The Steady Decline of Tag Team Wrestling in WWE and AEW

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2024 has been another rollercoaster for pro wrestling fans, but it hasn’t exactly been a banner year of tag team wrestling.

The latest episode of AEW Dynamite concludes with a Tag Team Casino Gauntlet match, which many viewers hoped would put its ailing division back on track. Instead, it raised some familiar questions, as Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher earned a chance to challenge the Young Bucks for the tag titles at Grand Slam on Sep. 25.

This was the opportune time to foster an established duo like The Outrunners or Private Party. After all, the EVPs could use some fresh opponents, and the tag division needs a reset. So, it was disappointing to see another makeshift team advance even if it could lead to some interesting developments for the Don Callis Family.

Unfortunately, WWE hasn’t been much better in this department due to its overreliance on its top two stables. It’s hard to invest in anyone else when the tag titles often revolve around the latest attempt to make Judgement Day or The Bloodline look dominant.

Both companies have strong pairings, but they’re often severely underutilized. In fact, it’s hard to reconcile such an abundance of talent with this stagnant period for tag team wrestling.

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WWE’s Stifling Focus on Factions Over Tag Teams

Although Nathan Frazer and Axiom’s emergence on NXT was one of the few bright spots this year, WWE’s main roster has been devoid of meaningful tag team feuds.

The company’s use of Pretty Deadly, The Street Profits, Los Garza, and even The Authors of Pain has been quite a head-scratcher. One could argue that Raw doesn’t have a strong enough division, but the brand could always build around The Creed Brothers.

The young duo was an exciting addition to the flagship series last year. Viewers quickly gravitated to them because of their power-based offense and exhilarating matches. Nonetheless, they seemed to be in a holding pattern until they finally teamed with Chad Gable to form American Made.

Their current work with the Wyatt Sicks is a step in the direction, but we want to see more of them. As stated earlier, it’s difficult to give any team a sustained push when the tag titles are still tied to The Judgement Day.

This problem persisted during Damian Priest and Finn Balor’s run as the undisputed WWE tag team champions. So much so, that many fans hoped splitting the titles at WrestleMania 40 would alleviate this issue and create opportunities for the other teams.

However, that didn’t last long because Liv Morgan helped the group regain championship gold on June 24, and Balor and JD McDonagh haven’t defended the belts since.

Meanwhile, SmackDown has a plethora of teams that could chase The Bloodline for The WWE Tag Team Championship. When Jacob Fatu cleared the ring after DIY won the titles on July 5, it became abundantly clear that their reign would be short-lived and the upcoming gauntlet would be a vehicle to showcase Solo Sikoa’s new enforcer.

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Sure, Fatu has been a revelation as the newest member of the stable, and it’s encouraging that WWE immediately presented him as a big deal. It’s just a shame that it came at the expense of the tag division.

To that end, it’s concerning that neither of the company’s tag titles has been defended at a premium live event since WrestleMania. Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair are a fun tandem, but the women’s tag division isn’t exactly thriving either.

AEW’s Stale Tag Team Division

WWE has a fairly uneven history with tag team wrestling, but the state of AEW’s tag division is much more surprising.

The company boasted an impressive roster during its maiden year with some of the best teams in the world. As such, its immediate aim to be a home of outstanding tag team wrestling set the new kids on the block apart from their distinguished competition.

Nevertheless, 2024 is a far cry from All Elite Wrestling’s humble beginnings and the memorable matches that put the new division on the map. Who would’ve guessed that five years later The Lucha Brothers would be reportedly leaving for WWE and this bastion of hope for the sport would seemingly not be able to land The Motor City Machine Guns.

No one expected the company to maintain its luster forever, but it’s fascinating to see how much the perception of it has changed. Yes, the product is still entertaining and its pay-per-views have been incredible this year, but the tag division is possibly colder than it has ever been.

The Young Bucks are capable champions, who can still produce exceptional matches, but their current reign has been lackluster. They haven’t done anything new or intriguing with the belts, and they’ve faced The Acclaimed and FTR too many times.

This was a team known for its innovative tandem offense and uncanny ability to draw the best performances out of their opponents. They pushed the sport forward and forced the industry to reevaluate their outdated view of tag team wrestling.

So, we expected a heel run where they could elevate teams like Top Flight, Private Party, or The Gunns. We expected storylines and rivalries, but the new Elite kind of fizzled out without an engaging adversary after Blood and Guts. Onscreen authority figures typically only work when there is a hot protagonist to stand against them.

For example, Mr. McMahon’s character needed Steve Austin and The Rock to play off. The EVPs don’t have that kind of counterpart because Kenny Omega has been out indefinitely and no one else has filled the role.

AEW and the Bucks have to get back to their roots. The Grizzled Young Veterans are a promising addition to the roster, but the company has to commit to its young teams and build new stars.

It’s unclear what the future holds for both companies, but let’s hope its tag team output improves by the end of the year.