Is the tag team division finally fixed?

[LODemolition]

Is anyone else excited about how much the tag team division has improved in recent months? I mean, it's good enough that they can have the first ever tag team elimination chamber match next Sunday, it doesn't even include 2 of the company's best teams (The Usos and Harper & Rowan).

I was ecstatic to see Harper and Rowan put back together, even though Harper was doing decently on his own. Hopefully this leads to a full on reunion of The Wyatt Family. Harper and Rowan deserve a run with the titles, so I'm disappointed that they're not in the chamber match. Perhaps they'll be champs by around SummerSlam, however. They had some outstanding matches with The Usos and I felt that they should have won during that feud.

Putting Cesaro & Kidd together when they were doing absolutely nothing, the formation of The New Day when they also had nothing going on, and the reunion of the Prime Time Players and Harper & Rowan were great moves. Bringing The Ascension and Lucha Dragons to the main roster were also great moves. Kalisto is maybe the most exciting wrestler on the entire roster. Then there's Los Matadores and the Mega Powers, 2 teams that can be the jobbers of the division.

Right now there are 9 teams total in WWE and there is still the possibility of more teams forming out of singles wrestlers who have little to nothing to contribute in the singles division. I'd personally really like to see Jack Swagger get a new partner to reform The Real Americans with. Zack Ryder would fit the bill well I think.

So what are your thoughts on the tag team division? Who is your favorite team to watch and what are some other teams you'd maybe like to see put together?

 

[Rykerzane]

Totally agree!

I honestly think what happens in a lot of these cases where a certain division or title is bland is because the creative team relied on the "steady eddy" person/team. I think the Uso's are fantastic! The look, the obvious genetic chemistry, etc but it became on dimensional.

So the best thing that happened to the tag team division was them being out bc of an injury. That open door allowed Kidd and Cesaro to find themselves, New Day to take their stupid gimmick and turn it into something that works because at least two of the three for sure can rock a mic, called up the Lucha Dragons, Prime Time Players had good promos bashing everyone, and Los Matadores are good fillers that can create some fun moments.

To me the biggest disappointment is The Descencison. Not funny but who cares. Its actually laughable how bad it is. The theme, the entrance video, the flabby bodies with face paint trying to look intimidating. It's just bad. Didn't watch NXT at that time so I can't weigh in but were they good at NXT and did they have that same gimmick?

That would be my only critique of NXT right now is sometimes I feel like the acts are so over the top that it's too much. I think that's why certain acts never caught on on the main roster. Just wasn't translating.

But yes, tag team division is on the rise!

 

[MWRedskins]

well except the tag team title belts, i do think the division is on the rise. they finally have the New Day in the best gimmick for them (thankfully) and are rolling in the ring and even on the mic now. Kidd and Cesaro have decent mic work and can go in the ring while Lucha Dragons are amazing to watch in the ring as well. i think Harper and Rowan re-teaming will do wonders for the Tag Team division as they are a great team to watch and i think the Ascension has potential if they quit looking like the Road Warriors and i haven't even mentioned the Usos (who i hope come back as heels). the tag division is on the rise and with better looking belts, the tag division will be great.

 

[Navi]

I wouldn't say it's fixed but it's on it's way to getting there. Maybe the injury to Jey Uso was the best thing that could have happened, unfortunately. The Uso's have dominated the division for so long, that when you thought of tag teams, they would be the first to pop into my mind.

Without them around, others have had a chance to make inroads, and some of them are quite good. The Lucha Dragons have made an impact, Kalisto is the new Rey Mysterio, so the WWE has a win/win on their hands there.

New Day has found their footing in being annoying heels and it's working. Rowan and Harper are finally back together, and should get a run with the titles at some point. Los Matadores and the Mega Powers are sort of the jobber teams, but at least they'll get air time.

The ones who stand out the most are Cesaro and Kidd. Both have renewed themselves, and work really well as a team. I didn't think they'd be able to do it when they were first announced but have been pleasantly surprised.

Ascension hopefully can come back from their horrible debut, and with the PTP in the mix, it should be interesting. So yea the division is a lot better than it was 6 months ago. Now they just have to start working on the Diva's.

 

[MartialHorror]

I agree with Navi. It's too early to say it's fixed, but the division has been far more interesting in the last month than it has in the past year. I'm still wondering why the hell Harper and Rowan aren't in the Elimination Chamber...unless they do something epic afterwards. Maybe a face team will win and they will show up, breaking into the chamber and kicking the shit out of everyone- beginning a feud with the new champs.

Then again, maybe Harper+Rowan reuniting right now wasn't the best idea, as they can potentially derail New Days heel push. But we'll see.

 

[Mustang Sally]

It's too early to say it's fixed, but the division has been far more interesting in the last month than it has in the past year.

Agreed. Just the fact there are more set tag teams available was illustrated on the last Smackdown during an 8-man match, in which four teams were in the ring and two more were watching at ringside. It was impressive to see.

Better still, all appear to be teams that were formed for the long run, allowing them to build momentum instead of us watching them disband as quickly as they were created.

All this is surely better than watching the Usos' face whatever team was the flavor of the month, time after time.

First, WWE had to build some compelling teams. Now that they've done it, let's see what they do with them.

 

[LODemolition]

and i haven't even mentioned the Usos (who i hope come back as heels)

Absolutely. I was going to say this also, because at the moment the division only has 3 heel tag teams. The Usos should continue their alliance with Naomi and Tamina when they return and maybe even come up with a new entrance as their current one has grown stale for me personally.

But I think it's great that the division has thrived in the absence of their (arguably) best team.

 

[Bodust117]

I totally agree the belts are pretty ugly,even the nxt tag titles look better I hope the get around to making new belts

 

[InZayn]

I really like everything about the Tag Division, so its great, i just can't wait until the best of NXT comes on specially (Enzo and Big Cass, and Blake n Murphy) Also more NxT teams like Sawyer Fulton and Angelo Dawkins, Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson, Simon Gotch and Aiden English, and Appearently they're teaming Mojo Rawley with Zack Ryder, its just so great that i wish they'd bring back the World Tag Team Championship.

 

[OYDK]

Don't know if it's "fixed" quite yet, but they're getting there. If WWE can keep the momentum going until Mania time without making any ridiculous booking decisions, than I'll be sold. Right now we have at least 4 tag teams that the fans seem to be interested in and that hasn't happened in a while; New Day, Cesaro/Kidd, Harper and Rowan, PTP, and I would throw the Lucha Dragons in there as well. As others have mentioned, that's not even including the face of the tag team division, The Usos. If The Ascension could just find there footing we would have an absolutely incredible division right now.

One negative (if there is any) is that, it leaves little room for some of the teams down in NXT to move up. I'd LOVE to see Enzo and Big Cass and The Vaudevillians replace Los Matadores and the Mega Powers. There is definitely a lot to look forward to when it comes to the WWE tag team division.

 

[Radical]

It's not really "fixed" yet, but it's getting there. (deja vu for OHHYOUDIDNTKNOW)

I never liked how The Ascension debuted and they never got a chance to make a physical impact to remember OR a reason to fear or admire them. They have potential because of a unique gimmick and probably what will happen is they will 'stick in there' just like they've been put in the Elimination Chamber and keep doing matches without really getting a push and then maybe a few months, a half year or year down the road Creative will finally give them a re-invigorating push like how The Usos didn't really have a clear identity and reason to care about them for months, even a year or two since their debut but finally got that push and it was great for them and the fans.

I don't really like The New Day gimmick because it's so corny but I like Kofi, Woods and a moderate amount of Big E. They are much better suited as heels because of how corny their gimmick is.

But overall, the tag division at least is what you could CALL a division. There are definite TAG TEAMS with character and the titles are an important part of most Raw and SmackDowns and upcoming PPVs.

I hope most the teams now can stick together for most of the year. I know all of them can't because you need that obligatory "shocking event" when a tag partner turns on their partner situation every year. I hope it's only once or twice. It happened with PTP because it's like WWE had to fill their quota that year but it was totally unnecessary and obviously a bad choice since there was nothing else for them to do and now their back together again.

However, The Usos were champs when the tag division wasn't being given much of a chance and there weren't many real teams. They did great but now, you can really point to a number of legit teams and it should lead to a good variety of matches. You have New Day, Cesaro/Kidd, Harper & Rowan, PTP, The Ascension and Lucha Dragons very much in the mix. You have Los Matadores and Mega Powers to fill the jobber role. You have The Usos who will come back at some point and since they've been away for a while they will likely be welcomed back and into some great competition.

It would be great if this year we get to see more tag team turmoil matches and even a few tornado tag team matches! Aside from that it still would look good to see match-ups like this:

New Day vs Kidd/Cesaro
New Day vs PTP
Harper & Rowan vs PTP
Harper & Rowan vs Kidd/Cesaro
Lucha Dragons vs New Day
Lucha Dragons vs Kidd/Cesaro
The Ascension vs Kidd/Cesaro
The Ascension vs PTP
The Ascension vs Lucha Dragons

Then when The Usos get back:

The Usos vs New Day
The Usos vs The Ascension
The Usos vs Harper & Rowan (ol' classic)


Those are just the more likely matches based on the face vs heel standard but of course you could still get great matches with something like New Day vs Harper & Rowan, Cesaro/Kidd vs Lucha Dragons or The Usos vs Cesaro/Kidd.

The potential is there for a great tag division in the WWE this year. Hopefully Vince doesn't have a change of heart some way through the year and do something to hurt the division like keeping New Day and super-long reigning champions and constantly defeating opponents like Cesaro/Kidd, Harper & Rowan and The Usos.

 

[GeTiTT]

Agree that the division is on the rise and it is important that these teams all stay relevant whether they are competing for the Titles or not.

Just like the singles Main Event and Mid Card division there should be teams who have other reasons to feud other than just to compete for the titles.

There use to be tons of tag teams in the attitude era and all seemed to stay relevant whether they were competing for the titles or not.

A good idea is maybe one of these teams can join the Authority. (Rollins can look so much stronger with a tag team defending him rather than the 2 stooges or Kane) I honestly think The Ascension would be best suited for this. They would obviously need to drop the Road Warrior gimmick, but i think this would be a great move for them.

The Usos should rejoin with Tamina and Naomi when they return (as heels) I know they were the top tag team before they left and sold tons of merchandise, so maybe this will not go well on a business stand point. However, it would be a good freshness for them and be able to build around this stable instead of always competing for the titles with so many teams. This also gives Kidd&Cesaro, PTP, Lucha Dragons become top faces in the tag Division.

 

[filthyanimalz]

No tag division is worth watching if it doesn't have either The Young Bucks or The Wolves.

 

[Mustang Sally]

A good idea is maybe one of these teams can join the Authority. (Rollins can look so much stronger with a tag team defending him rather than the 2 stooges or Kane) I honestly think The Ascension would be best suited for this.

I've been arguing against the idea of performers who are headed for good things individually to be saddled with "join the Authority" programs because they would be buried while stooging for someone else at a time WWE needs fresh talent eventually working their way to main event status.

In this case, though, I can see the Ascension becoming support members of the Authority because they aren't really going anywhere as a tag team ......chiefly because they don't deserve to, in my opinion. As an entity in themselves, I think they come off as ineffective and downright ridiculous.

Yes, it's rather early to conclude they've outright failed, but given the expectations many fans held for Ascension, they're presently headed nowhere. They might benefit from being the 'thug squad' behind a group of people that could use their services......and they could raise their own standing by doing a good job of it.

In the case of Ascension, there's nothing to lose by trying.

 

[PrinceMarvel]

Even though they've only fought a couple of times, how about the teams of Slater & Rose or Fandango & Ryder. I'm not sure if WWE had actually planned on making those two teams permanent. I Even if those two teams don't work out, I think Ryder & Slater might make a good team.

I was all for the Meta Powers when they started forming, but I do wish they would be themselves instead of imitating Hogan and Savage, I wouldn't mind if they had some of their personality mixed in, but not full on imitation.

I'd also like to see some more trios thrown in, like the Usos & Reigns (when and if he ever leaves the main even scene), have another masked wrestler join the Lucha Dragons, etc.

I would still like to see the Miz and Dolph Ziggler team up, they're both originally from Ohio and are billed as being from Hollywood. Possibly have Ziggler not bleach his hair and cut it short (like what he did when he was with Vicki) and they can become the Hollywood Brunettes.

I'd also like to see Ryback team up with Rawley.

 

[Hakushi]

I agree that the division is leaps ahead of where it was, but looking at the very near future you can already see how this evolves. Kidd and Cesaro split (although I'd love to see it, Kidd won't make it on his own unless they bring some type of CruiserWeight div back), Lucha Dragons have their run with the titles, but I'm sold on the assumption that WWE wants Kalisto to be a singles star, New Day has the feel of a faction that won't be around long. Sustaining the division will be in the hands of the Uso's, Harper/Rowan, Los Matadores and the Ascension. Although I will say, there are 2 or 3 Tag teams in NXT who could breakout soon too (The Vaudevillians are very unique and talented, Blake and Murphy have the "authentic" team feel and short term team Cass and Enzo)

 

[LODemolition]

If they ever get desperate for a new team to throw into the mix, it's been recently proven that Sheamus and Barrett would make an excellent duo. Since I'm a big fan of Barrett, I'd rather see him get a major push on his own. If it doesn't happen though, these guys could make great tag champs. l

 

[K Web V3]

i may be in the minority, but i didnt find the tag team EC match that entertaining. Granted it may have been to the amount of bodies in the ring at one time. We need teams like the vaudevillains,enzo/cass and blake/murphy to come up n then them, plus kidd/cesaro,harper/rowan,new day n PTP can hold down an interesting division

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I've been arguing against the idea of performers who are headed for good things individually to be saddled with "join the Authority" programs because they would be buried while stooging for someone else at a time WWE needs fresh talent eventually working their way to main event status.

In this case, though, I can see the Ascension becoming support members of the Authority because they aren't really going anywhere as a tag team ......chiefly because they don't deserve to, in my opinion. As an entity in themselves, I think they come off as ineffective and downright ridiculous.

Yes, it's rather early to conclude they've outright failed, but given the expectations many fans held for Ascension, they're presently headed nowhere. They might benefit from being the 'thug squad' behind a group of people that could use their services......and they could raise their own standing by doing a good job of it.

In the case of Ascension, there's nothing to lose by trying.

Agreed. I had high hopes for The Ascension on the main roster as I was a fan of their work in NXT (especially when Kenneth Cameron and Konnor O'Brien formed the team- Rick Viktor is awful). They had a cool gimmick, but their debut on the main show completely changed this, making them look foolish and comig off as a total Road Warriors imitation. It doesn't help that Konnor looks to have piled on weight and Viktor doesn't look intimidating at all.

However, putting them with he Authority could work, it would require them to change their gimmick but could refresh their characters and give Rollins some good back up. They could be kind of "protection" like the APA were, funded out of Rollins' own pocket.

 

[enviousdominous]

They've definitely gotten much better at it, thank goodness.

I think we can all remember a time when there were literally no real tag-teams except The Usos. It seemed like the writers were so bent on focusing all of their creativity into making their individual performer's backstage vignettes into David Lynch fever dreams that they just phoned in the reasoning behind ever having tag team matches at all.

I remember a time when The Hart Dynasty vs The Usos was literally the only viable tag team match they had going for months.

I'm honestly loving New Day's new direction. These guys draw heat better than the fucking Authority, they're embracing their new roles as the top heels of the WWE. It's like watching the three man version of Demolition all over again for me, whoever takes the tag titles from them is getting a huge face push.

Prime Time Players are a great feel-good team for the PG Era. Titus O'Neill is one of those rare people who can be amusing without acting stupid, he saves all that for if Pancake Patterson ever makes a comeback. Darren Young is the right guy for the times in that our society is starting to frown upon homophobia, so he's a natural role model in that sense.

The Lucha Dragons are neat. Their in-ring chemistry and performances are light years ahead of every other tag team, I just really don't dig the "LOO-CHA!" fandangoing they do. If it rallies the crowd, that's fine I suppose. It doesn't go with their music, it looks stupid (to me) and I think it takes away from the pace of their matches.

All in all, much better. It's nowhere near as awesome as the division was back in the mid 1980s, but it's something to set your watch to.

 

[PrinceMarvel]

Two other teams I would like to see

Big Show & Ryback (it would be funny if they tried to pull off twin magic)

Someone also mentioned having Jack Swagger reform the All-Americans, but what I would love to see is for WWE to reuse The Allied Powers gimmick. Have Swagger team up with either Wade Barrett or Neville, and either throw in Rusev to make it a trio or have Lana act as their valet.

 

[Mustang Sally]

The thing is, as weeks go by, there's more to like about the tag division as they're building it, because of the establishment of teams that look as if they're going to remain as teams.....plus the fact each one is distinctive in it's make-up.

A year ago, the tag division seemingly consisted of the Usos' and whomever they were going to face that week. Last night on Smackdown, we saw Ascension vs. Prime Time Players vs. Lucha Dragons. I don't think anyone is going to say those three teams are anything alike.

Sure, Tyson Kidd's injury puts a crimp in the works, but still, for the first time in several years, we've got tag teams to watch. It's all good.

Now, they've got to write good stuff for these guys......but still, you've first gotta have teams to write about.....and now, we do.

 

[K Web V3]

I so wanna see Enzo n Cass on the main roster(w/o the nasty tranny carmella)

These are so over the top ridiculous and entertaining, i thimk theyd be a hit.

(Is it just me, or does Cass look like a 7ft Edge??)

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

I was thinking about this the other day. I remember so many people crediting Triple H for the tag team division in 2012 when Team Hell No was around, but I just didn't see it. They had two top guys, destined to go their separate ways eventually holding the titles. The Shield was around. PTP was kind of there. Uso's were there. But that was it. Really only 3 realy teams in the division. Maybe 4 if you include 3MB if you count them.

Now - we easily have six viable teams in the division: New Day, PTP, Cesaro & Kidd, Lucha Dragons, Ascension, and The Uso's. 7 if you count Los Matadors (if you count them). But the number one thing about each of these teams is that THEYRE ACTUALLY TEAMS. This isn't Kane and Bryan. Or Edge and Orton. They are real teams filling out the division. Within 1 week any one of them could be pushed as viable contenders, as seen by PTP right now.