The Rise Of Tag Team Wrestling In WWE: Key Teams To Watch

There have always been a few pillars in the wrestling world throughout history professionally; tag team wrestling is one, and the tag team division of WWE has always boasted an incredible history of competitors in the squared circle. Tag team wrestling has, in recent years, picked up mightily for WWE as well, with new teams continually outdoing the pairings of the past through great in-ring work and the storylines that they’re allowed to rip off. Let’s get an extensive understanding of the rise of tag team wrestling in the WWE.

The Evolution of Tag Team Wrestling in WWE
Tag team wrestling has seen tremendous evolution over the decades in WWE, from the 1980s golden era to the 1990s attitude era up to the modern era. Tag teams have played a vital role in giving WWE an identity of its own.

The Golden Era
This was followed by the immortal tag teams of the 1980s: The Hart Foundation, The British Bulldogs, and The Rockers, to name a few. This was when tag teams were tagged with a sense of athleticism, charisma, and storytelling abilities in the ring. This was the biggest draw of the tag team division, as these teams were guaranteed sharing of the main event slots on the flagship events while following that storyline of feuding to be Tag Team Champions.

The Attitude Era
This intensity and entertainment in tag team wrestling would come in the late 1990s and early 2000s, otherwise known as the Attitude Era. At this time, teams such as The Hardy Boyz, Edge & Christian, and The Dudley Boyz would be innovating the division with their high-flying, hardcore style. Their ladder matches and Tables, Ladders, and Chairs matches became synonymous and set a new standard for tag team wrestling.

The New Age
In recent years, WWE has done a focused job revamping the tag team division, which needed it the most. There is an increasing emphasis on athleticism, storytelling, and character development. This, however, has brought us to a situation where, for the moment, some principal teams have changed the shape of the tag team wrestling presently ongoing in WWE.
Key Players in the Match 1

The resurgence of tag team wrestling in the WWE brands has welcomed competition, and along with it, a few tag teams are popping up with commendable performances and exciting feuds. Here are some that definitely can be major tag teams:

The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso)
They are, in effect, synonymous with tag team excellence in the WWE. While they first appeared in 2010, The Usos have been some of the blew out, a consistent run of high-quality matches, as well as a significant amount of character development, evolving from colorful, face-painted Samoan warriors into gritty, street-smart heels, which worked in one recent match to describe a transformation that revitalized their careers.
The Usos are multi-time holders of the Tag Team Championships and have been part of some of the most memorable, recent, and historic tag team feuds. Their feud with The New Day gave us an instant classic between these two teams back in 2017: their brilliant Hell in a Cell match. The Usos have charisma, in-ring chemistry, and their way of making a connection with the audience, which all make them one of the top teams in WWE.

The New Day – Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods with Big E :
Arguably the most popular and successful faction in the history of WWE, The New Day has three members: Big E, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods. The New Day debuted in 2014 and became one of the biggest fan favorites on the roster due to their entertaining antics, pure positivity, and fantastic teamwork.

The New Day has become multi-time Tag Team Champions and hold the records for the longest-reigning Tag Team Championships in history upon WWE. Their matches have been characterized by innovative offense, in-ring comedic timing, and the ability to adapt to just about any opponent’s style. Whether wrestling as faces or heels, The New Day has constantly delivered as one of the biggest draws for WWE’s tag team division.

The Street Profits (Scar and Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford)
The charisma and energy with a unique blend of athleticism will pulsate through the assassinated tag team division in WWE. Debuting for NXT in 2016, Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford as The Street Profits gained popularity at warp speed — mainly because of their infectious personality and high-flying moves.
The Street Profits debuted on the main roster in 2019 by winning the NXT Tag Team Championships. They could prove even further based on in-ring work and entertained fans by doing good promo and in-ring bouts. What works for them, along with the standout dynamic between them as a team, is Montez Ford’s incredible athleticism and the power that Dawkins brings to the table. They engage the audience’s attention and get exciting fights, a simple reason to call them a team to watch.

The Viking Raiders (Erik and Ivar)
The Viking Raiders is a power-packed, agile tag team evoking the Viking culture. The pairing of Erik and Ivar stormed into the WWE as The War Raiders down in NXT; they caused a quick buzz by rapidly becoming one of the most feared duos in the brand on the way to winning a set of gold, now called the NXT Tag Team Championships.
Since their main roster debut in 2019, The Viking Raiders have been impressive both in the ring and with their characterization. Their in-your-face, high-impact style of fighting, combined with remarkable feats of power and agility, makes them one of the most outstanding and fantastic tag teams in the WWE tag team division today. The mix of intensity and athleticism gives rise to a great viewing experience within The Viking Raiders.

RK-Bro (Randy Orton and Riddle)
RK-Bro is the unlikely pairing of Randy Orton and Riddle, but through their teams, the duo has made a place among the best in WWE at large. An alliance brought together in 2021, RK-Bro fuses Orton’s experience with Riddle’s stoner wave grooves and high-energy style into one fearsome combination.
RK-Bro features an infectious chemistry that works with contrasting personalities, making fans rally back into segments and matches to remember. Their ability to come together with so much difference has made them hold the tag team titles multiple times. Therefore, RK-Bro is a blend of great humor, in-ring expertise, and storytelling, which makes it a must-watch team in the WWE right now.

The Mysterios – Rey Mysterio and Dominik Myster
Rey Mysterio, the legendary high-flyer and ex-world champion, partners with his son Dominik, who debuted his ring in 2020. In 2021, he became the true son of Rey, that followed him into wrestling.

The Mysterios’ storyline of family and legacy has just filled their matches and rivalries with extra depth. As a tag team, their in-ring chemistry and high-flying acrobatics have become a central selling point for them. This journey of the Mysterios, with father-son complexities, makes a compelling tag team to follow.

Empires (Fabian Aichner/Marcel Barth)
Representing the dominant faction, Imperium, Fabian Aichner, and Marcel Barthel bring a no-nonsense, hard-hitting style to WWE’s Tag Team Division. Coming out of NXT UK, the Imperium are no-nonsense embodiments of wrestling purity and discipline.

Aichner and Barthel’s on-the-same-page chemistry and tech talent have rocketed them to being one of the top teams the NXT division has to offer. And their dual teamwork in more dimensionally matched, intensively styled performances has precision, intensity, and skill hardly ever seen. Imperium is some great mash-up; old-school values mix with modern athleticism.

Impact Of Tag Team Wrestling
What has been the effect of the resurgence of tag team wrestling in WWE on the overall product? Well, here are a few ways in which tag team wrestling has influenced WWE:

Enhanced Storytelling
This also results in tag team wrestling having far more potential over simple storytelling, where multiple characters can be involved, including some dynamics. The interaction between the team members and the even more excellent dynamics of the rivalries are super-rich stories that click with the spectators. Given this, tag team narratives often bring themes such as loyalty, betrayal, or camaraderie, finally developing richness into the lion’s share of the WWE programming.

Expression of Talent
The division caters to the most varied kind of talent on show. Those wrestlers who may not necessarily be in the main event scene surely have a lot to contribute with a significant role played via tag team wrestling. It is, thus, an opportunity for WWE to serve well on the roster and give more performers the opportunity for extraordinary feats in the circle.

Creative Pairings
Consequently, these have been some of the most innovative and energetic matches in tag team wrestling. This stems from the combinations of different styles and the utilization of double-team maneuvers used in the matches. Similar in effect, though in adding further variety to the WWE event cards, are the ladder matches, TLC matches, elimination tag matches, and so on, to keep the audience entertained.

Building the Stars of Tomorrow
Tag team wrestling is usually very developmental toward future singles stars. Most of WWE’s top singles stars started their careers in its tag team division. The Shield exists as one piece of proof. Other examples include The Hart Foundation pair of Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart, who produced more than one World Champion. Experience in tag team wrestling helps to develop the talent of a wrestler and to build the wrestler’s persona.

Fan Engagement
Tag team wrestling has a very unique fan engagement. The fast-paced action, the dynamic teamwork, and the emotional storytelling connect with audiences from all walks of life. The camaraderie of a team and among themselves, as well as with the audience, helps in creating moments that certainly amplify the very experience of the WWE.

Conclusion
With the rise of these myriad pairs, there have come, undoubtedly, great matches with compelling storytelling. Most significantly, the teams mentioned above -The Usos, The New Day, The Street Profits, The Viking Raiders, RK-Bro, The Mysterious, and Imperium- have reignited the whole tag team wrestling scene. They solidified just being essential and entertaining for the company. This rise soon built a profound effect on WWE in the areas of storytelling in the company, showcasing talent, and innovating matches. WWE remains in its existence even to this day, with its tag team division very vital and dynamic in the presentation of its product. This has given the fans some thrilling action and compelling narratives.

A bright future lies ahead in WWE tag team wrestling, with more new teams continuing the fray and established ones further innovating, stretching the boundaries and possibilities in the ring. As wrestling fans, we can all look further to more unforgettable moments and heated rivalries, with another new generation of tag team stars taking the torch and carrying it on.