5 former Tag Team Champions released by WWE in 2020

#4. Heath Slater was the inaugural WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champion

Heath Slater was the inaugural WWE SmackDown Tag Champ (Image Courtesy: WWE)

Believe it or not, Heath Slater is actually a four-time WWE Tag Team Champion. While his most notable run was with Rhyno on SmackDown Live, the former 3MB member previously won the WWE Tag Team Championships on three different occasions with Justin Gabriel.

Having started out in the developmental territories of WWE, Slater was a part of the original Nexus faction and made his triumphant main roster debut in the summer of 2010. It was as part of Nexus when Slater won the Tag Team Titles for the first time with Gabriel.

Shortly afterwards though, both men walked away from the group and formed a new faction known as The Corre, and it was with the new group when the pairing of Slater and Gabriel won the WWE Tag Team Championships on two different occasions.

However in 2016 after multiple character changes, Slater finally found his rhythm in WWE when he formed an unlikely partnership with Rhyno and became the inaugural SmackDown Tag Team Champions. It's still remembered as one of the most memorable underdog stories in recent WWE history.

In mid-April, Slater was released by WWE but did make a special appearance following his exit during Drew McIntyre's feud against Dolph Ziggler. The former WWE Tag Team Champion is now under contract with IMPACT Wrestling.