Whenever a wrestler is in a tag team they are ultimately reliant on each other, and the success and failure of their careers at that time can be down to the other. Whether they’re together for a long time or a brief spell, partners need each other to potentially get over, therefore if one of them gets hurt it can be a scary time.
5 WWE Tag Teams That Got Over Because Of In-Ring Work (& 5 Who Got Popular From Promos)
While some WWE tag teams dazzled in the ring, others became popular because of their mic skills!
Often in WWE the company just ends up shelving both wrestlers, rather than thinking of a creative reason to give the other an opportunity. However, that’s not always the case, as there have been certain WWE Superstars who have actually thrived due to the unfortunate situation of a partner.
Ivar Showcases His Singles Qualities
Injured Partner: Erik
|
Injury Sustained By Erik |
How It Benefited Ivar |
|---|---|
|
Neck Fusion surgery |
Ivar has had a featured singles run |
It has always been clear that Ivar is a great wrestler because The Viking Raiders are a fantastic tag team that has put together a lot of great matches both in and out of WWE. Both men have dealt with injury problems over the years and most of the time the other man simply hasn’t been used, but as of late that hasn’t been the case.
The Viking Experience & 9 Other Bad Wrestling Names WWE Quickly Changed
WWE had ring names that were so bad that they were changed almost instantly. These ring names just didn’t click, such as The Viking Experience!
When Erik went down with a neck injury in September 2023 WWE decided to keep Ivar on television. He’s since become a regular feature on Monday Night Raw and he has won fans over with his incredible matches, showcasing the fact he’s a valuable asset alone.
Johnny Gargano Became The Ultimate Babyface
Injured Partner: Tommaso Ciampa
|
Injury Sustained By Tommaso Ciampa |
How It Benefited Johnny Gargano |
|---|---|
|
Torn ACL |
Became a top singles act in NXT |
The end of NXT Takeover: Chicago was a memorable night for #DIY, losing the main event during a show where it was known that Tommaso Ciampa was hurt going in. Fans thought the show was over when they headed to the back only for Ciampa to turn on Gargano to shock the audience.
While Ciampa was then on the shelf with a knee injury for a long period it allowed Gargano to thrive as a babyface. He got over huge with the WWE Universe, and that saw him gain plenty of opportunities, including becoming the NXT Champion.
Chelsea Green Gets Creative
Injured Partner: Sonya Deville
|
Injury Sustained by Sonya Deville |
How It Benefited Chelsea Green |
|---|---|
|
Torn ACL |
Teamed with Piper Niven & continued title reign |
Chelsea Green has primarily been seen as a comedic act in WWE, but she has been very entertaining, and that’s why she has worked so well. She and Sonya Deville got a big push to become Women’s Tag Team Champions, but sadly Deville ended up suffering a serious knee injury.
Chelsea Green: Age, Height, Relationship Status & Other Things You Didn’t Know About Her
WWE’s Chelsea Green has become one of the most notable characters in their women’s division. Find out her height, relationship status and more.
It seemed like the curse of the Women’s Tag Team titles was continuing, but instead Green grabbed the opportunity with both hands. She pushed the idea of her searching for a new partner on social media, and it led to her working with Piper Niven which was a great group.
JeriShow Is Born From Injury
Injured Partner: Edge
|
Injury Sustained by Edge |
How It Benefited Chris Jericho |
|---|---|
|
Torn Achilles tendon |
Jericho teamed with Big Show |
WWE seemingly had big plans for the team of Chris Jericho and Edge, with the two becoming Undisputed Tag Team Champions. However, what could have been a legendary run was brought to an abrupt end as the Rated-R Superstar got hurt, which saw a change of plans.
This benefited Jericho massively as he began teaming up with Big Show, which created the best tag team run of his entire career. The duo were dominant main event stars who had a fantastic run that is still talked about today.
Shawn Michaels Gets To Headline WrestleMania 23
Injured Partner: Triple H
|
Injury Sustained by Triple H |
How It Benefited Shawn Michaels |
|---|---|
|
Torn Quadriceps |
HBK headlined WrestleMania 23 |
D-Generation X being pushed as a legitimate tag team is always fun to watch, and that’s something that was taking place in 2007. Shawn Michaels and Triple H worked together and feuded with Rated RKO, but that storyline finished early because Triple H tore his quadriceps.
Shawn Michaels’ Definitive 13 Best WWE Matches, Ranked
Shawn Michaels made history by participating in some of the best matches in WWE history.
However, this opened the door to new plans for Michaels which was a bonus for everyone. He went on to feud against John Cena as they headlined WrestleMania 23 for the WWE Championship in a classic encounter as Michaels reminded everyone how talented he is as a solo act.
Main Event Jey Uso Rises
Injured Partner: Jimmy Uso
|
Injury Sustained by Jimmy Uso |
How It Benefited Jey Uso |
|---|---|
|
Torn ACL |
Became a top singles act & is a main event player |
The Usos will go down as one of the best tag teams in WWE history, but when Jimmy Uso got hurt at WrestleMania 36 it opened up the door for Jey Uso to truly flourish. While it took a bit of time, when The Bloodline game together he truly hit a groove of his own and showcased the emotional connection he could make with an audience.
His rivalry with Roman Reigns was epic, and while he ended up falling back in line with the faction for a long time, fans never forgot his abilities. Nowadays, he is thriving as a singles act, with Main Event Jey Uso being one of the top babyfaces in the company.
