Report: Strong Push For Tag Teams In 2014

[Jack-Hammer]

A couple of days ago, there was a report that came out, I think it was originally sourced from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, that Triple H is really pushing hard for a huge surge in the overall tag team picture for next year. One primary reason for it, allegedly, is because they can use the tag team division to bring up more talent from NXT to the main roster. The debut of Xavier Woods this past Monday is the first example of the measure as the current plan is to keep him paired with R-Truth as a tag team. The report doesn't really go into details, such as talent WWE has their eye on in particular to move up to the main roster, whether all NXT talent will be paired up with a veteran or if a team is brought up from NXT itself.

All in all, the tag team picture in WWE has improved quite a bit over the past year or so, especially the past few months. It's definitely been a work in progress that, personally, I think could have been even farther along had Vince not decided to put it on the backburner during WrestleMania season earlier this year. Vince went a step further with the mid-card titles an effectively buried them both, so we can only hope that he doesn't wind up doing the same thing next year.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

The problem with a tag team division is that whilst two teams are feuding, triple the amount are sitting on the sidelines doing nothing of consequence.

I've heard reports like this for a while now. I wouldn't consider The Shield's tag title run to be anything of note, so I'll surpress my excitement for the time being.

 

[ASKane]

I dont think the tag division is too strong. Rhodes brother, Real Americans and The Shield are all temporary teams. I think the Rhodes brother and Shield will split and have matches between there members at Wrestlemania and Real Americans wont last much longer. That leaves Uso's, PTP, TOF, Matadores, 3MB, Woods & Truth and NXT teams. That to me looks a weak division. If you look at the best matches the division has put on they involve the Shield and/or Rhodes

 

[the_peoples_adam]

TAG TEAM section is looking great with SHIELD, WYATT FAMILY, RHODES etc...These teams may be temporary but having them in a tag team can lift 2OR 3 stars from NXT at the same time without induvidually pushing them and they can find who the next breakout Star will be from these Teams... as in case of SHIELD and WYATTS....The breakout stars are going to be ROMAN and BRAY.. .. I would love to see SHEILD Vs WYATT FAMILY at TLC...and a long term fued between the two teams....

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

The problem is what everyone is already stating: Teams are temporary.

The Shield is a way station for each of those guys to move on to bigger and better things.

Cesaro is just biding time in the Real Americans.

Cody Rhodes is just hanging out with his brother before moving on.

If I look back at the great tag teams, there were always guys who ended up going on to be bigger singles stars, or at least very good single stars, but there was never the immediate expectation that one day someone is going to turn on his partner and go solo. We've become trained to look past the team, and anticipate the superstar to emerge a la Michaels and Hart.

I guess I'll just believe there's a push when I actually see a bigger push. Let's see the Wyatts and The Shield feud over the tag team titles. Let's see the tag team title match become one of the feature matches of a PPV. Let's see 2 or 3 tag team matches on a PPV. Let's see a tag team feud that doesn't just revolve around the titles themselves. I'll grant there's an inkling of a push there right now, but I'm not hanging my hat on it.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

You can see this already with Woods being put with R-Truth - while it may seem a "thrown" together team in fact it's an old team from TNA that showed a great deal of promise. Truth is at the point where he won't have any more singles runs, but teaming with Woods could become a long term "legendary" team. Much as Power and Glory was for Herc or The Quebecers were for Jacques.

You have the Ascendancy with new names, clearly they are coming up to the main roster soon and The American Wolves are not gonna be there for singles tryouts but as a team.

So realisically by The Rumble you could lose Cody and Dust or The Shield and have Truth and Woods, Ascendancy AND the Wolves all on the roster or debuting.

You have then a division much akin to what they had in the late 80's made up of "specialist" teams and the odd thrown together.

Los Matadores - Killer Bees
Real Americans - Twin Towers/Colossal Connection or Harts
Wyatts - Demolition
Wolves - Rockers
Ascendency - Powers of Pain
Woods & Truth - Power & Glory

The key is getting them into feuds that make the team as important as being solo. The way to do that is to give these teams identities but also make it clear to those new comers to the rosters that they are not going solo for 3-4 years once they're in. If they are consistant performers then after their "tour of duty" is done they'll be fast tracked as Bret and Shawn were but someone like Woods or the Ascendency guys need to know the team is there for their forseeable future barring something major happening.

It's part of the ridiculous conveyor system that has killed midcarders that tag guys HAVE to go solo. They don't. Road Warriors never had success as singles. Putting Demolition in the HOF this year would reinforce the point.

The other key is getting a great agent with tag knowledge in charge of the division. Road Dogg is an option, Arn another or perhaps they could ante up and offer it to perhaps the greatest living tag wrestler, Bret Hart. If anyone knows about making a "thrown together" team or what the division could be it's him. Bring Haas and Benjamin back as the veterans of the division or even Morrison and put he and Mercury or back with Morrison. Either works to round out the framework.

 

[MCMG]

I think a new focus on the tag-division has been apparent since maybe halfway through Team Hell No's title reign. There are a lot of very good tag-teams that can put on great matches.

Looking at the current roster there are: Rhodes', Uso's, The Shield, Wyatt Family, PTP, Tons of Funk, 3MB, Los Matedores, The Real American's, Truth + Woods. Add to that teams from NXT and potentially The American Wolves and that is a lot talent.

Of course, The Shield, The Rhodes Family and possibly the Real Americans could split in the months to come but that is where they use the teams in NXT and the Americans Wolves. Moreover, there are plenty of guys who are contracted to the WWE that could be used in a tag-team. Ryder/Hawkins, Otunga, Bourne, Gabriel, JTG, Sin Cara, Tatsu are just some of the names of superstars that could form a team and go out and put on some entertaining matches.

I think the future of the tag-division is very bright. There are many teams that are just that -teams. There is a mix of good gimmicks, great wrestlers and future stars of the company. I think there can be an absolute boom for tag-team wrestling.

 

[TempestH]

The problem is what everyone is already stating: Teams are temporary.

The Shield is a way station for each of those guys to move on to bigger and better things.

Cesaro is just biding time in the Real Americans.

Cody Rhodes is just hanging out with his brother before moving on.

If I look back at the great tag teams, there were always guys who ended up going on to be bigger singles stars, or at least very good single stars, but there was never the immediate expectation that one day someone is going to turn on his partner and go solo. We've become trained to look past the team, and anticipate the superstar to emerge a la Michaels and Hart.

I guess I'll just believe there's a push when I actually see a bigger push. Let's see the Wyatts and The Shield feud over the tag team titles. Let's see the tag team title match become one of the feature matches of a PPV. Let's see 2 or 3 tag team matches on a PPV. Let's see a tag team feud that doesn't just revolve around the titles themselves. I'll grant there's an inkling of a push there right now, but I'm not hanging my hat on it.

I think the solution to this would be to take a few talents who are talented enough to deserve pushes, but have little to no potential as main eventers or even upper midcarders, and actually center the division around them. The Usos seem like a perfect team in this regard. Along with that you could take some faltering singles guys like Kofi Kingston, Tyson Kidd (he's getting a small push but that's only because of Total Divas), Alex Riley, Zack Ryder, Curt Hawkins, JTG and put them into teams.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

Maybe I'm not seeing what the people on here are seeing when they say certain teams are breaking up left and right. Maybe they have an inside source telling them this but as a fan I watched The Shield go month after month without breaking up when threads here were made weekly about their any-day-now breakup. Can't believe it until I see it. The Real Americans in no shape or form look like they are breaking up but then again I'm not "in the know".

I'm glad the tag team division is picking up. It gives people who have nothing going to finally do something of note, and brings in new faces and gimmicks. I can't wait to see what it all looks like in 2014.

 

[HistoryLesson]

If this is true, what a fantastic way of building new talents.Let them get experience wrestling regularly with no pressure other to entertain. A lot of great stars started in tag teams and great moments in the history involved tag teams.
Plus who does not enjoy a good feud between former tag partners. Like were hopefully going to get when the Rhodes split.

 

[LODemolition]

They definitely need to start planning on forming some new teams with the current roster or bringing NXT guys up if it's true that the Rhodes and The Shield are going to split. I always thought PTP and The Usos deserved to hold the straps for a while, but I'd also be ok with Rowan and Harper being the team to dethrone the Rhodes brothers.

I'd really like to see International Airstrike put back together. Los Matadores are boring as hell and Cesaro should go solo again just because he's that good, though I do like the Real Americans. I always thought that any combination of Barrett, Sheamus and McIntyre could make a good team also with them all going nowhere in singles competition. Get the most out of your roster.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Same ol' song, same ol' reaction.


Lets see it happen before we get excited. The long reign of the Shield followed by the Rhodes taking the titles off them in an exciting match was a strong start. Lets see some long term follow-through.

 

[dman1373]

wwe has been doing a great job resurrecting the tag team titles. There is a lot of promise in the division, but I would have loved if hero would have been brought up and join cesaro. I would have loved the kings of wrestling to join this tag team scene.

 

[lil bitch Kid]

There is no indication that the Real Americans are splitting. The shield, while it's possible that the three will split I'd still see Rollins and Reigns putting in another 6 months as a team. The Rhodes boys will stay together until March and face off at Mania. So, for at least 5-6 months, we have Real Americans, Shield, Usos, Matadors, Wyatts, Rhodes, Truth/Woods, PTP, 3MB. That is 9 teams, if I haven't forgotten anyone. The issue is that they need to start building feuds outside of the titles. The Wyatts currently feuding with Punk/Bryan is good. 3MB as sacrificial lambs to new tems works one for now. The Real Americans vs Matadors stands a chance of picking up again. This would be the best way to build the division. In 6 months, after Mania, if they split the Rhodes boys, and possibly the Shield, add Ascension from NXT and with a legit shot, the American Pitbulls ( Richards and Edwards worked Ascension under that name tonight). There still remains Rey and Cara who should team to carry each other's workload, and who could feud with Real Americans. I don't see Bourne coming back solo to start with so maybe he teams with Kingston to reform Air Boom. Finally, rather than wallowing in the Nattie jealousy BS, Kidd and Gabriel should reform International Airstrike. This then allows for a Shield split.

 

[IanCook94]

I would love to see both the World Tag Team Championships and the WWE Tag Team Championships again, have one of the belts for up and coming tag teams and teams from NXT give them the chance on TV to show what they can do, and have the other belt as the main tag team championship belts, you could literally throw most people together who arent getting on TV and put them in a feud for the Belts.

 

[Blade]

I was going to start a thread about this, but then I saw this one.

I was watching yesterdays Smackdown and I found myself really enjoying the tag team title match. But I was surprised that I was enjoying it because the tag division has been really good for about a year now. We've had Team Hell No, followed by the Shield followed by the Rhodes. And to be perfectly honest, all three of those teams regularly managed to steal the show on whatever cards they're on to the point where you actually expect the tag title match to be one of the best matches on the cards. Like I said, the quality of the Rhodes vs Real Americans match didn't surprise me, because the tag title picture has just been so good for quite a while now, and people are really underrating it.

So that's why I'm really optimistic for how the tag team division will move forward in 2014. There's a handful of really strong tag teams capable of putting on good matches. While the Shield and the Rhodes won't be together for much longer I would imagine, we still have the Real Americans, the Uso's and the Wyatts to carry the division, plus the Ascension down in NXT. And that's not even including the potential tag teams WWE might create' Woods and Truth, a combination of Bourne/Kidd/Gabriel. So yeah, I'm optimistic about the tag division, it's in better shape now than it's been in several years.

 

[tvcolosi]

You can make arguments about quality on some but as far as numbers go the depth is incredible right now..

Rhodes' (though they probably won't team long after they lose the belts)
Uso's
PTP
Truth and Woods
the American Bulldogs
Real Americans (hmmm, 2 teams with American, hint they could break up soon?)
Sheild
Wyatts
Matadors (silly gimmick but P&E can go) Also, WWE.com still has Primo and Epico on the roster, might hint that they eventually switch back.
3MB (quality JTTS and can put on a good match)
Tons of Funk (they all can't be home runs, see above)

You likely need to put Rey in a team, maybe with Sin Cara again.
Kidd and Gabriel were teaming before Kidd was Hurt
I think Axel would benefit from a tag team, maybe with Miz?

And a few down on the farm like the Assention

 

[lil bitch Kid]

I would love to see both the World Tag Team Championships and the WWE Tag Team Championships again, have one of the belts for up and coming tag teams and teams from NXT give them the chance on TV to show what they can do, and have the other belt as the main tag team championship belts, you could literally throw most people together who arent getting on TV and put them in a feud for the Belts.

NXT has it's own tag titles. Sigh

@tvcolosi, Davey and Eddie teamed as the American Pitbulls, not the American Bulldogs. Personally, I think American Bulldogs would have been a good gimmick because they could have paired Barrett with another Brit for a stint (Regal is said to be a HUGE supporter of Eddie and Davey) because they saw the use of the Bulldogs name as disrespectful.

I forgot about Tons of Funk. Frankly, maybe the E has as well. Any word if someone is hurt? I would have loved an old school 5 teams vs 5 teams SS match tomorrow where you get eliminated when your partner does. It was always impressive seeing 18 guys on the apron with two working. In order to keep Wyatts vs Punk and Braysn they could have done 4 teams vs 4 teams and could have done Shield, 3MB, Real Americans and debut of the Ascension vs Rhodes', Usos. Matadors and PTP.

 

[tvcolosi]

@tvcolosi, Davey and Eddie teamed as the American Pitbulls, not the American Bulldogs. Personally, I think American Bulldogs would have been a good gimmick because they could have paired Barrett with another Brit for a stint (Regal is said to be a HUGE supporter of Eddie and Davey) because they saw the use of the Bulldogs name as disrespectful.

oops..Wishful thinking on my part... i do not like when Pit-bulls is used and it does not involve Gary Wolfe. I didn't like Kash and Noble using it either..

 

[tomorugby20]

I think the biggest problem is creative cant decide who is no 1 contender, remember when Hell No had the belts and PTP won the number 1 contender match but never got their shot because Shield came in, I mean fair enough Shield had the momentum but its stuff like that

Same happened with the Usos, got undercut but Rhode-Dust because they were hot at the time, I can understand WWE jumping on whats hot to try and cash in on the reaction but it has an adverse effect on the division.

However the division itself is looking quite healthy
Rhode-Dust
Wyatts
Shield
Real Americans
PTP
Usos
Los Matadores (If you consider them part of the division)
3MB (again as above)

also consider that you have guys who have tagged together in the past who can reignite a team if needs be like

International Airstrike (Kidd and Gabriel)
Kingston and Truth
Kingston and Bourne
Hawkins and Ryder
Henry and Show

They maybe makeshift teams but they work

 

[Mantaur Rodeo Clown]

However the division itself is looking quite healthy
Rhode-Dust
Wyatts
Shield
Real Americans
PTP
Usos
Los Matadores (If you consider them part of the division)
3MB (again as above)

How could you forget the best team in the division, Tons of Funk?

Especially now that Xavier Woods is calling someone's momma without permission.

And you DO. KNOW. THAT.