WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray has offered an interesting idea for the future of WWE's tag team division, arguing that the company could benefit from introducing dedicated mixed tag team championships.
Bully Ray is certainly qualified to discuss the subject. As one half of The Dudley Boyz alongside D-Von Dudley, he became one of the most successful tag team wrestlers of his generation.
The Dudley Boyz helped define tag team wrestling during the Attitude Era and became known for their intense matches, memorable rivalries and aggressive style.
Because of that history, Ray has frequently spoken about the importance of tag team wrestling and the way WWE presents its teams.
In his view, the current tag team landscape could use a significant change.
One of his most interesting ideas is to create a dedicated mixed tag team division featuring male and female WWE Superstars.
The concept would allow wrestlers from the men's and women's divisions to form teams and compete for dedicated championships.
While WWE has featured mixed tag matches in the past, the company has never established a permanent mixed tag team championship system that operates as a major division.
That could potentially change the way WWE presents tag team wrestling.
A mixed tag division would provide WWE with opportunities to create completely new combinations.
Instead of seeing the same teams compete against each other repeatedly, WWE could pair performers who have never previously worked together.
Those partnerships could create fresh personalities and unexpected rivalries.
The concept could also create opportunities for wrestlers who are not currently involved in major singles championship storylines.
A Superstar who is struggling to find a singles storyline could suddenly become part of an important mixed tag program.
The idea has already been tested in WWE through the Mixed Match Challenge.
The tournament brought together male and female WWE performers and created several memorable combinations.
While the Mixed Match Challenge was presented as a special competition rather than a permanent championship division, it demonstrated that WWE could successfully create stories around mixed teams.
Turning that concept into a regular championship division would take things a step further.
WWE could establish mixed tag championships that are defended across weekly television and premium live events.
A tournament could then be used to determine the first champions, immediately creating a major storyline around the new titles.
The storytelling possibilities would also be significant.
WWE could create teams based on friendship, rivalry, personality or even storyline circumstances.
A heel and babyface could be forced to work together. Two rivals could temporarily put their differences aside to pursue championship gold. Two completely different personalities could become an unexpectedly successful team.
Those scenarios would give WWE writers plenty of opportunities to create fresh stories.
Importantly, introducing mixed tag championships would not necessarily mean eliminating the existing men's and women's tag divisions.
Instead, the new championships could operate alongside the traditional titles.
That would give WWE another category of competition without taking away from established tag team wrestling.
For fans, it could also create a reason to become invested in wrestlers who might otherwise receive limited television time.
Bully Ray's proposal therefore goes beyond simply adding another set of championships.
It is ultimately about finding new ways to make tag team wrestling feel important.
WWE has a large roster filled with talented performers, and mixed tag competition could give some of those wrestlers opportunities to work together in ways fans have not seen before.
Whether WWE eventually follows through on the idea remains unknown.
However, the concept is certainly worth considering, especially as the company continues looking for ways to expand its storytelling possibilities.
Bully Ray's experience as a legendary tag team wrestler gives his opinion additional weight, and his proposal could provide WWE with a completely different direction for its tag team landscape.
If WWE ever decides to create official mixed tag team championships, the potential for memorable partnerships and unexpected rivalries could make the division one of the most entertaining additions to WWE programming.
