The Mighty Don’t Kneel… And The Aussies Take Over the PWI Tag Team 100 in 2024!

The latest edition of Pro Wrestling Illustrated (dated February 2025) has just dropped, and in it we have this year’s PWI Tag Team 100! For the fifth year, PWI ranks the greatest tag teams around the world, and while congratulations must go out to the dynamic duo that scored the coveted #1 spot- Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill– here at PW Downunder, we’re all about that Australian representation, and the Aussies did us proud this year!

Joining Belair & Cargill in that top 10 rarefied air, is TMDK. Specifically, the team of Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls, who came in at #5. The Mighty Don’t Kneel have forced the New Japan tag division to bow to them this year, as they have reigned as both the IWGP and New Japan Strong Tag Team Champions, only dropping both sets of championships recently. Following the title loss, they participated in the World Tag League, gaining 6 points, finishing in the middle of Block B.

Outside of the top 10, representing Aussie wrestling proudly, we have:

#30- A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory & Grayson Waller)

I guess we can claim Theory as an honorary Aussie for the time being. Theory and Waller came together as two arrogant, obnoxious heels with a common enemy- Kevin Owens- in the tail end of 2023. While they often mixed it up with high profile singles stars like Owens and Randy Orton in losing efforts, they somewhat surprisingly achieved success on the Grandest Stage of Them All, capturing the Smackdown Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 40 in a ladder match, and would hold the rebranded WWE Tag Team Championship (complete with a new title design) up until July, dropping the belts to DIY. Friction has been teased in the tandem of Theory and Waller, but with Grayson’s recent travels to Australia- which saw him make a brief return to his old stomping grounds of PWA to take on his “young boy” Jimmy Townsend- the issues have yet to be resolved one way or the other…

#46- House of Black (Buddy Matthews, Brody King & Malakai Black)

Brody King and Malakai Black can also be honorary Aussies, because quite frankly, I’m too scared to tell them otherwise. As PWI note in their entry on this tag team/trio, they have not captured championship gold during this evalution period. However, they are such a constant and commanding presence on AEW television, that it was impossible to deny them a spot on this list. Also, with Buddy Matthews’ recent showcase victory in a Fatal 4 Way on the Full Gear Zero Hour pre-show, and AEW’s Australian debut just around the corner, one could imagine that Buddy, and perhaps the House of Black as a whole, could enjoy an increased presence in AEW in 2025.

#55- The Parea (Gabriel Aeros & Eli Theseus)

The highest ranked Aussie tag team not signed to a major worldwide promotion, the Parea are consistently a highlight of any card they appear on. PWI notes how decorated they are on the Australian scene, entering the evaluation period as tag champs for Battle Championship Wrestling, Melbourne City Wrestling, Oceania Pro Wrestling, New Horizon Pro, World Series Wrestling… as WSW Champions, they turned back the challenge of the Natural Classics and The Joker and the Thief (Mick Moretti & Jimmy Townsend). If you don’t see the star potential in The Parea… well then, you must be a MALAKA!

#71- Chase U (Andre Chase & Duke Hudson)

We couldn’t possibly leave out the MVP of Chase University! Hudson has taken Professor Chase’s teachings to heart, and after some uninspired work as “Brendon Vink” on pandemic-era Raw, and a cringy romance angle with Persia Pirotta that never really got off the ground, Hudson found his place as a fiery member of Chase U, brimming with school spirit which came to the forefront often during hot tags of Chase U matches. They also entered the evaluation period as NXT Tag Team Champions. A frequent highlight of the NXT brand!

#76- The Velocities (Paris De Silva & Jude London)

(Image Credit: New Photography Studios)

If I can write with a touch of personal bias for a moment… nothing made me happier this year in Aussie wrestling than seeing the Velocities get a long overdue spot in NJPW’s Super Jr. Tag League. That said, due to the lack of mentioning in PWI’s blurb, that milestone may have fallen after the evaluation period. PWI did note the following: “Aussie mainstays held tag titles in SLAM, Renegades of Wrestling and Newy Pro… grabbed Ws in multiple NJPW Tamashii showings”.

#94- SMS (Aaron Jake & Bel Pierce)

(Image Credit: New Photography Studios)

I do believe they’ve now dropped the “SMS” moniker, but PWI has this to say about this standout PWA team: “Ascendant pairing defeated the Joker and the Thief in a Sydney City Street Fight to win the coveted Pro Wrestling Australia tag belts… defended successfully against The Dropouts & MK Plus Ultra… hold wins over the Velocities and Backslide Girlz.” Word on the street is that this team has a bright future.

I’ve scanned the article a good three times now, and unless I’m actually blind- no entry for the Natural Classics? The Filips missing this list seems like a massive oversight. However, a huge congratulations to all the amazing Aussie talent featured in this year PWI Tag Team 100!