company became WWF in the 1980s, the titles were renamed as such.

They became the WWE Tag Team Championship in 2001 when the company went under another change, and in 2002, were renamed the World Tag Team Championship when the belts became exclusive to the Raw brand.

In 2010, the titles were unified with SmackDown’s tag-team titles, and since WWE follows the history of the SmackDown titles, the World Tag Team Championship side of the belts was abandoned after 54 years of history.

Throughout those 54 years, the titles have seen over 200 champions. In part 1, you’ll see the first 51 champions featured.

So let’s get started.

Antonio Rocca and Miguel Perez

1 of 52

Defeated: Recognized

Where: N/A

When: 1956

Title Reign: ~one year

Antonio Rocca and Miguel Perez were recognized as the first NWA United States tag-team champions in the northeast territory, Capitol Wrestling Corporation. Why they were recognized as champions is not known.

Rocca debuted in 1942 and was an instant sensation. His acrobatic, high-flying style was very unique at the time, and it got him noticed by audiences very quickly.

Rocca would help sell out Madison Square Garden and be featured in the main event for seven years straight.

While he wrestled throughout the United States and Canada, he was mostly featured in the northeast territories in Capitol Wrestling and the WWWF.

After spending time in Japan and Puerto Rico, Rocca was last seen refereeing a boxing match between Andre the Giant and Gorilla Monsoon on Feb. 25, 1977.

Antonio Rocca would pass away 18 days later on March 15. He would then be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame 18 years later in 1995.

Perez debuted in 1954 in Canada and is best known for his time in the northeast, teaming with Rocca.

After Rocca left, Perez went from the main event to the undercard and went to Puerto Rico in 1974.

He would retire there in 1979 after an injury. Miguel Perez would pass away on July 16, 2005.

The Golden Grahams (Eddie and Dr. Jerry Graham)

2 of 52

Defeated: Antonio Rocca and Miguel Perez

Where: N/A

When: 1957

Title Reign: ~one year

Eddie Graham debuted in 1947 and was billed as Roy Rogers, the brother of Buddy Rogers. It wasn’t until 1958 when he changed his name to Eddie Graham and became the brother of Jerry and Luke Graham.

Jerry Graham debuted in 1947 when he was 14 years old. He founded the Graham wrestling family, which consisted of Luke, Billy, Eddie and Mike.

Jerry would be the only member whose name really was Graham, though.

Mark Lewin and Don Curtis

3 of 52

Defeated: Eddie and Dr. Jerry Graham

Where: N/A

When: 1958

Title Reign: ~nine months

Mark Lewin debuted in 1953 and is best known for his team with Don Curtis. They were huge fan favorites, but the team split in 1963, and Lewin became a singles star.

He drew record crowds in New Zealand during the 1960s and 1970s, where he would also form a team with King Curtis Iaukea.

Don Curtis debuted in 1951, wrestling in Canada and New Zealand. When Lewin debuted, they formed this team and became stars.

Curtis was mostly known as a tag-team wrestler teaming with various other wrestlers after the split with Lewin.

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The Golden Grahams

4 of 52

Defeated: Mark Lewin and Don Curtis

Where: Washington D.C.

When: Sept. 1, 1958

Title Reign: ~three months

After being in a dominant heel team with Jerry, Eddie left the team in 1960 and went to the Florida territories, where he had a memorable feud with Boris Malenko.

In 1968, Eddie would suffer an unexpected injury when a window fell on his head. The injury didn’t end his career, though, and he went back to wrestling in 1971.

Along with Eddie, the Graham's would sell out Madison Square Garden throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

While mostly a tag-team wrestler, Jerry did have a singles career as well.

Mark Lewin and Don Curtis

5 of 52

Defeated: Eddie and Dr. Jerry Graham

Where: Washington D.C.

When: Dec. 1958

Title Reign: ~five months

Lewin had some success in WCCW before heading to FCW, where he became known as Purple Haze.

As Purple Haze, he was a member of Kevin Sullivan’s cult stable.

After wrestling the independents for a number of years, Mark Lewin would retire in 1981 and began promoting shows in Florida.

Don Curtis would pass away on March 6, 2008.

A year later, both Curtis and Lewin would be inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in the “tag team” category.

The Golden Grahams

6 of 52

Defeated: Mark Lewin and Don Curtis

Where: Bridgeport, Conn.

When: May, 27, 1959

Title Reign: ~10 months

The titles were declared vacant in November 1959, when Eddie left the promotion.

Eddie became a booker for Championship Wrestling from Florida and also wrestled with his son, Mike, until he retired in 1977 due to health problems.

He had only final match, though, in 1979, when he defeated Killer Khan.

In 1956, Jerry had a feud with Buddy Rogers. At the time, the big match set an all-time attendance record at the historic New York City arena.

The Golden Grahams

7 of 52

Defeated: Recognized

Where: N/A

When: March 1960

Title Reign: ~one month

Jerry Graham and Johnny Valentine defeated Mark Lewin and Don Curtis in tournament final in West Hempstead, New York on Nov. 14, 1959, but when Eddie returned in March, he replaced Valentine as Jerry’s partner.

While retired from the ring, Eddie remained as a promoter in the Florida territories until his passing on Jan. 21, 1985.

In 1957, Jerry teamed with Dick the Bruiser to take on Antonio Rocca and Edouard Carpentier in one of the most infamous matches in the history of the business.

During the MSG match, a riot started and became so massive that a number of fans were arrested and eight policemen were injured.

All four were fined unknown amounts of money, and Dick the Bruiser was banned from wrestling in New York for the rest of his life.

Red and Lou Bastien

8 of 52

Defeated: Eddie and Dr. Jerry Graham

Where: New Haven, Conn.

When: April 2, 1960

Title Reign: 14 days

Red Bastien debuted in 1956 when he started wrestling in the Midwest at carnivals. While there, he got noticed by Verne Gagne, who became one of his trainers.

Red started teaming with Lou Bastien in 1960 to form the Bastien Brothers.

Lou Bastien debuted in 1941 as Lou Klein. He was mostly a tag-team wrestler teaming with Roy Klein, but he also competed as a singles wrestler before becoming Lou Bastien of the Bastien Brothers.

The Golden Grahams

9 of 52

Defeated: Red and Lou Bastien

Where: New Haven, Conn.

When: April 16, 1960

Title Reign: seven days

Eddie Graham had a very successful career and that was recognized by WWE when they inducted him into the Hall of Fame in 2008.

Jerry Graham made even more history when he wrestled Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF World Championship.

MSG was reportedly so packed that over 10,000 fans had to be turned away.

Red and Lou Bastien

10 of 52

Defeated: Eddie and Dr. Jerry Graham

Where: Chicago, Ill.

When: April 23, 1960

Title Reign: 79 days

Red is mostly known as a tag-team wrestling teaming with many other wrestlers throughout the years.

He would retire in the 1980s and become a trainer and a promoter.

Lou continued to wrestle right up until his death. He was last seen in the 1970s in the Detroit territory.

The Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello and Roy Heffernan)

11 of 52

Defeated: Red and Lou Bastien

Where: Washington D.C.

When: July 21, 1960

Title Reign: 18 days

The Fabulous Kangaroos have seen many incarnations, but Costello and Heffernan were the original team to go by the name.

They debuted as the Kangaroos in 1957 in Stampede Wrestling and became a top team in the Stu Hart-run promotion.

Red and Lou Bastien

12 of 52

Defeated: The Fabulous Kangaroos

Where: Washington D.C.

When: Aug. 8, 1960

Title Reign: 16 days

As a trainer, Red discovered both Sting and the Ultimate Warrior. He was also president of the Cauliflower Alley Club from 2001 to 2007, but stepped down due to health problems.

Lou Bastien would pass away on Oct. 11, 1979.

The Fabulous Kangaroos

13 of 52

Defeated: Red and Lou Bastien

Where: Bridgeport, Conn.

When: Aug. 24, 1960

Title Reign: 87 days

After finding success in Canada, the Kangaroos began to tour the United States and were a top heel tag-team.

In 1958, they caused a near-riot at Madison Square Garden when the fans started to throw fruit and rocks at the team.

They continued to tour the country, as well as Canada and other countries, before breaking up in 1965.

Johnny Valentine and Chief Big Heart

14 of 52

Defeated: Recognized

Where: N/A

When: November 1960

Title Reign: Both teams: a few days

Johnny Valentine and Buddy Rogers won the titles in Teaneck, N.J. on Nov. 19, 1960.

When Rogers abandoned his half of the titles before the end of the year, Valentine chose Chief Big Heart as his new partner.

Johnny Valentine debuted in 1947 and wrestled throughout the NWA territories, winning an incredible amount of titles before he settled in with Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, later WCW, in the early 1970s.

While there, he captured the Heavyweight Championship twice and the United States Championship on one occasion.

Chief Big Heart is best known as a tag-team wrestler, though he did have a singles career as well.

He held a number of titles in his career before passing away on April 22, 1993.

The Fabulous Kangaroos

15 of 52

Defeated: Johnny Valentine and Chief Big Heart

Where: Washington D.C.

When: Nov. 26, 1960

Title Reign: 411 days

Costello went on to reform the team with Ray St. Clair and later, Don Kent, but they never met the same success as the original team.

He would retire in 1987 and pass away on Jan. 22, 2000.

After returning to Australia, Heffernan retired in in the 1970s and passed away on Sept. 24, 1992.

The Fabulous Kangaroos would become the very first team to be inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame when they were honored in 2003.

Johnny Valentine and Bobby Ellis

16 of 52

Defeated: The Fabulous Kangaroos

Where: Washington D.C.

When: Jan. 11, 1962

Title Reign: 175 days

Valentine was involved in the same plane crash as Ric Flair in 1975. The crash broke his back, and he was forced to retire from professional wrestling.

After he retired, he stayed active in the business as a manager despite his paralysis.

He soon retired for good and left professional wrestling.

Bobby Ellis debuted in the 1940s and wrestled throughout the NWA, AWA and WWA, as well as Australia and Puerto Rico.

He won multiple titles throughout his career, but overall, I couldn’t find much on Ellis.

Buddy Rogers and Johnny Barend

17 of 52

Defeated: Johnny Valentine and Bobby Ellis

Where: Washington D.C.

When: July 5, 1962

Title Reign: 245 days

The original “Nature Boy,” Buddy Rogers debuted in 1939 wrestling throughout the country and got his first victory over Ed “Strangler” Lewis.

Rogers hit the big time when he gained a shot at the NWA World Championship in 1961 against Pat O’Connor.

Billed as the Match of the Century, the two wrestled to a record crowd and record ticket sales. Rogers would win the title after winning the third fall.

In 1963, Rogers lost the title to Lou Thesz in a one-fall match, a rarity at the time since World Championship matches took place in two out of three falls matches.

After the loss, the WWWF was born.

Rogers would retire in 1978, but would feud with the new “Nature Boy,” Ric Flair.

Buddy Rogers would pass away on June 26, 1992 and be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame two years later.

Johnny Barend started wrestling at the age of eight.

He was mostly known as a tag-team wrestler teaming with Rogers and the Magnificent Maurice, but did wrestle for the NWA World Championship in 1969.

Johnny Barend would retire in 1972. After living out a full life, he would pass away on Sept. 20, 2011.

Buddy Austin and the Great Scott

18 of 52

Defeated: Buddy Rogers and Johnny Barend

Where: Washington D.C.

When: March 7, 1963

Title Reign: 70 days

After a dispute over who the world champion was, Capitol Wrestling withdrew from the National Wrestling Alliance in April 1963.

Capitol Wrestling then became the World Wide Wrestling Federation, and the champions were recognized as the WWWF United States tag-team champions.

Buddy Austin debuted in 1956 as Francis Gabor and formed a team with John Gabor, becoming the Gabor Brothers.

He soon became Buddy Austin and got the nickname “Killer” due to his story of killing a man with a piledriver.

He held titles throughout the United States and was a huge draw in Japan in the 1960s.

He retired in the 1970s and became a minister. Buddy Austin would pass away on Aug. 12, 1981.

The only information I could find on the Great Scott is that he held mostly tag-team titles throughout his career and that he passed away on March 10, 2005.

Skull Murphy and Brute Bernard

19 of 52

Defeated: Buddy Austin and the Great Scott

Where: Washington D.C.

When: May 16, 1963

Title Reign: 182 days

Skull Murphy debuted in 1952 wrestling for the Mid-Atlantic territories. When he started wrestling for the WWWF, he was paired with Brute Bernard.

As a team, they would also wrestle for the Florida territories and in Australia.

Murphy spent the rest of his career in the late 1960s in Australia and Japan. He wrestled right up until his passing on March 23, 1970.

Brute Bernard debuted in 1957 in Canada. He spent the majority of his career in the territories on the East Coast, as well as Australia and Texas.

Bernard was last seen in Jim Crockett Promotions in the late 1970s before his passing on July 14, 1984.

Killer Kowalski and Gorilla Monsoon

20 of 52

Defeated: Skull Murphy and Brute Bernard

Where: Washington D.C.

When: Nov. 14, 1963

Title Reign: 44 days

Killer Kowalski debuted in 1947, and by 1948, he was already facing then-NWA world champion Orville Brown.

Kowalski became a hated heel, but promoters worried that he’d break kayfabe, something that was never broken back then, because he was the nicest guy in the locker room.

He wrestled throughout the territories of the NWA, Canada and Australia, winning 42 championships.

After spending some time in the WWWF, Kowalski would retire in 1977.

Gorilla Monsoon debuted in 1959 and hit it big when he joined the WWWF.

His character was a monster heel that was born on a farm and traveled the country with gypsies wrestling bears. He spoke no English, ate raw meat and drank blood.

Fans were legitimately afraid of Monsoon.

Monsoon gained much success wrestling for the World Championship on several occasions, though he would never win it.

Monsoon would retire in 1981.

Chris and John Tolos

21 of 52

Defeated: Killer Kowalski and Gorilla Monsoon

Where: Teaneck, N.J.

When: Dec. 28, 1963

Title Reign: 50 days

The real-life brothers began wrestling together in the 1950s as the Canadian Wrecking Crew.

They were hated heels, but after saying that they couldn’t wait to see their fans for this title match, the New Jersey crowd loved them and they became faces.

Both of them also had singles careers, John’s remembered more due to his epic rivalry with Freddie Blassie.

Chris tended to stay close to home to take care of their disabled sister, while John travelled the country.

Chris would pass away on Aug. 13, 2005, while John would pass four years later on May 29, 2009.

Vittorio Apollo and Don McClarty

22 of 52

Defeated: Chris and John Tolos

Where: New Haven, Conn.

When: Feb. 16, 1964

Title Reign: 111 days

Vittorio Apollo is sometimes known as Argentina Apollo. Apollo wrestled all around the world wrestling and teaming with some of the greats.

He was mostly known as a tag-team wrestler, winning titles with McClarty, Bruno Sammartino and Jose Lothario.

Apollo would pass away on Aug. 2, 1984.

Don McClarty debuted in New York City and is best known for his team with Roy McClarty. Together they held the International Tag Tag and Pacific Coast Tag Team Championships in 1962.

Dr. Jerry and Crazy Luke Graham

23 of 52

Defeated: Vittorio Apollo and Don McClarty

Where: Washington D.C.

When: June 6, 1964

Title Reign: 244 days

After a history-making career, Jerry Graham would retire in the early 1980s.

He would return for one final match 10 years later before passing away on Jan. 24, 1997.

Luke Graham debuted in 1961 and became the storyline brother of Jerry.

He started out in Stampede Wrestling, but also wrestled for the WWWF, NWA and AWA and in Puerto Rico.

Gene Kiniski and Waldo Von Erich

24 of 52

Defeated: Dr. Jerry and Crazy Luke Graham

Where: Washington D.C.

When: Feb. 4, 1965

Title Reign: 63 days

Gene Kiniski debuted in 1952 in Arizona. He reached the top of the wrestling world when he defeated Lou Thesz for the NWA World Championship on 1966.

During his three years as champion, Kiniski successfully defended the title against the likes of Thesz, Abdullah the Butcher, Haystacks Calhoun, Bobo Brazil and the Funks.

He finally lost the title to Dory Funk, Jr. in 1969.

He continued to wrestle for the NWA until his retirement in 1992.

Gene Kiniski would pass away on April 14, 2010.

Waldo Von Erich debuted in 1950 and became a Von Erich, though he’s not actually related to the legendary Von Erich Family.

He won many titles throughout the NWA and Canada before retiring in 1979.

Waldo Von Erich would pass away on July 5, 2009.

Gorilla Monsoon and Bill Watts

25 of 52

Defeated: Gene Kiniski and Waldo Von Erich

Where: Washington D.C.

When: April 8, 1965

Title Reign: 121 days

After retirement, Monsoon became a color commentator for the WWF. With Jesse Ventura, the two became one of the most well-known broadcast teams in sports.

Jim Ross credits him, as well as Gordon Solie, as his inspiration to become an announcer. Monsoon stepped down as lead announcer after WrestleMania IX and gave the reins to Ross.

He stayed with WWF in a backstage role and became the on-air WWF President in 1995.

He was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1994.

He was last seen as a judge in the Bart Gunn/Butterbean boxing match at WrestleMania XV.

Gorilla Monsoon would pass away on Oct. 6, 1999.

Bill Watts debuted in 1963 and wrestled for the WWWF, NWA and AWA and in Japan.

His biggest match came when he wrestled Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF World Championship.

He retired in 1993 and became a booker. He’s most well-known as a booker for WCW and banning top-rope moves.

He also instituted many other rules that some felt would have killed WCW if he wasn’t fired.

Bill Watts was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009 and can still be seen at the occasional wrestling convention.

Dr. Bill and Dan Miller

26 of 52

Defeated: Gorilla Monsoon and Bill Watts

Where: Washington D.C.

When: Aug. 7, 1965

Title Reign: 197 days

Dr. Bill Miller was a veterinarian and decided to use the “Dr.” in his ring name.

He wrestled in the Detroit territory before becoming a mainstay in the WWWF. While there, he was a frequent challenger for Bruno Sammartino’s WWWF World Championship.

After retiring, Bill returned to being a veterinarian. Bill Miller would pass away on March 24, 1997.

Danny Miller has held titles throughout the NWA, being a mainstay in the tag-team division with Bill Miller as well as many other partners.

He is also a former NWA television champion, being the very first wrestler to hold the belt.

Dan Miller was last seen in Australia as a manager.

Johnny Valentine and Toni Parisi

27 of 52

Defeated: Dr. Bill and Dan Miller

Where: New York City

When: Feb. 21, 1966

Title Reign: 213 days

Johnny Valentine would pass away on April 24, 2001. He was then inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006 in the “Television Era” category.

Toni Parisi is probably best known as Antonio Pugliese. As Pugliese, he held the WWWF International Heavyweight Championship.

He would also wrestle for the NWA and in Australia throughout his career.

Baron Mikel Scicluna and Smasher Sloan

28 of 52

Defeated: Awarded

Where: Washington D.C.

When: Sept. 22, 1966

Title Reign: 77 days

The titles were awarded to Baron Mikel Scicluna and Smasher Sloan by Johnny Valentine after Toni Parisi was injured during their match.

Baron Mikel Scicluna debuted in 1953 in Canada. In 1965, he went to the WWWF.

He became known as the master of the foreign object, using a roll of coins to knock out his opponents.

While a successful tag-team wrestler, Scicluna would also challenge WWWF world champions Bruno Sammartino and Pedro Morals on multiple occasions.

Smasher Sloan debuted in 1965 and wrestled primarily for the WWWF. He also spent some time in the NWA.

Smasher Sloan would pass away sometime in the late 1990s.

Spiros Arion and Arnold Skaaland

29 of 52

Defeated: Recognized

Where: N/A

When: June 30, 1967

Title Reign: Parisi/Arion: 204 days, Arion/Skaaland: 10 days

Toni Parisi and Spiros Arion won the title in Washington D.C. on Dec. 8, 1966.

When Toni Parisi left the WWWF, Arion chose Arnold Skaaland as his new partner.

Spiros Arion debuted in 1961 in France. He wrestled around Europe before heading to Australia in 1964 for 14 years.

While wrestling in Australia, Arion also appeared for the WWWF as well.

Arnold Skaaland debuted in 1946 and was a challenger for the NWA Championship throughout the 1960s.

Skaaland was also a shareholder in Capitol Wrestling Corporation and WWWF and a business partner of Vince McMahon, Sr.

He would retire in 1978 and become a manager to such wrestlers as Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund.

He stayed as a manager until his retirement from that and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1994.

Arnold Skaaland would pass away on March 13, 2007.

The Sicilians (Lou Albano and Tony Altomare)

30 of 52

Defeated: Spiros Arion and Arnold Skaaland

Where: Atlantic City, N.J.

When: July 10, 1967

Title Reign: 14 days

Lou Albano debuted in 1953 as a singles wrestler, but didn’t find much success until he formed the Sicilians with Tony Altomare.

He retired in 1969 to become a manager.

As Captain Lou Albano, he became one of the greatest in the history of the business. He managed many wrestlers to many different titles and was front and center during the Rock n Wrestling Connection boom in the 1980s.

He would retire from managing in 1995 and be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996.

He would make the occasional appearance for WWE until his passing on Oct. 14, 2009.

Tony Altomare debuted in 1960 wrestling in the northeast territories. He gained much success as a member of this team, but was never able to get to the top.

He would be a substitute of sorts for the WWF at house shows when a wrestler no-showed an event. He would also referee matches on occasion.

Tony Altomare would pass away in February 2003.

Bruno Sammartino and Spiros Arion

31 of 52

Defeated: The Sicilians

Where: Atlantic City, N.J.

When: July 24, 1967

Title Reign: five days

When Bruno Sammartino decided to give up his half of the titles, the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship was abandoned on July 29, 1967.

Bruno Sammartino debuted in 1959 in Pennsylvania. A year later, he had his first match at Madison Square Garden, and within six months, he was headlining the arena.

Three years later, Sammartino won the WWWF World Championship by defeating Buddy Rogers in 48 seconds.

He would defend the title all over the world, finally losing it in 1971 to Ivan Koloff.

The loss stunned the crowd so much that all you could hear were the sounds of people crying.

Sammartino had held the title for eight years, a record that still holds today.

Sammartino would win the title back in 1973 from Stan Stasiak and held the title for another four years. He lost it in 1977 to Superstar Billy Graham.

Sammartino’s first eight-year reign remains a record, and his combined reign of 4,040 days also remains a record. The only other wrestler to come close is Hulk Hogan, who held the title six times for a total 2,185 days.

Sammartino retired in 1981. He returned to WWF in 1984 to manage his son, David, but Vince McMahon used that to get Bruno back into the ring.

After wrestling for a few more years and doing color commentary, Sammartino retired once again in 1988.

He has since become very critical of professional wrestling, especially the WWE.

He was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2002 as a member of the “Television Era” category.

While with the WWWF, Arion was a fan favorite but he wasn’t able to turn that popularity into anything more than a tag-team career while with northeast promotion.

While he did have singles matches, he was mostly known as a tag-team wrestler.

Spiros Arion would retire in 1978.

The Rising Suns (Toru Tanaka and Mitsu Arakawa)

32 of 52

Defeated: Awarded

Where: Japan

When: June 1969

Title Reign: ~six months

Tag-team titles returned to the company when the WWWF International Tag Team Championship was created.

The Rising Suns were awarded the titles, making them the first champions. Why they were awarded the titles is not known.

Toru Tanaka debuted in 1967 and became known for throwing salt in his opponents' eyes. He won many titles throughout his career.

Mitsu Arakawa wrestled throughout the NWA, Canada, Japan and Australia during his career, winning a number of tag-team titles.

He is sometimes known as one of the most hated foreign heels in the territories.

Mitsu Arakawa would pass away on April 17, 1997.

Tony Marino and Victor Rivera

33 of 52

Defeated: Recognized

Where: Pittsburgh, Penn.

When: Dec. 12, 1969

Title Reign: 185 days

Bruno Sammartino and Tony Marino won the titles in New York City on December 8, 1969. Since Sammartino was obligated to the World Championship, he was replaced by Victor Rivera a few days later.

Tony Marino debuted in 1964 and made it to the WWWF in 1966. He mainly wrestled in the Pittsburgh area as the Battman, a gimmick capitalizing on the popularity of the Batman character.

He became a tag-team wrestler after the gimmick was phased out, but left the WWWF in 1972.

He spent the next 15 years in the NWA wrestling around the various territories. Tony Marino would retire in 1987.

Victor Rivera debuted in the late 1960s in Los Angeles, but soon found himself in the northeast wrestling for the WWWF.

By 1980, he was back in Los Angeles.

I unfortunately couldn’t find anything about his career after 1980, though.

The Mongols (Geeto and Bepo)

34 of 52

Defeated: Tony Marino and Victor Rivera

Where: New York City

When: June 15, 1970

Title Reign: ~one year

While training with Stu Hart, Geeto met Bepo and became the Mongols. They were known for their unorthodox style and appearance.

They broke up in 1972 when Bepo went out on his own.

Geeto went on to become a trainer while also wrestling. He trained the future Demolition Ax and reformed the Mongols with him in Japan.

Geeto would retire in 1982.

Bepo became known as Nikolai Volkoff and went onto have a successful career, wrestling all over the world.

Luke Graham and Tarzan Tyler

35 of 52

Defeated: Dick the Bruiser and the Sheik

Where: New Orleans, LA

When: June 3, 1971

Title Reign: 186 days

On this date, the WWWF World Tag Team Championship was created. Luke Graham and Tarzan Tyler defeated Dick the Bruiser and the Sheik to become the first champions.

The international tag titles continued on for another year before becoming vacant for 13 years.

They were revived for five months in 1985 during the WWF/New Japan Pro Wrestling working relationship before being abandoned when the two companies broke ties.

After winning many titles throughout his career, Graham would retire in the late 1980s.

Luke Graham would pass away on June 23, 2006.

Tarzan Tyler debuted in the 1950s, but didn’t start wrestling in the United States until the 1960s.

He was a contender for the NWA Championship on multiple occasions, but he was never after to win it.

His biggest success came as a tag-team wrestler in the WWWF.

Tarzan Tyler would pass away on Dec. 24, 1985.

Karl Gotch and Rene Goulet

36 of 52

Defeated: Luke Graham and Tarzan Tyler

Where: New York City

When: Dec. 6, 1971

Title Reign: 57 days

Karl Gotch debuted in 1955 in Europe. He trained in the catch-wrestling style of the sport, and many American promoters didn’t think that style fit in with American wrestling.

When he went to Japan, he became very popular due to that style.

After retiring, he became a trainer and trained such wrestlers as Tatsumi Fujinami and Hiro Matsuda.

Karl Gotch would pass away on July 28, 2007.

Rene Goulet debuted in 1957 in Canada. He travelled the territories of the AWA before settling in the WWWF in the 1970s. He became famous for his Iron Claw finisher move.

He was last seen in 1997 as a road agent for WWF.

Baron Mikel Scicluna and King Curtis Iaukea

37 of 52

Defeated: Karl Gotch and Rene Goulet

Where: Philadelphia, Penn.

When: Feb. 1, 1972

Title Reign: 111 days

Scicluna would retire from the ring in 1983 and lived out his life in Pennsylvania.

He would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996 and pass away 14 years later on March 20, 2010.

King Curtis Iaukea debuted in 1962 in Australia. He won many titles before retiring in the mid-1980s.

He then became a manager and managed Kevin Sullivan in a cult stable and Kamala in the WWF, and was a member of WCW’s Dungeon of Doom.

King Curtis Iaukea would pass away on Dec. 4, 2010.

Sonny King and Chief Jay Strongbow

38 of 52

Defeated: Baron Mikel Scicluna and King Curtis Iaukea

Where: New York City

When: May 22, 1972

Title Reign: 36 days

Sonny King started out as a boxer before becoming a wrestler.

He wrestled for the WWWF in the early 1970s, but moved on to various territories in the NWA by the end of the decade.

After winning a number of titles, Sonny King retired in the mid-1980s.

Chief Jay Strongbow debuted in 1947 in the NWA and wrestled in the Georgia and Florida territories for 23 years before heading to the WWWF.

He spent seven years in the northeast promotion, but retired in 1979.

Toru Tanaka and Mr. Fuji

39 of 52

Defeated: Sonny King and Chief Jay Strongbow

Where: Philadelphia, Penn.

When: June 27, 1972

Title Reign: 337 days

Tanaka had also appeared in a number of movies, including Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, Darkman and Last Action Hero.

Mr. Fuji debuted in 1965 in Hawaii and also toured the territories before heading to the WWWF in 1972.

Spending two years there, he found great success as a tag-team wrestling with Tanaka.

He left in 1974.

Tony Garea and Haystacks Calhoun

40 of 52

Defeated: Toru Tanaka and Mr. Fuji

Where: Hamburg, Penn.

When: May 30, 1973

Title Reign: 104 days

Tony Garea debuted in 1971 in New Zealand and headed to the WWWF in 1972.

While with the northeast promotion, Garea was mostly known as a tag-team wrestler, winning this title five times.

Haystacks Calhoun quickly became a star attraction due to his size and is credited as being the pioneer for the super-heavyweight class of professional wrestlers.

He was a guaranteed money-maker, and all of the promoters wanted him in their territory.

Despite his popularity, Calhoun never won a world title, but he would find massive success as a tag-team wrestler.

Haystacks Calhoun would pass away on December 7, 1989.

Toru Tanaka and Mr. Fuji

41 of 52

Defeated: Tony Garea and Haystacks Calhoun

Where: Philadelphia, Penn.

When: Sept. 11, 1973

Title Reign: 64 days

Toru Tanaka would pass away on Aug. 22, 2000.

Fuji popped up in GCW in 1975, but left by the end of the year and went back to WWWF.

He would win the tag belts one more time with Tanaka before leaving again in 1978.

Tony Garea and Dean Ho

42 of 52

Defeated: Toru Tanaka and Mr. Fuji

Where: Hamburg, Penn.

When: Nov. 14, 1973

Title Reign: 175 days

After the breakups of his various tag-team title winning teams, Garea became a jobber before retiring in 1986.

Dean Ho debuted in 1962 in Oregon. He went to the NWA in the late 1960s and became a contender for the NWA Championship.

After wrestling for the WWWF, San Francisco, Vancouver and Portland territories, Dean Ho would retire in 1983.

He can now be seen in Canada running a deli.

Jimmy and Johnny Valiant

43 of 52

Defeated: Tony Garea and Dean Ho

Where: Hamburg, Penn.

When: May 8, 1974

Title Reign: 370 days

The Valiant’s formed in 1974 in the WWA, but soon found themselves in the WWWF later that year.

They became a dominant heel team before losing the titles and heading to the NWA in 1976 for two years.

The team broke up in 1978 during Jimmy’s first retirement, and he was replaced by Jerry.

Jimmy would come out of retirement multiple times, but hung up his boots for good in 2005. He can still be seen at wrestling conventions and the occasional independent show.

Johnny became a manager, but retired in the late 1980s. He can now be seen acting for television and film.

The Valiant’s became the first tag-team to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame when they were honored in 1996.

Dominic DeNucci and Pat Barrett

44 of 52

Defeated: Recognized

Where: N/A

When: July 19, 1975

Title Reign: DeNucci/Rivera: 67 days, DeNucci/Barrett: 38 days

Dominic DeNucci and Victor Rivera won the titles in Philadelphia on May 13, 1975. Pat Barrett replaced Rivera when he went to the IWA.

Dominic DeNucci debuted in 1963 and found himself in the WWWF in 1971.

He was mostly seen as a tag-team wrestler, but was a singles competitor when he wrestled in the Michigan territories.

Pat Barrett debuted in 1960 and has wrestled all over the world. Most of his success came from foreign markets such as the Pacific Islands, New Zealand and Ireland.

He retired in 1985 and became a trainer. He can now be seen raising horses in Montana.

The Blackjacks (Blackjack Mulligan and Blackjack Lanza)

45 of 52

Defeated: Dominic DeNucci and Pat Barrett

Where: Philadelphia, Penn.

When: Aug. 26, 1975

Title Reign: 74 days

Managed by Bobby Heenan, the Blackjacks formed in the 1970s.

Their rough styles made them a team to fear, and they won many tag-team titles together.

Mulligan retired in 1988 and tends to stay away from professional wrestling.

When Lanza retired, he worked for the WWF as a road agent and still works for them today.

The Blackjack tag team was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006.

Tony Parisi and Louis Cerdan

46 of 52

Defeated: The Blackjacks

Where: Philadelphia, Penn.

When: Nov. 8, 1975

Title Reign: 185 days

Parisi would retire in the 1980s, but returned to the ring in 1997 for a tribute show. Toni Parisi would pass away three years later on Aug. 19, 2000.

Louis Cerdan is probably best known as Gino Brito. He debuted in 1958 and wrestled for the Detroit territory.

While with the WWWF, he would also hold the International Heavyweight Championship.

He was last seen in 2005 promoting shows in Canada.

The Executioners (Killer Kowalski and Big John Studd)

47 of 52

Defeated: Tony Parisi and Louis Cerdan

Where: Philadelphia, Penn.

When: May 11, 1976

Title Reign: 168 days

The Executioners were stripped of the titles in Hamburg, Penn. on Oct. 26, 1976, when they used a third partner to switch in and out. That third Executioner was Nikolai Volkoff.

After retirement, Kowalski opened a wrestling school. He trained the likes of Triple H, Chyna, A-Train, Kazarian and Nikki Roxx, among many other wrestlers.

He would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996 as well as the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003 under the “Television Era” category.

Killer Kowalski would pass away on Aug. 30, 2008.

Big John Studd debuted in 1976 as a member of this team with his trainer, Kowalski.

He also spent some time in the NWA, winning many titles.

In 1989, he became the second winner of the annual Royal Rumble match, and he retired a year later.

Big John Studd would pass away on March 20, 1995.

He is sometimes known as one of the best big men in the business, and that was recognized in 2004, when he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Chief Jay Strongbow and Billy White Wolf

48 of 52

Defeated: The Executioners, Nikolai Volkoff and Tor Kamata

Where: Philadelphia, Penn.

When: Dec. 7, 1976

Title Reign: ~237 days

This was a special three-team tournament.

The titles were then declared vacant in August 1977 when Billy White Wolf went down with a neck injury.

Strongbow won many titles throughout his career before retiring in 1985. While retired, he would become a road agent for WWF and also managed Tatanka for a bit.

He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1994 and was last seen in 2008 on an episode of Monday Night Raw.

Billy White Wolf debuted in 1959, but is best known as bringing professional wrestling to Iraq under the direction of Saddam Hussein in the 1970s.

He was last seen on a national scale in the WWF in the early 1990s as General Adnan. As a manager, he accompanied the heel Sergeant Slaughter and Colonel Mustafa, formally the Iron Sheik.

Wolf is now retired.

Toru Tanaka and Mr. Fuji

49 of 52

Defeated: Tony Garea and Larry Zbyszko

Where: Philadelphia, Penn.

When: Sept. 27, 1977

Title Reign: 168 days

Toru Tanaka and Mr. Fuji defeated Tony Garea and Larry Zbyszko to win the vacant titles. Why these two particular teams met to decide the champions is not known.

After leaving the WWWF again, Fuji toured the various territories as well as travelling to Puerto Rico, New Zealand and Canada.