20 Obscure WWE Tag Teams You Totally Don't Remember
11. Reverend D-Von & Deacon Batista
The original WWE Brand Split saw the company split-up several big name tag teams in an effort to freshen their acts up, and promote big pushes for the individual members. This worked for The Acolytes following their second separation in 2004, when JBL went on to become a dominant World Heavyweight Champion, but it wasn't quite so beneficial for the Dudley Boyz.
The 2002 draft saw Bubba Ray drafted to Raw, and D-Von to SmackDown. While Bubba stayed true to his character by reuniting with cousin Spike on Monday nights, D-Von did quite the opposite on the blue brand. WWE saddled him with a corrupt preacher gimmick, and as Reverend D-Von, he initially served as Mr. McMahon's "spiritual advisor."
WWE decided the good Reverend needed some muscle, and in came Deacon Batista as D-Von's collection box guardian. Initially debuting as an enforcer, Batista soon took to the ring, and he and the Reverend entered SmackDown's tag division, scoring a big win over Randy Orton and Faarooq in their debut.
The holy duo weren't to last, however. The Deacon lost his first singles match when D-Von accidentally struck him during a match with Rikishi, they argued over the following weeks, and Batista eventually turned on him. Batista would go on to become a multi-time champion, and one of the era's most important wrestlers, but his origin story is best left in the past.