There’s something special about tag team wrestling. While there’s usually one side against another, there are more variables when it’s more than just a simple one-on-one matchup. This is especially true if a tag team has two wrestlers with diverse styles that find a way to complement each other. In WWE, a perfect example of that is the speedy Enzo Amore and the powerhouse in Big Cass.
However, some of the best tag teams can come from two singles superstars who might not work first. Maybe two men have had a long rivalry against each other and, in terms of storyline, need some time to gel. Then again, some rivalries in wrestling started out with a successful tag team where one man stabbed another in the back to get over in the industry – e.g. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn during their time at Ring of Honor.
One recent example of this was the partnership of Sheamus and Cesaro. Mick Foley thought it would be a good idea for them to team up in RAW’s tag team division. There were some growing pains, to say the least. But eventually, they found their niche and ended The New Day’s record tag team championship reign at Roadblock in December.
So what other tag team pairings could be created to provide more depth to the tag team division? Maybe former world champions? What about a combination of Cruiserweights? This could be a great chance for a veteran to act as a guiding mind for a superstar who needs the boost.
15 15. Curt Hawkins and James Ellsworth
As Curt Hawkins likes to say, it’s time to face the facts. Neither man is going to likely win a singles championship any time soon. Beside that time James Ellsworth defeated AJ Styles three times in 2016, both men are likely going to remain on the lower-tier of the WWE roster. A much less flattering word for their WWE future would be “jobbers.” Which brings this to the idea of the WWE having a new J.O.B. Squad.
They almost had something going with the Social Outcasts before Adam Rose was released from the WWE. But these two could be delusional enough to form an alliance that they believe will get themselves valuable wins on television. It’s not like the WWE is doing anything with either at the moment. Hawkins could use a tag partner and Ellsworth’s “relationship” with Carmella can’t last too much longer, right?
14 14. Mojo Rawley and No Way Jose
Both seem to pride themselves on the energy they bring to the ring. It seems like their styles would clash a little bit. But the extrovert personalities Mojo Rawley and No Way Jose have could find some common ground aside from their mutual desires to win a tag team championship. The first thing that makes them a potentially good tag team is how similar they are in terms of physical build. Rawley stands at six feet and four inches with 265 pounds of weight. Jose stands an inch shorter and about 20 pounds lighter.
Both men bring power to their offense and can put together some impressive double-team moves. For example, Jose’s fastball punch can quickly transition into Rawley’s discus punch. But the theatrics would certainly be over the top with these two superstars. It would be interesting how Rawley can help Jose lead a conga line.
13 13. Drew Gulak and Oney Lorcan
While the Cruiserweight Division in WWE is filled with plenty of high-flyers and aerial acrobats, two men who have a unique bruiser style could benefit from forming a tag team. Even if it was meant to form an alliance on WWE 205 Live, Drew Gulak and Oney Lorcan can find success working together. Both have similar move sets that focus a lot on holds, throws and strikes.
Considering that Gulak has recently cut promos against the acrobats like Mustafa Ali, this could be a good stable to form on 205 Live. The partnership would also help Lorcan, who just recently made his 205 Live debut as a surprise from NXT. Both men could team up in an effort to show that their style is better than the aerial offense seen by others in their division.
12 12. Kalisto and Gran Metalik
The way that the Lucha Dragons – the team of Kalisto and Sin Cara – broken up was pretty uneventful. There was no on-screen moment that signaled the end. It was just weird seeing Kalisto feuding for the WWE United States Championship while still in an active team with Sin Cara. However, Kalisto has done little since the split of the Lucha Dragons. Considering the talent eligible for the U.S. and Intercontinental Championships, Kalisto can benefit a jump to Raw.
Moving into the Cruiserweight Division can introduce him to another luchador to join the WWE Cruiserweight Division in Gran Metalik. Considering his background in Mexico as Mascara Dorada, Gran Metalik and Kalisto might be able to build instant chemistry in an alliance formed on Raw and 205 Live. Even if they don’t win any titles, they can provide legitimate depth to a tag team division on the main roster.
11 11. Mark Henry and Rusev
Neither men seem to have a good long-term direction going forward in the future. While it’s likely that Mark Henry is going to retire in the near future, he could be very useful in helping another powerful brute on the roster. Henry can be a veteran mind to help guide Rusev through the tag team. Both can connect with their previous experience in powerlifting, although Rusev never competed in the Olympics as Henry did in 1992.
This potential tag team will have to wait for at least two to four months. That is the current timetable for Rusev to return from shoulder surgery that made him miss WrestleMania 33. However, Rusev will have a chance to start fresh when he does finish his injury recovery. This would create the opening needed to form this tag team to wreak havoc on the tag team division.
10 10. Ariya Daivari and Mustafa Ali
In recent weeks, Mustafa Ali has developed quite a name for himself in the WWE Cruiserweight Division. But another wrestler with Middle Eastern traits who could use a boost is Ariya Daivari. The two might currently be on opposite ends of the face-heel spectrum, this could be another case of strange bedfellows being able to find success in the WWE. It could be Ali approaching Daivari to form the alliance. Both could act as a positive influence for the Muslim fan base.
While it might take time for Daivari to work out the hesitation of being in a tag team, the chance of pursuing tag team titles beyond the Cruiserweight Division would be too good to pass up. Both men have the ability to do great things in the ring and can complement each other well. They might not have lengthy reigns, but they could compete similar to the team of Paul London and Brian Kendrick.
9 9. Apollo Crews and Shelton Benjamin
The recent news of Shelton Benjamin being 100 percent cleared after his torn rotator cuff last year is great news for the former Gold Standard in WWE. Benjamin was originally expected to debut shortly after the brand extension, but those plans cancelled after suffering a devastating shoulder injury. Nonetheless, the hope is that he can return to WWE as one of the most talented all-around athletes in the business.
With that in mind, one potential dream team in the WWE could be formed between Benjamin and Apollo Crews would put two top-tier athletes together. Both men are likely going to be limited as singles competitors since neither man has really been known to carry a promo in the past. That can be forgiven for a quality tag team that these two can put together.
8 8. Bobby Roode and Drew McIntyre
With Drew Galloway being resigned to WWE to join the NXT roster under the Drew McIntyre name, there’s a likely expectation that he could be in line to challenge Bobby Roode for the NXT Championship some time down the road. However, both men have found their greatest success outside of the WWE. Both men are arguably a little more advanced than to be in WWE’s developmental system.
Considering that neither man is expected to get called up to the main roster right away, this could become a factor in the two wanting to eventually work together. Tired of being held down or held back, the two could debut on Raw or SmackDown as two NXT stars who won’t settle for developmental any longer. The alliance doesn’t need to be too long since both should also have good runs as singles competitors in the WWE.
7 7. Austin Aries and Roderick Strong
Austin Aries isn’t going to be able to act as challenger for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship for much longer. That storyline will likely end in a few months. After that, what would the WWE have planned for the man known as “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived?” Considering that the tag team division lost The Vaudevillains and Cesaro and Sheamus might split before the end of the year, Aries could form a tag team with an old partner from the past.
During their time in Ring of Honor, Aries teamed with Roderick Strong to form Generation Next. The two held onto the ROH World Tag Team Championship for about nine months. The two could easily find success in the WWE main roster. This would also provide a way to bring up Strong from the NXT roster sooner than later.
6 6. Cesaro and Kassius Ohno
While Cesaro’s current partnership with Sheamus has worked out great, one has to think that Sheamus is eventually going to want to split from Cesaro. Unless the WWE creative team has something planned for the Swiss Superman, it would be a great idea to find him another tag team partner. Wrestling fans who also track the top indie promotions would love to see a reunion of the Kings of Wrestling between Cesaro and Kassius Ohno.
As Claudio Castagnoli and Chris Hero, the two men were able to secure tag team titles for both Combat Zone Wrestling, CHIKARA and Ring of Honor. The two would likely be able to build that chemistry again for a definite favorite in either brand’s tag team division. It’s arguable that both Ohno and Cesaro could flourish on their own. But this might be a more likely scenario for the WWE to call Ohno up from NXT.
5 5. Dean Ambrose and Randy Orton
This might be considered more of a dream team booking concept. Neither Dean Ambrose nor Randy Orton need to be part of a tag team to be successful in the WWE. Both men are currently holding the top two championships on SmackDown Live – Ambrose the Intercontinental Champion and Orton the WWE Champion. But there’s a chance the WWE could have them form an alliance of some kind.
Both men have similar characteristics on-screen. Ambrose is mentally questionable at times and Orton has the voices in his head that fans have known about for years. The concept could be two of the most unstable men in the WWE wanting to create more chaos in the WWE. This could feature a tag title reign on either RAW or SmackDown. Then again, both men could easily decide to ignore brand lines for future destruction.
4 4. Bray Wyatt and Bo Dallas
This might be less to do with forming a new tag team on the main roster and more to add to the Wyatt Family. Bray Wyatt is currently down to just Erick Rowan, who hasn’t quite been able to maintain consistent success in the WWE. Wyatt had more strength when his family also included the likes of Luke Harper and Braun Strowman. However, Wyatt’s next recruit should come in an unexpected form.
Adding Bo Dallas to the Wyatt Family would accomplish a couple of things. One, Dallas gets to rebrand himself after a number of failed gimmicks. Second, it provides an interesting story with Wyatt bringing his real-life brother “home.” If done correctly, the WWE could show how Wyatt recruits another superstar and the “transformation” that can occur. Both have also teamed up in the past during their time in now defunct Florida Championship Wrestling.
3 3. Dolph Ziggler and The Miz
Both Dolph Ziggler and The Miz are worthy of more than their current positions on the main roster state. Recently, The Miz has done some of his best promo work in years and has been entertaining for the SmackDown brand through the last part of 2016 after the brand extension. Aside from holding the WWE Intercontinental Championship, The Miz has accomplished little in a time when the iron is hot.
In Ziggler’s case, he continues to fall victim to poor management from the WWE creative team. Despite being one of the best overall wrestlers on the main roster, he’s nothing more than a glorified jobber in a dark match after SmackDown Live. Both men are former WWE world champions and could make their held-back status as fuel to pursuing tag team dominance in the WWE.
2 2. Roman Reigns and Samoa Joe
There’s no way around it. Roman Reigns now has to be a heel after his win over The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33. One of the best things that can be done at this point include Reigns into the Triple H’s potential heel stable that also includes the likes of Samoa Joe. This would give The Game some added muscle for the future while also putting two of this WWE era’s most dominant superstars together.
Considering the move sets, both men could easily complement each other in the ring as powerhouses that can destroy most of the active tag teams on the main roster. This might take some time, but it could be a creative option when the WWE finally realizes that Reigns is not likely going to be accepted as a face by the WWE Universe.
1 1. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens
It has been said that they may be destined to fight forever. While they will likely have a few more chapters to their rivalry in the years to come, the WWE could really shake things up by having them team up somewhere down the line. The two have an extensive history from their days on the independent wrestling scene with tag team championships around the world.
The storyline could be something similar to Sheamus and Cesaro where two enemies are teamed up in sort of an odd couple. While not liking it, they both want to win tag team gold. Eventually, it could lead to them building the old chemistry they had before the WWE and become a very strong team in WWE’s main roster.