7 things WWE can do to make their Tag Team division exciting again

Once a staple of the WWE, tag team wrestling has been diminishing in importance as the company moves forward through 2018.

These days tag team wrestling seems like an afterthought, and the tag team championships are often given to two singles stars who the company wants to keep relevant. This is a far cry from the classic era, where teams like the Hart Foundation, Demolition, The British Bulldogs, Strike Force, and the Colossal Connection provided some of the most iconic moments in wrestling history.

But all is not lost. The WWE can bring excitement and relevance back to their tag team division by taking the following seven steps.

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#1 Get some new blood in the mix

New Japan Wrestling's Killer Elite Squad would be a great acquisition for the WWE

While we love the New Day and the Usos, and the five men involved in those stables have put on electrifying matches and participated in hilarious skits, we're tired of seeing them fight each other.

With so few verifiable full-time tag units around, it gets challenging for WWE to come up with angles and storylines for them. Adding some new tag team talent could make that task much easier. Men like the Killer Elite Squad fit in perfectly with WWE's vision of what wrestlers should be, and would be a great addition to the company.

There are other teams as well, from indie legends like the Briscoes to newer stars just cutting their teeth in the industry. If WWE wants to grow the tag team division they must fertilize it with new stars.

#2 Have one tag championship for both Smackdown and Raw

The brand split has many drawbacks, but the tag division has been particularly hard hit by the decision to separate the athletes into two camps.

Tag team wrestling tends to be more based on in-ring work than promos or interviews, and in order for good matches to take place, there must be a good mix of teams to set up against each other. By unifying the tag titles, WWE can double their potential match ups.

#3 Stop booking tag teams to lose to singles wrestlers

It seems that in the WWE, singles stars are greater than even the best tag team. At least, that's the message fans received when Braun Strowman defeated The Bar essentially by himself, as his ten-year-old 'partner' Nicholas never made physical contact with the other team.

Two on one is bad odds, even if you're seven feet tall, and to have Braun so easily dispatch what is ostensibly the best tag team in the WWE doesn't do anything for the tag division or the wrestlers involved.

#4 Allow Tag matches to run longer

On 12/4/11, Ring of Honor put on the longest match in modern pro wrestling history. The Eight Man elimination tag match went over an hour and twenty minutes, and electrified the crowd the entire time.

While we're not suggesting the WWE should try and beat this record, there does need to be more time spent on tag team matches. Many of the tag contests on Smackdown and Raw are over in less than six minutes, which is hardly enough time for the wrestlers to tell a decent story, which is the crux of any good wrestling match.

By allowing tag teams longer matches to shine in--say twenty minutes to half and hour -- the WWE can greatly increase the quality of their tag team wrestling.

#5 Slow down on the title changes

Having teams change titles more than most people change socks diminishes the value of the tag team gold.

Longer title reigns seem more special, and make the moment when the title does finally change hands infinitely more meaningful.

The long reign in the classic era by Demolition is a good example, where nearly any babyface team could get huge cheers from the crowd just because they might have a shot in the dark at finally stripping the heel duo of the championships.

#6 Have a mid-card tag championship

During the 1980s, the tag team wrestling scene in the NWA was so hot, so competitive, and so entertaining there were two tag championships. The world tag team titles were for the major player teams like Road Warriors and the Rock and Roll Express, while the United States tag titles commonly hung around the waists of journeymen and up and coming talent.

By adding midcard tag titles to the mix, WWE can build its tag division more effectively, just as the Intercontinental title builds ups future stars for possible Universal title runs.

#7 Invite legendary Tag Teams to participate in events

While legendary teams like the Rock n Roll Express have too much mileage on them for actual wrestling appearances, their mere presence can elevate the tag team division.

Such teams could be the face of tag tournaments, or participate in the commentary, or even act as managers for younger teams. Wrestling fans love exulting in the history of the sport, and adding some 'blast from the past' flavor would liven up the otherwise bland tag team division.

There you have it: Seven ways the WWE can save their tag team division. Please comment and let us know what you think about tag team wrestling today.