Why isnt WWE using tag teams?

[osborne79]

I thought WWE was on a youth phase, trying to push superstars fast and effectively, what better way topush superstars by creating a credible tag team division, you can push two instead of one superstars, they dont have to be limited to the tag team gold.
Think you could have a great tag division with these teams:
DZP: Primo and Zack Ryder
Kane and Big Show ( both are slowing down)
Rey and Edge ( both are slowing down)
Nexus
Corre
Santino and Koslov
Usos
Khali and Henry
Swagger and Cody Rhodes
William Regal and Goldust
HHH and Undertaker ( just for a while to stall takers ring time until mania)

 

[Teddy Irving]

Vince doesn't like tag team wrestling that is why it isn't done.
This has been discussed repeatedly and it has always been the same reason why it's not done. If he wanted to push tag teams again I am sure he could do it quite well but he would have to build up the divison again. He is well capable of doing so but he doesn't want to

 

[osborne79]

but why close it off, im sure if they can put a 5 min diva match on every week they could do the same for tag teams

 

[cm ben]

Vince doesn't like tag team wrestling that is why it isn't done.

yeah... i think that's true. going in one step deeper, though, why doesn't vince like tag teams?

marketing, i think. tag teams can't make as much money as individual stars. john cena, for example, is way more marketable than really any tag team. cena has taken on monsters-umaga, the great khali, the nexus-would a storyline like this be as compelling when two wrestlers are involved? not really--it's not as big of a feat for two guys to take down a monster.

merchandise comes into play, too--buying an action figure with one superstar is probably cheaper/more affordable to produce than buying a double-set tag-team combo pack. t-shirts are even more exemplary of this problem with tag teams; can tag teams really consistently create compelling enough storylines to provoke people to want to wear them on their chests? what if the tag team breaks up? is your t shirt still 'releveant?'

so yeah. i think the reason why wwe doesn't push tag teams more is because they're harder to make money off of.

 

[Jay85]

Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Edge and Christian all started out in the tag division. A tag team helps young guys because they don't have to be a total package to look good. One may talk and one may be a better wrestle. They can play off of each other to improve. But, like someone already posted, if Vince doesn't like it, than it doesn't matter.

 

[Rayne]

Because people, in general, don't care about tag team wrestling. Professional wrestling has become personality driven, and two people don't have 'a' personality to sell. It's easier to take two people, throw them together for a tag championship run against a bunch of teams that merely exist, then break them up, have the blowoff match and move one of them to Smackdown.

This blows people's minds on here, but Vince McMahon isn't some braindead emperor guiding his company based on his whims. The WWE does market research to help discern what will sell and what won't. Tag team wrestling doesn't sell anymore; even look at TNA's tag division. Two to three passable tag teams, depending on who's hurt, a whole crapload of filler, and people try and tell you that it's a revolution in the field.

 

[Ultra Awesome]

The problem with the tag-team division is that it's just not as popular as it once was. Tag team wrestling is just not the same kind of draw that single's wrestling is. Nowadays, people will gladly prefer to see a singles match over a tag team match.

As such, one of the main reasons that tag team wrestling is unable to get any better in the WWE is because quite frankly, the WWE doesn't even care about it. I'm sure, that if the WWE were to put a decent amount of effort into pushing for tag-teams, then we'd be talking a different story. However, seeing as how the WWE has no intention on improving it's tag-division, then there is no point to us theorizing about how there should be more tag-teams.

The above added to the fact that Tag-team just doesn't sell as much as single's wrestling is exactly why the tag-teams in WWE are almost non-existant.

 

[rkonextphenom]

the only way people get jazzed about tag teams is if its near a ppv and its packed full of main event super stars! im sure will see examples of tbis as wrestlemania looms closer!

i with ya in that i miss the glory days of tag teams and all the fun that comes along with it! i agree with posts that say vince dosnt like it and why should he the money is in the main event guys like cena orton hhh taker and the lot.

i wish tag teams were more legitimate nowadays because there are many superstars who would credible teams. but if wishes came true than i wish the wwe title no long said "champ"

 

[Teddy Irving]

Tag team wrestling can and does make money when marketed properly. Anybody remember where the whole concept of tlc came from in wwe? The amazing matchs put on by the three teams involved. Which then moved up to 4 teams. Even putting two big stars together works. The 2 man power trip, the brothers of destruction.
Tag team wrestling could make money if Vince was bothered with it, he isn't and therefore it doesn't.
cm ben- honestly i think tag team merch can sell look at the hardyz they use to sell a crazy amount of stuff as a team and then jeff as an individual.
If vince wanted to bring back the tag division he would do so and as for tna's tag division Rayne it is really superb remember mcmg v beer money fued best of 5? TNA care about the tag division so it is good wwe does not so it is bad

 

[themegapowers]

yeah... i think that's true. going in one step deeper, though, why doesn't vince like tag teams?

marketing, i think. tag teams can't make as much money as individual stars. john cena, for example, is way more marketable than really any tag team. cena has taken on monsters-umaga, the great khali, the nexus-would a storyline like this be as compelling when two wrestlers are involved? not really--it's not as big of a feat for two guys to take down a monster.

merchandise comes into play, too--buying an action figure with one superstar is probably cheaper/more affordable to produce than buying a double-set tag-team combo pack. t-shirts are even more exemplary of this problem with tag teams; can tag teams really consistently create compelling enough storylines to provoke people to want to wear them on their chests? what if the tag team breaks up? is your t shirt still 'releveant?'

so yeah. i think the reason why wwe doesn't push tag teams more is because they're harder to make money off of.

I was speaking to a friend about this the other day and the poster above came to the same conclusions as us, think about it in and towards the end of the attitude era, what Tag Teams did you have?

Edge and Chrisitian
Dudley Boyz
Hardy Boyz
The APA
Too Cool

These teams were built up by VKM and people bought their mechendise, you used to see people wearing these tshirts, hell even I had a E&C t-shirt, however these days you wouldn't see anyone wearing an Uso's t-shirt, Why? (Apart from the fact they outright suck) becuase they are used as a filler, it's the reason, I belive, that Tamina was moved to "SantiLov"

Speaking of the tag champs, what promotion in this current climate would have two, lower midcarders as there Tag Team Champions? Wouldn't it make more sense to put it on two young guys, i.e Gabriel and Slater.

However I belive Vince does still use the Tag Team division to build certain stars, just think we had MNM which produced John Morrison, The Miz and Jomo which helped both of them, Legacy, you've got Ted and Cody and are both now established stars, even Spirit Squad which produced Dolph Ziggler, so Tag Teams are used by Vince, they just aren't shoved down our throat like they used to be, the reason? Vince desn't need too anymore!

 

[Rayne]

Tag team wrestling can and does make money when marketed properly. Anybody remember where the whole concept of tlc came from in wwe? The amazing matchs put on by the three teams involved. Which then moved up to 4 teams. Even putting two big stars together works. The 2 man power trip, the brothers of destruction.
Tag team wrestling could make money if Vince was bothered with it, he isn't and therefore it doesn't.
cm ben- honestly i think tag team merch can sell look at the hardyz they use to sell a crazy amount of stuff as a team and then jeff as an individual.
If vince wanted to bring back the tag division he would do so and as for tna's tag division Rayne it is really superb remember mcmg v beer money fued best of 5? TNA care about the tag division so it is good wwe does not so it is bad

Any time anyone ever claims that TNA's tag division isn't the greatest thing ever, someone brings up the best of 5 series. Yes, I remember the best of 5 series. One good set of matches does not a style of wrestling make. Just been successful tag teams in the past does not mean that tag team wrestling is a hidden beacon of profitability today. Look at the teams you've mentioned- none of them were established within the past 10 years. Tag team wrestling in general hasn't been a draw for a long time; just because it was once doesn't mean it can be today.

For the record, the TLC matches weren't really all that amazingly wrestled. They were spotfests with metal objects in front of an audience which hadn't seen that kind of match before, which made it novel to them. What sold the match was the character driven interactions between the three teams prior to the matches, not the actual wrestling during the match.

 

[Sparky]

putting wrestlers they want to build up in tag teams rarely ever work. They wanted dibiase to be the break out star out of him and cody rhodes and it backfired. Having people start out in tag teams only screws shit up, and yeah some great tag teams might come out of it, but they always seem to get stuck in tag teams. You don't get a chance to truely shine unless you get to do a few one on one matches. Because there is always the risk of getting looked over because of your team mates.

 

[UltimateHitman]

If done properly, tag teams could work. It's been proven in the past, it would be proven again.

How many tag teams are still talked about today, or have produced mega-singles competitors? Hart Foundation, Demolition, Road Warriors, The Rockers, Can-Am Connection, the Rockers, Rock and Roll Express, Midnight Express, the Blade Runners (Sting and Warrior), the British Bulldogs, the list goes on, and on, and on, and...

And what about the popular ones later on? You had, in the attitude era, all the ones previously listed by one poster and also: New Age Outlaws/DX, Rock and Sock Connection, LOD back on the scene, Austin/Michaels, any two members of a faction, etc.

Tag team wrestling can be compelling and have compelling story lines. It's all about how much time you want to invest and how much you care about it. It could be a little harder in today's market because it's mostly a singles market now, but it could be done. A prime example is Santino/Kozlov. Love them or hate them, they were given a story, some build, and came together in a way that made sense and gave the people a reason to love them and be interested in them. Other guys have just been thrown together for apparently no reason at all. Give them a common goal or agenda or enemy and build it up, it's not difficult.

And speaking of the Usos, the reason they're not really over as a team is because they haven't done much w/them. I mean, really, have they done a bunch of angry, spiteful promo work? Have they done anything really heel-ish besides generic, vanilla heel actions? No. They don't stand out because they haven't done anything to stand out. Give them a nasty streak that knows no end and have them jumping random people (for the "thug" image), insulting/threatening fans, etc. etc., and see if they elicit more of a response. I'll bet they would.

 

[Chadmw]

My main reason on why Tag teams division sucks in the WWE, is us the fans. These days as soon as a tag team comes, the fans start asking, "Oh when are they going to break up", "Who's going to become the Janetty"

I also blame the Rockers. Before the Rockers did the major breakup on TV, tag teams stuck together for a long time, and if they did go solo, it wans't due to them feuding. Look at when the Hart Foundation kind of broke up and Bret started his solo career. They had Neidhard come out and say "Bret is still my partner, but for now he must fight is on battle"

Before the Rockers break up you had teams that stuck together for years. Hart Foundation, LOD, Demolition, Powers of pain, British Bulldogs, The Brain Busters, the Islanders. Just all great tag teams from the 80's and early 90's that never needed to break up,

Now you have the WWE already breaking up teams to quickly, no way the new Hart Foundation should have been seperated, and now there are talks of breaking up the USO's, how stupid would that be.

The reason the Uso's aren't over is that after there feud with the Hart Foundation they basically disappeared.

 

[steveroper138]

you also have to look at it like this, there were alot of teams that got major pushes as teams, but individually they couldnt acomplish anything on there own, legacy, kendrick and london, la resistance, were all amazing teams but alone went know where.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Personally, I can't imagine how anybody can simply say that tag teams don't work. Tag teams 'work' on every level the same way as correct usage of any wrestling staple works - if the correct work is put into it.

Twiddle me this, twiddle me that... would Miz be World Champion now if not for the tag combo's of Miz and Morrison (people still decry that their match with the Colons was bumped to the pre show at Mania) and Show-Miz?

When Shawn Michaels and HHH reformed DX, was it a faction? Bollocks - it was a tag team and was the most over thing in WWe, sold some merchandise if I remember correctly to!

Lets 'cross the line' and have a look at TNA. Beer Money - it is a great discussion at the moment about the potential of Robert Roode and to a lesser extent James Storm, but the last time these two guys were singles competitors Roode was a Michael Wallstreet knockoff and Storme was having drinking competitions with EY.

MMG? Alex Shelley was Kevin Nash's camera man and Chris Sabin a forgotten man due to the AJ/ Joe/ Daniels X feud.

Let's move to RoH/ Indies, who is talked about most these days? A new Daniels or Maguinness? Nope, most buzz from the Independent scene is about the Kings of Wrestling, the Briscoes, even the Worlds Greatest Tag Team get more talk now than they have had in some time (including their final contributions to the E).

History (a brief overview), pick a legend from the RnRWrestling period on who has never been associated with a tag team. Hogan? The MegaPowers. Austin? The Hollywood Blonds. Rock? Rock N Sock. Cena is pretty much the only guy who can't be associated with a tag partner.

Tag teams are an integral part of wrestling or sports entertainment if you must. They build up stars (Michaels, Bret, Miz) and are a great filler for underutilised headliners (DX, JeriShow, ShowMiz). I don't think Vince has given up on tag wrestling, he is just missing two over teams to reinvigorate it (and no offence to Santino or Kozlov, comedy champs don't count).

 

[Teddy Irving]

Any time anyone ever claims that TNA's tag division isn't the greatest thing ever, someone brings up the best of 5 series. Yes, I remember the best of 5 series. One good set of matches does not a style of wrestling make. Just been successful tag teams in the past does not mean that tag team wrestling is a hidden beacon of profitability today. Look at the teams you've mentioned- none of them were established within the past 10 years. Tag team wrestling in general hasn't been a draw for a long time; just because it was once doesn't mean it can be today.

For the record, the TLC matches weren't really all that amazingly wrestled. They were spotfests with metal objects in front of an audience which hadn't seen that kind of match before, which made it novel to them. What sold the match was the character driven interactions between the three teams prior to the matches, not the actual wrestling during the match.

To be fair the best of 5 series isn't the only time there tag division has been good. All the matchs between beer money and mcmg are great. MCMG v gen me are good aswell. The tag teams are cared about in tna and that is why there division works. My point wasn't that the match was great it was that the match showed how much the teams involved cared about being champions. It showed how important the titles were and how important the division was.

 

[Rayne]

To be fair the best of 5 series isn't the only time there tag division has been good. All the matchs between beer money and mcmg are great. MCMG v gen me are good aswell. The tag teams are cared about in tna and that is why there division works. My point wasn't that the match was great it was that the match showed how much the teams involved cared about being champions. It showed how important the titles were and how important the division was.

Right. Exactly like I said, TNA has 2-3 good tag teams, depending on who's hurt, and a bunch of filler. What do they have beyond those three? London Brawling? Ink Inc? Just because they have 3 good tag teams doesn't mean they have a great division. They have the best tag team division currently on extended cable. That doesn't mean it's anything revolutionary or special.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

It's quite simple... Tag teams mean contracts x 2 - Negotiations x 2 and the potential for a great team to be held to ransom, screwed by one member either wanting more cash, a singles push or getting hurt. Vince got burned badly with guys like Road Warriors and The Steiners and tag teaming really is a case of diminishing returns... Nostalgia says we want E&C to ride again... but if it means paying both guys a shed load of money when he can just pay 2 smaller salaries seperately it makes more sense. Would an E&C return draw enough to justify the extra money? probably not... and thats the reason. Trips will likely bring it back... but till he does, get used to it.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

It's quite simple... Tag teams mean contracts x 2 - Negotiations x 2 and the potential for a great team to be held to ransom, screwed by one member either wanting more cash, a singles push or getting hurt. Vince got burned badly with guys like Road Warriors and The Steiners and tag teaming really is a case of diminishing returns... Nostalgia says we want E&C to ride again... but if it means paying both guys a shed load of money when he can just pay 2 smaller salaries seperately it makes more sense. Would an E&C return draw enough to justify the extra money? probably not... and thats the reason. Trips will likely bring it back... but till he does, get used to it.

I'm slightly confused here... yes, in the past, we had major tag teams like the LOD and the Steiners but they had sway because they came from the number 2 promotion WCW. The 'big' tag teams today are in the way distant 2nd TNA (who only have two teams they might want and realistically probably only one - Beer Money), any other tag teams of note are in the indies. Considering the Young Bucks were getting peanuts until recently to wrestle for TNA, I don't think big money contracts is a problem anymore. E&C are under contract to WWe - Vince/ Steph/ HHH can do whatever they want with them; put them in a tag team, put them in a feud, have them never see each other on TV, anything. There may be many reasons why WWe have lost interest in tag teams but contractual problems is definitely not one.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

That is an example... but creating great teams takes alarge investment in airtime and money... Edge and Christian worked together for years before WWE and pretty much came in together... but now, with Edge coming to the end of his deal and time in WWE, it would be a risk to hang a 'mania on their reunion.

Transplant their rise to a team like Miz and Morrison or The Hart Dynasty, people nearing the end of deals can jump ship or make demands if they are over enough... Vince famously wanted to make Scott a major player to feud with Bret in 93/94, but Scott refused unless Rick got the same cash as him... Hawk and Vince had numerous problems over money throughout the years... and it often scuppered well laid plans and led to the LOD's numerous tenures.

Singles wrestlers are far easier and cheaper to develop, happier to take smaller increments on salary and take up less precious airtime.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

That is an example... but creating great teams takes alarge investment in airtime and money... Edge and Christian worked together for years before WWE and pretty much came in together... but now, with Edge coming to the end of his deal and time in WWE, it would be a risk to hang a 'mania on their reunion.

Transplant their rise to a team like Miz and Morrison or The Hart Dynasty, people nearing the end of deals can jump ship or make demands if they are over enough... Vince famously wanted to make Scott a major player to feud with Bret in 93/94, but Scott refused unless Rick got the same cash as him... Hawk and Vince had numerous problems over money throughout the years... and it often scuppered well laid plans and led to the LOD's numerous tenures.

Singles wrestlers are far easier and cheaper to develop, happier to take smaller increments on salary and take up less precious airtime.

But they had a bargaining chip - WCW. That doesn't hold water now, TNA might pay good money to established wrestlers but they still don't come close to WWe where a prominent place on the WM card means more money in royalties than you'll get from Dixie in a year. Nobody can play hard ball with Vince anymore because he has no fear of competition.

And airtime? Are you telling me that Miz occupied more airtime as tag champ than anytime since he won the US belt, or that more money was spent on development - as he would say himself "Really? Really?" Mr Mizarin has been on our screens much more as a singles guy than a tag specialist. Generally in the E now tags are two known guys, no development needed. Even if they are an established team (like say the Briscoes), one set of vignettes is required - if they were singles wrestlers, two sets of vignettes would be required.

 

[DeathClutch]

Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Edge and Christian all started out in the tag division. A tag team helps young guys because they don't have to be a total package to look good. One may talk and one may be a better wrestle. They can play off of each other to improve. But, like someone already posted, if Vince doesn't like it, than it doesn't matter.

Tag team wrestling is WWE's biggest way to released and best with future endevours.

Vince doesn't care for tag wrestling you need to remember before the Attitude era tag wrestling was bad, apart from the odd tag team the more credible tag teams were put together teams, HBK/Diesel, Owen Hart/Yokozuna, Owen Hart/British Bulldog, the rest were hooky pooky tag teams with gimmicks, Smoking Guns being the cream of the crop (and that is saying how bad the tag division was back then).

Come late 97, WWE used the put together formula and hit magic (New Age Outlaws) and pretty much THEY sparked the tag division up but yet again they only had LOD to feud with which got tidious after 2 or 3 matches.
While this was happening you had jobber tag team called The hardys working their way up, Edge forging a singles career until his best friend joined WWE, and Dudley were causing havoc in ECW and by the end of 99 Edge/Christian and the hardys were looked in the TIT (Terri Invertational Tournament) basically a joke but WORKED and WWE capitolized on the teams hardcore style, fast paced style mixed with the Dudleys and you had some exciting TV.

come 2001 Dudleys, Hardys and Edge and Christian ALL agreed their matches had ran their course they couldn't really top WrestleMania X7 and felt the need to break away and do their own thing, Matt Hardy won the European Championship, Edge won the King of the Ring, Jeff Hardy won the Light-heavyweight title, Intercontinetal Title and The Hardcore title in a 3 month period all being short runs thou. Christian was giving the jealous little brother gimmick (then IC & European title runs later in the year) and Dudleys kept together with the tag belts.

Since 2001 the tag divison lacked, sure we've had some great tag teams but never used correctly, Angle/Benoit, Rey/Edge, Los Gurerrors, Worlds greatest tag team ok maybe since 2003 WWE has lacked the tag division, but bringing DX back, Rated RKO, Ric Flair/Piper weren't brought in to help the division as such it was to enhance a current storyline and just so happens the tag belts were involved (Piper had cancer so Rated RKO were giving the belts).

Tag team wrestling has it's place in wrestling but not it's main focus in WWE and it comes down to personal opinion, I think at the moment WWE has some hot tag teams that the belts could be used properly even use Santino & Koz with the belts.

The Glory years of 1999-2001 will NEVER be replicated and nothing will ever be as hot as it was back then with Tag wrestling.