If you grew up a JCP/NWA/WCW head like myself, the US tag team titles were often the workrate titles with the likes of the Midnight Express, Fantastics, and Brian Pillman & Tom Zenk holding the straps. Also, the design and colors of the actual belt were fantastic, so there’s that little nugget as well.

09/26/1997 NWA Pro 

US Tag Team Title Match: Midnight Express (c) def. Nikita Koloff & Barry Windham in 11:19

Holy AEW, everyone in this match has a title, as Barry is the Western States Heritage champ and Nikita is the TV champion. The Midnights were awesome, bumping and selling for their much larger babyface counterparts. There was a fun spot where Barry picked up Stan Lane with one arm like a small child on a bodyslam, then Lane went into the corner with Nikita and fell out of fear. The Midnights got the heat on Nikita, which was fairly surprising, given it’s still bald, roided-up Nikita Koloff. Windham cleared house on the hot tag and had Lane covered when Arn Anderson cracked him in the head behind the ref’s back, allowing the Midnights to get the win. The match probably would have been better with Barry selling and Nikita getting the hot tag, but they were setting up something with Barry and Arn, so Windham had to be up near the finish. Still, it was a good match and a lot of fun. ***1/4

03/18/1989 NWA Worldwide 

US Tag Team Title Match: Rick Steiner & Eddie Gilbert def. Kevin Sullivan and Steve Williams (C) in 9:14

This match took place smack dab in the middle of the Rick Steiner vs. Varsity Club feud, and we got the reunion of the First Family here as a result. Poor Gilbert was booked like a nomad, going as a support guy h in the Flair-Steamboat feud, the Steiner-Varsity Club feud, and the Sting-Muta feud. That’s what happens when you’re constantly changing bookers. They worked at a really fast pace here, and Doc was feeding and getting up and down, even for the much smaller Gilbert. Steiner and Doc had some really physical interactions (as you would expect), and the crowd exploded every time Rick got his hands on his former bully, Sullivan. The VC got the heat on Eddie, including numerous illegal double-twams, and Eddie did a really good job selling. Sullivan got distracted and went after Missy, allowing Eddie to roll him up for the win and the titles. This was a good match, and even though Scott and Rick did what they did, I wish Eddie had at least stuck around with them as a trio or something. ***

US Tag Team Title Match: Brian Pillman & Tom Zenk def. The Wild Samoans by DQ in 16:35

These guys got a ton of heat where they were taping in Florida, as the crowd lived and died with the result of this professional wrestling match in 1990. Part of that reason is that these guys were the spitting image of the young, pretty-boy babyfaces and the snarling monster heels. I fucking love Sam Fatu, and he’s probably on my Mt. Rushmore of underrated workers all-time. Even in this match, he had ways of communicating with the crowd outside of your stereotypical Islander worker from the era, and was such an amazing bumper as a big guy. The Samoans did double heat on the champions, which also allowed Pillman to sell and make a comeback, two things he was excellent at in the time. The Samoans started beating on Zenk after throwing Pillman over the top rope, and when the ref tried to stop them, they pushed him for a DQ. Fuck, they were building to a great march before the very lame finish that protected a team that the promotion had absolutely zero plans for. ***