Tag Titles Non-Exclusively Exclusive?

[Viola Moonlight]

The WWE merged their WWE and World tag title belts to form the Unified Tag Team Championships in order to revive their tag team division. One of the perks to this merging was that these titles could travel between RAW, SD! and ECW (now defunct) and they could defend against any set of challengers. Chris Jericho and the Big Show did an excellent job of raising the credibility of those titles and it took everyone involved to higher levels. Jericho won the WHC, Big Show became relevant again, Edge had a storyline to return to and every challenger to the titles were made to look good.

Fast forward to the present and The Hart Dynasty are the reigning champions... only featured on the RAW brand. Ever since being drafted, they have yet to make any appearance on the SD brand whatsoever, something that previous champions did on a regular basis. My question is, why aren't the Tag Team Championships featured on the SD brand and just exclusive to RAW?

Okay, they've got a feud with The Uso's at the moment and I respect that. But when Jericho/Show had a feud with their challengers, they'd show up on the other brand and wrestled other stars. What is preventing them from showing up on SD? Bus fare prices too high? They've got a plethora of stars over there that need some exposure and taking on the champs will give them credibility.

EDIT: Not sure if this was supposed to be in the RAW section or the SD section. My apologies in advance

 

[Nate DaMac]

Well to be fair, there aren't very many tag teams to offer on Smackdown. You have The Dudebusters or whatever, and Vance Archer & Curt Hawkins. Now I could see THD going over to Smackdown and having a match with The Dudebusters, but Vance and Curt seem to have a different agenda at the moment, they're just working together in an effort to keep their spots on the roster. It doesn't seem like the Tag Titles are really in their crosshairs.

After THD finishes up the feud going on with The Usos, maybe they should fuck around on Smackdown for a little. They could always squash a couple of makeshift teams. But right now, I understand the reasoning for them staying exclusively on Raw until they get some actual Tag Team competition on Smackdown.

 

[The Doctor]

Hmm, let's see. There are two teams on SD, and they are Hawkeye and the Dudebusters. The Hart Dynasty are on the RAW Brand, so of course they're going to be there. They're also in a feud with fellow RAW team The Uso's. The champs are busy, so that's why they're on the almost-teamless Smackdown.

It's not that difficult. Hawkeye and the Dudebusters will get their chances. Be patient.

 

[Sora/roxas]

They should at least show up on smackdown every once in a while. Give teams the chance to face them and maybe earn a spot as the next number one contenders

 

[Viola Moonlight]

Hmm, let's see. There are two teams on SD, and they are Hawkeye and the Dudebusters. The Hart Dynasty are on the RAW Brand, so of course they're going to be there. They're also in a feud with fellow RAW team The Uso's. The champs are busy, so that's why they're on the almost-teamless Smackdown.

It's not that difficult. Hawkeye and the Dudebusters will get their chances. Be patient.

I wasn't speaking specifically of challengers. I was asking as to why they aren't being featured on SmackDown like the other teams have done. They don't have to face Hawkeye or the Dudebusters at all. They can go against some singles heel stars that aren't doing anything in particular and give them some air time. Cody Rhodes, a former tag team champion, can do well against matches with Tyson Kidd.

Hell, Natalya could really help out the Diva's division on SD with the lack of faces at the moment, considering Phoenix will be out for a while and Kelly has some minor injuries inflicted to her could turn into something more.

 

[The Doctor]

Because they're busy. Jerishow only appeared on Smackdown when they had challengers (like Cryme Tyme) that they were going to face. Hart Dynasty aren't stars like Jericho or Show, they were drafted to RAW, they're in a feud with a RAW team, and they have no reason to be on Smackdown. Hence, they don't go to Smackdown!

Stop being silly.

 

[kris8524]

The tag titles havent really been showcases on smackdown since they were unified, excet for a few time by jerishow, and a couple of you have said the Hart Dynasty are raw superstars, but I am almost positive that Nataly is the only one who got drafted to smackdown, I believe that they were trying to stack the deck early on RAW to go against TNA without really even putting out much effort. That didnt last long, but now they will be going up against MNF when the season starts and that is by far more competition, sadly, than TNA was. So, I believe that they will continue with the titles being showcased on RAW threw-out the football season. Also, it gives the titles more exposure because more people see RAW.

 

[RKOx7]

I wasn't speaking specifically of challengers. I was asking as to why they aren't being featured on SmackDown like the other teams have done. They don't have to face Hawkeye or the Dudebusters at all. They can go against some singles heel stars that aren't doing anything in particular and give them some air time. Cody Rhodes, a former tag team champion, can do well against matches with Tyson Kidd.

Hell, Natalya could really help out the Diva's division on SD with the lack of faces at the moment, considering Phoenix will be out for a while and Kelly has some minor injuries inflicted to her could turn into something more.

Also I'd like to point out the fact that Chris Jericho was a SmackDown! superstar, obligated to appear on SmackDown! at the time of his title reign while Big Show was a RAW superstar. Wasn't their a whole big deal with DX trying to get rid of Jericho, and because he didn't have the tag titles anymore he couldn't go to RAW.

My guess as to why the Unified Tag Titles are [for now] exclusively appearing on RAW besides the fact that Hart Dynasty is comprised of RAW superstars. They are currently in a very interesting back and forth feud with the Uso's and to go to SmackDown! would not really help their feud, it just wouldn't make sense.

As far as SmackDown! contenders go, I made a thread regarding SES and the possibility for them to obtain gold, and I read somewhere they actually recently attacked Hart Dynasty at some house show, so fear not, it may be not so exclusive sooner than you think

 

[ccotreau1]

At first I was thinking the same thing as the original poster, but it was more or less thinking of what will happen after the feud between THD and the Usos. Right now, I like the fact you don't see them on both shows, even though it is a title that can be defended on both shows. And like people have said before, there are only 4 true teams in the WWE, THD, the Usos, The Dudebusters and Archer/Hawkins. I know I am not counting SES because they don't really team up and wrestle tag matches, right now its more Luke/Serena following CM Punk around like a pack of dogs following their owner

 

[The Gribbler]

I actually thought the champions appearing on both shows risked overexposure. Let them get over on RAW for a feud, then move to smackdown then back to RAW etc.

Too much of a good thing is a bad thing

Just My Opinion

 

[Nate DaMac]

I wasn't speaking specifically of challengers. I was asking as to why they aren't being featured on SmackDown like the other teams have done. They don't have to face Hawkeye or the Dudebusters at all. They can go against some singles heel stars that aren't doing anything in particular and give them some air time. Cody Rhodes, a former tag team champion, can do well against matches with Tyson Kidd.

Well I think putting Cody in a random tag match would kind of hurt his current push, but I get where you're going with this. Just put them on Smackdown against random tandems from time to time just to give the Smackdown roster a little credit. I mean, it does seem like a bit of a slight toward the other brand if you hold the Tag Titles exclusively to Raw.

Hell, Natalya could really help out the Diva's division on SD with the lack of faces at the moment, considering Phoenix will be out for a while and Kelly has some minor injuries inflicted to her could turn into something more.

There's one problem with this; Natalya isn't a Tag Champ, therefore she shouldn't be allowed to compete on both brands at will. I know the brand lines are usually pretty vague, but this seems pretty clear cut. Besides, Laycool are doing just fine keeping the Divas on Smackdown in tact, despite all Women's Wrestling being awful.

 

[Dave]

I actually agree with you, FalKon.

If you look at the people who have held those title, you have often seen them being on both shows. Whilst they may be feuding with people on the Raw brand, they have still showed face on Smackdown, even if it is in just a throw away match. Over the last few months, the Tag Team Championship have been becoming more and more exclusive to Raw. Hell, I can’t even remember the last time I saw them being defended on Smackdown. To me, that is a little unfair on some of the Smackdown talent who could really use a look-in. The Dudebusters look like a pretty good talent on Smackdown, so give them a look at the Championships and give them something to aim for. Right now, the Smackdown Tag Team Division seems to be a non-entity and something needs to be done to remedy that.

You are right, The Hart Dynasty haven’t been on Smackdown for a long time and I feel as though that is hurting the competition over on Smackdown. I remember when Triple H and Shawn Michaels held the Championships and they came over to Smackdown for one night. The commentators made this sound like a massive deal but these guys are supposed to be there! When you are holding those Championships, you are to be expected to wrestle on both brands and that is something that seems to have been lost over the last few months as The Hart Dynasty feud with the Uso’s.

Don’t get me wrong, I feel as though these two teams could really do something worthwhile with the Championships and have had a really good feud thus far. However, I would like to see some of the Smackdown talent getting a fair crack of the whip and whilst they may not win them, I would like their trials and tribulations on Smackdown to be actually worth something and have an endgame like the Tag Team Championships. Right now, the division on Smackdown has no aim or direction and by defending the Championships over there, we could see it come to life a bit more.

 

[Viola Moonlight]

There's one problem with this; Natalya isn't a Tag Champ, therefore she shouldn't be allowed to compete on both brands at will. I know the brand lines are usually pretty vague, but this seems pretty clear cut. Besides, Laycool are doing just fine keeping the Divas on Smackdown in tact, despite all Women's Wrestling being awful.

Actually Nate, when you get down to the technicalities, Natalya would be allowed to travel between brands alongside Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith. There are a few reasons that support this theory:

1) The Hart Dynasty are the champions. Yes, Kidd and Smith won the titles, but they officially announce the team as the HD, a team which Natalya is apart of. This is a long shot, I know, but there are loopholes.

2) She's their manager. The HD can easily convince anyone that she manages the team and by rights must accompany them to wherever they go. Since she has wrestling experience, there can be the chance that she is allowed to wrestle.

3) Previous managers have done it. Hornswoggle for DX when they were champions, so why can't Natalya? I'm sure Teddy Long won't mind.


But back on the initial point, I see some sense in what I originally posted. The Hart Dynasty shouldn't be featured regularly on SD and RAW simultaneously, but they shouldn't just be featured on the one brand all the time and not for the other. There needs to be some sort of middle ground where every once in a while the HD, or any other team for that matter, should go over to the brand their not focused on and compete. They're champions and anyone in a match against a champion automatically gives that superstar some credibility, even if it's a squash. Why not utilise this opportunity?

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

I do agree with you...Jeri-Show did an excellent job of it...

I think the answer to your question is...Hart Dynasty aren't as big as the previous champions...e.g. Jeri-Show and DX...They are household names and main eventers...whereas Hart Dynasty aren't...
I do think Hart Dynasty should go to Smackdown maybe every other week and maybe pick up a small feud with Archer & Hawkins..maybe it could lead to a 3-way tag title match at SummerSlam..it could be good for the tag titles...
But like I said...Jeri-Show went to Smackdown and just used to rant..i think it was easier for them because they were heels...and also Hart Dynasty, it will take them longer to get their name properly around...

 

[Ferbian]

Doc said it perfectly, it's because the champions are on RAW, the Uso's whom they're feuding with is on RAW, so I don't see the need to appear on SmackDown for it.

Besides Jeri-Show appeared on RAW due to the split brand between the partners Jericho being on Smackdown and Jericho being on RAW.

So really unless The Hart Dynasty starts feuding with a tag team on SmackDown, there's no need for them to be appearing on there, because they do enough representing of the championships on RAW.

And to top it off, none of the tag teams on SmackDown has done anything to make them remotely legitimate in terms of contending for the championships, the Uso's have thus far by actually laying out the champions, as opposed to The Dudebusters who gets laid out, and Curt Hawkins and Vance Archer who has been laying out singles competitors and winning a few tag team matches, which is hardly enough to get a championship match.