Origin of every present tag-team championship in WWE
The current version of WWE tag team competitions have been around for a long time now. It was first seen at NWA (National Wrestling Alliance) during the 1950s.
The likes of the Fabulous Freebirds played a vital part in the global popularization of the match type. By the 1970s and 80s, It was already widely accepted and recognized by various national promotions.
With such a vast legacy, it is reasonable that the tag titles are a prized possession to the champions of any promotion.
WWE has three brands (RAW, SmackDown, and NXT 2.0) and a men's tag-team title for each of these brands. Additionally, it has a couple of championships for the women's division (one for RAW and SmackDown and the other for NXT).
Let us peek at the past and discuss the origins of all the tag titles of the promotion in their chronological order.
#5. WWE RAW Tag Team Championship - 2002
10/20/2002
Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit defeated Edge & Rey Mysterio by submission to become the first Smackdown Tag Team Champions at #NoMercy from the Alltel Arena in North #WWELittleRock, Arkansas.
#KurtAngle #ChrisBenoit #Edge #ReyMysterio #TagTeamTitles #WWE #WWEHistory https://t.co/4Nvm7u4NNd
When the promotion introduced the brand split in 2002, the erstwhile World Tag Team Championship became exclusive to SmackDown.
After a brief period of tension and feuds, it was reassigned to RAW, leaving the blue brand without a tag title.
Hence, SmackDown General Manager Stephanie McMahon unveiled a tag title for the brand.
It was called the WWE Tag Team Championship and was awarded to its inaugural champion in an eight-team tournament.
Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle defeated Edge and Rey Mysterio in the finals to be crowned the first-ever WWE Tag Team Champions.
THE. ALPHA. ACADEMY. twitter.com/WWE/status/148…
In 2009, The Miz and John Morrison (WWE Tag Team Champions) and The Cólóns (World Tag Team Champions) engaged themselves in a feud leading to a unification match which was won by The Cólóns.
The World Tag Team titles were thus retired, and the lineage of the WWE Tag Team Championship persisted.
It was renamed the RAW Tag Team Championship when SmackDown introduced its own title again.