WWE's plans for the tag-division

[MCMG]

About a month or so ago Michael Cole was talking about how great the WWE tag-team division was. There is no doubt it has improved in quality and there were also a greater number of teams. Furthermore, it seems they tried to give each team a bit more of a story rather than X and Y thrown together.

In recent weeks, however, they seem they want to destroy that. Clay/Tensai done. Brodus Clay will go absolutely nowhere and neither will Tensai. A team that was popular with the young demographic but now, gone.

The Shield are all set to break up and I'd be massively shocked if Reigns and Rollins ever team together again. Goldust and Cody have lost their tag-titles: I don't see much point in them chasing the gold. Moreover, Cody deserves to be pushed as a singles competitor.

Cesaro is in the Elimination Chamber; Swagger was slapped by Coulter. I'd imagine there is something significant there. I'm a little worried they are going to turn Swagger face but surely they aren't that idiotic. Finally, The Prime Time Players are finished. They were, again, a decent tag-team that seemed popular. I’m glad, to an extent, that O’Neil gets to break free but I’m sceptical about the timing.

So in the space of a month we have seen two tag-teams definitely break up and we are certain to see a further two. There is also the Real Americans whose future is in doubt now they have given Cesaro a spotlight. That may be an overreaction but they could easily have picked someone else for that role in the Chamber.

I suppose the problem is having so much talent in the tag-division. These guys are able to make the step up into singles wrestling and there isn’t always a reason for holding them back. It seems that a lot is happening at once and the tag-division will undoubtedly suffer.

Of course, we have seen the creation of a few new teams. The New-Age Outlaws are back; however, that is short-term. Woods and Truth are ok. Rybaxel are around but, again, their future is difficult to predict.

Other than the aforementioned teams, there are The Uso’s, Los Matedores and Harper/Rowan. Hardly enough to prop an entire division. In NXT we have The Ascension who are pretty good and will almost certainly be on the main roster soon. The American Wolves/Pitbulls got a trial but didn’t get full-time contracts. They would have added depth to the division as well as some quality. There are many wrestlers that are employed by the WWE doing relatively fuck all. With some decent writing they could help fill the void. Ryder, Hawkins, JTG, Otunga, Jackson, Bourne.

After WM30, we may only have 4 or 5 teams which is ludicrous from the position they were in. I ask, are the WWE disbanding too many teams at once, or at least foreshadowing this. Also, what teams would you have replace them? From NXT? Or using spare talent that are sat at home. We are probably set on a massive change in the tag-division and hopefully the WWE get it right. The last year and a half in the tag-division has been absolutely fantastic – arguably the highlight of WWE programming – so I feel it is vital we don’t go back into the dark days. I don't mind splitting up these teams espeically if Reigns, Rollins, Cody, Cesaro, O'Neil are going to get pushes after but I do have issue with them fucking up an entire division.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

They're not actually disbanding teams... but Punk walking does change the landscape and PTP seems like a hotshotted thing to get some positive buzz into a match at Mania using Young's sexuality but this was probably set from the moment he came out... it'll be Young who gets the main push out of this...

The first ones who will now stay together are The Brotherhood... Punk probably ruined their shot at a singles match that was "on the bubble anyway" for Mania... so they will perhaps have to wait later or even stay together for another year...which is no bad thing for the tag division as they are they actual lynchpin right now.

The Sheild aren't gonna break up, just Reigns leave - they've already tapped Mason Ryan as his replacement so Ryan and Rollins would take up that tag mantle.

Harper and Rowan are not going anywhere... amd these 3 teams with the Uso's are your main core.

They still have Rybaxel, Woods and Truth, Real Americans for now... but those can easily be replaced by the Ascension and a new team involving Zayn or Neville or both...

Cesaro may be on the verge of going solo again, but they'd replace him with someone else with Swagger. If anything the division is going to benefit from Cody and Dust a bit longer than they would have done...so it's still strong.

 

[kumarjtk]

brodus clay and tensai are done. Their time is over similar thing happened to PTP. After wm all four gets future endovorous with somemore.

Swagger split from real americans and gets jobber work or time off. They create a new team with cody with some one. Goldy time is over.

Wwe give the tag title for storyline purpose only. I expect usos take the gold from shield. But rhodes story stole gold from usos to them. Similar to NAO.

So i wont expect a new tag team may be they put two top wrestlers to get the belt from NAO not the usual tag teams.

 

[Best in the World]

I expect this to be the time for the Uso's to take gold. Harper and Rowen at some point I'm sure will make their impact and have a run with the titles at some point, similar to how the Shield had their run for a long while, but I don't see this happening for some time to come.

There is R-Truth and Xavier Woods, but to be honest I don't see them going much of anywhere. Los Matadores is of course around, again, don't see much going for them at the moment or in the future, they might have a small run with the titles though, but that's ago it. They should do at least something with Gabriel/Kidd, because I think they would make excellent editions to the tag-division. Evan Bourne and Adrian Neville are another I would enjoy seeing come around, keep Evan off TV until Neville is ready, it would be a good place for Neville to start and their styles work out well together, to putting them in a team would be easy enough.

 

[Carter123123123]

I agree with what your saying. Other then the shield (Mason Ryan will john Ambrose and rollins), the ra, ptp, brotherhood, and tof are all done. I think this could still regenerate the division, though. Have a tag team tournament with some new teams. Maybe the edge heads (Hawkins and ryder) can become a team again. They could resign shad and recreate cryme time, or just use Ezekiel Jackson and recreate it. Make air boom a team again, try and make 3mb try and be serious team (them coming out every week and making fun of the towns most famous band could be cool) and maybe try to use freebird Rules of some sort. Nao will eventually leave as I think they are just transitional for the usos. But then you've got air boom, 3mb, edge heads, los matadores, truth and consequences, cryme time, shield, Wyatt's, Rybaxel, bring up the ascension and you got a hot tag division. Then you've got Tyson Kidd and Gabriel (maybe they could tag), maybe even have otunga replace Antonio C in the real americans

 

[LODemolition]

I agree with Best in the World.

The Usos will (or at least should) defeat NAO for the titles at Mania. They've been the best team in WWE for quite some time and have been main eventers on Raw and Smackdown lately. They deserve their moment.

Some rough ideas to expand the tag team division, which is suddenly looking pretty thin:

Put Kidd and Gabriel back together. What a waste of talent. Kidd got 2 matches in back to back weeks on Raw against Fandango when he first returned. After that, I haven't seen him on Raw or SD once. Put International Airstrike back in the tag team division. Maybe have Natalya valet for them.

If Cesaro is branching out on his own again, replace him with Christian or Kofi in The Real Americans. I like Christian a hell of a lot more as a heel. And yes, he's Canadian. Cesaro is Swiss. Who cares as long as it works? I'd love to see Kofi finally turn heel and become something more than a baby kissing, happy-go-lucky guy. There's been talk about him having a change in character soon. Maybe this could be it.

Ziggler & The Miz could make for a decent tag team. Neither are doing anything at the moment, and The Miz probably never will on his own again. Call them The Cleveland Connection.

Bring back Ryder and Hawkins. Yes, they'd be a jobber team, but you need one of those. If you aren't going to use these guys, cut them from the roster and let them go make less money but be happier elsewhere.

Bad News Barrett's new gimmick is looking like it's really going to take off. But if it should fail, the best way to use him is in a tag team with Damien Sandow. Those two would be a perfect fit.

Sheamus and McIntyre. I doubt Sheamus ever gets demoted to the tag division, but I've always thought it would be good to see him tag up with Barrett or McIntyre. If for no other reason, it's because one is Irish and one is Scottish. Sometimes, simple little things like that are all you need to base a team upon.

Mysterio and Evan Bourne. 2 very small, quick, high flyers. They could be very entertaining to watch.

Mark Henry and Brodus Clay. These 2 behemoths could form a duo reminiscent of the Natural Disasters or the Twin Towers.

I'd also drop the lame Los Matadores gimmick and just bring back Epico and Primo. Nobody wants to see Tito Santana redone x2, 20 years later.

They also made a mistake by not signing The American Wolves imo. Nothing they can do now, though.

 

[LODemolition]

I forgot about Ezekiel Jackson. He could make a very good team with someone. Perhaps he could join up with one of the former Prime Time Players.

 

[closet_fan]

I don't see them breaking up current teams if it means one or both will get a push. There are so many wrestlers on the roster, they can easily make new ones that could even be better than the ones that broke up. Sometimes teams have chemistry, sometimes they don't.

PTP broke up just to take advantage of Young's recent GLAAD award. That's my opinion anyway.

Everyone has been ripping on the Outlaws taking the belts, but I still think they are being used as transitional champs to get the belts on the Usos. And to help other younger tag teams get over.

Punk kind of derailed their use as HHH's henchmen when they screwed him, but I can now see them being a face or heel team depending on whom they face and how the fans feel towards them that night.

 

[thebarber]

The Brotherhood will be broken up also, maybe as soon as Raw this week after they lose in the steel cage to the NAO again.
Cody vs Goldy has been on the cards for monthsm, the entire point of ther tag team was to break them up and lead to a brother vs brother match at Wrestlemania 30. The tag team division is being forgotten about, again, obviously HHH has more things to worry about, like the shit reactions his bum buddy Batista is getting, Punkc leaving sue to WWE's constant shit booking of him and talent in general

 

[jacdnwarrior]

The division was on the verge of getting interesting but WWE like usual fucks things up. First why bring back the New Age Outlaws ? Why now ? I mean was it HHH idea to help his former DX team ? Did Vince plan this ? These guys had huge pops when they were in Attitude Era and won championships, no doubt. They might get huge pops now, but they weren't needed. If I'm the PTP, The Usos, or the others tag team guys in the back, I would be pissed. Now it's not the same as Goldust and Cody, which could also piss off the guys in the back, at the very least, there was a decent build up.

Teams that have been Disbanded:

PTP
They break up PTP who were once popular enough to be considered a tag team champs and before they get the belts they are split up. Young is better in the ring, but he isn't that entertaining on the mike, O'Neil is more entertaining on the mike but not less than impressive in the ring. Neither one is going to big as a single star imo, and the timing is pretty lousy.


Tons of Funk

Brodus Clay and Tensai, was just a waste of time. These guys had this build up when they enter and Tons of Funk, is the best they could come up with. Gimme a damn break, that was just sad to see these two guys being put through this god awful gimmick. Both guys deserved more than that.


Teams That Could Breakup and/or leave:

Goldust and Cody Rhodes
Could be at each others throats at WM XXX. They had a good run, Goldust looked better than ever and the storyline that led to the championship run. Their push seems a little unfair to those guys who were part of the division before they joined forces.

The Shield

Roman Reigns might become a single star as he seems to be some one the company high on. Sad as I could easily the Shield becoming multiple time champs but I guess everything needs to be rushed.

The Real Americans

Neither Swagger or Cesaro have been given much for some time. Cesaro has been getting start stop pushes and Swagger had a shot before as champ which was brief. He had another push and he screws it up with a DUI. I think the tag team might have been one last shot for both guys.

The New Age Outlaws

They were a big deal 20 years ago. They were getting huge pops and part of a popular faction. Their return to get the tag belts ahead of the Usos, just seemed so wrong. They're doing well, probably getting bit pops but it just seems so forced, there wasn't much buildup or story line as opposed to Goldust and Rhodes and so much like HHH is helping his buds and that bothers me a little bit. I'm not against helping your friends but they could have extended their run a little bit. You give them a spot and if it's short term, their departure with the split up of a few teams and more to break up puts the division in a bad spot.

Teams they have for the time Being


Los Matadores

They screw up Primo and EPico to give us Los Matadores. What a stupid gimmick that is. It was unnecessary. Why on Earth would they go this route. It has been a bad deal from the beginning. Hopefully they can drop the gimmick. They are good performers but not solid enough in terms of mike ability or star quality to be single stars.

The Usos
The team who should get the belts is the Usos, they are popular and solid performers and they've waited long enough, only to be passed over in favour of two teams NAO and Goldust and Cody Rhodes. I'm doubtful they can make it on their own as single performers. But give them a long tag title run or a few runs and that could give them momentum to move on to single's careers but I think a tag title run is their best opportunity. Similar to PTP in many ways only a better team in the ring.


What they have now /Other options

Woods and Truth can be good, Truth is a veteran on the way out in a few years maybe and Woods can benefit from working with him.

Mysterio and Sin Cara can be another pairing, Mysterio can use the tag team to help him take it a little easier on his body. Sin Cara has been a bust a good tag team run can do wonders for him

Rowan and Harper are good to have, and with the Wyatt faction, they can be quite solid in the division. Their presence makes for interesting matchups and the heat they gain makes any rivalry they're involved in that much better.

I liked the idea of Kidd and Gabriel, from LOD, they are talented guys who can work and be entertaining.

Sandow and DelRio might be something to consider. Both guys are not doing anything and Del Rio gets no response from fans as a champion or other wise. Sandow was really let down by WWE, he wins MITB, doesn't get the gold and has been on a losing streak.

We do have 3MB might as well see what we can do with them.

There are options out there but there is a lot of what ifs and nothing is guaranteed.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

As far as relevant teams go, The PTPs haven't been all that relevant for a while now. There was a time, maybe 6 months or so ago, in which they were a force, but they've kinda been pushed aside.

Tons of Funk were never all that relevant, nor were they particularly entertaining to watch inside the ring. I think they could have had some real potential as a big, monster heel tag team but that ship's sailed as well.

The thing with The Shield is that, all in all, they've probably peaked as a team with the current line up. Rollins & Reigns were tag team champs for 5 months and could always be again. Nobody would complain, in my opinion, but it's not as if they actually need the titles to be looked at as perhaps the top team. I read a report late last year saying that The Shield would stay together, but that Roman Reigns might be replaced by Mason Ryan

As far as Cody Rhodes & Goldust, we've known that they were going to split almost from the moment they started teaming together. Personally, it wouldn't bother me at all if they stayed as a team for a while longer. They've done really well, they're over with fans, they've got momentum and they feel fresh.

There are some stars on the roster who aren't really doing much that could be put to good use as a team. Mysterio & Sin Cara would work well. Both are luchadores and working as a team is a good way of helping protect Mysterio.

There was talk several months ago of making a team of Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel. If Evan Bourne ever returns, I could see him paired with Kidd or Gabriel to make a high flying team.

Speaking of high flyers, WWE could bring up Sami Zayn and Adrian Neville from NXT. Neville's athleticism is damn near superhuman and Zayn is surprisingly charismatic.

Now that Christian's back, I think he could add a lot to the tag team picture. He's not going to be WWE World Heavyweight Champion and I highly doubt he's going to be Intercontinental or United States Champion either. Christian made his bones in WWE as a tag team wrestler and his name could still carry some weight.

The Ascension could always be brought up from NXT. They definitely have a different sort of feel about them.

I don't think WWE has much to worry about. There are good number of options that can be explored and teams that can be made.