With the looming brand split coming later this month, a lot of WWE critics are skeptical of the depth of the current WWE roster. Reliable industry sources have speculated that a lot of NXT talent will be called up to the main roster to help solve that situation. Another possible solution would be the expansion of WWE’s tag team division.
Presently, with there only being three singles titles for male competitors and one singles title for female competitors, there are inevitably a lot of storylines and TV segments that are outside of title chases. In addition, there are a lot of former champions on the roster that not being used in an ideal fashion. As R-Truth and Goldust have begun receiving more attention as of late as The Golden Truth, here is some of the WWE talent that could benefit from a move over to the tag team division:
– Sami Zayn – Sami Zayn has been a long-term feud with Kevin Owens, which dates back to their NXT tenures; years prior if you followed the two on the indies. Sami is undeniably over with fans, but there are only so many #1 contender matches that he can be part of. If paired up with a bigger talent, he could play well with the Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson match formula.
– The Miz – The Miz has been a top guy and a tag champ, and he has always floundered around the lower and mid-cards over the years. When he held the tag belts with Damien Sandow/Mizdow, he was as relevant as can be. At this point in his career, he is one of the most recognizable WWE talents and could be in a position to help younger talent get over. By association, he can turn anyone heel. Simultaneously, getting the Intercontinental Title off him would free up that spot for a rising WWE superstar.
– Zack Ryder – Early in Zack Ryder’s WWE career he was a tag champion. In the years since, he has had short-lived U.S. Title and Intercontinental Title runs. He also attempted to get Mojo Rawley over by teaming with him in NXT as The Hype Bros. A week or so, Ryder was strangely paired with Jack Swagger for a squash match. Similar to how The Miz could probably get anyone over as a heel as a result of association, Ryder ought to be able to do the same with an underdog babyface.
– Jack Swagger – Speaking of Jack Swagger, this was a top guy in the company about a decade ago. His run with Cesaro in The All-American Americans had its moments. In spite of Swagger being a legitimate All-American college athlete and larger than most of the roster, WWE has given him a few runs as an enhancement talent. His “All-American American” persona can work for babyface and heel purposes, and could fare well in tandem with the NXT tag team American Alpha. If not, pair him up with someone else ‘Murican, should a heel Kurt Angle never return to the WWE.
– Dolph Ziggler – Everyone knows that Dolph Ziggler can put on an exciting match with just about anyone on the WWE roster. For the last two house shows I’ve attended at Madison Square Garden, Dolph’s music was the first of the night to hit, showing that he has a gift at warming up a crowd. Therefore, it would be fare to conclude that he would be great in a tag team role. In that sort of situation, we no longer have to watch him lose nearly every match on television, even though Dolph is a multiple time champion.
My first WWF house show, which was at the Nassau Coliseum in the very early 1990s, featured a battle royal as the opening match; the winner would receive a shot at the Intercontinental Title at the end of the evening. One of the participants in the battle royal was Andre The Giant, who was on his last legs as a wrestler. But the bottom line is that WWF management knew that the guy was a special attraction, that people would be happen to see them even if for a few minutes and even if it only involved a handful of moves. In turn, another possible use for Mark Henry, Kane and Big Show, should they not be prime for regular tag team spots.
More tag team matches ought to provide more variety and entertainment to the average WWE fan, also enabling talent to play up their strengths and minimize their weaknesses within such. No matter how the brand split shakes out, here’s to hoping that more WWE talent can be used in a meaningful way.
