It is a sad truth that in WWE, tag team wrestling does not always seem to get the priority it should. There was a time when climbing to the top of the tag ranks was a major accomplishment. Today, while the title matches might be some epic confrontations, the Tag Division(s) seem like more of an afterthought than anything. And that's a shame.
Part of the problem comes from three cases wherein the break-up of a tag team led to singles success for at least one, if not both. The first was the Rockers, where Shawn Michaels' betrayal of Marty Jannetty in the infamous Barber Shop segment led to a legendary singles career. The second was Edge & Christian. One went on to become a legend and a Hall of Famer, and the other is a multi-time World Champion and no doubt a future Hall of Famer in his own right. And lastly was the Hardys, as Jeff Hardy became a successful singles wrestler on his own (his personal issues notwithstanding) and Matt Hardy also found various niches for himself as a singles wrestler, even if the two have reformed their team together.
Since then, WWE appears to look at tag teams as this way to find future singles talent. I will not deny that pairing two wrestlers together can help hide the deficiencies of both men. Some wrestlers are natural tag wrestlers, regardless of who their partner is, as well, and pairing a veteran tag wrestler up with a newcomer is a good way for the latter to get some experience and learn from the veteran. There's nothing wrong with doing this.
Tag teams are also a good way to make use of two singles wrestlers who otherwise aren't doing anything. We have all heard tales of wrestlers being told that "Creative has nothing for you," as if that's the wrestler's fault. Put them together as a team and let them work house shows together, see if there's any chemistry there, see if they can gel. If they do, great, put them on TV and see if it clicks there. If it does, great, you've got a new team. If it doesn't, oh well, quietly separate the team and try again with a different partner.
Once you have a tag team, however, they need a few things to cement them as a team, rather than just two guys that team together. They need at least two out of the following:
A team name. Continuing to call a tag team "[A] & [B]" is the laziest thing. A portmanteau name like "Breezango" works in a pinch, but it's only barely better than just their names. Even Sheamus & Cesaro are now being called "The Bar" as much as they're being called by just their names. A good team name helps cement them as a team.
A coordinated look. It doesn't mean the wrestlers need to dress identically. But they should have a coordinated color scheme or fashion style. Visually, this helps a casual viewer know that "these two guys are a team," especially if they can't hear commentary. The New Day are a great example, each having their own unique style to their gear, but all of them wear the same color scheme.
A team finisher. Any team over time will develop their signature spots, which is all to the better. But a good tag team will have a signature move that is sold as the end, that once it gets hit, the match is over. If the Dudley Boyz hit you with the 3D, you were done. In a pinch, a one-two combination-- like the Hardys' Twist of Fate into a Swanton Bomb-- can do the job just as well.
If a team has all three, all to the better, but they need at least two to help sell the idea that they are a team. The Revival are a perfect example. They moved from a 'just their names' team name (Dash & Dawson) to a decent team name with 'The Revival,' which also neatly summarized their gimmick as throwback traditional wrestling heels. They have a coordinated look in terms of their matching trunks and ring jackets. And they have a devastating team finisher in the Shatter Machine, in addition to their arsenal of team maneuvers.
I am aware that Edge & Christian are a notable exception to this. After leaving the Brood, they never really had a team name in WWE. Even their "E&C" nickname was barely an improvement. Apart from both sporting long blond hair, their appearance was never really coordinated. They didn't even have team merch for years, so they couldn't get away with wearing their own t-shirts to the ring. Lastly, they never had a team finisher. The Con-Chair-To was close, but while it finished matches, it never felt like a "finisher" to me, just a coordinated cheating strategy.
WWE appears to be trying to resolve this. The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, a (nearly) annual tournament to crown a tag team with a high honor (and usually a title shot), is a great way to showcase tag team talent. It's primarily focused on NXT, but after the successes of the Cruiserweight Classic and the Mae Young Classic, I would not be opposed to WWE opening the doors and trying to bring in outside talent for a future Dusty Classic.
And if WWE won't do it, well, there's always indie wrestling. As my fellow CKCC blogger, Chris O'Mealy pointed out, indie wrestling matters. Major indies like Ring of Honor or Pro Wrestling Guerrilla treat their tag titles like the major championships they should be. Chikara Pro-- which has long been my favorite indie-- eschewed having a major singles title for over a decade, instead focusing on their tag titles. Indeed, the 4-Corner Elimination Tag Match is a cornerstone of Chikara's booking, and is a frequent sight on their cards.
While I noted above WWE's seeming tendency to treat the Tag Division as an afterthought, they are still treating their matches as significant. There are teams on the rise in NXT who appear poised to step into the division and who are sold as a package and tick the boxes above.
So the future may yet make that hot tag and help make wrestling great again.
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