Magazine Archive: Is Alpha Academy the New Hart Foundation?

 By Matt Young, FightfulMag.com Issue 5

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Wrestling fans in the ’80s and ’90s will remember a lot of significant moments from those two decades.  The memories of Hoganslamming Andreor when Paul Orndorffturned on Hogan with that vicious clothesline, or when Austindrank beers after stunning Vince McMahonmany, many times. Those were all great main event moments in wrestling, but the undercard was often filled with tag team matches that were considered the best pure wrestling matches on those events.

Who can forget the tag teams of the 1980s? The British Bulldogs, Demolition, theKiller Bees, the Islanders, the Powers of Pain, the Dream Team, the Conquistadores, the Rockers, and of course, The Hart Foundationamongst many more teams. Okay, maybe not the Conquistadores but I think you understand my point.

You had legendary feuds combined with great in-ring action as well. Who can forget the Hart Foundation winning the tag team titles from the Bulldogs after the Dynamite Kid was floored with a shot from the megaphone? There were some great matches with a lot of creative endings that helped sell tickets to the events.

Back in those days, WWE would run multiple live tours with an “A” show and a “B” show in different cities on the same day. The “A” show typically featured world champion Hulk Hogan while the “B” show was often headlined by a match for the tag team championship. Could you even imagine that being possible today given the state of tag team wrestling?

From that golden era, the Dudleys, Edgeand Christian, and the Hardy Boyz took the mantle and elevated tag team wrestling to a whole new level with their antics involving tables, ladders, and chairs during the Attitude Era.   Those three teams were not alone either, as the Acolytes(Farooq & Bradshaw), Too Cool(Scotty Too Hotty & Brian Christopher), and the New Age Outlaws were also all in the mix.

Each of those peak periods in WWE featured at least a half a dozen full-time teams that at any time could be considered true contenders for the tag team titles. Those teams also featured outstanding in-ring wrestlers while the heel tag teams often featured a manager to help solidify the act and generate heat. In the landscape of today’s WWE tag team scene, we simply do not see enough teams that are, by definition, true tag teams.

I must confess, I truly miss tag team wrestling of the days gone by. I miss the matching outfits, the in-ring psychology, the double-team maneuvers and the action that took place in these matches. Let’s face it, there is a lot more you can do in the ring with four people than two. But those types of tag teams and those types of matches mostly don’t exist anymore, particularly in the realm of WWE.

I understand why as well. I have been a referee and booker on the independent scene and understand the economics of tag team wrestling. Tag wrestling is frowned upon on the local scene because you must pay for four talents instead of two whenever you book a tag team match. It almost makes it impossible to have that next generation of wrestlers want to wrestle as members of a tag team because quite frankly, it just makes it that much harder to get booked and paid in the independents.

Even at the highest level in WWE, Vince McMahon has all but abandoned the concept of the true tag team for the most part. The preference is to put two single stars together, often repeating the “odd couple” theme where two guys that should not cooperate end up together while having a surprising level of success. Sometimes these pairings work out well, which is the case with the combination of Chad Gable and Otis, known currently as the Alpha Academy.

THE MODERN-DAY FOUNDATION?

For those of you that forgot, both Gable and Otis were part of tag teams as they entered the main roster foray in WWE. Otis was with Tuckeras part of the team Heavy Machinery while Gable teamed with Jason Jordan as part of American Alpha. The latter team was disbanded in 2017 when Jordan was moved to RAW (and later become Kurt Angle’s illegitimate son) while Heavy Machinery was also split in 2020 after Tucker got moved to RAW following Otis’ Money in The Bank victory.

When Gable and Otis were subsequently put together, it seemed like it was just another odd couple pairing by WWE’s creative group. After all, Gable had also formed teams with Shelton Benjaminand Bobby Roodein the years since Heavy Machinery ended. The pairing with Roode would end when once again the draft found them on separate brands and the forgettable moniker of Shorty G was created.

The reality is that WWE likely never saw the pairing of Otis and Gable as a long-term act, however, the Alpha Academy has really worked well in rejuvenating the careers of both competitors.

At first, it was all about Gable trying to help Otis realize his potential and show him that he wants to win.  Otis was still very much the Otis that got over with the fans, the fun-loving crazy-eyed big guy with the long hair and big beard. As time marched on, the pair grew chemistry and Otis eventually shaved his beard and cut his hair to a much tighter style, much like Gable.

On paper, it makes perfect sense.

Chad Gable is an excellent in-ring talent. He can work with anyone despite being small in stature and is an excellent technical wrestler. Otis completes the team as the powerhouse and moves so well in the ring for a man of his size. WWE creative may have stumbled upon something wonderful with this pairing completely by accident. Or – by completely re-inventing a tag team from the golden era.

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you the modern-day Hart Foundation – The Alpha Academy.

If that comparison shocks you, I completely understand. When the concept initially hit my brain wave, I immediately wanted to dismiss it, but the reality is, I simply could not ignore the similarities.

It is important to note that the Hart Foundation I am referring to is that of the tag team of Bret “The Hitman” Hartand Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart from 1985 to 1991. The original Hart Foundation, and not one of the other versions that came around after that period.

A BOND BEYOND WWE

There are so many common threads between the two teams to help illustrate why they are so similar.  For one, Otis and Gable have a real-life bond that predates their time in WWE, much like Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart did.

Chad Gable and Otis met back in 2011 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.  During their time together there, they bonded over a mutual love of professional wrestling and became close friends. Gable would sign with WWE after competing in the 2012 Olympics in wrestling while Otis would move on from the amateur wrestling ranks in 2015 before signing with WWE in 2016 after a brief period on the independent scene.

It was also out west where Jim Neidhart and Bret Hart met in Stampede Wrestling when Neidhart began to train as a wrestler in Calgary, Alberta, following the end of his career in the NFL. The relationship between Jim and Bret became even more significant when Jim married Bret’s sister,Ellie Hart, becoming a full-fledged member of the esteemed Hart family. The two later joined Vince McMahon’s WWE following the sale of Bret’s father Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling promotion to McMahon.

The reality is that the members of these two teams had a bond beyond their time working together in WWE. That shared bond is important because as a team you are spending a lot of time together on the road, and both parties have a vested interest in making the partnership work. They are invested in the relationship’s success both in and out of the ring. It is also a lot easier to go to the ring each night and have fun with a person that you enjoy working with and that comes across to the crowd.

RING ATTIRE

While it is likely a pure coincidence, both teams sport colorful singlets in the ring with the only difference being that the Hart Foundation wore tights, while the Alpha Academy wear trunks. Pink and black were the chosen colors of the Harts while the Alphas seem to like an array of colors mixed in with a solid color as the base.

The basis of the chosen ring gear is likely the result of three out of the four of them having extensive amateur wrestling backgrounds and staying close to their roots. The important part about both teams’ ring attire though indicates that they are united as a team, unlike so many teams WWE has presented in the last 15 years.

THE OTIS – JIM NEIDHART COMPARISON

The big men in their respective teams, Neidhart and Otis both have large upper bodies but move very well for athletes of that size. They are fast for their size, and their agility is tremendous given what they can do in the ring each night.

They are the powerhouse on their respective tag team as well. They are what make the team imposing, the threat of the quick strike by the smaller member combined with the power of the bigger partner.

Their move set is very similar as well with power slams and shoulder tackles. Otis’ move set is a little more modern but that’s more the result of the way the wrestling world has evolved rather than shortcomings in what Neidhart did on a regular basis.

Both are very solid in the ring as well, but neither guy is going to be asked to carry the load for their respective team or take the heat in the match. They are to wait on the outside of the ring and receive the hot tag where they can come in and hit the opposition with power moves while giving Bret Hart or Chad Gable time to recuperate and fire up once again.

It’s not a role that everyone can play well because there is a certain speed that the bigger partner needs to move when taking the hot tag. If the crowd is cheering, the person taking the hot tag needs to be able to hit moves with power on both opponents in rapid succession. Therefore, a hot tag with a guy like Omosor Great Khali is rarely overly exciting, they just do not move well enough to keep the energy of the match alive.

Neidhart was then and Otis is now a great choice to play this role in their respective teams.

THE CHAD GABLE – BRET HART COMPARISON

While I doubt Chad Gable’s in-ring career will ever rival that of Bret Hart’s career, that doesn’t detract from Gable’s technical ability and in-ring skillset. Both Gable and Hart were accomplished amateur wrestlers before transitioning to the ranks of the pro wrestling world. It is that amateur background that has helped each of them establish such a strong fundamental base of work in the squared circle.

The important thing to note here is that everything both men do in the ring is excellent in terms of execution. While Gable may not be at Hart’s level in every way, he is very comparable to Bret with a move set that again is a bit more of the modern wrestling style.

Both men are tremendous when it comes to selling and taking the heat in a match as well. It’s very believable and their ability to sell is what makes the crowd rise to their feet when the hot tag is made. This is perhaps the most important part of their role on their respective teams because, without the selling, the comeback and hot tag become meaningless. Gable and Hart’s respective roles on their respective teams are/were critical to the overall success of the duo in the ring.

BOTH TEAMS ARE UNDERAPPRECIATED

The Harts and the Alphas are also similar in that they were/are both arguably undervalued in terms of their role on the card.

The reality is that no matter where you put a match featuring one of these teams on a show, they are going to deliver a solid match or fill time very well.

In the early days of the Hart Foundation, they competed in a battle royal at WrestleMania II and were eliminated by Andre the Giant. They were the perfect guys to bounce around for Andre, hide his shortcomings and make him look good. You could do the exact same thing with Otis and Gable if you wanted to put a monster like Omos over in the Royal Rumble.

Vince McMahon could also use these teams in an opening match to get the crowd going or to fill 20 minutes in a hard-hitting battle. Both teams could do that with just about anyone on the roster. In fact, in the 1980s Hulk Hogan was infamous for wanting his match to go on before intermission so that he could get back to the hotel before room service shut down for the night. That meant that Vince oftentimes relied on his tag teams – the Harts, the Bulldogs, etc. to carry the main event that night.

Another undervalued element about the Harts that the Alphas have today is that neither Bret Hart or Jim Neidhart was too big to sell for a smaller opponent without making them look weak, but they were big enough that they could match up well with the larger wrestlers on the roster. And should the creative team need a singles match, you can use Otis or Gable comfortably in that role, much like McMahon did with the Harts in singles matches on occasion back in the day. In the words of Jim Ross, they are all considered to be really good hands because you can slot them anywhere on the card.

THE DIFFERENCE THAT TIME CAN FIX

The only thing separating the true comparison here is that as of this writing, the Alpha Academy has yet to win the WWE Tag Team Championship while the Hart Foundation captured it twice in their six years together. But it’s important to note that the Harts were together for two years in WWE before they first captured the gold, while the Alphas didn’t form until November 2020. It’s quite possible that should they stay together, they could end up with several tag title runs because, in today’s wrestling world, the titles change hands far more frequently than they did during the time of the Hart’s reign.

Looking at the bigger picture, I am not even sure a title reign matters for the Alpha Academy in this comparison because they are being used in the same role, with each team member having the same elements of their predecessor, with the same level of underappreciation for their talent.

THE FUTURE TOGETHER

There is no doubt that at some point the Alphas will break up because that is essentially what most tag teams end up doing in WWE once creative runs out of ideas for the team. Fortunately for wrestling fans, that day does not appear to be coming soon as they both had relatively unsuccessful singles runs previously and seem to be enjoying working together as a team.

The reality is that Chad Gable is not likely to receive the Bret Hart treatment in the future, despite being excellent in the ring. If the Shorty G moniker tells us anything, it’s that WWE creative does not see Gable as a singles star.

Otis has already had a major storyline with Mandy Roseand won the Money in the Bank briefcase before losing it to the Mizprior to cashing it in. While that storyline had a purpose, it was also somewhat revealing as to WWE’s thoughts on Otis as a singles star.

These two guys are better together. They both came to the main roster of WWE as tag team wrestlers and seem to be best suited in that position.

While it can be dangerous to compare teams between eras, it seems obvious when reviewing the evidence that the Alpha Academy is the modern-day Hart Foundation. It may not have been the intention when they were paired together, but it seems that creative may have struck gold with this pairing.

The only question is longevity at this point. Will the Alpha Academy have the opportunity not to mention enough opposing teams to work with to achieve true Hart Foundation status? Or will the lack of focus on tag team wrestling in WWE ultimately ruin what could be a great team for years to come?

If given the chance and the opportunity, Chad Gable and Otis can be the heartbeat of tag team wrestling in WWE and help bring it back to the glory of years and eras past.

Matt Young is a former professional wrestling ring announcer, referee, and booker on the North American independent scene. He is currently focused on hockey as the co-host of “IceDogs Xtra.”

Twitter: @mattyoung71