The Big Picture

The news of Dennis Condrey's passing hit the wrestling world hard this week. The industry lost a legitimate pioneer. Booker T summed it up perfectly on his Hall of Fame podcast, calling Condrey and Bobby Eaton "the blueprint for tag team wrestling." He was not exaggerating. The Midnight Express, under the loudmouthed guidance of Jim Cornette, essentially wrote the manual that every modern tag team still steals from today.

Tag team wrestling requires an entirely different psychology than singles matches. It is about timing, isolation, and generating desperate hope from the crowd. When a company ignores this—like WWE during the dismal guest host era of 2009-2010 where random singles stars routinely squashed established pairings—the division becomes unwatchable filler. But when a team studies the blueprint Condrey helped draw, absolute magic happens in the ring. The legacy of Condrey lives on in every cutoff spot and fake tag. Here are the top 10 moments that defined, redefined, and perfected the tag team blueprint.

The Rankings

10. FTR vs. DIY at NXT TakeOver: Toronto (2016)

The Revival, now known as FTR in AEW, made their entire gimmick about being the modern incarnation of the Midnight Express or The Brain Busters. They wore generic trunks, threw no flips, and relied entirely on fists. The climax of their two-out-of-three falls match against DIY featured a sequence where Scott Dawson crawled under the ring to grab Johnny Gargano's leg. It was a desperate move to prevent the hot tag to Tommaso Ciampa.

It was pure 1980s heel work executed in front of a modern crowd. It was a direct homage to the classic territorial days. The spot worked beautifully because the crowd desperately wanted the tag to happen. Dash Wilder playing the enforcer on the outside added another layer of anxiety. FTR proved the old-school tricks still draw major reactions if applied with surgical precision.

9. The Steiner Brothers Invent the Frankensteiner (1989)

While teams like the Midnight Express relied heavily on ring positioning and sneaky tactics, Rick and Scott Steiner introduced terrifying, raw athleticism. The moment Scott hit a Frankensteiner on national television, the ceiling for tag team offense was immediately raised. They were not just isolating opponents in the corner. They were throwing grown men out of their boots with terrifying velocity.

The dynamic of the entire division shifted overnight. Rick Steiner barking like a dog while tearing through opponents brought an unhinged energy that traditionalists hated but fans adored. Tag teams now needed a powerhouse who could move like a light heavyweight. The Steiners took the fundamental tag rules and injected them with pure adrenaline.

8. The Brain Busters Defeat Demolition (Saturday Night's Main Event 1989)

Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson were the grim reapers of the NWA. Seeing them jump to the WWF and end Demolition's historic 478-day title reign was genuinely jarring. It was the ultimate clash of opposing styles. Demolition were power brawlers dressed in leather and face paint. The Brain Busters were tactical surgeons who looked like disgruntled insurance salesmen.

Anderson and Blanchard used a steel chair behind referee Earl Hebner's back to secure the win. It was simple, dirty, and brutally effective. It proved that ring IQ and veteran trickery could beat raw muscle and size. The finish protected Demolition's aura while establishing the Busters as the smartest men in the locker room.

7. The Usos Enter The Penitentiary (2017)

For years, Jimmy and Jey Uso were stuck in a neon-colored rut. They were stale, face-painted babyfaces performing the exact same entrance every single week. The crowd was actively turning on their matches. Then they turned heel, dropped the bright colors, and cut the infamous "Day One Ish" promo on SmackDown. They stopped pandering to the children in the front row.

The transformation was instantaneous. They went from a tired nostalgia act to the most dangerous, unpredictable team in the industry. It was a masterclass in reading the room and pivoting before the audience completely gave up on them. They adopted a slower, more deliberate ring style that demanded respect from the audience.

6. Edge, Christian, and the First Con-Chair-To (1999)

Before the era of TLC matches, there was just the sheer brutality of two steel chairs colliding. Edge and Christian smashing an opponent's skull between folding chairs was not just a cool visual for a video package. It gave them a definitive, terrifying double-team finisher that nobody else was doing.

Tag teams needed a signature tandem move to stand out during the crowded Attitude Era. The Con-Chair-To was loud, dangerous, and instantly got them over as vicious heels willing to end careers. It set the stage for the chaotic, weapon-based matches that defined their legendary run. It gave them an edge that standard wrestling holds could not provide.

5. The Young Bucks Win the PWG Tag Titles (2009)

Love them or hate them, Matt and Nick Jackson completely altered the DNA of modern tag team wrestling. Their early run in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla saw them take the established rules and throw them in a blender. They spammed superkicks, mocked the veterans, and ignored referee counts almost entirely.

It infuriated old-school managers and purists. But it drew serious money on the independent scene. The Bucks realized that in an era of early YouTube clip-sharing, high-impact, rapid-fire offense was the new currency. They polarized the audience on purpose, which is exactly what a great heel team should do to build interest.

4. The Freebirds Invoke the Rule (1979)

Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, and Buddy Roberts figured out a structural loophole that changed wrestling history forever. By declaring that any two of the three members could defend the tag team titles on any given night, they created the legendary Freebird Rule. It was brilliant, infuriating heat.

Babyfaces never knew which combination they were preparing for. It gave the heels an automatic rest night and a glaring unfair advantage. It is a concept still heavily relied upon by factions today. The New Day and The Bloodline have both used it to keep their title reigns fresh. The Freebirds wrote a new law into the wrestling rulebook.

3. The TLC Match at WrestleMania X-Seven (2001)

This is the undeniable peak of the Attitude Era's tag team division. The Hardy Boyz, The Dudley Boyz, and Edge & Christian put their bodies through absolute hell in Houston. Edge spearing Jeff Hardy out of the sky remains one of the most replayed clips in the history of WWE television.

But critically, this match also severely damaged the division for years afterward. WWE spent the next decade trying to replicate this stunt-show magic instead of booking logical, fundamental feuds. They chased the dragon of high spots while ignoring the basic storytelling that got these teams over in the first place. It was an incredible spectacle that set an impossible, dangerous standard.

2. Midnight Express vs. The Southern Boys (Great American Bash 1990)

Dennis Condrey had already moved on by this point, but Stan Lane and Bobby Eaton put on an absolute masterclass against Tracy Smothers and Steve Armstrong. This specific match is still required viewing in reputable wrestling schools today. The Express cheated exactly when they needed to, never overdoing it.

They fed perfectly timed hope spots to the young babyfaces, only to violently snatch the momentum away seconds later. Jim Cornette's ringside interference was executed flawlessly. It is a perfect encapsulation of heel tag team psychology. Every movement meant something, and no motion was wasted.

1. Midnight Express vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Starrcade 1986)

The Scaffold Match at Starrcade 1986 is the famous spectacle, but their standard television and arena matches were where the real money was printed. Ricky Morton playing the sympathetic face-in-peril while Dennis Condrey and Bobby Eaton systematically cut the ring in half is the defining image of 1980s tag team wrestling. They drew genuine, riot-inducing anger.

Condrey was the undisputed master of the cheap shot. He knew exactly how to hide his cheating from the referee while making sure the back row of the arena saw every dirty trick. Jim Cornette swinging his loaded tennis racket at the perfect moment was the icing on the cake. Booker T was absolutely right in his assessment this week. Condrey and Eaton wrote the script. Everyone else for the last forty years is just reading their lines.

Honorable Mentions

The Road Warriors completely dominating the AWA with pure intimidation. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn finally toppling The Usos to main event WrestleMania 39. The Hart Foundation's tactical, methodical dismantling of the British Bulldogs.