The 6 month reign of The Usos as WWE Tag Team Champions was impressive, especially in a world where championship turnaround can be more frequent than it once was. Still, The Usos are one of many recent teams to have proud title reigns putting them in good company with the likes of The Shield, Cody Rhodes & Goldust, and Team Hell No. However, there have been a lot of great tag teams over the years that, while they had skill and chemistry, they never got their hands on tag team gold. More so in the days of the 80s, as tag team wrestling was more popular at that time, and there were more teams vying for the gold.

Here’s a look at 10 WWE tag teams that didn’t become tag team champions, but perhaps should have.

The Bushwackers

I realize that Luke and Butch were very much a comedy duo (prior to the WWF, they were a serious asskicking team called The Sheepherders and even have a five star match to their credit from The Wrestling Observer). They were not an imposing threat, but as tag teams go, they had a good run with seven years in the WWF as a team. They didn’t split up and they were very over with the fans of the time. A modern day comparison might be someone like Santino Marella, who has held numerous championships, so I don’t see why The Bushwackers couldn’t have held the tag team titles. If nothing else, it would have put some real heat on the team that took the titles from this fan favourite team.

Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel

A short lived tandem, but one that overflowed with potential. Had it not been for Gabriel injuring his elbow, this duo may have reached the top of the mountain. Both men are fantastic in the ring and have a great chemistry. Though they can be found more on NXT these days than on Raw or Smackdown, one only needs to look at the calibre of shows coming out of NXT to see that their talents aren’t being squandered.

3MB

I’ve always been a big fan of Drew McIntyre and Heath Slater (ok, Jinder Mahal was alright too) and I’ve always felt that 3MB could have been better utilized, and possibly enjoyed a run as WWE Tag Team Champions. Maybe it was that they were a team used more for humour, or maybe it was the overabundance of quality tag teams in WWE at the time. Whatever the reason, it’s too bad because these guys had the talent, and with their antics, could have brought back the three-man Freebird rule of defending championships.

The Beverly Brothers

I never liked The Beverly Brothers during their time in the World Wrestling Federation, whether it was the big purple capes, or that they were managed by The Genius, I can’t say exactly why, I just didn’t like them. However, these two could work. It didn’t matter if their opponents were big or small, high fliers or powerhouses. No matter the style, Beau and Blake could work and make their opponents look good. I think if they had ditched The Genius and adopted more of vicious streak as opposed to their cockiness, they may have found more success, but at this point it’s purely speculation.

Zig/Swag (Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger)

I had almost forgotten about this team until fellow LWOSwrestling writer Adam Contant reminded me. Under the guidance of Vicki Guererro these two didn’t quite make it to tag team gold, mostly because they didn’t always see eye to eye. It’s unfortunate because clearly both men have enjoyed singles success. Maybe their common bond at the time, sharing Vicki as a manager, was their real downfall.

The Killer Bees

Brian Blair and “Jumpin” Jim Brunzell used twin magic long before The Bella Twins. Some may argue the in-ring legality of it but Blair and Brunzell would often don matching black and yellow masks in order switch places in the ring without the referee’s knowledge. They were an entertaining team in the mid 80s and I think only suffered from being on a roster that included a plethora of great tag teams already, like The Hart Foundation, Demolition, and many others.

The Powers of Pain

Much like Demolition and The Road Warriors/L.O.D., The Powers of Pain were vicious, intimidating, and powerful, with demonic painted faces. Unlike their painted brethren, The Warlord and Barbarian never tasted victory in a WWF tag title match. Even after welcoming Mr. Fuji as their manager it was not enough and eventually the two parted ways and forged on as singles wrestlers.

The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers

One of the few tag teams that Jimmy “Mouth of the South” Hart managed that did not win tag team gold. It’s hard to say why they didn’t, as the two French Canadian siblings had great chemistry in the ring, although they weren’t the most physically imposing in a time where many teams had at least one powerhouse. However, they should have made it to the belts on their technical merit alone.

Power & Glory

When it comes to tag teams, I have always felt that the pairing of a technical/high flier with a heavier power man was the best formula. Comprised of Hercules Hernandez and Paul “Romeo” Roma, this team fit that criteria. Despite their odd choice of attire (cut off shirts and sunglasses that may have been stolen from The Grand Wizard or Jesse Ventura) this duo worked very well in the ring, playing off of each others strengths and utilizing great double team moves. Their finisher, a superplex into a top rope splash needed precise timing, which they delivered. Perhaps they would have found success with a different manager other than Slick. Bobby Heenan and Jimmy Hart both had great track records, but alas, the formula that Power & Glory couldn’t crack was that of winning the tag team titles.

The Rockers

Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty are both former tag team champions, just not with each other. Jannetty held the titles with 1-2-3 Kid, and Michaels has held the gold numerous times with the likes of Diesel, Triple H and John Cena. Although, they did win the tag team titles from The Hart Foundation during a television taping, due to a ring rope breaking during the match, it never aired. I had considered leaving The Rockers off of this list for this very reason, however, WWE refuses to acknowledge the title change and in the eyes of the powers that be, it never happened. The tag team specialists took on all comers and have beaten some great teams. More than any team on this list, The Rockers deserved the tag team championships.

Obviously, not every tag team can walk away from the ring with the gold, but some teams can have the look, the ability, and the chemistry and still come up short. Are there any teams in WWE history that you feel should have had a tag title run? Let me know on Twitter @DeHaanoffate with the hashtag #NotTagChamps.

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