The WWE tag team division needs better booking

There was a major title change during the June 24 edition of WWE Raw. JD McDonagh and Finn Balor captured the WWE World Tag Team Championship, defeating The Awesome Truth in the main event of the show. That sound you heard when it happened was a collective eye roll for those who want to see better for the tag team wrestling. It’s time for WWE to start rebuilding this division, rather than using it as fodder for singles feuds.

Tag team wrestling is in a tough spot throughout the WWE product. Awesome Truth had a moment at WrestleMania 40, one that fans enjoyed but recognized it needed to come to an end much sooner than it lasted. It’s just as easy to forget that Austin Theory and Grayson Waller are WWE Tag Team Champions on SmackDown, even as those two seem to be heading for a breakup angle. While McDonagh and Balor are two capable performers in an important storyline, there’s so much more the promotion could be doing with these titles.

WWE has a stacked tag team division, even if you look just within the brand split. There are several groups that should be chasing the champions on both shows, but it’s almost rare to see tag team matches happen with the intention of furthering the division. When tag matches do occur, they are mostly to further a singles feud in the end. Tag team victories don’t have the same value as the victories that are part of singles feuds.

Take what recently occurred with AOP as an example. That duo smashed both The New Day and The Creed Brothers, opening the door for a title shot. They would then be defeated in just under six minutes via a roll-up to further the angle between Karrion Kross, Xavier Woods, and Kofi Kingston. Now they are right back on Main Event picking meaningless wins over The Creeds.

Putting the titles back within Judgment Day is a clear step to further the angle of that split. This group has been a central force on Monday Night Raw, and it’s time for them to self-destruct. Rhea Ripley’s return is going to be a major moment, and Damian Priest is already making it clear that he doesn’t need them, as he said to Seth Rollins. The tag team titles will be used to push a further split between Balor and Priest, leading to a big feud between those two men. But how will it elevate the tag team division otherwise? Sure, some team will defeat them for those titles, but will months go by before they have a title defense or even a suitable contender? Those questions can’t be ignored if this division is to thrive.

There are a lot of things to celebrate as WWE Creative makes positive changes. But it is also important to point out where there are flaws. Right now, there is a big flaw with how the tag team division is booked across all shows, and here’s to hoping that issue is corrected in time to come.