5 Best And 5 Worst Reluctant WWE Tag Team Champions

10. Worst 5. Rikishi And Rico

One of the problems of the WWE Brand Extension in 2002 after Wrestlemania X8 was the writers’ decision to completely demolish the tag team division. At the time, there were only four real tag teams of note: The Hardy Boyz, The Dudley Boyz, The APA, and the tag team champions, Billy and Chuck. With the Brand Extension, two teams were split between shows (The Dudleys and the APA), and the other two teams were on two different shows (and unlike the Undisputed WWE Championship, the tag team titles were Smackdown-exclusive). That left the tag team division to be made up of loose alliances (teaming up Al Snow with Maven because they were both on Tough Enough) and reluctant tag team partners.

At Judgment Day, Billy and Chuck defended the belts against Rikishi and a partner of their choosing. Seemingly trying to stack the deck against Rikishi, the champs chose their manager, Rico. Of course, the plans backfired and Rikishi and Rico became the new tag team champions. The reign didn’t last long. It was indicative of how poor the tag team division was, barely more than a year removed from the glory days of the tag team division in 2000.