2023 has been an excellent year for tag team wrestling, even though it was the year that saw one of the greatest tag team duos in history go their separate ways. Jey Uso left the Bloodline, as well as his brother Jimmy, to go out on his own, but the breakup of the Usos surprisingly hasn’t hurt the tag team wrestling scene (and both brothers are excellent in their new roles). Instead, tag team wrestling has blossomed. Teams across WWE, AEW, and several smaller promotions have commanded the attention of their storylines, as well as the fans watching them.
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Of course, the Golden Issue Awards every year are about recognizing the best of the best in several different fields of entertainment, including wrestling, and we want to give credit where it’s due for what we’ve seen in 2023. Despite there being a ton of great tag teams out there, one duo stood out above the rest to be named the year’s greatest tag team.
And the winner of the 2023 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Best Wrestling Tag Team is…
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens!
It’s impossible not to love the story and friendship of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. Zayn skyrocketed to new heights in WWE over the past two years, thanks to his involvement in the Bloodline story. He went all the way in with Roman Reigns and became a dedicated member of the villainous faction. The one line Sami wasn’t able to cross though, was ruthlessly beating down his longtime best friend. He had turned his back on KO already, but when push came to shove, Zayn turned on Reigns to try and save his pal.
Sami’s turn on Roman not only sent the Bloodline into a tailspin they haven’t yet recovered from, but it also paved the way for his reunion and tag team run with Kevin Owens. The best friends got together to take on the Bloodline, which ultimately resulted in a match for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania 39. Zayn and Owens won the match, taking the titles off of the Usos and cementing themselves as one of the must-watch duos of the year.
Owens and Zayn would eventually lose those titles, which are currently held by the Judgement Day’s Damian Priest and Finn Balor. And, unfortunately, they’ve had to go on separate journeys as of late. Jey Uso’s move to RAW after splitting from the Bloodline came at a cost, as it sent Kevin Owens to SmackDown, away from Sami Zayn.
They may be split up for the time being, but that hasn’t stopped the WWE Universe and greater wrestling world from falling in love with the duo throughout 2023. The chemistry they have can only be created over decades of friendship and working together in the ring, so there’s no doubt that we will see them in action once again as a tag team in the near future.
The nominees for Best Wrestling Tag Team are:
- Adam Cole & MJF
- FTR
- The Gunns
- Judgement Day
- Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens — WINNER
