5 promising WWE tag teams that never took off

The tag team division has been one of WWE's most prominent divisions with multiple tag teams establishing themselves as the legends of the sports entertainment industry, thanks to their unique wrestling arsenal.

While the fans always enjoy watching one-on-one matches, the tag team bouts provide freshness to the existing scheme of things as it involves a different set of rules.

Traditionally, a group of two superstars form a tag team and compete with other teams to win the coveted Tag Team Championships. Often, WWE books interesting storylines in the tag team division by introducing new tag teams.

Sometimes the focus is on the bond of two unlikely allies while on many occasions, WWE has just simply put a pair of best friends together as a tag team.

The WWE Universe always loves formations of new tag teams and some of the most famous teams are The Hardy Boyz, Edge and Christian, The Dudly Boyz among others.

Yet, there have been instances where WWE teased forming a tag team but never focused on that storyline after the tease.

Here's a list of five promising WWE tag teams that never took off.

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#5 Jinder Mahal and Shelton Benjamin

Jinder Mahal could have been a valuable addition to the tag team division

It is easy to forget that Jinder Mahal had won the WWE Championship two years ago, even though WWE had not considered him as a serious contender ever since he lost the United States Championship to Jeff Hardy.

The Modern Day Maharaja soon became a part of WWE's C show, WWE Main Event, however, this past May it seemed like Mahal would join the SmackDown tag team division forming an unlikely team with Shelton Benjamin. The duo had competed in a dark match against Heavy Machinery before a SmackDown episode in May which gave the WWE Universe an indication of what is to come.

Though the team of Mahal and Benjamin had a lot of potential, they were never booked to join the tag team division. With Mahal's strength and Benjamin's athleticism, this team would have wreaked havoc in the SmackDown tag team division.

#4 Shane McMahon and Elias

As mentioned ahead, the SmackDown tag team division needed new tag teams in the post-WrestleMania season of 2019. Hence, along with the formation of Balor and Ali's team, the fans even thought that WWE may add the team of Shane McMahon and Elias to the struggling tag team division.

Though McMahon and Elias have continued to work as a well oiled unit, they have never pursued Tag Team Championship gold. Given that WWE had plans to move Daniel Bryan and Rowan out of the SmackDown tag team picture, it would have been a great move had they allowed the heel team of Shane O' Mac and The Drifter to join the division.

The WWE Universe feels that Shane McMahon's heel run as a singles superstar has run its course and there is a need for a change. In this situation, a move to the tag team division would have proved to be a masterstroke while this booking decision would have benefit Elias as well.

#3 Bobby Lashley and Baron Corbin

The heel faction of Drew McIntyre, Baron Corbin and Bobby Lashley lost some firepower when McIntyre left the group and became Shane McMahon's ally. This left Lashley and Corbin with no other option but to try their luck as a tag team.

With Baron Corbin in line for a push, the heel duo were booked to face the team of Seth Rollins and AJ Styles on a RAW episode. As WWE had to show some heat between Styles and Rollins, they allowed Lashley and Corbin to pick up the win after The Phenomenal One left The Kingslayer alone.

One week after their victory on RAW, The All Mighty sent out an interesting tweet teasing a move to the RAW tag team division. While WWE never booked these two superstars as a tag team because of Corbin's scheduled push, one never knows how much carnage these mighty superstars would have created had they gone after the RAW tag team championships.

#2 Ryback and Dolph Ziggler

Back in February 2015, WWE considered forming a tag team featuring Ryback and The Showoff Dolph Ziggler. While the original plan was to have a WrestleMania match between Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan, WWE cancelled that plan because of Bryan's overwhelming popularity among the WWE fans.

This left Ziggler with no direction, hence, WWE tried him as Ryback's on-screen partner. They had even defeated the team of Stardust and Goldust on the February 6 episode of SmackDown. However, as per reports, the creative team would have considered pushing them as a team had they got good response from the viewers.

Looking at the way things panned out, it is unlikely that WWE saw any potential in the team of Ryback and Ziggler however, given that both the superstars had good relations on and off TV, Vince McMahon and co. should have allowed them a run in the tag team division.

#5 Finn Balor and Ali

Two of the most popular babyfaces of SmackDown Live, Finn Balor and Ali were probably going to join the blue brand's tag team division in May 2019 and since there was a dearth of tag teams on SmackDown, the fans felt that WWE was in the process of launching them as a tag team.

Both the superstars possess fantastic wrestling skills and could have set the tag team division on fire with their moves. Additionally, WWE had booked them to wrestle as a team against Randy Orton and Andrade on a SmackDown Live episode.

However, that match proved to be a one-off as the two superstars never joined forces post that game. The team of Balor and Ali had the maximum potential to elevate tag team wrestling in WWE but faded away.