wrestling / Columns
The Shimmy 08.03.09: World’s Largest Tag Team Whore (Part One)
Last weekend at Night of Champions Chris Jericho chose Big Show to replace Edge as his tag team partner and one half of the Unified Tag Team Champions. While there have been many opinions on whether this was a good fit or not it got me thinking about all of the other tag team partners Big Show has had in his WWE career. Thinking about it I realized that Big Show had gotten around quite a bit as a tag team partner and Chris Jericho was just the latest in a long line. This isn’t even taking into consideration Big Show’s time as The Giant in WCW. His stint in the Dungeon of Doom as well as his perpetual on-again off-again relationship with the New World Order (which provided two championship partners in Sting and Scott Hall) would add even more names to the list.
Over the next two weeks I intend to map out all the partners that the “largest athlete in the world” has tried to conquer said world with. We start at the very beginning of his WWE tenure back in early 1999.
The Rock
Most Important Match: Raw (3/22/99): The Rock & Big Show vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin & Mankind
When Big Show was first brought into the then-WWF was the big muscle of the Corporation. After failing to help Mr. McMahon defeat Stone Cold Steve Austin in a Steel Cage Match at St. Valentine’s Day Massacre he went on to become the personal bodyguard of The Rock. Big Show’s time as The Rock’s bodyguard came with it’s fair share of ups and downs, with more downs than ups. His biggest contribution to the team was when he chokeslammed WWE Champion Mankind off of a ladder allowing The Rock to win the Ladder Match and head to WrestleMania XV as the champion. Their original intentions were to build up Big Show to be a massive heel build up to Stone Cold vs. Big Show at WrestleMania 2000, even testing the match out in Big Show’s second match with the company. A week earlier, however, Show and The Rock competed in their only actual tag match together as they took on their WrestleMania opponents, Mankind and Austin. The match ended in a No Contest as the fighting just went non-stop, and within two weeks Big Show’s stint in the Corporation would be over with.
The Union
Most Important Match: Over the Edge 1999: Survivor Series Elimination Match: The Union vs. Big Boss Man, Viscera, & APA
When the Big Show’s tenure with the Corporation was over he decided to hook up with other former Corporate members to form The Union (also known as U.P.Y.O.R.S.: Union of People You Oughta Respect, Son). Led by Big Show’s former nemesis Mankind and also including Ken Shamrock and Test, The Union battled against the Corporate Ministry, the newly formed conglomeration of the Corporation and Undertaker’s Ministry of Darkness. The stable only lasted about a month, fading away around the time that Triple H destroyed Mankind’s knees, putting him on the shelf. The team did work together on PPV as they battled a group of Corporate Ministry members at Over the Edge in an Elimination Match. Big Show’s time in The Union was rewarded in other ways to as new CEO Stone Cold Steve Austin rewarded the group with any match they wanted, which Show cashed in as a championship match against WWE Champion Undertaker. By all intents and purposes Big Show should have walked out as champion that night by KO as he chokeslammed Undertaker straight through the ring. Unfortunately an incompetent official declared the match a No Contest, ruining Big Show’s golden aspirations.
Hardcore Holly
Most Important Match: Raw (7/19/99): X-Pac & Kane vs. Big Show & Hardcore Holly
After the quiet disbanding of The Union, Big Show was once again left to fend for himself. While still a fan favorite he had began a bit of a feud with Kane, and by proxy Kane’s partner X-Pac, following Kane’s upset of Big Show in the 1999 King of the Ring tournament. Along the way he also crossed paths with the so-called “Big Shot” Hardcore Holly (FYI, Google image searching “Hardcore Holly” will not just get you pictures of the wrestler). Holly had been on the wrong side of X-Pac since King of the Ring where he viciously attacked Pac’s neck with a steel chair, an injury that would come back to bite him in the finals. Trying to make a name for himself Holly, supposedly a “superheavyweight,” challenged Big Show as well. Physically this didn’t end up to well for Holly as during a hardcore bout with Big Show he had a car rolled on top of him for his troubles. While Holly did not win the match he did indeed win Big Show’s respect as a few weeks later it was Show that would save Holly from a beatdown at the hands of the APA. They teamed together a few times after that, including in a match against X-Pac & Kane. This match is where Undertaker would make his presence felt, as after trying to recruit Kane to his side Kane finally realized his brother’s cruel ways when he witnessed how he treated X-Pac. The relationship between Big Show and Hardcore Holly would only last through Fully Loaded where Holly, serving as the guest referee, would help Big Show screw Kane in a match.
It would be seven years later when the two would be allies again as part of Paul Heyman’s selected few to run the ECW brand.
Undertaker
Most Important Match: SummerSlam 1999): World Tag Team Title Match: X-Pac & Kane© vs. Undertaker & Big Show
As Big Show’s hatred for Kane grew he began to fall farther and farther on the dark side. The night after Fully Loaded Show and Undertaker would band together to destroy X-Pac at the beginning of the show. Later that night they focused on taking out Kane and X-Pac’s D-Generation X teammate Road Dogg. Even though it seemed as if there were times the unit would implode, particularly with Taker seemingly not respecting Show, they would go on to become a dominating force in WWE. At SummerSlam they defeated X-Pac & Kane fairly easily to win the World Tag Team Championships and held them for a few weeks before losing them to The Rock’n’Sock Connection (a loss they sustained with Taker walked out on his partner). They’d soon regain the titles in a Buried Alive Match thanks to some unintentional assistance from WWE Champion Triple H. Once again Undertaker would leave the team high and dry though as he walked out on Big Show’s title defense against The Rock’n’Sock Connection, instead letting Show team with Mideon, Viscera, and Kane in a Dark Side Rules Match. It was Kane’s involvement that would end up backfiring as Kane turned on his evil partners (and really there was no reason to think he wouldn’t), costing them the titles. The team was finally disbanded about a week before Unforgiven when an injured Taker told Mr. McMahon to metaphorically screw himself and was summarily suspended. Big Show would go on to slowly start to be appreciated by the fans and would actually win the WWE Title at Survivor Series.
The Coalition
Most Important Matches: Raw (2/28/00): Six Man Tag Team Match: Triple H, Big Show, & X-Pac vs. The Rock’n’Sock Connection & Kane
Raw (3/27/00): The Rock & Mr. McMahon vs. Big Show & Shane McMahon
While Big Show was once again appreciated by the fans he was not appreciated by The Rock. While cutting a promo on his intentions of winning the 2000 Royal Rumble Match, The Rock called all 29 of his opponents, including Big Show, jabronis. Show did not take too kindly to that and vowed to crush The Rock. He became even more frustrated when he was robbed by incompetent officiating yet again; there is clear video evidence that shows Big Show should have won the Royal Rumble instead of the declared winner The Rock. Thanks to the video evidence powerbrokers Triple H and Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley granted Show a match with The Rock at No Way Out for the WrestleMania title shot that came along with the Royal Rumble Match. In this match Shane McMahon made his return after a two month layoff and aligned himself with the big man, costing The Rock his title shot.
With The Rock out of the title picture, Triple H and Big Show formed what would be called The Coalition along with their McMahon backers Stephanie and Shane, respectively. They tried what they could to protect their Triple H-Big Show WrestleMania main event, but ego would get in the way and The Rock would get one more crack at the WrestleMania spot. Thank to a little help from a McMahon backer of his own, the returning Mr. McMahon, The Rock found himself back in the title hunt. The alliance between Big Show and Triple H quickly fell apart as Show continued to gun for his championship, first in a Triple Threat Match on Raw and then in a Fatal Four-Way Match at WrestleMania. Big Show’s relationship with Shane soured after WrestleMania as Shane was disappointed in Show’s losing effort. As Shane hooked onto the McMahon-Helmsley Fact-gime wagon Big Show turned his attention away from winning titles to having fun. Shane became disgusted in what his former client had become and fought him in a No Holds Barred Match at Judgment Day 2000. Thanks to some help from Big Boss Man, Bull Buchanan, and T&A, Shane crushed Big Show’s ankle with a speaker, putting the big man out of action for two months.
After feigning anger at Shane immediately upon his return from injury, a refocused Big Show reunited with the junior McMahon to join the short lived Shane McMahon and His Amazing Friends stable along with Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle, Edge, and Christian (and a rumored future addition of Perry Saturn). The group fell apart when Undertaker through Big Show off the SmackDown stage and Show was then sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling for five months to drop some weight.
Rikishi
Most Important Match: Insurrextion 2000: Big Show & Rikishi vs. Dudley Boyz
In between stints as Shane McMahon’s buddy Big Show found himself teaming with fellow superheavyweight Rikishi. During the period of Big Show wanting to have fun Rikishi’s dancing antics offered a lot of appeal. Unfortunately this team also lead to the creation of “Showkishi,” a persona that saw Big Show copy Rikishi’s less than flattering wardrobe. Show would use a similar attire five years later in his Sumo Match against Akebono at WrestleMania 21. Show and Rikishi teamed a few times in the spring of 2000 and even made an appearance on the UK only PPV Insurrextion, taking on the newly fan favorite Dudley Boyz. After the match both teams took out an interfering Edge & Christian and danced for the fans in the ring.
“The One” Billy Gunn
Most Important Match: InVasion: Six Man Tag Team Match: The ShowGunns & A-Train vs. Kanyon, Hugh Morrus, & Shawn Stasiak
Big Show returned from his OVW exile at the 2001 Royal Rumble. After attempting to place himself in the WWE Championship picture he instead settled into the Hardcore Title scene. After losing the Hardcore Title at WrestleMania X-Seven, Big Show’s involvement in title pictures started to decline. Show would start to team with fellow underachiever “The One” Billy Gunn as a team dubbed by Big Show as the ShowGunns. Also known as Double Trouble Crap on a Stick (as named by Mr. McMahon) the team really should have been labeled The Underachievers as it was comprised of two men that, either by booking or by effort, found themselves in a lower position on the card than their talents should have allowed. The ShowGunns did find a purpose at the InVasion PPV as they, along with Intercontinental Champion Albert, provided the WWF a win in the Interpromotional series. The ShowGunns would not last long as Big Show would go on to find smaller tag team partners to combat the Alliance with and Billy Gunn would go on to team up with discarded Alliance member Chuck Palumbo to form the infamous Billy & Chuck tandem.
Tajiri & Spike Dudley
Most Important Matches: Unforgiven 2001: World Tag Team Title, Fatal Four-Way Elimination Match: Dudley Boyz© vs. The Hardys vs. Lance Storm & Hurricane Helms vs. Big Show & Spike Dudley
No Mercy 2001: World Tag Team Title Match: Dudley Boyz© vs. Big Show & Tajiri
Following the breakup of the ShowGunns, Big Show would try and wrest tag team gold away from the Alliance by teaming with smaller, former ECW wrestlers. He first started teaming with Tajiri, a fairly recent addition to the WWF roster that looked to make a name for himself by standing up to the Alliance. During their initial few matches Tajiri was taken out by the Alliance and Big Show would turn to little Spike Dudley as his replacement. In a flip-flop of the “Showkishi” dynamic it was Spike that would copy Big Show’s attire. The two got a shot at the World Tag Team Titles in an Elimination Match at Unfortiven, but unfortunately were taken out of the match fairly quickly. A month later Tajiri had returned and Big Show got another crack at the Dudley Boyz’s championships. Interference from the Dudleyz’s Alliance teammate Rhyno cost the duo the titles and they would go on their own shortly thereafter. Tajiri went on to get some payback for the WWF, challenging his former boss and Alliance turncoat William Regal at Survivor Series, while Big Show found himself back in the main event on that same show.
While it was not a long relationship Big Show would actually find another tag team partner to go after the Dudley Boyz the month after Survivor Series: his old nemesis Kane. I’ll talk about that a bit more next week as we delve into the rest of Big Show’s tag team partners since 2001. Trust me, he’s still got a lot more whoring out to go.
The Shimmy Likes it Raw!
What’s on tap for tonight’s show?
Well that does it for this week’s column. I’ll be back next week with Part Two of the Big Show series. Until then, don’t die. Clark…out.
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