There are currently two teams tearing up the tag division in NXT, made up of stars who have been in developmental for a long time without gaining a foothold. Jason Jordan, after breaking up with Tye Dillinger, worked an angle about trying to find a new tag team partner before finally being paired with former amateur wrestler Chad Gable. Since the reluctant pairing came together, they have worked brilliantly and are now one of the most over acts in NXT. Alongside them are the tandem of Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder, who have been gaining ground as a pair of throwback heels with a brutal mean streak. This is one of the joys of NXT's tag division, which is used as a strong vehicle to bring underused talent into the spotlight and find their strengths. Jordan and Gable, in particular, both struggled as singles stars but have each their niche as a babyface tag team who specialise in technically sound professional wrestling. During the pair's recent television match with Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa, there were "this is awesome" chants during the opening chain wrestling exchanges, which illustrates clearly their remarkable talent as a duo. This practice is something that WWE flirts with in their tag division, without ever feeling fully committed. The company often dips its toe in the water in the hope that the team will catch on immediately, before abandoning them entirely. The team of Slater Gator, for instance, gave Titus O'Neil and Heath Slater an amusing midcard position for a month or so in the summer of 2014, but they were tossed aside after a brief feud with Los Matadores. This is, rather worryingly, the fate of unloved undercard tag teams way too often, which leads to WWE missing major opportunities. For every New Day, there are dozens of Slater Gators.
Freelance film journalist and fan of professional wrestling. Usually found in a darkened screening room looking for an aisle seat and telling people to put away their mobile phones. Also known to do a bit of stand-up comedy, so I'm used to the occasional heckle.
