It’s no secret to WWE fans that their favorite wrestling company is having some creative problems right now. Those difficulties have been reflected in the ratings for both Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live. Among the most problematic divisions is the tag teams.
The recent Superstar Shake Up basically decimated the SmackDown tag team division, while Raw has decided to have two of the best teams in the world locked in a prank war. It’s time for some drastic changes to shake things up, so we’ve put together 10 pairs of underused WWE superstars who could find success as a tag team. Since WWE doesn’t seem to care who appears on what show, we’ve decided to take the same stance.
10 Mickie James And Dana Brooke
Since the huge Elimination Chamber match to crown the new women’s tag team champions, WWE has seemingly lost interest in the division. Current champions The IIconics are feuding with Asuka and Kairi Sane, while all other teams have nothing to do.
Future Hall of Famer Mickie James makes every woman she gets in the ring with better, so why not have her do that for the tag team division? Dana Brooke is a talented performer who just hasn’t been given many TV opportunities. Her best work came as Charlotte’s lackey, so team her with veteran James and watch the two shine.
9 Eric Young And Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt is doing interesting things with the Firefly Fun House, but unfortunately, we’ve seen how this story plays out already. They will give him a short push until they decide to put the championship title back on Roman, Seth or AJ.
They can skip all those problems this time by teaming Wyatt with the criminally underused Eric Young. His character as the leader of Sanity would make a perfect partner for Wyatt’s brand of crazy. Their unpredictability would be a breath of fresh air for matches and feuds.
8 Shelton Benjamin And Chad Gable
His recent match against Seth Rollins showed how good Shelton Benjamin still is. It’s time WWE give the former tag team champion another push. His athleticism is unparalleled, so finding him the right partner might be difficult, but he’s already worked with him, so it’s not that hard.
Chad Gable has been a tag team champion in NXT, Raw and SmackDown, so this is clearly where he’s at his best. He’s had a few partners since Jason Jordan was injured, but Benjamin was definitely the best fit for him. Give them a great manager and they could be really fun to watch.
7 EC3 And Robert Roode
A few months ago, a bunch of NXT stars were called up to the main roster... then nothing happened. One of the wrestlers stuck in that limbo is EC3. He has yet to make any sort of impact in WWE, and it’s beginning to feel like his window is closing.
Someone in the same boat is Robert—formerly Bobby—Roode. They’ve each suffered from lack of character, so why not team them together as the arrogant rich guys? They could have a fantastic rivalry with The Usos and The Revival.
6 Naomi And Carmella
Before the big Elimination Chamber women’s tag team match, a few teams were just randomly thrown together. One of them, Naomi and Carmella, actually worked and needed more time to make a go of it.
Given time to really gel, the two women could have formed an even deeper chemistry and connection with the crowd. Their skill set and style compliment each other the way all great teams should. With the women’s division feeling a bit stagnant at the moment, Naomi and Carmella could be the pop of excitement to make things more fun.
5 Cedric Alexander And Ali
As two of the best superstars on 205 Live, Cedric Alexander and Ali have worked with and against each other several times, and it was a can’t miss match every single time. Since moving to SmackDown Live, Ali has impressed new fans and given original ones reasons to say “I told you so.”
Unfortunately, Alexander hasn’t had the same chance to showcase his talent on Raw. As a tag team, these two would be unstoppable and awesome to watch. Put them in a match with a team like The Usos or The New Day and we have no doubt they would produce instant classics.
4 Buddy Murphy And Andrade
It took him a while to find his place, but now Andrade has finally been given the time to show how good he is. His series with Rey Mysterio produced three separate match-of-the-year candidates, but we know sooner or later WWE is going to push him back aside in favor of bigger names.
As one of the longest reigning cruiserweight champions, Buddy Murphy got to show every single aspect of his in-ring abilities against the best in the division. Pairing him with Andrade and Zelina Vega would create a great heel team that can hang with anyone on the roster and make the division a must watch.
3 Finn Balor And Braun Strowman
We know neither Finn Balor or Braun Strowman can technically be called underused, however, WWE clearly has no idea what to do with either superstar, so we’ve got some ideas. Balor is one of the company’s most popular wrestlers and can have a great match with anyone.
When allowed to let loose, Strowman has a fun personality that the audience can’t help cheering for. We’ve seen them team together a few times, and it’s always cool to watch, so why not make it a full-time thing, and give a much-needed boost to SmackDown’s tag team competition?
2 Matt Hardy And R-Truth
The most fun teams to watch have always been the ones with total opposites. With Jeff Hardy out and the two having issues with Lars Sullivan, Matt Hardy and R-Truth are an obvious choice to partner up.
Truth’s shenanigans and Hardy’s “woken” personality are a team that would be hilarious and entertaining, something WWE is in desperate need of. Their underdog status would make them an instant crowd favorite. This is a pairing we didn’t know we needed, but can’t wait to see.
1 Tyler Breeze And Xavier Woods
No one’s talent has been wasted more than Tyler Breeze. His matches in NXT are proof that he should have had endless championship opportunities by now. He was finally gaining momentum with the Fashion Police until an injury sidelined Fandango.
With Kofi Kingston in the midst of his WWE Championship run and Big E out with a knee injury, Xavier Woods is limbo right now. The five-time champ has made his desire to have his good friend Breeze on SmackDown no secret, so just let it happen already. These two have amazing chemistry and would cut some fantastic promos ahead of memorable matches.