On the heels of what had been another strong match between them at WWE Fastlane on Sunday night, The Usos and New Day continue to prove why they are part of one of the greatest tag team rivalries in professional wrestling history.
Neither side came out on the winning end at Fastlane after The Bludgeon Brothers interfered and caused a disqualification. Luke Harper and Erick Rowan laid waste to The Usos and New Day, systematically taking out all five members of the two teams.
While that takes the spotlight off The Usos and New Day for the time being, it doesn't change what they have accomplished and what they were on pace to achieve Sunday.
Over the past year especially, the teams have locked horns on numerous occasions and experienced history-making moments. Above all else, they have never disappointed the WWE Universe by putting forth a lackluster performance.
Their in-ring chemistry is undeniable, and they showed during the build toward Fastlane that all five competitors can get the job done on the mic as well.
The Usos and New Day may cross paths with each other many more times in the coming years, but as things currently stand, here is a look at a few of the greatest tag team rivalries ever and how The Usos vs. New Day compares to them.
Edge and Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz
Under the WWE umbrella, it is difficult to place any tag team feud above Edge and Christian against The Hardy Boyz.
The Dudley Boyz could also be thrown into the mix since they essentially helped create the TLC concept alongside the other two teams, but Edge and Christian and The Hardys have history that dates even further back than that.
It started in 1999 when the teams had a series of matches against each other for the right to the managerial services of Terri Runnels.
The ultimate match of that series was the first tag team ladder match in WWE history at No Mercy 1999, which Matt and Jeff Hardy won.
That paved the way for similar matches moving forward, including a triangle ladder match that also included The Dudleys at WrestleMania 2000.
It then evolved into the first official Tables, Ladders & Chairs match at SummerSlam 2000, followed by TLC II at WrestleMania X-Seven, which was arguably among the greatest matches in the history of the event.
Edge and Christian were rivals with The Hardy Boyz, but they jointly helped revolutionize tag team wrestling in a way that nobody before them did.
The Usos and New Day could be viewed in a similar light one day, as they competed in one of the first-ever tag team Hell in a Cell matches last year and knocked the opportunity out of the park.
While The Usos and New Day need more big moments against each other on stages such as WrestleMania and SummerSlam to reach the level that Edge and Christian and The Hardys achieved, there is a strong argument to be made for them already being the second-biggest tag team rivalry in WWE history.
Midnight Express vs. Rock 'n' Roll Express
Tag team wrestling has had its fair share of peaks and valleys in WWE over the years, which is why many of the top rivalries in that realm come from other companies.
Among them is the long and heated feud between The Midnight Express and The Rock 'n' Roll Express, which dominated Jim Crockett Promotions throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s.
Old-school fans and wrestling purists often point toward Midnight Express vs. Rock 'n' Roll Express being the pinnacle of tag team wrestling and a perfect representation of what tag team wrestling is all about.
One of the biggest things that made their rivalry so great was the fact that the teams contrasted so much in terms of style and character.
The Midnight Express had a few different incarnations, but the combination of Dennis Condrey and Bobby Eaton made the most magic with The Rock 'n' Roll Express. Condrey and Eaton were technically sound, but they were also quintessential heels willing to take necessary shortcuts often provided by manager Jim Cornette.
On the other side of the coin, Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton of The Rock 'n' Roll Express were ideal babyfaces who were trailblazers in terms of bringing a fast-paced, high-flying style to the world of tag team wrestling.
Perhaps the most famous bout between The Midnight Express and The Rock 'n' Roll Express came at Starrcade 1987 in a scaffold match, which helped take tag team wrestling to new heights in terms of risk-taking.
The Midnight Express and Rock 'n' Roll Express were natural rivals who could break apart and then come back together at any time without missing a beat over the course of several years.
The Usos and New Day seem to have that same type of synergy, but they need to keep it going over time in order to rise to the level of the Midnights and the Rock 'n' Roll.
The Fabulous Freebirds vs. The Von Erichs
Across all wrestling companies, The Fabulous Freebirds vs. the Von Erichs stands the test of time as the most relevant tag team feud in the history of professional wrestling.
That rivalry was the featured attraction in World Class Championship Wrestling for many years, which is something that never happened previously in pro wrestling, and it hasn't happened since.
The Freebirds were comprised of Michael P.S. Hayes, Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts, while the Von Erichs were real-life brothers Kerry, Kevin, David, Chris and Mike.
Their father, Fritz Von Erich, ran WCCW and presented his sons as the main protagonists. The Von Erichs were hugely over in Texas, and anyone who opposed them were viewed as public enemy No. 1.
The Freebirds took it to another level, however, due to their demeanor and dastardly ways.
Hayes routinely dressed down the Von Erichs on the mic, much to the dismay of their adoring fans, and The Freebirds pulled out all the stops to get one over on their rivals.
One of the most memorable moments came when they smashed Kerry Von Erich's head with a steel cage door, which added even more heat to their feud.
What puts The Freebirds vs. the Von Erichs above all other tag team rivalries is the fact that they often main-evented shows and sold out the building, which is normally reserved for singles matches.
It is unlikely The Usos and New Day will ever get a similar opportunity in the current wrestling landscape, but they have the ability to thrive in that role.
The Usos and New Day may not quite be at the level of the other tag team rivalries listed, but they aren't far off, and the fact that they can be mentioned in the same breath is a huge compliment to two of the best tag teams in WWE history.
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