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WWE is undoubtedly the most popular wrestling promotion in the world. Having a roster full of top Superstars and teams, one thing that WWE has always been criticized for is not taking tag-team wrestling seriously and elevating its status.
Currently, both RAW and SmackDown have their separate Tag Team Championships but the tag-team rosters on both the brands aren't deep enough with only a few getting showcased regularly. To add to the misery, WWE has taken many decisions this year that have further damaged the tag-team division of the company.
Let's take a look at five former WWE Tag Team Champions that were released this year and five others that were broken up.
#5 Tag Team Champions WWE released: The Revival
Fans who followed The Revival's career in the Black and Gold brand know just how over they were with the NXT Universe. The former two-time NXT Tag Team Champions, The Revival made their way to the main roster in 2017. While they became the first team in history to win the tag team titles of all the three brands of WWE, they weren't satisfied with the company not using them properly.
The two requested for their release in 2019 but WWE tried to make them stay by giving them a push and the titles. But the two had decided to not stay with the companies and were finally granted their release earlier this year in April. In May 2020, the two made their debut for All Elite Wrestling as FTR and went on to win the AEW World Tag Team Championship in September. They were also ranked No. 1 by PWI in their top 50 Tag Teams of 2020 list.
#5 Tag Team Champions WWE broke up: Peyton Royce and Billie Kay (The IIconics)
One of the most surprising decisions by WWE this year was to break up the team of Peyton Royce and Billie Kay, aka The IIconics. From their time in NXT as The Iconic Duo, the two had impressed everyone and continued to do so after their main roster call-up in 2018. At WrestleMania 35, The IIconics won the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship in a fatal four-way match and held the titles for 120 days.
Earlier this year, they lost a match to The Riott Squad on RAW and as per the stipulation, were forced to break up. At the 2020 WWE Draft, Peyton Royce was drafted to RAW while Billie Kay went to SmackDown.
#4 Tag Team Champions WWE released: Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows
After getting massive success and popularity as part of the Bullet Club in NJPW, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows came to WWE in 2016 with a lot of hype. Some highlights of their WWE career including pairing up with AJ Styles, winning the RAW Tag Team Championship twice, and also winning the WWE Tag Team World Cup at WWE Crown Jewel 2019.
After appearing in the Boneyard match between Styles and The Undertaker at WrestleMania 36, WWE shockingly announced the release of the two on April 15, 2020, as part of the COVID-19 budget cuts. The two signed with IMPACT Wrestling and appeared at Slammiversary. Currently, Gallows and Anderson hold the IMPACT World Tag Team Championships.
#4 Tag Team Champions WWE broke up: Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross
Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross started off as a very unlikely tag team in 2019. There were speculations of the entire thing leading to Bliss turning on Cross, but the two went on to win their first WWE Women's Tag Team Championship on RAW last year and then again at WrestleMania 36.
After Alexa Bliss recently started her alliance with 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt, it was Nikki Cross who was also highly involved in the storyline, blaming herself for letting her 'best friend' fall into the trap of The Fiend. After weeks and weeks of persuasion, Alexa Bliss attacked her and the two had a match on RAW which Bliss won. Nikki Cross then decided to part ways with her, ending their alliance. While Alexa Bliss is thriving in this new chapter of her WWE career with Bray Wyatt, it is to be seen what is next for Nikki Cross.
#3 Tag Team Champions WWE released: The Authors of Pain (AOP)
One of the most dominant tag teams in NXT history, The Authors of Pain, Akam and Rezar, impressed the fans highly. Being former NXT Tag Team Champions and winner of the 2016 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, the two made their WWE main roster debut in 2018 on the RAW after WrestleMania 34. After ending their alliance with their NXT manager Paul Ellering, WWE made Drake Maverick their manager.
The two won the RAW Tag Team Championship but their reign ended quickly after 35 days. Most recently, they aligned with Seth Rollins as his enforcers on RAW earlier this year. The team was put on a hiatus after Rezar suffered a biceps injury in March 2020. Six months later, WWE announced the release of AOP.
#3 Tag Team Champions WWE broke up: Seth Rollins and Murphy
Earlier this year, Murphy joined hands with Seth Rollins and AOP on Monday Night RAW. He then teamed-up with Rollins to win the RAW Tag Team Championship, but their reign ended after 42 days. Murphy remained by the side of The Monday Night Messiah during his highly personal feud against Rey Mysterio and his family.
After showing signs of turning face, Murphy attacked Rollins and started a romantic storyline with Rey Mysterio's daughter Aalyah. While their on-screen relationship was not accepted by the Mysterio family, Murphy helped Rey Mysterio win a No Holds Barred match against Seth Rollins and was accepted into the family. On the SmackDown before WWE Survivor Series 2020, Murphy defeated Seth Rollins, ending their alliance and rivalry.
#2 Tag Team Champions WWE released: Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins
Curt Hawkins is best remembered by fans recently for his streak of losing 269 matches straight. But that streak came to an end at the grand stage of WrestleMania 35 when he teamed up with Zack Ryder to defeat The Revival and become the new RAW Tag Team Champions. The two had previously won the WWE Tag Team Championship together in 2008.
Zack Ryder has had his share of moments in WWE as he won the United States and Intercontinental Championship once. Unfortunately, his career never kicked off to main event status. The two were released earlier this year as part of the COVID-19 budget cuts. Zack Ryder, now Matt Cardona, appeared in AEW recently while Curt Hawkins, now Brian Myers, returned to IMPACT Wrestling.
#2 Tag Team Champions WWE broke up: Sasha Banks and Bayley
Two of the most successful WWE women Superstars of this era, Sasha Banks and Bayley were the ones who persuaded the company to introduce a Tag Team Championship for the women, and they succeeded in doing so. Not just that, the two became the first WWE Women's Tag Team Champions at Elimination Chamber 2019 but lost the titles soon at WrestleMania 35.
After Sasha Banks returned to SmackDown as a heel last year, WWE again paired the two up together. Dubbed as The Golden Role Models now, the two went on to win the tag team titles again early this year. After months and months of build-up and tease, Bayley finally turned on Banks on the SmackDown after Payback 2020, ending their alliance. At WWE Hell in a Cell 2020, Sasha Banks defeated Bayley to end her record-breaking reign and become the SmackDown Women's Champion for the first time in her career.
#1 Tag Team Champions WWE released: Epico and Primo
Ever since debuting in WWE in 2011, Epico and Primo have had several gimmicks. From Los Matadores to The Shining Stars to The Colons, the two real-life cousins have had their moments in the company, including winning the WWE Tag Team Championship in 2012.
The two almost disappeared from WWE TV during the final year of their WWE career and were released in April 2020 as part of the COVID-19 budget cuts.
#1 Tag Team Champions WWE broke up: The New Day
One of the most successful and popular WWE factions of the current era, The New Day has made a special place for themselves in the hearts of wrestling fans. It was in 2014 when the trio of Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods came together and created magic. Initially a heel faction, The New Day became fan-favorites soon.
Earlier this year, on the October 9th WWE Draft 2020 special episode of SmackDown, Kingston and Woods won the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, a record 10th tag team title victory of the faction. But the celebration was cut short as Stephanie McMahon announced that Kingston and Woods would be drafted to RAW while Big E will remain on SmackDown, thus splitting the group.
