WWE: Allied Powers: the World’s Greatest Tag Teams DVD Review

This was always going to be a hugely ambitious project and, in this case, it doesn’t quite come off. The first issue is with the hosts, Miz & Morrison. Now, don’t get me wrong, both guys are great talkers and were a fantastic team, but that’s the problem, they WERE a fantastic team. Having a collection centred around the greatest tag teams of all time hosted by a team no longer together just doesn’t seem to sit right.

Certificate: 15

Running Time: 540mins

Chapters – Disc 1:

• Introduction by The Miz & John Morrison
• Miz & Morrison – Chemistry Between Two Individuals
• British Bulldogs
• British Bulldogs v Hart Foundation – (Madison Square Garden September 23, 1985)
• Steiner Brothers
• Title v Title Match: Steiner Brothers vs. Hiroshi Hase/Kensuke Sasaki (Japan Supershow March 21, 1991)
• Miz & Morrison – Daredevils
• Outstanding Aerial Achievement by a Tag Team
• 2 out of 3 Falls Tag Team Match: Killer Bees v Demolition (Houston, TX October 9, 1987)
• Hardy Boys
• # 1 Contender Match: Edge & Christian v Hardy Boys (King of the Ring June 27, 1999)
• Miz & Morrison – Chick Magnets of the ‘80s
• Fabulous Freebirds
• Country Whipping Tag Team Match: Fabulous Freebirds v Kerry Von Erich/Kevin Von Erich (World Class Championship Wrestling – October 1983)
• Best Brotherly Duos
• Funk Brothers v Brisco Brothers (Championship Wrestling From Florida)
• Harlem Heat
• WCW World Tag Team Championship Match: Harlem Heat v Steiner Brothers (Hog Wild August 10, 1996)
• Midnight Express
• NWA United States Tag Team Championship Match: TheFantastics v The Midnight Express (Great American Bash July 10, 1988)
• Honorable Mentions
• Anything Goes, Falls Count Anywhere Street Fight: Public Enemy v Nasty Boys (SuperBrawl VI February 11, 1996)
• Miz & Morrison – Rocking Your World
• The Rockers
• The Rockers v Brain Busters (Madison Square Garden March 18, 1989)

Chapters – Disc 2:

• Miz & Morrison – Demolishing the Competition
• Demolition
• WWE World Tag Team Championship: Strike Force v Demolition (WrestleMania IV March 27, 1988)
• Worldwide Attractions
• WWE World Tag Team Championship: The U.S. Express v Iron Sheik/Nikolai Volkoff (WrestleMania March 31, 1985)
• Miz & Morrison – Get the Tables!
• Dudley Boyz
• Championship Unification Steel Cage Tag Team Match:Dudley Boyz v Hardy Boys (Survivor Series November 18, 2001)
• Outsiders
• WCW World Tag Team Championship Match: The Outsiders v Harlem Heat (Halloween Havoc October 27, 1996)
• Miz & Morrison – Power… Horses
• Arn Anderson/Tully Blanchard
• NWA World Tag Team Championship Match: Sting/Nikita Koloff v Arn Anderson/Tully Blanchard (Great American Bash July 10, 1988)
• Tribute to the Classics
• Nick Bockwinkel/Ray Stevens v Red Bastien/Billy Robinson (AWA All Star Wrestling December 1972)
• Miz & Morrison – The Greatest Tag Team of the 21st Century
• The Miz & John Morrison
• The Miz/John Morrison v Rey Mysterio/Shawn Michaels (RAW November 17, 2008)
• Hart Foundation
• WWE World Tag Team Championship: Rougeau Brothers v Hart Foundation (Boston Garden March 7, 1987)

Chapters – Disc 3:

• Miz & Morrison – Reeking of the Most Awesomeness
• Edge & Christian
• Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match for the WWE World Tag Team Championship: Edge & Christian v Dudley Boyz v Hardy Boyz (SummerSlam August 27, 2000)
• Rock ‘N’ Roll Express
• NWA World Tag Team Championship: Rock ‘N’ Roll Express v Ivan Koloff/Khrusher Khruschev (World Wide Wrestling July 9, 1985)
• Miz & Morrison – Oh You Didn’t Know?
• New Age Outlaws
• WWE World Tag Team Championship: New Age Outlaws v Rock ‘N’ Sock Connection (Armageddon December 12, 1999)
• Blockbuster Tag Teams
• D-Generation X v Rated RKO (Cyber Sunday November 5, 2006)
• Miz & Morrison – Technical Masterminds
• World’s Greatest Tag Team
• Los Guerreros v World’s Greatest Tag Team (SmackDown! December 11, 2003)
• Crockett Cup
• Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament Final:Tully Blanchard/Lex Luger v Nikita Koloff/Dusty Rhodes (April 11, 1987)
• Miz & Morrison – Ohh, What a Rush!
• Road Warriors
• Legion of Doom v Money Inc.(SummerSlam August 29, 1992)
• Miz & Morrison – Saving the Best for Last

Extras

• The Fabulous Freebirds – “Badstreet, USA” Music Video
• Animal Advice from the British Bulldogs (Primetime Wrestling – August 31, 1987)
• Gene Okerlund Visits the Hart Foundation Headquarters (Coliseum Home Video Exclusive – 1987)
• Camouflage, Bushwhacker Style (Superstars – December 10, 1988)
• Gene Okerlund Interviews Demolition (Wrestling Challenge – July 7, 1990)
• The Legion of Doom Return to Chicago (Superstars – April 11, 1992)
• The Cutting Room Floor: Los Conquistadors
• The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection Break Up? (Raw – October 4, 1999)
• D-Generation X and the Meaning of Controversy (Cyber Sunday – November 5, 2006)
• John Morrison & The Miz – “Mizfits & Mofos” Music Video

The other major problem is that, even running at around 9hrs, there isn’t enough time for any real explanation behind why the teams mentioned have been chosen. A lot of the duos simply get less than a minute’s worth of footage showing some highlights before we’ve moved on to the next pairing. Also, the lack of ANY talking heads giving comments on the tag teams listed is a major hindrance.

People are obviously going to comment on certain teams that are omitted (hardly surprising considering how many great teams there has been over the years), but, in hindsight, maybe making this a “Volume One”, having less teams included, but giving them more time, an explanation for their inclusion and some discussion on their merits would have been the better option.

Enough with the negativity, though, and let’s take a look at what does work with Allied Powers. First of all, the original commentary in all the bouts is a plus (you can never get enough Jesse Ventura or Paul Heyman), as is the use of non-WWE footage for some of the tandems who ventured into the promotion. The matches on show range from really good to excellent (although the Funks/Briscos bout is marred by some unavoidable visual/audio technical limitations) and, rather surprisingly, not one wrestler is buried by the company.

The fact the disc features guys like Booker T, The Dudleys, The New Age Outlaws, The Steiner Brothers and The Outsiders and not a bad word said towards any of them hints that Vince may be getting beyond petty rivalries. The teams are given their rightful due as pioneers in the tag-team division and the matches featuring them are all great choices. The addition of a segment devoted entirely to the Crockett Cup, a concept that has nothing to do with Vince whatsoever, is a nice touch and actually makes me yearn for WWE to bring back the idea of a yearly invitation-only tag-team tournament with a trophy and cheque for a prize.

As I said, the majority of the  matches are really good to watch, but if I had to pick a top 10 from the 25 featured, I’d go with these bouts (in no particular order)…

• The British Bulldogs v The Hart Foundation

• Miz & Morrison v Rey Mysterio & Shawn Michaels

• Los Guerreros v The World’s Greatest Tag Team

• Edge & Christian v The Dudleyz v The Hardy Boyz from Summerslam 2000

• The Dudleyz v The Hardyz from Survivor Series 2001

• The Hart Foundation v The Rougeau Brothers

• Demolition v Strike Force from WrestleMania IV

• Steiner Brothers vs. Hiroshi Hase/Kensuke Sasaki

• The Public Enemy v The Nasty Boys

• The Killer Bees v Demolition

Extras

A lot of skits and interviews from the glory days, with the two music videos being particular highlights. It also made me misty-eyed for the type of wrestling content you just don’t really see any more. The interview with Demolition, The Bushwhackers teaching us about camouflage or The Hart Foundation having headquarters (back when a wrestling manager had clients rather than just one person… and the wrestler was in the manager’s employ, not the other way round) are wonderful in their own way, yet if you put them on today’s TV shows, there would be smarks hammering their keyboards to get their fury on the internet.

A nice collection of extras and a great nostalgia trip into the bargain.

Overview

As I said in the main review, the main problem with the set is the format itself. Too many teams (even though the lack of ECW tandems is a personal disappointment) and not enough time to do them justice has you whizzing past duo after duo at breakneck speed. Also, Miz & Morrison are good hosts, just not particularly well-timed ones.

Some other gripes include having Rated RKO included as one of the greatest teams of all time. Sure, they were a good tandem, but were only around for short period. DX being only Triple H and HBK will rankle a lot of people, but to be fair to the oldest swingers in town, they were the original incarnation of the group and the real DX tag team, The New Age Outlaws, are also highlighted.

There is a lot to fault the collection for, but the real reason to buy this DVD set is the matches. 25 complete bouts, with the original commentary and theme music (Demolition kick all kinds of ass here too) included, make for some rich pickings.

So long as a lesson is learned here (i.e. less is more), it should bode well for future instalments.

Points: 6 / 10 (it would have been 8, but the format and the lack of time devoted to the teams is a major drawback)

Buy It:

UK: DVD

USA: DVD