The Outrunners are key to the revitalization of the AEW World Tag Division.
I shouldn’t have to explain (should be obvious) but let me explain.
If you noticed from my PPVPreview of the three way tag match at AEW All In I am not very enthusiastic about the tag division in All Elite Wrestling at the moment.
Despite the three teams having a pretty good match it didn’t do much for me to feel like this division is back on track.
2v2? Not on Dynamite
AEW Dynamite went by with no tag match on the card. Aside from The Young Bucks finally defending the AEW World Tag Championship for the first time since they won the titles back in April on the August 14th Dynamite, the last time two traditional tag teams (so not counting Ospreay and Strickland versus FTR) had a two versus two match on Dynamite was the Tag Team Eliminator match which The Acclaimed beat The Young Bucks.
The last time two traditional tag teams in which neither were World Tag Champs had a two versus two match on Dynamite? You can either count Blackpool Combat Club (Danielson and Moxley) versus United Empire (Jeff Cobb and Kyle Fletcher) from May 15th or the Young Bucks pre-AEW World Tag Championship beating Best Friends in the AEW World Tag Team Title Tournament.
No tournament. Traditional tag team. Two versus two. Last time on Dynamite? Either Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley) versus FTR February 21st or what I consider the true answer which is Young Bucks (there they are again) versus Top Flight on February 14th.
So February 14 is the last time two established tag teams, neither of which were tag champions, had a 2v2 match in the tag division on Dynamite. Not singles competitors put together for a temporary team but two tried and true pure tag teams having a tag team match. No tournament specifically to crown a new tag team champion. Just building up the division.
Of course, AEW has two other shows, but everyone knows Dynamite is the flagship show. Collision is more likely to have tag matches. There was an ROH World Tag Championship match on August 17th between The Undisputed Kingdom versus Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara. On August 10th, FTR faced The Outrunners in a straight up tag match. Tonight on Collision (August 31st, 2024) FTR will face Undisputed Kingdom in a straight up tag match.
Over on Rampage? Tag Team Wrestling is pretty strong. Not only did you have a straight up tag match between the debuting Grizzled Young Vets against The Outrunners but you also have a three way tag team match where Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal faced The Undisputed Kingdom and Private Party. This was just last night. The week prior we had Gates of Agony versus Iron Svages, and prior to that Top Flight faced MxM Collection.
Surveying the Division
There are definitely levels when it comes to the tag division.
At the top you have The Young Bucks and FTR. Those are the two teams that basically pass the Tag Championship back and forth. Sometimes they hang out in the Trios Division but otherwise they are the top of the mountain. Tier 1
The next level you have The Acclaimed and possibly Grizzled Young Vets. It does seem like AEW is positioning the GYV to make opponents GRIT THEIR TEETH whether it’s FTR or The Young Bucks. A win against The Outrunners was just the beginning. If Mark Davis was healthy and Aussie Open reformed I would put them on this level. Tier 2-A
There is then a level that’s not lower than B but kind of equal to B. This is when factions put two guys together for a few weeks for a run. This is your Blackpool Combat Club tag team. This is Bang Bang Gang. This is House of Black. This is Learning Tree. This is Conglomeration. This is Don Callis Family. Premier Athletes. Shane Taylor Promotions. You got it. It’s not a truly established tag team and it isn’t exactly two singles stars going on a run. Tier 2-B
Below that? Basically every other tag team in AEW. The Undisputed Kingdom, The Workhorsemen, MxM Collection, Dark Order, Private Party, The Infantry, Top Flight, Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal, Gates of Agony, Iron Savages, and The Outrunners. If I missed a team I apologize. These are teams that could win here and there but are not believable to be AEW World Tag contenders and are definitely not on the level of Young Bucks and FTR. Tier 3
As you can see there’s no shortage of tag teams but there is a shortage of believable and established tag teams. The Lucha Bros. look to be gone from the promotion. Jurassic Express broke up years ago despite Jack Perry and Luchasaurus both being antagonists now. Best Friends are quite possibly broken up forever. The Hardy’s left to TNA without really doing much. Ortiz is injured with Mike Santana in TNA.
One team in the Tier 2-B who could move up to Tier 2-A are The Gunns, who were previously AEW World Trios Champions and now with BCC and PAC holding the Trios Championship (or Mercedes Moné’s corgis depending on whom you ask) they could easily move back into tag contention. And should!
Repairing The Division
The first thing that AEW needs to do is no longer trying to use FTR and Young Bucks to make all your new teams. It’s fine for Grizzled Young Vets right now but that can’t be your solution every single time. You have to get some teams feuding on their own and building attention that way.
If The Gunns get back into the division, don’t just toss them against whoever Bucks and FTR are not feuding with. Instead have them work matches against everyone in the division building steam until they hit a brick wall like Gates of Agony or Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal. Give the program some time. Give them some time on Dynamite.
AEW could also use a few teams coming back together. I already mentioned Aussie Open. Once Mark Davis is ready to go it’s time for Kyle Fletcher and him to get a serious run as AEW World Tag Champions. I would do everything in my power to make them a Tier 1 team.
Picture for a moment a situation where Jack Perry and Luchasaurus get back together but still getting back together as bad guys. And they put on such a beating on Christian Cage that the fans get sympathy for him. Just before putting him out for good, out comes Adam Copeland for the save. This time there is no telling Copeland to go places. This time they get together. And you now have Jurassic Express as antagonists going up against the legendary tag team once known as Edge and Christian. Now Cope and Christian. Or Cageland. Christland? I’m sure they will think of something better.
It would certainly be nice to get the Golden Lovers back healthy. Yes I am a dreamer.
So let’s dream big.
Tag In The Outrunners
I love The Outrunners.
There are a lot of tag teams that try to be nostalgic or retro. They make it part of their image by their music or a t-shirt design. Maybe they do a few old double team signature moves. But The Outrunners? They live it.
They are the living embodiment of tag team wrestling from a simpler time. When the arenas still smelled of cigarette smoke and the hairspray wasn’t prohibited by Geneva Protocol.
Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum, now with Erica Leigh, are the living embodiment of the retrowave aesthetic and with every flex from the Friday Night Delights it’s clear that there’s plenty of space on the Turbo Express.
For some this is just for giggles and laughs but I genuinely believe if AEW put more time and effort to promoting The Outrunners as a legitimate tag team threat the rest of the division would rise alongside them. Floyd and Magnum have busted their asses, in spite of and because, they are the Youngest Men Alive. That youthful exuberance is something you can grow with. They have been great against every team they face. They just need some W’s.
I am honestly a big fan of them, one of my favourite acts in the company, and one can’t deny how hard they work at getting The Outrunners over. That’s the sort of show up to work and create your own spotlight fire that Swerve Strickland talked about helping him become AEW Men’s World Champion.
You want a tag team you can rally around? That’s The Outrunners.
Tag Wrestling in 2025
I don’t think AEW needs to move any mountains when it comes to repairing the tag division. That’s part of what makes it so frustrating.
There was once a time where I felt tag wrestling was too heavily represented on AEW Dynamite and it hurt the women’s division. Now the tables have turned and the women’s division is absolutely thriving. The Tag division can’t get a 2v2 match on Wednesday’s, but at least are getting attention on the other shows.
It’s times to try to move some teams up from the Tier 3 and hopefully create a team from the Tier 2 to become a Tier 1 that can stand just as tall as the Young Bucks and FTR do. You can’t rely on those two teams forever, and both need something new. They especially need something other than fighting each other over and over.
Maybe by Revolution? We can see The Youngest Men Alive holding AEW World Tag Championship gold up high. If anything sounds like a Revolution? It’s The Outrunners.
