It started with a handicap match against the World Tag Team Champions as punishment for making a mockery of Mr. McMahon and his family woes. It ended with a win over the duo followed by a prompt beat down by the champs and his former opponent, Carlito.
As Triple H became a victim of a severe post-match stomping from Lance Cade, Trevor Murdoch and Carlito, the tag team champions’ rivals, Paul London and Brian Kendrick, rushed the ring, making the save and fending off the champs, leaving Carlito for Triple H. After clearing the ring, London and Kendrick returned to the ring, using the moment in the spotlight to perform their trademark second rope double back flip and pose as Triple H looked on in amazement.
Opportunity Knocking
What WWE had on Raw was an excellent opportunity for a bona fide main eventer to elevate an authentic tag team that has recently found themselves on the receiving in of horrible booking and as a result, are struggling to find their niche following being sent to Raw via the Supplemental Draft.
If a cohesive team, that just happens to be one of the longest reigning tag team champions in recent memory, can’t get over with their in-ring performance, lightning speed, and high-flying maneuvers, then surely they would benefit from the positive endorsement and approval of a 10-time former Heavyweight champion. An act that not only would’ve given fans more of a reason to care about the tag team, but for the most part, could’ve been used to set up an exciting six-man tag match for next week’s Raw, pitting Carlito, Cade and Murdoch against Triple H, London and Kendrick.
Instead, we have The Game, who’s been back for little over a month and still being embraced by the crowd, repay the acrobatic superstars for assisting him in his time of need by buying them with two devastating Pedigrees before shrugging his shoulders and leaving the ring.
At that very moment, if you weren’t already aware, Triple H summed up what the tag team division has become, much like his career in 2007. A running gag.
The division has been relegated to sideshow status, right alongside the Cruiserweight championship. The tag team titles on Raw are the biggest disgrace, which, in the last year, have been used as a stepping stone or a sidebar in a much bigger story, usually the main event picture.
Unfounded Statement
During the handicap match on Raw, Jim Ross’ kept driving home his point that “Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch are the best tag team in the entire company.” Cade and Murdoch aren’t even the best team on their own brand, let alone the entire company – that status is currently held by current WWE tag team champions, MVP and Matt Hardy, who just happens to be a multiple time tag team champion alongside his brother, Intercontinental champion, Jeff Hardy.
What’s worse is that Jim Ross, who’s been in the business for decades, knows Cade & Murdoch wouldn’t have even smelled championship gold 20 years ago as they would’ve been used solely to elevate mid to upper echelon tag teams. It’s appalling, in this watered down division that fans are presented with today that the current tag team champs are viewed in the same light.
Personally, I wouldn’t have an issue with Ross’ claim if the company took the time to focus on the division and build up worthwhile challengers for the championships, but it’s extremely hard to do that when the division is considered an afterthought. It doesn’t help having main event talent who are above over, destroying solid teams for no reason, on the rare occasions tag teams are given a chance to shine.
Repercussions
Last week, Shelton Benjamin found himself to be a victim of Triple H and although it was thrown together to further his ongoing feud with Carlito and to give Benjamin something to do while his tag team partner, Charlie Haas, serves his suspension, the loss did more harm than good for Benjamin.
In a few weeks, Haas will return and reunite with Benjamin, presumably to go after the tag team titles. Why would any fan accept them as a credible when your main event superstars are squashing them in singles competition?
Counterproductive
By taking out Benjamin last week, defeating Cade and Murdoch, the current tag team champions, in a handicap match this week and by burying Paul London and Brian Kendrick following the handicap match, Triple H has somehow managed to destroy Raw’s tag team division in a mere two weeks. All that was missing was backstage segment with the Cerebral Assassin obliterating The Highlanders and his mission would’ve been complete.
With reports of Degeneration X members, Shawn Michaels and Triple H, assisting, monitoring and overseeing WWE’s developmental territories in the near future, rising superstars would be well within their right to feel a little uneasy. It’s a double edge sword as Triple H would offer advice and hope for these aspiring talents to get popular only to squash them if they ever made it to the big leagues.