6 Tag teams WWE split up for no real reason

The IIconics; Enzo and Cass
The IIconics; Enzo and Cass

Tag team wrestling can be something special in WWE, but it has been neglected several times. Several promising teams have graced RAW and SmackDown over the years, only for Vince McMahon to separate both members.

There have been some cases where a tag team split was booked with a purpose, with possible singles runs on the horizon. However, WWE has ended a lot of duos without much reason. This has been especially prevalent in recent times and has left several superstars in limbo.

A lot of these tag teams had true synergy, with the members being greater together than the sum of their parts. But each of them was left on their own, or put into another team almost instantly. It is unfortunate, considering how much each team would have improved their respective tag team divisions at the time.

Here are six tag teams WWE split up for no real reason.

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#6 Heavy Machinery

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A duo made for sports entertainment, Heavy Machinery was a perfect addition to SmackDown's tag team division in 2019. Otis and Tucker complemented each other perfectly. The former rose to near unreasonable popularity, but that did not translate into much success.

Heavy Machinery did not win any titles before their split in the fall of 2020. Tucker was drafted to RAW, before turning heel on Otis and costing him the Money in the Bank contract. He ended up doing nothing on the Red brand and was released from WWE in 2021.

Meanwhile, Otis is in a different tag team, following a heel turn of his own. The two of them were so much better together and had a lot left to do as a unit.


#5 The IIconics - Former WWE Women's Tag Team Champions

At a time when WWE needed as many prominent female tag teams, The IIconics breaking up was a shocking decision. It seemed to lead to a singles push for Peyton Royce. But she quickly entered another tag team with Lacey Evans, which killed the purpose of the split.

Meanwhile, Billie Kay got over with her 'resume' gimmick. But WWE ended up releasing her and Royce, less than a year after taking them apart. The IIconics together were loved by the fans, thanks to their incredible chemistry and comedy skits.

Unfortunately, the company did not see any value in them. The women's tag team division has greatly suffered from The IIconics not being a part of it.

#4 The Hart Dynasty - Former WWE Tag Team Champions

Representing the latest generation of the Hart family in WWE, Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith were a great tag team. Their strong in-ring skills were buoyed by Bret Hart's on-screen support. Known as The Hart Dynasty, Kidd and Smith won the WWE Tag Team Championship soon after WrestleMania 26 in 2010.

However, they were taken apart way too soon and without much reason. Neither star received a singles push, with David Hart Smith getting released in 2011. Tyson Kidd did enjoy success in WWE a few years later. He won the Tag Team Titles with Cesaro in 2015 but was forced to retire a few months later.

If the advancement of medical science enables Kidd to ever wrestle again, he could re-form The Hart Dynasty. Smith has recently returned to the company under his real name, Harry.


#3 Enzo and Big Cass

Enzo Amore and Big Cass were at the forefront of the 'New Era' WWE began pushing in 2016, and rightly so. The trash-talking duo was insanely over with the fans. Enzo would cut loud and charismatic promos, while Cass was the giant behind him.

Unfortunately, though, this popularity did not result in success. Enzo and Cass did not win the Tag Team Titles, eventually splitting in mid-2017. The idea was to make Big Cass a dominant heel on RAW, but the show had plenty such names like Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman.

It did not work beyond his subsequent feud with Enzo Amore. In fact, the smaller superstar was more successful since the split, winning the Cruiserweight Championship twice. The split was doomed from the start and both men were released within the following year.

#2 Legacy - Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes

Legacy was a group of second-generation WWE Superstars under the leadership of Randy Orton, a third-generation star himself. Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. were the two that eventually went the distance alongside Orton, serving as his backup.

Rhodes and DiBiase did not get much showcase as a solid tag team beyond their feud with DX in 2009, as the Legacy trio exploded at WrestleMania 26. Randy Orton won a triple threat against the two young stars, who disbanded as a team during the match itself.

Separating from The Viper was fine, but Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase should have remained a unit for a while longer. Both superstars lost momentum following the split, with only Rhodes recovering it through his 'Dashing' gimmick later in 2010.


#1 The Hurt Business - One of the few bright spots on WWE RAW in 2021

This remains one of WWE's most baffling booking decisions all year. The Hurt Business was among the brightest acts on RAW, as MVP single-handedly rescued the careers of Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and Cedric Alexander. The latter two became RAW Tag Team Champions, while The All Mighty became a force.

Lashley won the WWE Championship in March and remains with the title heading into SummerSlam. However, Benjamin and Alexander were kicked out of The Hurt Business after losing their titles. The only follow-up to this has seen the two of them looking like nobodies in matches against Bobby Lashley.

WWE eventually split Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander too, once again for no reason. The Hurt Business was fine as it was and made RAW a better show, with no need to modify it at all. And as a result, the three-hour show now has two less prominent stars it can feature.

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Edited by Kaushik Das
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