Watching young wrestlers develop and become good workers is a fun aspect of pro wrestling I enjoy. Especially when it is two guys who do have talent and can break into the business with zest and gusto and earn the cheers or boos of the crowd.

Hank Parker and Tank Leger are two such wrestlers. They  became popular by being the eager young wrestlers willing to learn by taking their lumps, losses and just come back with more zeal to become fan favorites. It all finally paid off with two title reigns this year. One in Reality of Wrestling and the other in NXT when they defeated the sublime tag team of Nathan Frazer and Axiom at Stand and Deliver during Wrestlemania weekend.

Their path to success began in 2022 when they both debuted on NXT. Sometimes called “The Belly Boys”, Hank, whose persona in the ring is your ordinary next-door guy, was an eager security officer looking to get trained. On the other hand, Tank, a fun-loving big guy, was part of the Next in Line program which has produced several wrestlers. As a former college football player who played in three College Bowl Games, Tank made the transition to pro wrestling. 

Hank started a program with Javier Bernal and seemed to find a mentor in Drew Gulak, but Gulak was more interested in forming the No Quarter Catch Crew. All this while Tank was taking losses after losses, so the two decided to become a team. Not very successful but a team that was exciting, fun and determined to make it in pro wrestling. They decided not to take any short cuts to become fan favorites. Their natural ability and strength made them a team to watch, and they began to slow climb to the top. They never gave up and were never discouraged which made them even more likable. The title shots seemed to be coming, and they did.

The first title reign came in late 2024 as Hank and Tank began making appearances in Reality of Wrestling. They picked up wins and got a title shot against The ROW’s most decorated tag of Fly Def, Warren ‘Warren J’ Johnson and Zack ‘Zack Zilla’ Mason. The victory was a long time coming for Hank and Tank.  They not only held their own against Fly Def, but they stunned them, and it was a much-needed boost for their profile.

Meanwhile, in NXT, Hank and Tank went on a long losing streak and they started to seek the advice of more established tag-teams, some of which was good and some of it was bad. But they managed to come though it all and found themselves entered in a Number #1 contender Gauntlet Match for the title shot at Stand and Deliver on Wrestlemania Weekend. But the month before they would lose the ROW Tag-Titles back to Fly Def in a Fatal Four-way in which they were not pinned.

Back in NXT, at the Gauntlet Match, they were the first team out and managed to beat all comers. They won the match and the title shot against Nathan Frazier and Axiom – a tag-team which has captured the spotlight with their daring moves and high-flying teamwork.

Hank and Tank once again was more than up to the challenge as they hung with Fraxiom and stunned the Champs to win their second title in six months and their first NXT gold. Clearly Hank and Tank have taken a big step in their careers. And with winning their first title defense against Yoshiki Inamura and Josh Briggs they could be settling into a long reign as NXT Tag-team Champions. But, in a Six-Man Match, teaming up with TNA Champion Joe Hendry, they lost to Dark State.

We will see how long Hank and Tank will be champions and be together as a tag-team but there is a very bright future ahead for this team. They’ve shown that ordinary guys can win!