5 WWE tag teams that shouldn't have split up
This past week on SmackDown, Jimmy Uso returned to WWE television. Having been out of the ring since suffering a legitimate knee injury during last year's WrestleMania, Jimmy is now back as a full-time member of the SmackDown roster.
Jimmy didn't have much time to savor his comeback, though. He soon got into an argument with his cousin Roman Reigns over how The Tribal Chief had been treating his brother Jey Uso.
The issues between Roman and Jimmy left Jey Uso with divided loyalties between his two family members. At the end of SmackDown, the situation was definitely placing a strain on the relationship of the Uso brothers.
Usually, when WWE hints at cracks in a partnership, it eventually leads to a feud between the parties involved. Most of the time, this formula works well. However, there are some duos that fans simply don't want to see fighting one another - especially long-time tag team partners or family members.
If WWE is contemplating a rivalry between Jimmy and Jey Uso, it may want to think carefully about it. WWE history is full of examples of feuds between former tag team partners that just didn't click.
In these instances, WWE would have been far better served by keeping the original pairing as a team. Here are five examples of WWE tag teams who should never have split up.
#5 WWE should not have split up Heavy Machinery
The duo of Otis and Tucker, collectively known as Heavy Machinery, were a popular midcard tag team for WWE at the beginning of 2020.
The pair's connection with the WWE audience only increased when Otis began to take a romantic interest in Mandy Rose. Tucker proved to be the perfect wingman for his buddy as he tried to get to know Mandy better. Their friendship came across well on-screen and the storyline received a positive reaction.
Tucker was at Otis' side for much of his feud with Dolph Ziggler over the affections of Mandy. As the angle progressed, though, it was inevitable that Otis would become the more high-profile member of the Heavy Machinery tandem.
With that said, even after Otis won the 2020 Money In The Bank briefcase, Tucker showed no signs of jealousy towards his partner. There was even some speculation Otis might cash in the contract for a shot at the SmackDown Tag Team Championships, alongside Tucker.
As it turned out, Otis didn't receive a title shot of any description. He lost the briefcase to The Miz in a match at Hell in a Cell 2020, when Tucker betrayed him.
The turn - as well as the split of Heavy Machinery - made little sense. Otis and Tucker didn't even have a match after they parted ways. Tucker wasn't seen in a featured role in WWE again and was released by the company last month.
Otis remains a part of the SmackDown roster, but it is tough to argue that he is in a better spot now than when he was part of Heavy Machinery. Currently teaming up with Chad Gable as Alpha Academy, the big man has lost much of the momentum he had in the early part of last year.
Heavy Machinery had real potential. It is a shame WWE cut their run short without any sort of payoff.