The World's Greatest Tag Team

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The World's Greatest Tag Team
Charlie Haas (left) and Shelton Benjamin (right) in 2007
Tag Team
Members	Shelton Benjamin[1] Charlie Haas[1]
Name(s)	Team Angle[1] The Best Damn Tag Team Period[1] The (Self-Proclaimed) World's Greatest Tag Team[2] Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin
Heights	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) each
Combined weight	497 lb (225 kg)
Former member(s)	Kurt Angle (leader)[1]
Debut	December 26, 2002[1]
Disbanded	June 29, 2009
Promotions	WWE
Trainer	OVW staff

The (Self-Proclaimed) World's Greatest Tag Team were a professional wrestling tag team in World Wrestling Entertainment.^[2] The team consisted of Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin . The team started out captained by Kurt Angle, during which time they were known as Team Angle.^[1]

[edit] History

[edit] Initial run (2002–2004)

The tag team made their debut on the December 26, 2002 edition of WWE's SmackDown!. Paul Heyman introduced the team under the name Team Angle as a "gift" to his top client Kurt Angle.^[3] The team won the WWE Tag Team Championship on February 6, 2003 by defeating Los Guerreros.^[4] On May 18, they lost the titles to Eddie Guerrero and Tajiri at Judgment Day in a ladder match.^[5] On June 12, Angle confronted Benjamin and Haas about the losing streak they had been in for a couple of weeks, and he fired them both from Team Angle.^[3]

Soon after the breakup, Benjamin and Haas referred to themselves as The Best Damn Tag Team Period (a reference to the Fox Sports Net show The Best Damn Sports Show Period) and then The Self-Proclaimed World's Greatest Tag Team, or The World's Greatest Tag Team for short, and went on to recapture the WWE Tag Team Championship from Eddie Guerrero and Tajiri on July 3, but lost them just after two months to Los Guerreros on September 18.^[3][6]

The group stayed together until March 22, 2004 when, during the Draft Lottery, Benjamin was drafted to the Raw brand, thus breaking up The World's Greatest Tag Team.^[3] The two briefly reunited in the 2005 Royal Rumble match, performing their various double team moves on other superstars. Haas was kept on SmackDown! until his release in July 2005.^[7]

[edit] Raw (2006–2008)

On April 17, 2006, Haas returned to WWE as part of the Raw brand, defeating his former tag team partner, Benjamin, the very same night.^[8] On the December 4 edition of Raw, after Benjamin pinned Super Crazy, Haas entered the ring, berated Crazy, and celebrated with a bewildered Benjamin.^[9] The next week, Benjamin announced The World's Greatest Tag Team was officially back in a segment with Cryme Tyme.^[10] They defeated The Highlanders in a match later that same night.^[10] They then feuded with Cryme Tyme, but were largely unsuccessful, including a tag team turmoil match at New Year's Revolution.^[11] They finally pinned Cryme Tyme, however, ending their undefeated streak, on the January 29, 2007, edition of Raw.^[12]

On April 2, The World's Greatest Tag Team was unsuccessful in defeating the team of Ric Flair and Carlito, but defeated them in a rematch on April 16 when Haas distracted Carlito, setting him up for a T-Bone suplex by Benjamin.^[13][14] They won again when Carlito turned on Flair, leaving The World's Greatest Tag Team to pick up the countout victory.^[15] They then challenged the Hardy Boyz for the World Tag Team Championship at One Night Stand in a ladder match, but came up short.^[16]

The World's Greatest Tag Team then went into a feud with Paul London and Brian Kendrick after losing to the duo on their debut match on Raw.^[17] The next week, London defeated Benjamin, while Haas was able get singles wins over Kendrick and London on WWE Heat.^[18] On the July 23 episode of Raw, The World's Greatest Tag Team got a tag team win over London and Kendrick.^[2] They were once again also known as The (Self-Proclaimed) World's Greatest Tag Team.^[2]

On the night before Benjamin moved to ECW, on Heat, The World's Greatest Tag Team had their final match for the World Tag Team Championship against Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch, but failed to capture the victory.^[19] The team was disbanded when Benjamin joined the ECW roster, while Haas remained on the Raw roster.^[20] Benjamin was drafted to the SmackDown brand as part of the 2008 Supplemental Draft.^[21]

[edit] Return to SmackDown (2009)

On April 15, 2009, Haas was drafted to the SmackDown brand as part of the 2009 Supplemental Draft.^[22] On the May 8, 2009 episode of SmackDown, Benjamin accompanied Haas to the ring for his match against John Morrison, hinting at a possible reunion.^[23] The following week on the May 15, 2009 episode of SmackDown, Benjamin and Haas officially reunited and competed against John Morrison and CM Punk in a losing effort.^[24] At Judgment Day, Haas escorted Benjamin to the ring for his match against Morrison. On June 29, Benjamin was traded back to the ECW brand.

[edit] In wrestling

Team Angle after retaining the WWE Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania XIX.

• Finishing and signature tag team moves
  • Inverted atomic drop by Haas followed by a superkick by Benjamin rolled through into a jackknife pin by Haas^[1]
  • Leapfrog body guillotine
  • Superkick by Benjamin into a bridging German suplex by Haas^[1]
  • Powerbomb (Haas) / Diving clothesline (Benjamin) combination)
  • Double hip toss transitioned into a backbreaker^[1]

• Managers
  • Kurt Angle^[1]

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

Benjamin as one half of The WWE Tag Team Champion.

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI Tag Team of the Year (2003)^[25]

• World Wrestling Entertainment
  • WWE Tag Team Championship (2 times)^[4][6]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Shelton Benjamin

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Charlie Haas

• Haas' official website
• Haas' WWE profile
• Benjamin's WWE profile
• Online World Of Wrestling profile