One of the enduring themes of pro wrestling is that two men working together will be more effective than a single opponent or two mis-matched, disorganized partners.
The power of their partnership is depicted through their adoption of a single name for their team, their wearing of identical clothing, the combining of their body weight into one total rather than listing each man’s weight separately. These signs indicate to the audience that the two men are joined as a couple, not separate lone wolves but a successful partnership.
Another way a Tag Team portrays the power of their relationship is by using an Effective Double Team move. This is a move where one man holds the victim stationary so his partner may deliver the devastating Clothesline, Mule Kick, Gut Punch or other such attack on the helpless lone victim.
If the attacking partner had acted alone, had kicked the victim’s arm for example, the outcome would be a moderate level of pain and some cursory suffering by the victim. The fact that the two partners work together, that one holds the arm out so the other may kick it, multiplies the power of the move and the victim’s agony by ten-fold. Suddenly the same kick gains force and deadliness because two partners were involved in delivering it.
Obviously the unfairness and brutality of the scene can be intoxicating to watch, particularly if the out-matched victim is a good looking lad. Poor baby! The Effective Double Team is proof of the chemistry between the partners, and chemistry is what separates great Tag Teams from mediocre.
When their combination moves are perfectly timed, the two men are seen as soulmates rather than mere partners. They’re apparently able to read each other’s thoughts, to act as two halves of a whole, to synchronize their actions as only very intimate companions or twins can do. A great Tag Team should create feelings of jealousy or yearning by the spectators watching the action: “I sure wish I had a twin, close companion, or soulmate so we could be effective and powerful like that!”
Soulmates just “get” each other, finish one another’s sentences, know what the other person is thinking. The Effective Double Team move demonstrates that the two men are compatible and their inter-personal connection is strong.
Double-teaming also highlights the “Us Against the World” mentality that many lovers or soulmates report feeling — the belief that as long as my partner is by my side, we can conquer any problem and take on the world!
The cheating Tag Team sends the message that if you’re on the team, you will be protected and supported, but if you’re against us, we will treat you as sub-human and use brutal combined attacks to waste you.
Clearly the rules of this sport are a bit fucked up if two men are allowed to blatantly cheat for five seconds following every tag. This would be like a football player waiting on the field for his substitution to pin back the opposing quarterback’s arms, so he can tackle the helpless opponent before rushing off the field. It’s a ridiculous rule.
But hey, nobody said pro wrestling was logical — only that it’s damn entertaining to watch! And some of that entertainment value is derived from the way the advantage swings back and forth between opposing teams depending on which couple has the strongest relationship at the moment.
So pro wrestling teaches men that the key to achieving power is through effective partnering — the ability to work in harmony with a fellow man. For Heel wrestlers, this cheating creates an obstacle for the isolated hero to overcome. For Baby-Face teams, their effective partnership is evidence that they’ve found a soulmate and formed a successful relationship.
I love when men join forces to destroy a guy all those hate