WWE has transformed its tag team division into a robust one in the past few years, as the stacked roster is often trimmed down by creating tag teams, as some teams excel at the prospect of being put together while others just get lost in the shuffle. With more and more teams being formed in NXT and then being sent to the main roster, there was a dire need for the Brand Extension, as both Smackdown and Raw have some pretty good tag teams between them now.
But the necessity of more tag teams to fill out the long shows have forced the company to make some odd-ball teams, which no one really cares about, and their lack of personality and ability to thrill the audience dulls down the product. With so many superstars put into the different brands, it’s high time that WWE decides to experiment a little with its product and create some better, more exciting tag teams that can legitimately catch the attention of the audience and entertain us. WWE has many superstars who are in threat of being lost in the shuffle because of the lack of titles and the hesitation of the management of putting any titles on them, so giving them a go as a tag team might get them over.
With the rumors being afloat of another tag title being introduced for the Smackdown Brand, WWE really needs to up its game on its degrading Tag Team Division to make it great again. Let’s have a look at 5 teams we want to see being formed on Raw, Smackdown and NXT.
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32 5. Darren Young and Curtis Axel
WWE’s campaign to “Make Darren Young Great Again” isn’t really boding too well with the fans, who are confused on where exactly this will lead. Young needs to start from scratch and go back to the tag team division to become “great again,” and pitting him with someone like Curtis Axel can actually be good for both superstars. As a team, Young can be the “better man” of sorts who racks up the wins, while Axel could provide the entertainment and comedy along with Bob Backlund. These two were a part of “The Nexus,” so both of them know each other pretty well, as Axel could campaign to "Make Darren Young and Curtis Axel Perfect Again,” which could be pretty entertaining stuff. With the New Day’s hilarious antics leading them to the very top, these two should be given the ball and allowed to run with it and could provide something unique but amusing for Monday Night Raw.
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30 4. Neville and Titus O’Neil
Both Neville and Titus O’Neil don’t seem to have proper story-lines in place right now, as they’re booked in random matches with creative hoping something sparks. While Neville has just recovered from an injury, Titus is still on thin ice in the company, which wants to play it safe with him after his suspension. These two really need to be put in a tag team, and pitting them could be really good for them. With the raw power of Titus and the high-flying ability of Neville, they could have the right chemistry to their moveset. Also, they wouldn’t really have to do much talking, as their matches would do the talking for them, and with the different popularity of both superstars, they could really benefit from being put together. WWE doesn’t seem to know what to do with either of these men, so letting them try to enthral the tag team division could be a good short-term solution for both of them and could be a decent long-term solution if they manage to thrive in the division.
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28 3. Jack Swagger and Mark Henry
Both Jack Swagger and Mark Henry will probably be disappointed for being put on the Raw Brand, where they will be nothing but glorified jobbers. Instead of having them job to random mid-carders all the time, WWE could do both of them good by teaming them together. With both representing America, they could be a newer version of “The Real Americans” and could be promoted as fighting for their nation. With both of them having compelling heel natures as well, a heel turn could do them good, and having them destroy smaller oppositions could make them an intimidating tag team, which could help with the lack of compelling heel tag teams in the Raw Brand. Plus, giving Henry a title run before his retirement (which is probably soon) will be a good ode to the company’s faithful servant, and they could improve Swagger’s position in the company as well with this move, which has huge potential if they let these two really whack up their opponents.
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26 2. Rusev and Chris Jericho
Rusev and Chris Jericho are both pretty prominent parts of Monday Night Raw right now, but that can change any moment with WWE likely looking to make some changes in the program. Instead of burying them to a lower status, WWE could put Rusev and Jericho together for a while and let them have an attempt at winning the Tag Titles on Raw. With Rusev expected to lose his US title very soon (Reigns is coming after it) and Jericho feuding with The Realest Guys in the Room, Y2J could call the cavalry in Rusev who could provide something fresh to the tag team division. With their Anti-American rants and the subtle hilarity that Jericho brings, this could be a breath of fresh air at Monday Night Raw and a heel team that will bring legitimate reactions and heat from the crowd. With Raw lacking in Heel tag teams, putting these two amazing wrestlers together would not only provide for sublime matches, but also amazing promos and mic-segments that could take the Tag Team Division to another level.
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24 1. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn might be the deadliest of rivals in the WWE right now, but everyone knows of their history, as the best friends were once one of the greatest tag teams in the world. Owens and Zayn have been Tag Champions at promotions like Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) and Ring of Honor (ROH) and have an amazing chemistry in the ring. Though it’ll be extremely difficult to actually make this happen, the team of Owens and Zayn could be the greatest thing to happen to the tag team division in a long time, and it could lead to them gaining more popularity. They could be united like DX was in 2005, fighting against a common enemy, which would be a fresh turn for Owens, too, who could show his face persona. This is extremely difficult to pull off because of Owens' cocky heel persona, but it would be really awesome to see these two team up in the WWE ring and show their amazing chemistry and touching friendship, bringing a compelling case to the Tag Team Division.
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22 Smackdown
21 5. Dolph Ziggler and Erick Rowan
Dolph Ziggler might have been given the opportunity he deserved for a long time with a WWE Championship shot at SummerSlam, but it’s extremely doubtful that he’s winning the title. Ziggler needs a heel turn immediately and it’ll be very good on WWE’s part if they pair him with a bigger guy (like Big E) and bring back the cocky Ziggler. This big guy could be Erick Rowan, who is probably going to leave Bray Wyatt sooner rather than later and it’ll be an interesting move to see Ziggler and Rowan (now feuding) team up. Ziggler can be a good teacher to Rowan as well, helping to develop an entertaining personality for him, and he could be aided by Rowan to be catapulted into the main event scene permanently. They could also give them a shot at going after the Smackdown Tag Titles, as they have the right balance between themselves to make an intriguing team. Ziggler needs someone to let his heel persona show, and the intimidating Rowan is the perfect answer for it. The Tag Team Division would be turned on its head if these two team up.
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19 4. Kane and Kalisto
Kane seems to be in the middle of nowhere right now, as the veteran is barely in any prominent storyline since the Authority one and isn’t seen much either at Smackdown. The Devil’s most faithful servant (that is if The Devil were Vince McMahon) isn’t getting any younger and might bow out soon enough, and with WWE’s hesitation to put a singles belt on an old guy like him, they could at least let him have his last laugh in the tag team division. And Kalisto could be a great partner for him, as the exciting luchador is still a bit green as a singles competitor and could use the mentor of Kane to develop into a proper singles wrestler. Kane tagged with X-Pac back in the dying days of The Attitude Era and is a very good tag team wrestler with a successful history in the Division - and let's not forget about Team Hell No. Kalisto is also an excellent wrestler in Tag Team competition, and the diverse persona of both these guys could really make for some exciting stuff, as well as give Kane some well-deserved attention before he bows out of the WWE.
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17 3. The Miz and Tyler Breeze
The Miz is probably the most loathed heel right now in the WWE, as “The A-Lister” gets amazing heat from the audience every time he speaks on the mic. With Tyler Breeze needing a repackaging and in dire need of proper guidance, putting him alongside the Miz can only do “Prince Pretty” a whole load of good. Breeze really needs to disband with Fandango and needs someone with more experience and legitimacy to become a proper heel who’ll be hated by the fans. If he’s put with The Miz, helping him win his matches and trying to go for the Tag Titles with him could make him as loathsome a heel in the WWE, and hanging around with someone like the Miz will obviously make him relevant again. With both of them being cocky yet cowardly heels, watching them show off together and make petty attempts at riling up the crowd will be extremely entertaining, as both of them can pull off the arrogant heel very well and could be an A-Lister tag team in no time.
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15 2. Rhyno and Baron Corbin
Rhyno is back in the WWE, but there doesn’t seem to be much for him at Smackdown after his return. The "Master of the Gore!" was left to destroy Heath Slater but is unlikely to be pushed in the main event scene anytime soon. Rhyno looks to be in good shape and could be a key member of the tag team division, and putting him alongside another monster in Baron Corbin could make for a terrorizing tag team for the brand. The unadulterated power of both Rhyno and Corbin along with their ability to completely destroy their opponents could make for a terrifying heel tag team who would be stopped by only the best team on the brand. Both Corbin and Rhyno have a very hard-hitting, strong style of wrestling and there could be a lot of legitimacy to their tag team, which would help develop Corbin as a top level heel for the future and bring Rhyno the glory that he deserves.