The history of tag teams will see things go one or two directions in the bigger picture. Duos will either last in the long run or splitting up to go their separate ways. Promotions were not always smart to break up duos with the hopes that they could move into bigger singles roles.
Quite a few stories of wrestlers have broken up with the intent of having their careers benefit. Things worked out strangely as the two wrestlers just moved into new teams shortly after. The company couldn’t figure out how to utilize them in singles roles and just continued their tag runs with new partners. Find out which tag teams figured out into that unique situation with changes that kept things similar.
10 The Dudley Boyz
WWE trying to split up the Dudley Boyz in 2002 with the brand split draft changed everything. Both Bubba Ray and D-Von were unhappy about the move, but they tried to make it work with different characters on separate shows.
Neither singles push worked and both guys were primarily in tag matches with new partners months later. Bubba teamed with fellow Dudley brother Spike as faces on Raw. The SmackDown brand featured DVon playing his Reverend character with a rookie Batista as his partner. WWE eventually reunited them later in the year to recapture the magic.
9 American Alpha
Many fans were livid when WWE split up American Alpha less than a year into their run on the main roster. Jason Jordan and Chad Gable thrived in NXT finding the kind of chemistry few wrestlers were able to form as a duo.
The main roster split was done to push Jordan in a singles role. A tag team run with Seth Rollins as partners who couldn’t get along was his biggest role until an injury ended his in-ring career. Gable jumped from partner to partner afterwards having stints with Shelton Benjamin, Bobby Roode and Otis.
8 Wrath & Mortis
WCW put together an odd tag team of Chris Kanyon and Bryan Clark playing characters based on the video game franchise Mortal Kombat. Kanyon played Mortis under a mask and Adams was going by the name of Wrath with James Mitchell as their manager.
The duo had limited opportunities to move up the card and eventually split up. Kanyon had a few singles run, but he eventually formed new teams for the future with Raven, Diamond Dallas Page and Bam Bam Bigelow. Clark found his strongest success in wrestling teaming with Brian Adams in the Kronik duo.
7 The Smoking Gunns
WWE tried a few unique gimmicks for the tag teams of the New Generation Era. The Smoking Gunns played cowboy characters winning tag gold together with Billy and Bart Gunn. There wasn’t the momentum growing that WWE expected as the push peaked.
The eventual breakup was done to place Billy in a singles role with Bart getting a smaller chance. Both wrestlers ended up in tag teams when moving forward experimenting with new things. Billy found greater success with Road Dogg in the New Age Outlaws. Bart teamed up with Bob Holly forming the New Midnight Express in a horrible flop trying to recreate history.
6 Matt Morgan & Hernandez
TNA pushed a few makeshift tag teams when trying to find ideal roles for everyone on the show. Singles stars Matt Morgan and Hernandez formed a duo using their size and strength advantage in matches against the top duos.
Predictably, the duo eventually split up when turning on each other. Neither man found singles success and the makeshift tag team history continued. Morgan had another team with Crimson winning the TNA Tag Team Championship. Hernandez entered duos with Chavo Guerrero and Anarquia in the Mexican America.
5 The New Age Outlaws
Billy Gunn had another big tag team breakup when the run with Road Dogg ended the New Age Outlaws run. D-Generation X’s 2000 run would see Billy out of the group when he suffered an injury and was kicked out by Triple H.
Road Dogg entered a new tag team a few months later when R-Truth debuted under the name of K-Kwik forming a rapping duo. Billy did return to a noteworthy push as a face before settling into yet another tag team with Chuck Palumbo.
4 The Steiner Brothers
WCW pushed the Steiner Brothers as the top tag team throughout different chapters. Rick and Scott had a special bond as brothers, but their wrestling style created great matches. The big split would finally come in 1998 when Scott wanted a chance at singles success.
Scott thrived as a main eventer two years later as Big Poppa Pump, but the first year in the New World Order saw him teaming with Buff Bagwell. The face run of Rick continued with a few makeshift teams, including a WCW Tag Team Championship run with Kenny Kaos.
3 Beer Money
The duo of Bobby Roode and James Storm have an argument for being the best tag team to ever work for TNA. Both wrestlers found lightning in a bottle when Beer Money was formed. Roode and Storm each had great singles runs, but they always ended up in tag teams.
Beer Money split up when Roode turned on Storm to cheat him out of the TNA World Championship. Storm returned to the tag team division a few years later with Gunner. The same thing happened to Roode even though he had a stronger singles career. TNA formed the Dirty Heels of Roode and Austin Aries uniting as two former main eventers.
2 The Iiconics
WWE tried to create a tag team division for the women’s division when adding the Women’s Tag Team Champions in 2019. The IIconics seemed like the perfect team due to Peyton Royce and Billie Kay having unparalleled chemistry as lifelong friends.
Unfortunately, their booking was never strong when winning the titles, but the team broke up in 2020. WWE showed zero interest in using them strongly and just placed them in new teams. Royce teamed with Lacey Evans and was booked as an afterthought.
Kay overachieved in a limited role in comedic segments to eventually team with Carmella at WrestleMania 37. WWE sadly released both members of the Iiconics meaning their reunion will come elsewhere.
1 Edge & Christian
The run of Edge and Christian as a legendary tag team is always shorter than most fans realize. Both wrestlers created iconic memories, but they only were in a team for about two and a half years. WWE split them up specifically to push Edge harder as a singles star.
Christian formed a tag team with Lance Storm when becoming part of the Un-Americans faction. Edge coincidentally was involved in the makeshift tag team with Hulk Hogan who lost the titles to Christian and Storm. There were a few other tag teams for both men throughout the years, but they never reunited for an official run after 2001.