Credit: WWE.com
On the Christmas Eve edition of WWE Raw, Vince McMahon announced that the promotion would finally release Women’s Tag Team Championships in the coming future, and it was a Christmas gift warmly welcomed by wrestling fans, even if they had been begging for those tag titles for months.
The year 2018 was all about the women in WWE, as they went from setting a new standard on Pay Per Views to absolutely owning the show. Asuka, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair main evented the final PPV of the year at TLC, putting on the unequivocal match of the night in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, just months after Becky and Charlotte put on the main roster’s best match of the year at the best PPV of the year, Evolution.
In 2019, the Women’s Divisions in WWE will have even more to fight for, as Vince McMahon announced on the Christmas Eve episode of Raw that Women’s Tag Team Championships will officially make their appearance, presumably sooner rather than later.
For months, the WWE Universe has anticipated the unveiling of these new titles, with wrestlers like Becky Lynch, Naomi, Mickie James, Sasha Banks, and Bayley hyping up the possibility of these new titles becoming a reality. Many fans thought Women’s Tag Titles would be released at the Evolution PPV, but, alas, we had to wait until Christmas to receive this gift.
It may be early and we’ll likely have a full tournament to decide the inaugural champs, but here are five possible pairings that could win the titles in 2019.
Billie Kay and Peyton Royce
Along with the Boss and Hug Connection, comprised of Sasha Banks and Bayley, the IIconics are big favorites to win the Women’s Tag Team Championships in WWE. Whereas Banks and Bayley have been Raw and NXT Women’s Champions and are two of the most decorated wrestlers in the company despite their lack of recent opportunities on Raw, the IIconics have yet to win a championship on either the main roster or NXT.
This should change soon, and while the IIconics have mostly been taking losses on SmackDown Live, they play a key role on the show. Without them, babyfaces on the roster like Naomi, Asuka, and even Becky Lynch would be less likely to make their figurative climb up the ladder in the SmackDown Women’s Division.
Billie Kay and Peyton Royce have a knack for making every babyface look that much better due to their selling, and they approach every match or segment with great zeal, even if their efforts aren’t always appreciated.
Furthermore, Kay and Royce are more than just tag team partners. They are life partners. These women will do anything for each other, and their devotion has inspired their fans.
When they are in tag matches on SmackDown Live or even in battle royals, they work together perfectly. There are no arguments, they are always on the same wavelength, and they will take bullets for each other. If one wins, they both win. That mentality has served Royce and Kay incredibly well, and it could lead them to secure the Women’s Tag Team Titles next year.
Sasha Banks and Bayley
Shortly after Vince McMahon’s announcement of the Women’s Tag Team Championships aired live on Raw, a certain tag team started to trend on Twitter. And was there ever any doubt that the trending tag team would be the partnership of Sasha Banks and Bayley?
These two women have been through so much together, dating back to their era-defining matches at NXT TakeOvers. They’ve gone to war on Raw, too, fighting like only sisters can in 2018 before creating an even stronger bond than before. The respect between Banks and Bayley is immense, and, like Kay and Royce, love bonds these two elite athletes. But unlike Royce and Kay, their love is a sisterly one, and it took a lot for the usually guarded Banks to finally admit her true feelings of admiration for Bayley.
Facing many nefarious opponents on Raw like the Riott Squad, Alexa Bliss, Alicia Fox, and Mickie James, the sisterly bond between Banks and Bayley has been tested. Of course, it has more than stood up to these trials and tribulations, and they both seem more prepared than ever to go after a championship that would cement their status as one of WWE’s best tag teams.
Banks and Bayley have more ardent supporters than perhaps any other women’s tag team in WWE, though the IIconics likely give them a run for their money. Still, Banks and Bayley were regularly propping up the third hour of Raw, and the fans remain by their side no matter their booking. It would be a wonderful sight to see them holding the tag titles after all they’ve been through in 2018, especially since much of the WWE Universe will be rooting for them.
That said, the other tag teams on this list are also impressive and have been through plenty, so it’s possible WWE decides to make Banks and Bayley chase again, much like Rhea Ripley won the UK Women’s Championship over Toni Storm. Or WWE could just have them win a tournament finals at WrestleMania 35 with no surprises, in the same way that Cedric Alexander snagged his first Cruiserweight Championship win in 2018.
The Riott Squad
At the beginning of the year, the Riott Squad’s character as a collective was focused on “rioting” backstage, which involved them using a lot of silly string and doing high schoolish pranks. It was kind of fun, but, at the same time, it didn’t really seem like it fit the true potential of what the Riott Squad could be on Monday Night Raw. Now, they are a group that inspires fear in others and are far more wicked than merely a group who causes mayhem backstage.
After feuding with Sasha Banks and Bayley and making Ronda Rousey’s life miserable, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, and Sarah Logan started to become a much more important part of Raw. Ruby has always been one of the most acclaimed women’s wrestlers in the world, and she was a standout in NXT. But now, Morgan and Logan are getting more recognition, with several fans hoping for Morgan to eventually reach the summit as a women’s champion.
Three above-average wrestlers make the Riott Squad that much stronger, and the improvements that Morgan has made on the main roster should play into the story here. They’ll only be able to pick two wrestlers in a given match, but because they can rotate their talent over the course of the tournament, they’ll be better able to stave off fatigue. Recall that the 2018 Cruiserweight Tournament definitely took fatigue into account, and it became a critical component of matches between Mustafa Ali and Drew Gulak and Cedric Alexander and Roderick Strong.
So who will be the favored partner for Ruby? Sarah or Liv? Does it even matter, since both women have been doing so well this year? The Riott Squad is one of WWE’s most intriguing stables, and 2019 should be their year to dominate the competition after impressing in 2018.
Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville
Though they are no longer guided by Paige, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville have still stood by their partnership from “Absolution” and have grown even more dangerous over time. Deville has always been one to watch in WWE, as she defeated Ruby Riott in a grudge match before the two started to really hit their strides on the main roster following their late 2017 call-ups.
Meanwhile, it took a little bit longer for Rose to find her footing, but after some minor hiccups in the ring and a few cardboard promos, Rose has blossomed into a future champion, just like Deville has.
Rose and Deville worked well together in the first women’s Elimination Chamber match, targeting Banks and Bayley in their attacks. This is a tag team that is a legitimate sleeper to win the first Women’s Tag Team Championships, and they seem like the exact kind of people who despise the Boss and Hug Connection with all of their hearts. Though the IIconics are the ideal foil for Banks and Bayley, Deville and Rose could be just as good of a matchup for the Raw babyfaces.
It’s been a joy to watch Mandy and Sonya as a tag team in 2018, whether it’s their strong in-ring work or their hilarious YouTube channel. They are going places in this promotion, and 2019 could be just as big of a year for them as it figures to be for the Riott Squad.
Naomi and Lana/Asuka
Asuka will likely be preoccupied with the SmackDown Women’s Championship, and while her opponent for the Royal Rumble Pay Per View isn’t actually set, she is expected to hold that title up until WrestleMania 35.
In her first title defense, Asuka defeated her tag team partner Naomi on SmackDown Live, and the two could have a rematch for that title in the future, perhaps even at WrestleMania. And while their tag team work has been a joy to watch, it seems like Naomi may have to find a new partner; it’s hard to envision Asuka winning both titles or even focusing her attention from the SmackDown Women’s Title with all the potential competition for that prestigious championship.
If Naomi must find a new tag partner, she doesn’t have to look very hard. We’ve seen a partnership between Lana and Naomi teased before, and it seemed like they would be a tandem for a possible Women’s Tag Team Title run. The Ravishing Glow has the moves on the dance floor, and Lana hasn’t forgotten that her best chance at grabbing gold right now is by partnering with Naomi, who is a two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion.
I’m sure Naomi would love a third-straight big WrestleMania victory, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be a third SmackDown Women’s Championship win (though that’s understandably the Naomob’s preference). Naomi could team up with Asuka if the latter loses her title in a surprising twist, or she could prove her tag team prowess to the entire WWE Universe by teaming up with Lana to shock the world.
As Lana showed in her breakout Money in the Bank 2018 performance, she’s come a long way since being an underwhelming challenger to Naomi’s title at Money in the Bank 2017. While Asuka and Naomi is the favored tag team here, Lana and Naomi could be a great option, too.