{{short description|Men's professional wrestling championship}} {{about|WWE's tag team title originally established in 2016 as the SmackDown Tag Team Championship and was renamed in 2024|the title that went by this name from 2002 to 2016 and currently defended on Raw|World Tag Team Championship (WWE)|the title that briefly went by this name in mid-2002|World Tag Team Championship (WWE, 1971–2010)|other WWE tag team titles|Tag team championships in WWE}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}} {{Infobox pro wrestling championship |name = WWE Tag Team Championship |image = File:WWE Tag Team Championship 2024.jpeg |caption = The current WWE Tag Team Championship belt with default side plates (2024–present) |currentholder = Damian Priest and R-Truth |won = March 20, 2026 |aired = <!-- The date the title change aired if different from "won" as some promotions officially recognize the air date for the start of a reign and not the date the match actually took place. --> |vacated = <!--If the title is vacated, leave "currentholder" and "won" blank and put the vacation date here. The infobox will automatically format the rest.--> |created = August 23, 2016 |promotion = WWE |brand = SmackDown |firstchamp = Heath Slater and Rhyno |mostreigns = As tag team (7 reigns): *The New Day{{efn|During their first six reigns, Big E, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods were all recognized as champion under the Freebird Rule, but during their seventh reign, only Kingston and Woods were recognized as champion as Big E was split from the team as a result of the 2020 WWE Draft.}} As individual (7 reigns): *Kofi Kingston *Xavier Woods |longestreign = The Usos<br/>{{small|(Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso)}}<br/>(5th reign, 622 days) |shortestreign = The New Day<br/>{{small|(Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods)}}<br/>(7th reign, 3 days) |oldest = R-Truth<br/>({{age in years and days|January 19, 1972|March 20, 2026}}) |youngest = Dominik Mysterio<br/>({{age in years and days|1997|04|05|2021|05|16}}) |heaviest = The Wyatt Family<br/>{{small|(Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, and Randy Orton)}}<br/>({{convert|810|lb|kg|abbr=on}} combined) |lightest = The Mysterios<br/>{{small|(Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio)}}<br/>({{convert|375|lb|kg|abbr=on}} combined) |pastnames= * WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship<br/>(2016–2024) * Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship<br/>(2022–2024){{efn|In tandem with the then-WWE Raw Tag Team Championship.}} * '''WWE Tag Team Championship'''<br/>(2024–present)
}} The '''WWE Tag Team Championship''' is a men's professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two male tag team championships for WWE's main roster, along with the World Tag Team Championship on Raw. The current champions are Damian Priest and R-Truth, who are in their first reign as a team, while individually, it is Priest's third reign and Truth's first. They won the title by defeating The MFTs (Tama Tonga and JC Mateo) on the March 20, 2026, episode of ''SmackDown''; Mateo defended the title on behalf of Solo Sikoa.
The championship was originally established as the '''SmackDown Tag Team Championship''' on August 23, 2016, and Heath Slater and Rhyno were the inaugural champions. It was introduced for the SmackDown brand as a second title for tag teams in the promotion to complement the previous WWE Tag Team Championship, which became exclusive to Raw in the 2016 WWE Draft following the reintroduction of the brand split and renamed as Raw Tag Team Championship. From May 2022 until April 2024, both titles were held and defended together as the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, with each maintaining their individual lineages. Under the Undisputed banner, both titles simultaneously became the first tag team championships to be defended in the main event of WWE's flagship event, WrestleMania, which occurred as the main event of WrestleMania 39 Night 1 in April 2023. The titles would again be defended in the main event of a pay-per-view and livestreaming event at Night of Champions the following month. The titles were then split at WrestleMania XL in April 2024 with the SmackDown Tag Team Championship subsequently renamed as the WWE Tag Team Championship with the Raw title becoming the World Tag Team Championship.
== History == [[File:Shakedown 04 (31650231922) (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|340px|Inaugural champions Rhyno (left) and Heath Slater (right), who won the title as the SmackDown Tag Team Championship]] During WWE's original brand split (2002–2011), in which the professional wrestling promotion divided its roster into "brands" where wrestlers were assigned to exclusively perform on each brands' respective weekly television program, the men's world tag team championship of the SmackDown brand was the previous WWE Tag Team Championship, which was established in 2002 to be the counterpart to the promotion's original World Tag Team Championship, which was designated to Raw. At WrestleMania 25 in April 2009, the titles were unified as the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship, although both titles remained independently active until August 2010 when the original World Tag Team Championship was deactivated in favor of the WWE Tag Team Championship, which then became the sole tag team championship in WWE, available to both brands. The first brand split then ended in August 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/25/matches/9592012|title=WWE Tag Team Champions def. World Tag Team Champions (New Unified Tag Team Champions)|publisher=WWE|access-date=May 16, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1062778-abandoned-the-history-of-wwes-world-tag-team-championship-pt-2|title=Abandoned: The History of WWE's World Tag Team Championship, Pt. 2|date=February 12, 2012|last=Schadler|first=Kyle|publisher=Bleacher Report|access-date=September 13, 2016}}</ref>
In July 2016, WWE reintroduced the brand split and during the 2016 draft, reigning WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods) were drafted to Raw, leaving SmackDown without a tag team title. Over the course of the following month, SmackDown general manager Daniel Bryan stated that he wanted to build up the tag team division before introducing a championship. Immediately following SummerSlam on the August 23, 2016, episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Bryan and SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon introduced the SmackDown Tag Team Championship; the WWE Tag Team Championship was subsequently renamed Raw Tag Team Championship.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Martin|first1=Adam|title=Daniel Bryan to reveal two new championships exclusive to Smackdown tonight from Connecticut|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/wwe-news/66258-daniel-bryan-reveal-two-new-championships-exclusive-smackdown-live-tonight-connecticut/|website=Wrestleview.com|date=August 23, 2016 |access-date=August 23, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kingdom |first=United |title=WWE Smackdown: Women's and Tag Team Titles introduced |url=https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/wwe/news/14203/10549653/wwe-smackdown-womens-and-tag-team-titles-introduced |access-date=August 24, 2016 |website=Www.sportsky.com}}</ref> An eight-team tournament was then scheduled to determine the inaugural champions, culminating in a final match at Backlash on September 11, 2016.<ref name="Smackdown08232016">{{cite web|last1=Parks|first1=Greg|title=8/23 WWE Smackdown LIVE – Parks's Complete, Real-Time Report|url=http://www.pwtorch.com/site/2016/08/23/823-wwe-smackdown-live-parkss-complete-real-time-report/|work=PWTorch|access-date=August 23, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Smackdown08302016">{{cite web|last1=Caldwell|first1=James|title=8/30 WWE Smackdown Live Results – CALDWELL'S Complete Live TV Report & Talking Smack-cap|url=http://www.pwtorch.com/site/2016/08/30/830-wwe-smackdown-live-results-caldwells-ongoing-live-tv-report/|work=PWTorch|access-date=August 30, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Smackdown09062016">{{cite web|last1=Caldwell|first1=James|title=9/6 WWE Smackdown LIVE – Parks's Ongoing, Real-Time Report|url=http://www.pwtorch.com/site/2016/09/06/96-wwe-smackdown-live-parkss-ongoing-real-time-report/|work=PWTorch|access-date=September 6, 2016}}</ref> The team of Heath Slater and Rhyno defeated The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) in the tournament final to become the inaugural champions.<ref name="Backlash2016">{{cite web|last=Caldwell|first=James|title=9/11 WWE Backlash Results – CALDWELL'S Complete PPV Report|url=http://www.pwtorch.com/site/2016/09/11/backlashppvresults/|work=PWTorch|access-date=September 11, 2016}}</ref>
In 2019, WWE's developmental territory NXT became the promotion's third major brand when it was moved to the USA Network in September, thus making the NXT Tag Team Championship the third major tag team title for men in WWE.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/triple-h-discusses-nxt-as-a-third-brand-putting-talent-in-a-position-to-succeed-more/|title=Triple H Discusses NXT as a Third Brand, Putting Talent in a Position to Succeed, More|website=411Mania}}</ref> However, this recognition was reversed when NXT reverted to its original function as a developmental brand in September 2021.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Currier |first1=Joseph |title=Preview and Predictions for 'NXT WarGames' |url=https://www.si.com/wrestling/2021/12/03/wwe-nxt-wargames-full-card-preview-predictions |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=December 3, 2021 |access-date=December 11, 2021 |language=en-us}}</ref>
During the May 20, 2022, episode of ''SmackDown'', reigning SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) defeated reigning Raw Tag Team Champions RK-Bro (Randy Orton and Riddle) in a Winners Take All match to claim both championships and become recognized as the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions. WWE had billed the match as a championship unification match; however, both titles remained independently active.<ref name="SamckDown05202022">{{cite web|url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2022/05/20/5-20-wwe-friday-night-smackdown-results-barnetts-review-of-smackdown-tag-team-champions-jimmy-uso-and-jey-uso-vs-raw-tag-team-champions-rk-bro-randy-orton-and-riddle-in-a-unifica/|title=5/20 WWE Friday Night Smackdown results: Barnett's review of Smackdown Tag Team Champions Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso vs. Raw Tag Team Champions "RK-Bro" Randy Orton and Riddle in a unification match, Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn, Xavier Woods vs. Butch|date=March 20, 2022|last=Barnett|first=Jake|work=Pro Wrestling Dot Net|access-date=May 20, 2022}}</ref> The Usos had defended both titles together across both brands as the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, but on a couple of occasions in early 2023, they also defended the titles separately.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.f4wonline.com/news/wwe/judgment-day-earn-wwe-raw-tag-team-title-match|title=Judgment Day earn WWE Raw Tag Team title match|date=January 9, 2023|last=Rose|first=Bryan|work=Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online|access-date=January 10, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.f4wonline.com/news/wwe/results/wwe-smackdown-live-results-the-usos-vs-braun-strowman-ricochet|title=WWE SmackDown live results: The Usos vs. Braun Strowman & Ricochet|date=February 10, 2023|last=Bath|first=Dave|work=Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online|access-date=October 17, 2023}}</ref>
In the main event of WrestleMania 39 Night 1, The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) defended the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship against the team of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. This subsequently made both the Raw and SmackDown titles the first tag team championships to be defended in the main event of WWE's flagship event, WrestleMania. At the event, Owens and Zayn defeated The Usos to become champions.<ref name="WM39N1">{{cite web|last=Powell|first=Jason|title=WrestleMania 39 results: Powell's live review of night one with Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles, Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley for the Smackdown Women's Title, Austin Theory vs. John Cena for the U.S. Title, Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio, Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul|url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2023/04/01/wrestlemania-39-results-powells-live-review-of-night-one-with-jimmy-uso-and-jey-uso-vs-kevin-owens-and-sami-zayn-for-the-undisputed-wwe-tag-team-titles-charlotte-flair-vs-rhea-ripley-for-the-sma/|work=Pro Wrestling Dot Net|date=April 1, 2023|access-date=April 1, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402035102/https://prowrestling.net/site/2023/04/01/wrestlemania-39-results-powells-live-review-of-night-one-with-jimmy-uso-and-jey-uso-vs-kevin-owens-and-sami-zayn-for-the-undisputed-wwe-tag-team-titles-charlotte-flair-vs-rhea-ripley-for-the-sma/|archive-date=April 2, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> The titles would again be defended in the main event of a pay-per-view and livestreaming event at Night of Champions the following month on May 27 when Owens and Zayn retained the titles against The Bloodline (Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa).<ref name="NOC2023">{{cite web|last=Powell|first=Jason|title=WWE Night of Champions results: Powell's live review of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs. Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles, Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Bianca Belair vs. Asuka for the Raw Women's Title|url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2023/05/27/wwe-night-of-champions-results-powells-live-review-of-kevin-owens-and-sami-zayn-vs-roman-reigns-and-solo-sikoa-for-the-undisputed-wwe-tag-team-titles-brock-lesnar-vs-cody-rhodes-seth-rollins-vs/|date=May 27, 2023|work=Pro Wrestling Dot Net|access-date=May 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527173019/https://prowrestling.net/site/2023/05/27/wwe-night-of-champions-results-powells-live-review-of-kevin-owens-and-sami-zayn-vs-roman-reigns-and-solo-sikoa-for-the-undisputed-wwe-tag-team-titles-brock-lesnar-vs-cody-rhodes-seth-rollins-vs/|archive-date=May 27, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>
At WrestleMania XL Night 1 on April 6, 2024, The Judgment Day (Finn Bálor and Damian Priest) defended the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship in a Six-Pack Tag Team Ladder match in which both sets of championships had to be retrieved for the match to end. As a result, the championships were split with A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory and Grayson Waller) winning the SmackDown Tag Team Championship while Awesome Truth (The Miz and R-Truth) won the Raw title.<ref name="WM40N1">{{cite web|last=Powell|first=Jason|title=WrestleMania XL results: Powell's live review of night one with The Rock and Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley vs. Becky Lynch for the Women's World Championship|url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2024/04/06/wrestlemania-xl-results-powells-live-review-of-night-one-with-the-rock-and-roman-reigns-vs-seth-rollins-and-cody-rhodes-rhea-ripley-vs-becky-lynch-for-the-womens-world-championship/|work=Pro Wrestling Dot Net|date=April 6, 2024|access-date=April 6, 2024}}</ref> On the April 19 episode of ''SmackDown'', the SmackDown Tag Team Championship was renamed as the WWE Tag Team Championship with a new set of title belts.<ref name="SmackDown-Tag-renamed">{{cite web|url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/new-wwe-tag-team-titles-given-austin-theory-and-grayson-waller-419-wwe-smackdown|title=New WWE Tag Team Titles Given To Austin Theory And Grayson Waller On 4/19 WWE SmackDown|date=April 19, 2024|last=Lambert |first=Jeremy|work=Fightful|access-date=April 19, 2024}}</ref> This came just a few days after the Raw Tag Team Championship was renamed as the World Tag Team Championship with its own new title belts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/r-truth-and-miz-presented-new-wwe-world-tag-team-championships-415-wwe-raw|title=New WWE World Tag Team Championships Presented To R-Truth And Miz On 4/15 WWE Raw|date=April 15, 2024|last=Lambert|first=Jeremy|work=Fightful|access-date=April 15, 2024}}</ref>
== Inaugural tournament == {{#section-h:Backlash (2016)|SmackDown Tag Team Championship tournament bracket}}
==Belt designs== [[File:The Bar - Cesaro & Sheamus - 2019-01-20 - 01.jpg|thumb|right|One-time champions The Bar (Sheamus and Cesaro) with the original design of the title when it was known as the SmackDown Tag Team Championship (2016–2024).]] When the championship was first introduced as the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, they featured the same physical design as the 2010 to 2016 version of the previous WWE Tag Team Championship (which became the Raw Tag Team Championship), with the differences being that the leather straps were blue as opposed to the former's original black and the plates were silver as opposed to the former's original copper. The renamed Raw Tag Team Championship belts were then updated on December 19, 2016, with silver plates on red straps to bring both sets of titles in line with each other. While all other WWE championship belts were updated to feature customizable side plates for the champion's logos, the Raw and SmackDown tag titles were the only championship belts in the promotion that lacked this feature.<ref name="Smackdown08232016"/>
In conjunction with the SmackDown Tag Team Championship being renamed as WWE Tag Team Championship on April 19, 2024, the belts also received a new design. The updated design resembles the title belts of the original World Tag Team Championship used from 1985 to 2002 and the 2002 to 2010 version of the previous WWE Tag Team Championship belts. Unlike WWE's other championship belts of the modern era, which have three plates (a centerplate and two side plates), the WWE Tag Team Championship has five gold plates on a black leather strap. At the center of the center plate is a globe with the WWE logo over it. Above the globe at the top of the plate is a crown, while below the globe are two black banners. The first black banner says "TAG TEAM" written in gold while the one below that says "WRESTLING CHAMPIONS", also written in gold. On the opposing sides of the globe are two dragons facing inwards. Filigree fills in the rest of the plate, which has an ornamented border. Like all of WWE's championship belts, the two inner side plates feature a removable center section which can be replaced with the reigning champion's logo; the default side plates feature the WWE logo over a globe. The two smaller outer side plates have a shield design with two wrestlers grappling.<ref name="SmackDown-Tag-renamed"/>
== Reigns == {{main|List of WWE Tag Team Champions}} {{multiple image |image1 = Damien Priest, April 2024 (cropped).jpg |image2 = R-Truth 2024 (cropped).jpg |total_width = 400 |footer = Current champions Damian Priest and R-Truth }}
As of {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTDAY}}, {{CURRENTYEAR}}, overall there have been 39 reigns between 26 teams composed of 48 individual champions, and one vacancy. The team of Heath Slater and Rhyno were the inaugural champions. The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) have the most reigns at seven, both as a team and individually, and their seventh is the shortest reign for the title at 3 days (2 days as recognized by WWE); during their first six reigns, Big E was also recognized as champion under the Freebird Rule. The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) have the longest singular reign at 622 days for their fifth reign, and they have the longest combined reign as a team at 1,002 days, while individually, Jey has the longest combined reign at 1,011 days (1,010 days as recognized by WWE). The oldest champion is R-Truth, winning the title at 54 years old, while the youngest is Dominik Mysterio when he won it at 24.
The current champions are Damian Priest and R-Truth, who are in their first reign as a team, while individually, it is Priest's third reign and Truth's first. They won the title by defeating The MFTs (Tama Tonga and JC Mateo) on the March 20, 2026, episode of ''SmackDown'' in Raleigh, North Carolina; Mateo defended the title on behalf of recognized champion Solo Sikoa.<ref name="Priest&Truth">{{cite web|last=Sharma|first=Ishaan|title=R-Truth & Damian Priest Win WWE Tag Team Titles On 3/20 WWE SmackDown|url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/r-truth-damian-priest-win-wwe-tag-team-titles-on-3-20-wwe-smackdown/|work=Fightful|date=March 20, 2026|access-date=March 20, 2026}}</ref>
== See also == *Tag team championships in WWE
== Notes == {{notelist}}
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == *[http://www.wwe.com/classics/titlehistory/wwe-tag-team-championship Official WWE Tag Team title history] *{{commonscatinline}}
{{S-start}} {{S-sports}} {{S-bef|before=WWE World Tag Team Championship (original version)}} {{S-ttl|title=WWE's top tag team championship| years = 2016–present}} {{S-aft|after=''Current''}} {{S-end}}
{{WWE Championships}} {{WWE Tag Team Championship}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:WWE Tag Team Championship}} Category:WWE SmackDown Category:WWE tag team championships