5 WWE tag team pairings we need to see
On the most recent episode of SmackDown Live, Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles teamed up to defeat Kevin Owens and Dolph Ziggler, and the match didn’t disappoint. From the in-ring action to the post-match show of respect, which harkened back to the duo’s days in New Japan Pro Wrestling, the segment left fans wanting more.
The WWE hasn’t been shy about bringing together singles competitors for tag teams, either as temporary storylines or for long-term championship efforts.
From the Attitude Era’s Rock n’ Sock Connection to recent Raw tag team champions Sheamus and Cesaro, pro wrestling is littered with examples of the tag team division being used as a way to get fresh content out of singles competitors. In fact, on that same episode of SmackDown, Tyler Breeze and Fandango, now Breezango, put on their second compelling tag match in three days against tag champs the Usos.
Unfortunately, a more permanent pairing of Nakamura and Styles at this point doesn’t really make sense. Both men are real threats to win the Money in the Bank ladder match next month, and beyond that, they seem to have promising singles runs coming within the next year. But that doesn’t mean that there are no opportunities for makeshift pairings on the WWE roster.
Here are five other teams that definitely should happen.
#1 The Miz and Titus O’Neil
Given their recent character directions, this pairing makes a tonne of sense. The Miz markets himself as an “A-list” celebrity based on his television and movie appearances while Titus seeks to advance his “Titus Brand” to Superstars like Apollo Crews. To strengthen the comparison, both gimmicks are built mostly on elevated self-esteem and bravado rather than genuine accomplishments.
As a result, it would be incredibly easy to have Titus lose what looks like a pending feud with Crews about the time Miz comes up on the losing end of his Intercontinental Championship program with Dean Ambrose.
Then you film a locker-room segment where both men look frustrated with their recent losses. From there, the connection could either begin with a quick feud, or the two could decide that what the “Titus Brand” needs is a real “A-list” Superstar and immediately start working together. Either way, it could make for an entertaining run.
Also read: 5 Tag teams that should reunite in WWE