One hall of fame wasn’t enough for Christopher Annino, who announced the Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2022.
Now, he’s introducing the world to the Tag Team Hall of Fame, which has the mission to “Honor and preserve history’s greatest tandems, duos, duets, teams, and tag teams.”
“I would not consider myself a pro wrestling historian as of yet but it’s something that I aspire to be, but I am trying to preserve and promote the history of pro wrestling. My fascination with pro wrestling is that society considers it a guilty pleasure, yet it’s ingrained in our culture,” said Annino (an occasional SlamWrestling.net contributor). “Women’s wrestling, just like the tag team division, never gets the credit it deserves.”
At the moment, neither the Women’s Hall of Fame nor the Tag Team Hall of Fame have a true base other than on the Internet. (A deal to house the Women’s Hall of Fame as a part of the International Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in Albany, NY, fell through.)
The inaugural Class of 2023 in the Tag Team Hall of Fame is decidedly recent in vintage, and inductions will take place at various fan fests, conventions and reunions.
The first instalment will be inducted at the 80’s Wrestle Con on Saturday, May 6, at Mennen Sports Arena in Morristown, New Jersey. They include:
- The Powers of Pain (Warlord & Barbarian), who will be inducted by ECW original Angel Orsini
- Demolition (Ax & Smash), who will be inducted by “Broadway” Joe Malcolm
- The Killer Bees (“Jumpin’” Jim Brunzell & B. Brian Blair)
- David Schultz will be going in on his own
More down the road include:
- Barry Horowitz, to be inducted May 20, at Wrestle Show New Jersey at the Middletown Sports Complex
- The Freebirds (Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin, Michael Hayes, as well as the late Buddy Roberts & Terry Gordy) will be inducted on May 21 at Baltimore Celebfest, and Gordy’s daughter, Miranda Gordy, will be there for his induction.
- The CWF Legends Fanfest in Tampa, Florida, on June 3, will see the induction of The Glamor Girls (Judy Martin & Leilani Kai), Steve Keirn of the Fabulous Ones, and Gerald Brisco
- The June 10-11 RiverCity WrestleCon in Jacksonville, Florida will see the Bushwackers/Sheepherders honored
There are not dates confirmed for more inductees:
- The Pitbulls (Gary Wolf & Anthony Durante)
- Blue World Order (Blue Meanie, Nova, Stevie Richards)
- Balls Mahoney
- Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas
- The Gangstas (Mustafa & New Jack)
- Insane Clown Posse (Violent J & Shaggy 2 Dope)
- GLOW’s Hollywood and Vine
- Public Enemy (Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge)
- Rock and Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson)
- Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags)
- The Dream Team (Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake)
- The Valiant Brothers (Jimmy & Johnny Valiant)
- The Wild Samoans (Afa & Sika)
- “The Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart
Annino sees tag teams beyond the ring, and there’s a section for “historic tandems.”
“By adding the separate category of historic tandems, it assists with bringing more awareness to tag team wrestling. Throughout history whether its through entertainment, fiction, athletics there has always been individuals that made powerful duos,” he said. “When you think basketball, you think John Stockton and Karl Malone or Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. In early comedy, you had pioneers such as Abbott and Costello, or Martin and Lewis, who perfected the set up and punchline.”
Recognized in this year’s inaugural class are the following tandems:
- Don Quixote & Sancho Panza
- The Wright brothers
- Laurel & Hardy
- Batman & Robin
- C3PO & R2D2
- California Dolls from All The Marbles (Vicki Fredrick & Laurene Landon)
- Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson
- Babe Ruth & Lou Gehrig
- Laverne & Shirley
- Charlie Brown & Lucy
- Rodgers & Hammerstein
The existing IWPHF honors one tag team a year, as did the now-defunct Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in Wichita Falls, Texas. The WWE Hall of Fame sometimes inducts a tag team, and the Tragos/Thesz Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, as a part of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, doesn’t recognize tag teams at all.
It all upset Annino.
“Too many times, in pro wrestling at these so-called hall of fames, they only induct one tag team and one female wrestler… that needs to change,” he vented. “But the nuts and bolts as to why the Tag Team Hall of Fame was created out of frustration so that these great tag teams and members of tag teams could receive the acknowledgement they deserve.”
Like any good tag team partner, Annino thanked those who helped along the way. “I have been blessed that such wonderful people like our sponsor Twins Arcade, promoters Mr. Big Jon Wohl, Richie Sorrentino, Josh Baker, Broadway Joe Malcolm, Mike Messier, Joy Nash, ECW original Angel Orsini. They have assisted with making this dream come true.”
Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, is the chosen symbol for the Tag Team Hall of Fame, as Janus is usually depicted as having two faces.
The Tag Team Hall of Fame released this YouTube video to announce the Class of 2023:
RELATED LINKS
- Tag Team Hall of Fame website
