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| photo courtesy: wwe.com |
It initially felt like Kane and Bryan's partnership was a short-term thing to give both of them something to do, but it has turned into a fairly lengthy storyline. The end appeared to be near on several occasions with Team Rhodes Scholars pursuing the straps and Bryan eliminating Kane from the Royal Rumble, however, Team Hell No remains intact and will defend the titles against the team of Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston at WrestleMania.
Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler Raw, March 18, 2013
As much as I believe that Kane and Bryan can do some great things as individuals moving forward and as much as I enjoy Ziggler, having Ziggler and Langston win the belts wouldn't be a smart move on the WWE's part. Langston has been Ziggler's insurance policy for a few months, but they aren't a true tag team, so putting the Tag Team Championships on them would devalue the titles.
Kane and Bryan admittedly started as a makeshift team, but they quickly became beloved by the fans and are the flag bearers of the tag division currently. The WWE actually has quite a few teams, but none of them have achieved a level of success that rivals Team Hell No. Ziggler and Langston clearly haven't as they have yet to even wrestle as a team yet.
There probably aren't many fans out there who thought that Team Hell No would hold the titles past WrestleMania, but there is no doubt that the WWE has to go that route at this point. Kane and Bryan will likely be successful whether they're together or apart, however, there isn't much incentive to break them up right now. They would both be midcarders and the WWE's tag division would be left without a dominant team to carry the load.
Bryan is unquestionably a main event-level performer, so he shouldn't be thrust back into the singles scene until there is an open path for him. He won't be able to go after the WWE Championship as John Cena is slated to win it at WrestleMania and the World Heavyweight Championship isn't really an option either. If Alberto Del Rio doesn't retain it then he'll carry on his feud with Jack Swagger anyway. Ziggler is also in the mix due to his status as Mr. Money in the Bank.
The only true openings for Bryan reside in the midcard, but we've already seen what the midcard can do to a seemingly red-hot face. The Miz seemed to be on the verge of something big when he turned face, but he has been unable to take the next step. Instead he has traded wins and losses with various midcard heels and may be relegated to the WrestleMania pre-show despite his status as a former main eventer.
Feuding over the Intercontinental or United States Championship is basically a death sentence in the WWE right now, so it would be irresponsible to throw Bryan into the fray. Perhaps he and Kane have done all they can do as Tag Team Champions, but keeping Team Hell No together for now is the best thing that the WWE can possibly do.
If winning the Tag Team Championships could somehow help Ziggler en route to the World Heavyweight Championship, then I could see the WWE going in that direction. All the tag titles would do is hold Ziggler back, though. Most fans would probably agree that Ziggler has been held back plenty since securing the Money in the Bank briefcase, so there's really no sense in forcing him to remain in the tag team scene.
Ziggler still has a couple months before he has to cash in his contract, so it can be argued that he should team with Langston in the meantime, but what he really should be doing is competing as a singles wrestler and winning all of his matches. The WWE has been unbelievably inconsistent in its booking of Ziggler as he goes through hot and cold stretches. He needs to look very strong heading into his cash in and making him a tag team wrestler isn't the way to do that.
In fact, Ziggler and Langston losing could pay immediate dividends. It can be argued that Langston has made Ziggler more of a threat, but Dolph simply doesn't need him. I would much prefer Ziggler either alone or with just A.J. Lee by his side. I can envision a scenario in which Ziggler and Langston lose to Team Hell No, leading Ziggler to slap Langston across the face following the match.
This would allow them to part ways and it would also allow Ziggler to remain heel. With so few main event heels in the company right now, Ziggler needs to remain in that role. Winning the tag titles along Big E would only further the partnership and prolong Ziggler's ascent to the main event, so there is truly no point in making that happen.
Maybe Kane and Bryan have run their course as a tag team, but they are the WWE's best bet until some other teams are built up. Ziggler and Langston obviously haven't been built to look like a legitimate threat and nobody would benefit from them winning the titles at WrestleMania XXIX.
As boring as it may sound, the WWE needs to stick with the status quo when it comes to the Tag Team Championships.
source: bleacherreport.com
