Vince McMahon prevented a major break-up from happening on RAW in 2021
It seems to be an open secret that Vince McMahon isn't the biggest fan of tag team wrestling. The handling of WWE's tag team divisions in the last few years certainly reflects that. However, the boss knows a big opportunity when he sees one, and he prevented a major break-up from happening in 2021.
The tag team division in WWE has been subject to a lot of criticism over the last few years, and McMahon has been blamed for it. Even with the introduction of the Women's Tag Team Titles, they have hardly been made to feel important, and the division lacks any depth.
While the situation isn't as bad for the men, the handling of the RAW and SmackDown Tag Team divisions should be better given the number of teams.
Perhaps the tag team of the year in 2021 was RK-Bro, as they emerged post-WrestleMania and became a full-fledged unit in the summer of that year. The duo are now among the most popular in the company today, with the odd-pairing dynamic working well. However, the storyline almost didn't happen.
On an appearance on Mark Andrews: My Love Letter To Wrestling, Riddle explained how Vince McMahon changed the original break-up plan and turned it into a long-term storyline:
“Teaming with Randy Orton, it was supposed to be one time,” Riddle revealed. “He was supposed to turn on me on night one. Then Vince, the crowd, and everybody liked it so much, they were like, ‘Are you guys willing to see if this works?’ I was like, ‘Yeah.’ We liked working with each other. We were friendly. Randy was gone for like three months and I just kept the team afloat, always talking about Randy. I was always talking about Randy and they were like, ‘He’ll be back soon.’ I had no idea when he was coming back,” said Riddle. (H/T Wrestlingnews.co)
The Original Bro continued the story by himself until Randy Orton came back. Orton was initially reluctant to join forces with Riddle before agreeing. The duo became the RAW Tag Team Champions at SummerSlam 2021.
#RKBro #WWERaw
Making statements…they’ve 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 it. 😉 🎓 #RKBro #WWERaw https://t.co/d3ldCJovH1
What would have happened if Vince McMahon didn't change his mind about RK-Bro?
Ahhhh, here we go again! 😂😂😂
@RandyOrton
@SuperKingofBros
#WWERaw https://t.co/8OLgXeVUEL
The landscape of RAW would have been very different had Vince McMahon not changed the plans for RK-Bro's break-up in the last minute. What would have happened was likely to be a one-off match at a premium live event, and that would have been it.
Being associated with Randy Orton helped elevate Riddle into being one of the most popular babyfaces on RAW. McMahon had an eye for the reaction and luckily, he saw the potential in the story.
Orton also seems to be having a lot of fun with the storyline, with many WWE fans stating that RK-Bro has been The Viper's best work in years. Perhaps it's a testament to how an authentic real-life dynamic can play out on-screen.