Was This WWE Tag-Team The Original Blackpool Combat Club?
Matt Hardy says this WWE duo beat AEW to the Blackpool Combat Club punch.
Matt Hardy says WWE's old Sheamus and Cesaro (now Claudio Castagnoli) duo were the "original Blackpool Combat Club".
Hardy told listeners on his podcast that the pair, who worked together as 'The Bar', entered the ring with a similar mindset to the one Bryan Danielson, Claudio, Jon Moxley and Wheeler Yuta do now. Basically, they were there to "beat the sh*t" out of everyone and wrestle a believably rugged style.
The AEW star also believes Sheamus and Cesaro shared a similar work ethic to the group William Regal put together on All Elite programming before he then returned to WWE. That, to Matt, means 'The Bar' were BCC before that was even officially a thing.
Sheamus and Cesaro enjoyed four Raw reigns and one SmackDown Tag-Team Title stint during their three years together as a unit between 2016-2019. The pair were brought together following a 'Best Of 7' rivalry by then-GM Mick Foley, and flourished as partners.
Hardy reckons their approach set the bar (ahem) and template for what was to come over on the AEW side years later. It's an interesting point - Sheamus and Cesaro were gold together.