WWE Tag Team Division is Like a Phoenix Rising From the Ashes

For a long time, the Tag Team Division in WWE was a place where singles careers went to die. Now, it’s thriving and shows no signs of slowing down.

If there’s a phrase I hate using or seeing in use, it’s “In the good old days….” Closely related would be, “Back in my day….” See, those phrases represent someone who’s about to say the equivalent of, “Yeah, things are great now, but you know what would be better? If none of it existed.” Believe it or not, it applies to pro wrestling, too. In WWE, for example, people always pine for the ATTITUDE ERA GRRRRR, because it was “better” than today.

When I think back on WWE’s long history, I think of how the Tag Team Division has changed over the years. It’s probably because of my own subpar athletic abilities – I feel like I would excel in a team setting, where I could exploit the strengths of my partner until he was no longer needed. (Yes, I’m the Shawn, and my fictional partner is the Marty, obviously.)

But when I was a kid, teams were just that – teams. Demolition, The Road Warriors/Legion of Doom, The Rockers, The Hart Foundation, The British Bulldogs – I could go on and on. But my point is that all of these units actually functioned as a team. It wasn’t “two mid-card guys who have nothing to do, and nothing to do with each other, but we need to pay them so put them in a match against two other guys.”

During the Attitude Era, the concept of a “team” started to go away. The Tag Team Championships – originally held by such illustrious teams as The Brain Busters, The Steiner Brothers, and The Blackjacks – were now won by Marty Jannetty and the 1-2-3 Kid? Steve Austin and Dude Love? Austin and The Undertaker? There was no “team” here – the Tag Team Titles suddenly became a prop in the main event scene. Fine, put the titles in the main event – but don’t treat them as meaningless.

For a while, tag teams came and went at the drop of a hat. It seemed the only story anyone could come up with for the tag division was “TENSION BETWEEN PARTNERS, MORE AT 11.” Two guys would randomly team up, and if they were lucky enough to get a story, a breakup would be teased until it finally happened.

Fast forward to just a few years ago. Remember how Brodus Clay had a huge push, but it ultimately went nowhere? What happened to him? He teamed up with Lord Tensai, who changed his name to Sweet T, and they teased a breakup for weeks. Then they broke up.

How about Stardust and Goldust? Cody Rhodes didn’t think he could hack it as Goldie’s partner anymore, so he created a new character even more bizarre than The Bizarre One. And eventually, they teased a breakup – and broke up. Speaking of Goldust, what about the Golden Truth?

But lately, things are picking up. For a while, it looked like Cesaro and Sheamus would be the next to fall into the abyss of the tag team sewer. But they are legitimately one of the best things going in WWE today. We as fans actually got to see the creation of their actual team – the ups and downs, the hardships and successes – and now we see what made them so good.

There’s also been no real focus on breaking up the actual “teams” that WWE has on the roster. The Usos should never be broken up, nor should The New Day. Both teams are absolutely perfect, and should be the focus of the division for a long time. Gallows and Anderson have never threatened a break up, even when they were mired in their creative-created black hole – and now they’re solid as part of the long overdue Balor Club.