Tag team wrestling is one of the most creative and compelling forms of wrestling when done right. Unfortunately, Vince McMahon was never a huge fan of the style compared to singles matches since solo talents typically have greater star power. WWE still booked many all-time great teams, but certain tag team wrestlers didn’t fare well.
Many instances featured WWE trying to make a singles star out of talents that have been proven to be successful tag wrestlers before joining the company. The attempt to find a new level of success never worked out for the names in question. WWE actually hurt most of them when it came to name value and momentum. The following wrestlers thrived as tag wrestlers but flopped in the WWE system.
10 Brian Pillman
The WCW career of Brian Pillman was remembered most for two things – the loose cannon gimmick at the end and his incredible tag team with Steve Austin. WCW witnessed the Hollywood Blonds becoming a hot act and showing the potential of two underrated talents.
Pillman joining WWE was a huge move that even saw Vince McMahon having a press conference to announce it. Unfortunately, injuries doomed Pillman’s start, and he never got going. Pillman only really had a fun stint in the Hart Foundation as the fifth member.
9 Buff Bagwell
Buff Bagwell had a long WCW career that proved some talents only work in a single promotion. Most of Buff’s WCW career came in tag team action with partners 2 Cold Scorpio, Scotty Riggs, Scott Steiner, Scott Norton and Lex Luger.
WWE actually wanted Bagwell to become a top star when he joined the company for the Invasion. Buff was selected to have the first match vs Booker T, but it flopped bad enough to ruin him. The weak match and backstage heat ended his stint in horrible fashion.
8 Justin Credible
ECW witnessed Justin Credible and Lance Storm becoming their top tag team as the Impact Players. Both wrestlers used their individual strengths to get over together. Credible eventually received a huge singles push winning the ECW World Championship.
WWE signed Credible in 2000 after his weaker run as Aldo Montoya failed him in the past. The ECW name and persona were used, but Credible didn’t have much success. WWE made him look generic as the least relevant member of the X-Factor group.
7 Chris Kanyon
Chris Kanyon contributed in all areas of WCW, but his greatest success came teaming with Diamond Dallas Page. The Jersey Triad group allowed Page and Kanyon to showcase their natural chemistry as best friends.
WWE even used them as a tag act in the Invasion, but they were buried by The Undertaker and Kane. Kanyon was used poorly the rest of his WWE run, including a controversial moment when Undertaker gave him a stiff chair shot to the head with allegations of him doing it on purpose.
6 Mike Bennett
The biggest success of Mike Bennett’s career has come in the tag team with Matt Taven and Maria Kanellis managing them. New Japan, Ring of Honor and now Impact Wrestling each trusted The Kingdom to win tag gold for their companies.
Bennett joined WWE with Maria after a strong singles run, but nothing worked out for him. Multiple stop-and-start uses made him a forgotten part of the roster. Maria revealed in an interview that Vince McMahon just wasn’t a fan of Mike’s work.
5 Scott Steiner
WWE initially signed the Steiner Brothers together in the ‘90s, but they were never as big as their WCW time. However, it was the second run that made Scott Steiner’s WWE career a huge failure when he signed to continue his WCW singles act.
The fan support was there since Steiner was outstanding at the end of WCW as the company’s final breakout star. WWE just never booked him the same and that failed feud with Triple H doomed him for the rest of his run. Steiner was used badly enough to hold a grudge until recently getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
4 Chris Harris
TNA made America’s Most Wanted their first major tag team with Chris Harris and James Storm paired together. Fans loved the act, but they wanted to have their own singles careers when asking TNA to split them up.
Storm revealed WWE first wanted to bring them in as a team until Harris signed a deal before Storm was out of his contract. Braden Walker was the name given to Harris for a horrible run on the ECW brand. The career of Harris was never the same after the colossal WWE flop.
3 Steve Williams
“Dr. Death” Steve Williams was one of the most respected wrestlers outside WWE traveling all over the world. The tag team act of Williams and Terry Gordy was highly successful as the Miracle Violence Connection.
Williams had great singles and tag runs outside WWE to add to his expectations when Jim Ross got him hired. Unfortunately, an embarrassing loss in the Brawl for All and injuries prevented him an originally reported planned main event push.
2 Chris Hero
The King of Wrestling became a top act for Ring of Honor when Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli formed their team. Both wrestlers signed with WWE at the same time due to their buzz together, but WWE wanted them in singles roles.
Castagnoli was pushed as Cesaro in NXT and received a main roster spot for almost a decade. Hero unfortunately went the opposite direction with a failed NXT run as Kassius Ohno. NXT never booked him strong and reports leaked that management didn’t like his look.
1 Perry Saturn
Perry Saturn had more success as a tag team wrestler than on his own. ECW made Saturn and Kronus a must-watch tag team as The Eliminators. Saturn wanted a chance at singles success and ended that time at their peak to join WCW.
However, fate would see his best work coming in tag action again when placed in a team with Raven. WWE signing Saturn with the rest of The Radicalz led to more singles action than tag. Saturn’s infamous Moppy storyline completely ruined his career after falling in love with a mop after a singles show.