In recent months, WWE champions have been fighting as the company approaches WrestleMania 41 and the Netflix era. Officials have crowned new and inaugural champions, while others have continued their dominant reigns. Now, backstage sources have revealed another big upgrade to the product, plus how Triple H and the newly crowned champions are involved.
The Judgment Day's Finn Balor and Damian Priest went into WrestleMania XL as Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions. The Six-Pack Ladder Match ended with A-Town Down Under in possession of the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, now known as the WWE Tag Team Championship, and Awesome Truth with the RAW Tag Team Championship, now known as the World Tag Team Championship.
Triple H's attention to World Wrestling Entertainment's tag team division is no surprise, as the Chief Content Officer has been high up on two-on-two in-ring action for years. Both titles have changed hands multiple times since WrestleMania, with The War Raiders currently holding the red brand straps, while DIY holds the SmackDown titles.
Sources report that main roster officials are set to make positive changes to the division. Fightful Select adds that the word going around RAW is that the tag team titles will be defended more with Erik and Ivar as champions.
The SmackDown tag team chase is rumored to get a boost as well. PWN reports that putting the gold around the waists of The War Raiders is to mark a renewed focus on the tag team division. DIY recently captured the WWE Tag Team Championship from The Motor City Machine Guns on SmackDown. The title change came after a heel turn ruse by Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano, seemingly adding a spark to the blue brand tag team scene.
Robert Roode, a retired wrestler turned rising producer, produced the War Raiders' championship win over JD McDonagh and Finn Balor, and Michael "PS" Hayes, a Senior Producer and Vice President of Creative Writing & Booking. They also produced The Raiders vs. The Judgment Day in late November.
Triple H touts new WWE World Tag Team Champions
The Judgment Day's Finn Balor and JD McDonagh had their reign as World Tag Team Champions nixed at 175 days by The War Raiders on the December 16 RAW. Erik and Ivar are now in their second reign with the straps.
After the main event title change, Triple H took to Instagram to congratulate the former Viking Raiders. World Wrestling Entertainment's Chief Content Officer also included a signature backstage photo with Erik and Ivar.
"To the edge of the cliff and back… Congratulations to #WarRaiders, your NEW World Tag Team Champions. #WWERaw," Triple H wrote with the photo below.
The War Raiders saved Damian Priest from a beating by Judgment Day on this week's RAW. The final red brand episode of 2024 will now feature Priest, Erik, and Ivar vs. Balor, McDonagh, and Dominik Mysterio.