Did These Tag Team Wrestlers Ever Win Singles Gold?
- by Andrew Pollard
- – on
- in Sports
When done right, there's nothing better in the wrestling world than a good tag team bout. As such, many wrestling fans fondly remember the days when tag team wrestling was the best thing going, with legendary pairings putting on dazzling matches time after time.
From those great times, though, there would often be the moment where the eventual break-up would come. After that, all bets are off on where each individual performer would see their career head. Some, like a Bret Hart or Shawn Michaels, would shoot to the top and become known as the best in the business, whilst others, such as sadly Jim Neidhart or Marty Jannetty, would ultimately be lost in the shuffle.
In more modern times, however, being in a tag team hasn't necessarily restricted a performer's ability to also compete for some serious singles gold. And given that the WWF and then WWE has seen World, Intercontinental, United States, European, Hardcore, and Light Heavyweight/Cruiserweight titles up for grabs at various points, some tag team performers have seized the opportunity to add some individual gold to their prestigious collections.
How well do you really know your history, though? It's time to find out, and see if you know which of these famed tag team wrestlers managed to win any singles championships during their time in Vince McMahon's wrestling juggernaut.
Did Animal ever win singles gold?
The Road Warriors are rightly revered as one of the very best tag team tandems in all wrestling history. In fact, to many longtime wrestling fans, the Road Warriors, aka Legion of Doom, are the very best team that the business has ever seen. The LOD would have two regular stints in the then-WWF in the 1990s, and Road Warrior Animal would return to the company in 2005. But throughout his various spells under the WWE umbrella, did the legendary Animal ever manage to grab himself some individual championship gold?
Has Albert ever won singles gold?
Whether you know him as Prince Albert, Albert, A-Train, Lord Tensai, or even the Hip-Hop Hippo, there's no doubting that current NXT head trainer Matt Bloom has had a colorful career in the WWF and later WWE. In addition to his various name/gimmick changes, he's also had a revolving roster of tag team partners, from Droz, to to Big Bossman, to Test, to X-Pac and Justin Credible, to Scotty 2 Hotty, to Big Show, to Brodus Clay, but has Albert ever won singles gold?
Did the Master of the W.O.R.M., Scotty 2 Hotty, ever win singles gold?
Believe it or not, Scotty 2 Hotty actually debuted in the WWF way back in 1991 while he was still a junior in high school. 1997 would see him sign with the company on a full-time basis, and his time as Scotty Taylor and Scotty 2 Hotty often saw him paired with Brian Christopher/Grandmaster Sexay. As Too Cool, Scotty and Sexay would win the Tag Team Championship - a feat Scotty would also later manage again with Rikishi - but did the Master of the W.O.R.M. ever win singles gold?
Did Bubba Ray ever manage to win singles gold in the WWE?
As one half of the legendary Dudley Boyz tag team (and previously Dudley Boyz stable), Bubba Ray Dudley has long cemented his place in the annuls of wrestling history where tag team competition is concerned, winning championships across the globe. Now while his WWE career saw him compete in singles action over the years, it was in TNA where he won 'the big one' and became a World Champion - but did Bubba Ray ever manage to win singles gold in the WWE?
Did Neidhart ever manage to win himself a singles championship?
Bret “The Hitman” Hart has gone down as one of the true greats of professional wrestling, with his run at the top of the WWF’s “New Generation” movement in the ‘90s culminating with Hart becoming a 5-time World Champion. In Bret’s early WWF days, he famously tagged with Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart as The Hart Foundation. This legendary pairing would nab tag gold on 2 occasions before they broke up following WrestleMania VII. During his many years in the WWF, though, did Neidhart ever manage to win himself a singles championship?
Did Paul London ever win himself a singles championship during his run?
Paul London famously had a record-setting run with the Tag Team Championships alongside Brian Kendrick on the SmackDown brand back in the 2000s. A hugely talented, charismatic and entertaining performer - much like his former partner was and still is - London won himself a whole host of fans during his time in the WWE from 2003 to 2008. Away from tag gold and fandom, though, did the Austin, Texas native ever manage to win himself a singles championship during his run?
Did Road Warrior Hawk ever manage to win a singles title in the WWF?
When you talk of Road Warrior Animal, obviously you also find yourself talking about Road Warrior Hawk. Longtime best friends, this pairing were a huge favourite of many ardent grappling fans throughout the decades. Obviously singles championships were being competed for during the LOD’s stints in Vince McMahon’s wrestling organisation, even if Animal and Hawk were largely focussing on decimating the tag team division. The question is, did Road Warrior Hawk ever manage to win a singles title in the WWF?
Did Thrasher ever manage to win individual gold?
Glenn "Thrasher" Ruth (shown on the left in this picture) actually first appeared in the then-WWF way back in the early 1990s. Those days saw him used as a semi-regular enhancement talent, but it wasn't until late '96 that Thrasher would appear as a regular part of WWF TV as one half of The Headbangers. That teaming would see the team nab the Tag Team Championships, although any singles runs for the duo would seemingly always run in to problems. That said, did Thrasher ever manage to win individual gold?
While Buchanan won the Tag Team Championship during his RTC days, did the agile big man ever win a singles title?
Believe it or not, Bull Buchanan actually debuted in the WWF back in 1997, turning up as part of the Truth Commission. More famously, he'd pop up in 2000 alongside the Big Bossman before he then joined the villainous Right to Censor stable and later became B2, the sidekick of John Cena when Cena was doing his Doctor of Thuganomics gimmick. While Buchanan won the Tag Team Championship during his RTC days, did the agile big man ever win a singles title?
Did Jannetty ever manage to win a singles title?
When The Rockers broke up, the heart of many a young wrestling fan was ripped apart at the sight of Marty Jannetty being thrown through Brutus’ Barbershop window by Shawn Michaels. In terms of break ups, the demise of the frenetic, exciting Rockers was as explosive as the wrestling business has seen. After that split, Michaels adopted the Heartbreak Kid moniker and was soon on the path to greatness. Sadly, the business has since used Marty as a reference point for when a superstar flops after a team breaks up, but did Jannetty ever manage to win a singles title?
Did Crush ever manage to win a singles championship during his lengthy stay in the WWF?
The sadly-deceased Brian Adams had several different gimmicks during his WWF run from 1990 to 1997. All as Crush, he'd be a part of Demolition, get a "Kona" rebrand, turn evil and join with Mr. Fuji, join the Nation of Domination, and then head up the Disciples of Apocalypse stable. While he famously held the WWF Tag Team Championship during his early Demolition days, did this impressive big man ever manage to win a singles championship during his lengthy stay in the WWF?
Did Farooq ever manage to win a singles title?
Ron Simmons has a unique place in wrestling history, for he was the first African-American man to win a World Championship, taking home WCW's biggest prize by defeating Vader in 1992. Simmons would join the then-WWF in 1996 and become Farooq. He'd be an active competitor in the company right through until 2004, often teaming with Bradshaw as the brutal Acolytes/APA tag team tandem. Throughout his tenure in Vince McMahon's company, though, did Farooq ever manage to win a singles title?
Did Charlie Haas ever manage to win an individual championship?
As part of Team Angle (later known as The World's Greatest Tag Team), Charlie Haas proved to be a huge favourite of many savvy wrestling fans. 3 Tag Team Championship reigns would happen for Haas - 2 with Shelton Benjamin, 1 with Rico - during his time on the main WWE roster from 2002 until 2010. Former partner Benjamin, of course, went on to win Intercontinental and US gold amidst a big singles push, but did Charlie Haas ever manage to win an individual championship?
Has D'Von Dudley won a singles title?
D'Von... GET THE TABLES!!!! But did this legendary tag performer ever get singles gold? That's the question here. Sure, tag team championships and plaudits may have been a regular occurrence throughout the still ongoing career of D'Von Dudley, but how about singles titles during his various years under a WWE contract? Did D'Von ever manage to snaffle individual gold or is he one of the many legendary team team performers who ultimately fell short when it came to individual championships?
Did Mosh ever manage to win a singles title?
Out of the infamous Headbangers pairing, Charles "Mosh" Warrington (on the right in the picture) was the poor half of the team who got stuck with his fair share of dodgy gimmicks. While his time teaming with Thrasher did wield an (albeit brief) run as Tag Team Champions, Mosh would also form Lo-Down with D'Lo Brown, and be stuck with the awful gimmicks of Beaver Cleavage and then depicted as a wife beater. Still, during his stint under contract, did Mosh ever manage to win a singles title?
Has Brian Kendrick ever won singles gold?
Brian Kendrick has been a must-see part of WWE TV since returning to the company as part of the Cruiserweight Classic tournament last year. Bringing a swagger to the cruiserweight division, Kendrick is clearly someone who has matured and honed his act since his first run with the company. During that run, of course, he enjoyed some strong tag team success alongside Paul London before breaking out as "The" Brian Kendrick, but has the former Spanky ever managed to win a singles title?
did Chuck Palumbo ever win a singles championship?
Chuck Palumbo was instantly viewed as a tag team wrestler from the moment he stepped foot in the then-WWF. Moving over to the company as part of the WCW buyout, Palumbo continued teaming with Sean O'Haire as the duo were the WCW Tag Team Champions. Once the dust had settled over the Invasion, Palumbo became a 2-time WWF Tag Team Champion alongside Billy Gunn before a solo career beckoned. Did said solo career prove a successful one, though, and did he ever win a singles championship?
Did this highly-revered Calgary competitor ever win a singles title during his WWE career?
These days, Lance Storm helps to train the next generation of potential superstars with his much-acclaimed Storm Wrestling Academy. What's most impressive about Storm's career, though, is that so many of his peers talk about his professionalism and how he is one of the best grapplers they've stepped in the ring with. While his WWE run saw him win the Tag Team Championship as part of The Un-Americans group, did this highly-revered Calgary competitor ever win a singles title during his WWE career?
Did "The Model" ever win a singles WWF championship?
To some longtime wrestling fans, Rick Martel is fondly remembered as the AWA Champion. To others, it's his WWF tenure that instantly springs to mind. And it was in Vince McMahon's company that Martel carved quite the name for himself as a tag team specialist, winning the Tag Team Championships with Tony Garea and later as one half of Strike Force with Tito Santana, not to mention forming the solid (if not successful) Can-Am Connection with Tom Zenk. Did "The Model" ever win a singles WWF championship, though?
Did Rodney manage to win a WWF singles title?
Rodney Leinhardt is a lifelong friend of Shane McMahon's, and due to this he found himself being brought in to the then-WWF in the late '90s as part of the Mean Street Posse group. Rodney, Pete Gas, and Joey Abs were all mainly used as jobbers to the stars or to protect Shane, and the three found themselves competing in both tag team and singles matches during their stay in the company. During his run from 1999 to 2001, though, did Rodney manage to win a WWF singles title?
Did Tito Santana ever manage to add singles gold to his collection?
The much-loved Tito Santana, believe it or not, is still active as an in-ring performer to this very day despite now being 64 years of age. Sure, it may just be the odd independent show, but it's still impressive considering the former El Matador's advancing years. Before his El Matador days, though, Santana made plenty of waves in both the singles and tag team ranks, winning 2 Tag Team Championships - 1 apiece with Rick Martel and Ivan Putski. But did Tito ever manage to add singles gold to his collection?
Did Greg Valentine ever win singles gold?
Greg "The Hammer" Valentine was a famed tag team performer in the WWF during the 1980s. As one half of The Dream Team with Brutus Beefcake, The Hammer was successful in winning tag team gold, and he'd famously later team with Honky Tonk Man as Rhythm And Blues as the 1990s loomed. While both Brutus and Honky Tonk would be successful in winning the Intercontinental Championship, did Greg Valentine manage to mirror his former tag team partners by winning a singles title?
Did Ted DiBiase's longtime partner IRS ever manage to nab individual gold during his various WWF spells?
Irwin R. Schyster was famous at one point in time for being the partner of "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase in Money Inc., and that tandem would win the Tag Team Championship an impressive 3 times on top of Irwin's 2 championship wins as one half of The US Express with Barry Windham. While DiBiase had his own Million Dollar Title and would attempt to purchase the WWF Championship, did Ted's longtime partner IRS ever manage to nab individual gold during his various WWF spells?
Has Jacques Rougeau ever won an individual championship?
Pictured here on the far right as one half of the The Fabulous Rougeaus with real-life brother Raymond (plus Mr. Perfect and "Ravishing" Rick Rude), Jacques Rougeau achieved plenty of success throughout his WWF career, most notably taking home the WWF Tag Team Championships an impressive 3 times with Pierre Ouellet as The Quebecers. In between his time in these tag teams, though, Jacques also had stints as a singles performer, but did these spells ever result in him winning singles gold?
Has Funaki ever managed to nab himself some individual gold?
As well as being SmackDown's #1 announcer, Sho Funaki - who currently provides Japanese commentary for WWE events - was famously part of the Kaientai stable, which later just became a tag team featuring Funaki and Taka Michinoku. After Taka left the company, Funaki would regularly find himself competing in singles action against a whole host of different opponents. With the WWF landscape of the day having a whole host of singles titles to compete for, did Funaki ever manage to nab himself some individual gold?