Diamonds are forever but championship reigns stack up over time (just ask Ric Flair). Over the course of four blog posts I am going to examine the current state of the WWE titles, their current holders, and where we could be looking for future challengers and title holders.
Today I will be looking at the Tag Team titles and the Divas title. Why do these two get separated away from the pack like this? First of all these two never really fit in very well for the rest, not being singles men’s titles. Secondly, both the Divas and Tag Team titles operate under their own divisions. If somebody challenges for the the US title and fails to capture the gold then nothing is stopping them from having a go at the World Heavyweight strap next month (eh, RVD?). This simply is not the case here. As great as it would be to see Natalya vs Axel in an Intercontinental title match or The Shield become the (collective) WWE champions it will never happen. If you are female then you are in the Divas division with no hope of ever leaving. Same thing goes as a tag team. You have made your beds and you must lie in them, or at least break-up.
The Tag Team title
I have always been a fan of tag team wrestling, ever since I first became addicted to the antics of the squared circle. Any non-fan can envisage a classic one-on-one bout even if they aren’t familiar with the individual competitors involved or the finer points of the rules. The confusion I felt as a thirteen year old watching my first tag match is part of what made the division stand apart (it was Kevin Nash and Randy Savage vs Sting and Lex Luger by the way). You not only had excellent competition but the idea of inter-personality chemistry is heightened with twice as many people involved in a match. Think that Jack Swagger vs Cody Rhodes might be a dull affair? Good news! Antonio Cesaro and Goldust are waiting in the wings to create different combinations of skills, styles, and even weaknesses. If you put Christian and Matt Hardy in a ladder match chances are the outcome would be a little underwhelming. Of course they went ahead and added Edge, Jeff, two Dudleys, tables, and chairs … but the principle is the same. Professional wrestling is a larger-than-life affair and sometimes more is more.
How is it used these days
In 2013 the tag team titles, even when around the waists of good wrestlers (Kane, D-Bry, Rollins, Reigns), have taken a backseat to every other storyline possible. Don’t believe me? How come both members of Team Hell No were in the WHC number one contenders Elimination Chamber match? How come The Shield only paid lip service to their titles in the months leading up to losing them as they have been an important cog in the Authority angle? Sure they defended them, and the matches tended to be good, but they spent far more time being Triple H’s hired muscle than acting like proper Tag champs.
All issues I have with Tag Titles being booked aside, The Shield have broken one of the most annoying trends in tag wrestling as of late: every time a team loses the titles that team has been forced to break up. There is usually a reason for this (a meteoric Daniel Bryan push for example) but it makes the whole division seem less competitive. Back in the day there was a tremendous amount of back-and-forth between teams vying for the gold. This seems to have gone the way of the dodo as a byproduct of longer title reigns. This in itself is not necessarily a bad thing but I wouldn’t mind seeing a great team stay champions for a while, lose in a good match, and work their way back to the belts they still consider their property. Hey, it worked for the New Age Outlaws. Unfortunately talk of The Shield disbanding (or at least losing a member) is very prominent right now so that stigma may carry on a while yet. Can you see Goldust hanging around long after he and Cody eventually drop the belts? I can’t but I sincerely hope I’m wrong about that.
The Current Champions: Cody Rhodes and Goldust
This started out as another one of those teams comprised of two singles stars that was thrown together for the hell of it. Guess what? It worked! It is certainly a better team up than John Cena & HBK or Santino & Koslov. These two have real, legitimate history together (being brothers and all) which makes the pairing believable. They teamed up for the first time ever to win their jobs back against The Shield at Battleground (in the best match of the night no less) and carried that momentum into winning the titles on Raw. Cody Rhodes has been steadily improving in the ring these past few years and the crowd has noticed. They are firmly behind the former Dashing / Un-Dashing One and rightly so. On the other side of the team you have Dustin “Goldust” Runnels, one of the most unlikely stars of the Attitude Era. If I had a time machine I would love to go back two years or so and see the look on people’s faces when I tell them that Goldust would not only feature prominently in WWE in 2013 but actually has a title to back it up. To his credit, both his physique and in-ring acumen are better than ever. He should be an inspiration to many veteran wrestler who have been resting on their past glories for too long. It is never too late to get of your ass and work for it! The fact that the Rhodes Warriors consistently put on one of the best matches every single night they perform should be of no surprise to anybody who’s been paying attention.
Future Champions
The future of tag team wrestling (and, therefore the titles) is bright in WWE at the moment. There are a number of good, natural tag teams in the mix right now (Shield, Wyatts, Prime Time Players, Usos) as well as one notable “thrown together” team who would look good with some gold on them: The Real Americans. If I were a betting man I would give the edge to the Real Americans to be your next champions sometime in the nest 2-3 months. Let’s be honest, there is plenty for The Shield to be doing if they wanted to. This further opens up the division and hopefully all of these teams get at least one, well-deserved reign in before creative gets any big ideas and breaks them up. Yes there are other teams out there, like Tons of Funk and Los Matadores, but I suspect even they know they’re not a feature attraction in the division. Add to that the potential of future teams coming up from NXT and tag teams should stay alive and well for a long time. As for the current champs, like I said, I’m not sure the Rhode-eo Clowns will survive as a unit after they drop the belts but I sure hope they do.
Divas Title
As of late the Divas division has been suffering from a revolving door policy. Beth Phoenix, Kelly Kelly, and Eve all left. The Bellas left and came back for some reason. Even though Nikki’s new found “largeness” (thanks for that gem JBL) has ruined their twin magic schtick they are both prominently featured on a weekly basis. Summer Rae is starting to step up from simply being Fandango’s valet to a competitor. Sure, she’s not spectacular but she sure is trying. My wife saw her wrestle for the first time at Hell in a Cell. Her reaction? “Wow, she actually knows some moves. Good for her!”. So I guess she’s a work in progress – plenty of potential but nowhere near champion level yet given the current competition.
How is it used these days?
There’s still a gaping divide between the women who can wrestle and those who are just there to look pretty. AJ, Kaitlyn, Tamina, and Natalya fit into the former category while Rosa, Aksana, and the newbies from Total Divas fit into the latter. Balanced precariously in the middle you have Alicia Fox , Layla, and The Funkadactyls. Can they go in the ring? Usually yes, but more exciting Divas are rapidly Bogarting their spotlight. It is the job of the Divas champion to run roughshod over the division’s weaker competitors and put on good matches with the better ones. You can’t make everybody look like a contender now can you? That goes double for Rosa.
The Current Champion: AJ Lee
Simply put, AJ Lee is one of the most over Divas in years. Ever since her connection Daniel Bryan and his World Heavyweight title run people have kept a close eye on her escapades. She has gone from shrinking violet, to poly-amorous minx, to Raw general manager, back to to love sick puppy, and now the real Diva. Her scathing promo against the Total Divas turned many a head and, in a rare move, humanized the heel and gave them a legitimate beef with those who had been arbitrarily painted as the faces. In fact AJ is only a heel at the moment in the same way that HBK or Steve Austin were: because the commentators keep telling us that they are and precious little else. Her ability to sell an opponent’s offense has greatly improved as of late, putting her at Ziggler level selling.
Future Champions
So where is the future of the Divas division?There is of course the so-obvious-it’s-too-stupid-to-mention Tamina turns on AJ program. Look, when the last time that a bodyguard and employer parted ways amicably? Nattie Neidhart has been proving why she deserves another title reign and I certainly hope she gets one soon. The E will soon have admit they they need to look outside of their regular ranks in order for the Diva’s division to move forwards. NXT is a breeding ground for top women talent. First and foremost you have the current NXT Women’s Champion, Paige. She has the unique look, attitude, and ring prowess that has made her a fan favourite before ever making it onto the main roster. The Anti-Diva would be a welcome breath of fresh air on the scene. Then there is Emma, the awkward Aussie. She might look like a goof in the ring with her terrible dancing but that goof has the Lance Storm seal of approval to back her up. There are a number of other excellent performers down in Florida but these two are TV ready and need to be called up ASAP.
Next time on Gold Rush 2013 I examine the top titles in wrestling right now: World Heavyweight title and the coveted WWE Championship.
– Ricardo “EclectikElectrik” K
