#1 War Machine
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Finally, we have made it to my top pick for the best non-WWE tag team as of right now. This is a selection that may or may not come as a surprise to some fans, but when you take a step back and look at everything that has happened in order to have War Machine in the place they are right now...it’s hard to deny these guys of being one of the best, or in this case, THE best tag team today.
Ray Rowe came together by way of the 2014 Ring of Honor Top Prospect Tournament. The two were actually opponents in the tournament, which Hanson would eventually go on to become the overall winner for that particular year. If you go back and watch the final match, Rowe and Hanson were both still relatively new to the sport, but they had a good sense of in-ring awareness, as well as a great deal of genuine chemistry with one another.
It was surreal how well they worked together, despite their lack of experience. When it was all said and done, there was no doubt that these two shared something unique and something worth taking a chance on, so War Machine was born.
Since their formation War Machine has evolved into one of the most consistently improving tag teams in the world. These guys possess the power to compete with the big, monstrous teams, but they are also deceptively quick and agile, giving them the discrete ability to upset the likes of The Young Bucks.
Just as War Machine was settling in as a legitimate force in the tag team world, tragedy struck. Ray Rowe was severely injured while being riding his motorcycle in 2014. A car pulled out in front of Ray, giving him no chance to avoid a crash.
Ray flew off of his bike, landing on the back window of the car in front of him. The accident was bad enough that Ray would need to undergo surgery. Many didn't believe Rowe would ever return to wrestling, but he did, and when he did, he brought with him a renewed attitude of becoming the best he could be.
Since returning to action after the accident, War Machine has travelled the entire world, multiple times over. While doing so, they have racked up a number of big-time wins. In late 2015, War Machine defeated The Kingdom to capture the ROH Tag Team Titles. Most recently, War Machine went a step further by defeating Tencozy to become the new IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships. Most consider this to be the top tag team prize in the world.
Following their huge win, I reached out to Ray Rowe, asking his thoughts on this huge accomplishment. Here's what he had to say:
“Winning the IWGP Tag Team titles at Sumo Hall, from Tencozy is a literal dream come true for me. I’ve been watching Tenzan and Kojima matches since I was 18 years old and to compete against them on such a massive level, is truly incredible.”
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