Tag Team Top 5 for the Week of December 29th, 2014
1. reDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly)-After NINE #1 rankings in 2014 (a record) we really didn’t think we’d be seeing much of reDRagon in the Tag Team Top 5 in 2015 due to their restrictions with ROH and our decision to no longer include ROH/NJPW as independent wrestling companies. The talent, of course, are still eligible for the rankings based on what they do outside those companies. At least for this week, reDRagon immediately proved our theory wrong as they grabbed the first #1 ranking of 2015 to continue to build on one of the most successful runs in independent tag team wrestling history. They won the vacant HRW Tag Team Titles in an indy dream match vs. The Colony on 12/28, which means they now hold the ROH World Tag Team, IWGP Junior Tag Team, and NRW Tag Team Titles.
2. MAD BLANKEY (YAMATO & Cyber Kong)-Our decision to include ALL independent wrestling talent around the world (not including any work at ROH, NJPW, TNA, WWE, or Lucha Underground) has already paid dividends for Dragon Gate talent in both the Top 10 and Tag Team Top 5. Perfect timing for the NEW Dragon Gate Open the Twin Gate Champions as they defeated The Millenials (T-Hawk & Eita) at Dragon Gate on 12/28 to win the titles. This tag team combination has only won 3 of their last 4 matches, but this title win was HUGE in the eyes of the official voters as it was in a company that is specifically geared towards their tag team wrestling. Will 2015 be the year of Dragon Gate in the Tag Team Top 5? We shall see.
3. Jagger & NiteStic Eddie Brown-Now this is a team that kind of came out of nowhere to reach the Tag Team Top 5. They are the NEW PWF Tag Team Champions as they won the Premier Tag League tournament by beating Katie Taylor & Victor Andrews in the first round, Colby Corino & Emmanuel Bodega in the semifinals and Steve Corino & Jakob Hammermeier in the finals. This all took place on 12/26 as they won the tournament, won the titles, and went 3-0 for the week. There’s no doubt that title wins and tournament wins have been and will always be a big part of the Indy Power Rankings. This week was obviously no different as we get fresh faces in the Tag Team Top 5 in the first week of eligibility for 2015.
4. Dangan Yankees (Masato Tanaka & Takashi Sugiura)-The Indy Power Rankings, now more than ever, are about wrestling freedom. Very few teams have exemplified that by working in several places like this Japanese tag team who are the current NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Champions and GHC Tag Team Champions. They defeated Hideki Suzuki & Kohei Sato in the semifinals of the Furinkazan Tag Tournament at Zero1 on 12/24, then defeated Shinjiro Otani & Yoshikazu Yokoyama in the final the same night to win the tournament and retain their NWA Intercontinental Tag Team titles to go 2-0 for the week. They have won their last 6 matches as a two-man team, which undoubtedly played a part in the official voters’ decisions to include them high on their ballots this week. More new blood for the Tag Team Top 5 in 2015.
5. The Psycho Circus (Monster Clown & Murder Clown)-To further hammer home the point that the Indy Power Rankings have truly become international, we get our first Mexican tag team ranked this week as this team defeated Demon Rocker & Soul Rocker at Promociones Rosales on 12/26; then teamed with Psycho Clown on 12/28 at AAA to beat Líder, Hijo del Fantasma and Texano Jr to go 2-0 for the week. They have won 12 straight matches (mainly as 3 man team). With Mexico being the home of so many 6 man and 8 man tags, it will be interesting to see how many teams the home of Lucha Libre produces in the Tag Team Top 5 for 2015.
People’s Champs. The Hell Cats (Jimmy Starz & Sexy Steve @The_Hell_Cats)-The NEW MCW Tag Team Champions secured the first People’s Champs award of 2015 when they racked up a solid 41 votes to DOMINATE the online voting competition after defeating Napalm Bomb and Solo for the titles on 12/27. With 5 straight wins as a team, 2015 could definitely be their defining year.
Just missing out/Others Receiving Votes:
Dia.HEARTS
Heatseekers
The Aftermath
Cho Kibou-Gun
Narumiya & Sera
The Brutes
Fuego & Cometa
Appalachian Outlaws
Team 246
Jollyville Fuck Its
Monster Mafia
Doom Patrol
Bobby V/Lawson
Dojo Bros
Canus Lupus/Eterno
Also search “Indy Power Rankings” for our open Facebook group where anyone on the indies can promote their various merchandise, fan pages, and upcoming events
Our Twitter: @IndyPowerRankin
Our Instagram where we SPOIL the Indy Power Rankings/Tag Team Top 5 #1 every Monday and Tuesday Night before you’ll see it anywhere else: @IndyPowerRankings
You can listen to the IPR Live here (this week is the IPR 100 Reveal): http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weeklywrestlingpodcast
Check out the Indy Power Rankings Reveal on Filling the Void which is the Tag Team Top 50 Reveal this week: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fillingthevoidrn/2014/12/30/indy-power-rankings-weekly-reveal
Give Strong Style Wrestling (@StrongStyleWres) a follow on Twitter and help them get to 2,000 followers!
The 2nd Annual IPR 100 takes place on 12/29, 12/30, & 12/31 from 9 PM to 11 PM EST on Weekly Wrestling Podcast! The 1st Annual Tag Team Top 50 takes place on 12/30 on Filling the Void Radio Network from 3 PM to 5 PM EST! Don’t miss these huge shows!! RSVP on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/events/401144213367811/
Here are the IPR 100 Links:
Night 1 (12/29 from 9 PM to 11 PM EST): http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weeklywrestlingpodcast/2014/12/30/ipr100-2014–night-1-ft-jesse-amato-ron-mathis-hudson-envy-more
Night 2 (12/30 from 9 PM to 11 PM EST):
htt…p://www.blogtalkradio.com/weeklywrestlingpodcast/2014/12/31/ipr100-2014–night-2-ft-tessa-blanchard-heidi-lovelace-chase-owens-more
Night 3 (12/31 from 9 PM to 11 PM EST):
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weeklywrestlingpodcast/2015/01/01/ipr100-2014–night-3-ft-caleb-konley-matt-cage-shane-hollister-more
Here is the Tag Team Top 50 link:
12/30 from 3 PM to 5 PM EST:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fillingthevoidrn/2014/12/31/indy-power-rankings-weekly-reveal