Save_Us.T_A_G

[Scott Star]

So bear with me, this is my first thread and I'm sure I have lots to learn. If this has been posted or done before, my apologies lol, feel free to move it if need be.

The question I'd like to ask everyone is:

What exactly would you do to save WWE's near extinct tag team division? It's gotta be something more concrete than just "create more tag teams". I was watching some old WWE DVD's from back in the day and I remember when just about every notable name on the roster was in either a team or a faction. The Tag Titles were white hot and every week was a power struggle between teams or factions. Among the notable names of course were powerhouse groups like DX, the Corporation, The Nation of Domination among others.

So, if you were in charge of Creative meetings, what would your plan be to resurrect the tag team division and bring it back to its former glory?

Personally, I'd elaborate on this Unified Tag Team title gimmick they have going on. It's a step in the right direction but its wasted due to the fact that WWE has only three real teams right now. The Hart Dynasty (Not quite established enough in my opinion), Cryme Tyme (Does anyone even still think these two will ever get the titles?) and Legacy, but they're the only team right now that I feel could have a credible run with the belts and even that is questionable. With Edge's injury, Rated Y2J is already out the window and WWE just wiped out the Colons after spending a semi-decent amount of time making them into a legit team. I'd get some storylines rolling surrounding the Tag Titles, like they had back in the day, make the Championships something to pay attention to again. And then of course, get some new people paired together into serious teams. No more randomly thrown together pairs. There are so many possibilities and I've only named just one. So enough from me, let's hear what ya'll have to say!

 

[rkoshouldvewon]

I like this thread.
I would wanna first say that the tag title division suffered the most when two things happened. The brand split and prior to this when WWE would put main event guys in tag teams even if sometimes they worked well. It wouldn't instantly ruin things but it sure didn't help. These teams include Two Man Power Trip, Cena/HBK, Edge and Benoit, Edge and Hogan, etc etc. You can't have put the titles on two legit 'heavyweight's and then expect any of the other tag teams (who generally are smaller guys) to have any real shot in defeating those main event duos.

I may contradict myself when i say this but.. putting the titles on a Jericho and Edge made people pay attention to the tag division. Unlike a Cena/HBK pair, Team Ego (?) can put teams over and have GREAT tag team matches. That wasn't the case for the previous main event duos. It's going to be a loss to the division w/ Edge gone.

Unlike you, I do think Cryme Tyme will eventually win the tag titles. Despite them being overly corny and pretty racially insensitive, they connect with the crowd. That's HUGE. The big thing missing in WWE's tag division the last several years was the lack of crowd connection and investment into the teams. Who gave a damn about Murdoch and Cade, or Kendrick and London or Deuce n Domino? Cryme Tyme's feud with the Hart Dynasty will be something to watch IMO. We know the lineage of the Dynasty and its obvious how different the teams are (on the surface at least). Both teams have had pretty great tag team matches and if WWE were intelligent they wouldn't put the titles on Legacy yet seeing as they're not over at all and there's no one on Raw for them to feud with. Yeah i know they can goto any brand..but how often did you see the Colons on both brands?

I do agree whole heartedly WWE is in dire need of stables/factions. Legacy has been a flop so far, but stables WORK. You can't have them too big (nWo and DX in their later years), but they can make people care about the tag team division and mid-card title picture. As unlikely as it seems right now, I would like to see The Hart Dynasty absorbed into Legacy at one point while kicking out Rhodes or something. Rhodes and Dibase aren't impressive as a tag team so it's better if you'd just kick one out and so both can fight over a singles title while you still maintain a tag team in the stable.

But i think it comes down to hiring new talent that are tag teams. Edge and Christian for example tagged all around before they were hired in WWE. Jannety and HBK. Hardyz. Just stop putting main event guys into tag teams.

 

[I_Like_All_Wrestling]

Well first of all, I'd get more tag teams. Not create teams, get new teams. Real teams, not just two singles guys thrown together as an experiment, because there's nothing for them, or to cut down on sometimes in ring time. I find that it often does not work when you throw two guys together. To be a truly effective tag team like those of the past, you have to have experience working with your partner.

Second, get rid of the idiot double belts. If the belts are unified that means that there is one set tag team titles. There's absolutely no reason for someone to be carrying around 2 belts that mean the same thing...especially when the total number of belts equals the total number of tag teams.

Third, they need to actually give time to grow a feud. With the Colons v. Miz and Morrison they gave them skits and mic time. That is essential to getting a team over.

As for that faction thing, I completely agree that there should be factions. They usually provide the most entertainment. Legacy should have had the belts already but they are booked terribly for some reason.

I don't really see WWE focusing on the tag division though. It's tough to get a team where two guys can stand out. Usually you have one guy who is the star and a sidekick, even if he's a great sidekick he is usually limited. WWE can certainly make more money by having the star go single. Take Edge and Christian for example. While it may have taken some time, imagine the amount WWE if making off of Edge (and could be making off of Christian, or comparing his draw in TNA) - it's certainly more than if you combined them again for a long term tag team.

 

[Rhino]

Back in the old days it wasn't a big deal to be a singles and tag wrestler...thusly the Edge Y2J idea was perfect... take the Koloffs, Tully and Arn,etc... speaking of which the lack of stables also hurts the tag scene immensely... what happened to the stable.. now we're lucky if we get two dudes and a chick

old school fans would remember the Jim Crocket Memorial Cup tag tourny held every year in the old NWA days... dating myself but that was always awesome

 

[rob316]

Jim Crocket Memorial Cup tag tourny held every year... That could work now days to insted of this Breaking Point PPV or Maybe one night on Raw have a Tag Team Tourny it would be good 8 teams elemination tourny. it could be done but would need teams for that not singles huys paired up. I do miss the days of a good tag team match Edge & Christain always my fav team "for those with the benifit of flash photography" was awesome

 

[samus500]

what i would do is do something like WCW did for battlebowl in which u take singles stars that have nothing else slated for them, and pair them together. first just test it out on house shows, and see how much the crowd is buying into the team, and either give it the go-ahead or send it to the scrap heap. Finally, bring it to TV/PPV, and start a tourney for the titles to bring a little more credibility for the championship. Some good tag teams have been established nontraditionally like booker t and goldust, Rated RKO, and Miz and Morrison. After a good while together, they could grow into a well respected tag team like those mentioned above, and it wont leave the division lacking if/when injuries occur

Also they need to stop breaking up established tag teams when there is obviously a shortage of them in the division. they got rid of miz and morrison, theres gonna be a breakup of the colons, and edge is out with injury. Honestly, the only 2 teams left in contention are Legacy and the Hart Dynasty (i dont include cryme tyme due to being more of a comedy act than wrestlers). Now watch the colons reach no higher than midcard and get into pointless feuds that go nowhere.

 

[wewanttables]

First, they should at least eliminate "ECW only" talent if not ending brands. That would allow more talent to be able to team together because the 23 people ECW would be thought of as one of the major brand's talent. Also, why do wrestlers not debut as the tag partner to a more established talent? I really have no clue why Shemaus did not debut teaming with Finley; why Reks did not team with Ryder. This allows wrestlers to not have to carry their on match for a little while.

One thing that would also help would be another show (WWE is trying for a Wednesday show). This would allow more time for less developed talent to be on tv. Get them on tv when they are comfy in FCW. They have another wrestler that has some experience to help 1) get them over 2) and to keep the newbies from doing too much.

You have guys like Ryder, Hawkins, Jessie, Finley, Golddust, and Benjamin that this would benifit while sharing their experience. It would also explain why new people show up on a show. "Hey, I am Tyler Reks and I am Hawkin's new tag team partner."

So closing. WWE needs another Superstar-like show and they need to have their experienced wrestlers that are not going anywhere tag with new wrestlers so that we know why these new guys are there.

Cody Rhodes America's Dream, WWE's Nightmare

 

[Spillz3000]

I agree debut new teams together instead of throwing random people together. Also give your tag teams names instead of saying so and so with so and so. Stop breaking up Tag Teams after they lose the tag titles. Make them hungry and want to work hard to get the Tag Titles back(This is why Beer Money Inc. is an over tag team in TNA). I mean I really hope WWE has a plan to make Carlito and Primo into bankable singles stars but it seems like they'll be stuck in mid card hell so what's the point.

 

[CH David]

One thing that would also help would be another show (WWE is trying for a Wednesday show). This would allow more time for less developed talent to be on tv. Get them on tv when they are comfy in FCW. They have another wrestler that has some experience to help 1) get them over 2) and to keep the newbies from doing too much.

This idea right here, another show, is the dumbest thing I have heard in quite a while. They already run 4 shows a week, 5 if you include pay per view weeks. Not to mention house shows. Please show me where they said they were trying to get another show and I will shut up about it. ECW is the show where the talent from FCW goes. Not everyone now needs to be in a tag division to start their career. Sure it helps some out, but not always.

Now onto the question at hand. Yes new teams are a factor, but they also need to be given time in the spotlight. Going only as far back as 2000, tag teams were in an abundance. They were given a chance to shine and gave us some of the most memorable tag team matches ever. Tag Team Tables at Rumble 2000, Triple Ladder at Mania in 2000, and first two TLC matches. Now Vince doesn't care about the tag team division. If he did, would he have made the Title Unification match a dark match? All he truly cares about is the World Titles. Hell there was a time when the Intercontinental Title was main eventing and people truly cared about that title. Doesn't mean as much now as it did then. But I digress.

So yes, the division needs some legit new teams, but they also need to be given time to succeed. Until that happens, we get a bunch of thrown together teams being shown for maybe 8 minutes a show, and we should be wowed by that? No. The writers, and Vince, should focus on the tag division and the mid-card, and get some interesting feuds going. It won't happen anytime soon though, so don't get your hopes up.

Just to clarify, there needs to be some legit tag teams, they need to be put on tv for more than just an 8 minute match with a commercia breakl in it. The writers need to give the teams some background on each feud, instead of just you have the titles and I want them. Make some feuds personal, and Vince just needs to give a damn about the division. But like I said, it probably won't happen any time soon.

 

[Wakers]

To revive the tag team division in WWE - bring the Dudleys back and have them feud with Jericho/Diggler.

Invest some time into the rivalry, give them a main event tag match for the titles, and within a month people will be interested in it.

 

[klunderbunker]

I think it's very close to make more tag teams, but I'd go with this: make more teams that have something in common. There's almost no gimmick teams anymore. Today it's normally just two guys being thrown together and being called a team. You need more than three teams for a division as well. back int he late 80s which I see as the glory days of tag wrestling, there were enough teams for a ten team Survivor Series match. That's 20 guys that were strictly tag wrestlers. With the amount of people on the roster today, that shouldn't be hard to come up with. I would say the solution is to drop some of the realism and be more gimmicky. Give us teams like the Killer Bees, the Rougeaus, the Bulldogs, etc.

 

[DDelaware2009]

Bring the Dudleys back? Seriously?

I think the whole idea of "throwing to maineventers together" is lost on some people here...

A guy like Edge benefits, because quite frankly he was in the main-event scene for over a year and had run his course. It gives his character new direction, and benefits the credibility of the tag division. A symbiotic relationship, if you will.

I think what people DON'T want is the Cena-HBK or Cena-Batista team-ups that last a week or a month and cheapen the legitimacy of the tag division only for the gain of the main event scene.

On the other hand, if its a long term investment, then it will work. In '02 when we had the original "SmackDown Six", Edge and Rey Mysterio were teaming up to battle with the Guerreros and another seemingly "random" team, Benoit and Angle. Yet no one complained. Quality wrestling + storyline investment = success. No one was crapped on by creative, so it worked. Benoit and Angle were feuding but were forced to work together, and within the feud, alot of importance was placed on the belts.

Edge and Jericho could have really helped created another situation like this, but now we will never know. I think we just have to be careful not to pigeon-hole different ideas and say they should "NEVER" do this (ie. team up main-event guys) and "ALWAYS" do this (bring in ready-made tag teams with full identities).

I always felt like one brand (preferably the one with the IC belt) should focus on a strong singles mid-card and the other brand should base its midcard around its Tag division. The US belt could be more of a fun belt, with gimmick stuff and comedy stuff. Sure it may create a hierarchy (IC>US) or endanger the belt of becoming equivalent of the European Title (think Attitude Era, not before), but on the other hand it would allow each title to take on its own unique identity, which I think its important.