A time-honored tradition in WWE is the explosive breakdown of tag teams as they transition into singles careers.
There are few more iconic moments than when Shawn Michaels superkicked his tag partner Marty Jannetty, throwing him through the window of Brutus Beefcake’s Barbershop in 1992.
Right now across WWE programming, several teams are showing signs of tension, with rivalries simmering just below the surface.
Here are seven tag teams we could soon see break up — but will any of them have their own Barbershop moment?
7. A-Town Down Under
The fact this team are about to break up will surprise no one – A-Town Down Under have seemingly been breaking up in slow motion for over a year.
Last month on Raw, each man tricked the other into a match with Sheamus, laughing as the other was beaten down.
While this has been dragging on for much too long, it now seems certain that the team of Grayson Waller and Austin Theory is on borrowed time.
The question is what becomes of each man after the split – upper mid-card push or C-show obscurity? Both are more than capable of being top singles stars in their own right, and in Theory’s case it may feel more natural this time around than when he was arguably pushed too much, too soon a few years ago.
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6. Josh Briggs & Yoshiki Inamura
Josh Briggs and Pro-Wrestling NOAH’s Yoshiki Inamura have been one of the highlights of WWE’s NXT weekly programming – a big-bruiser tag team who beat opponents up.
On the 10 May edition of NXT, seeds were planted for a potential breakup, as Briggs blind-tagged himself in while Inamura was dominating, ultimately getting pinned and costing the team the match against The Culling.
A split seems inevitable, as Inamura will eventually return to his home promotion in Japan.
The questions are, however: when it will happen and how hard-hitting will their hoss fight be when it eventually does?
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5. Alpha Academy
Alpha Academy remain a comedy team on WWE Raw, appearing only sporadically.
However, Otis’ recent hoss battle with Rusev showcased a different side to the 33-year-old big man – a heavy hitter capable of delivering intense, physical performances.
Meanwhile, Tozawa is an incredibly gifted in-ring performer – beyond his Dragon Gate pedigree, his 2016 WWE Cruiserweight Classic run remains proof of what he can do – yet his skillset has been painfully underused for years at this point.
WWE may always see Tozawa as undercard comedy, but Otis’ last bout offers hope he could be given more of a spotlight when an eventual split occurs.
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4. The D’Angelo Family
The D’Angelo Family pairing of Tony D’Angelo and Luca Crusifino also looks not long for this world on WWE’s NXT.
With Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo attacking D’Angelo and walking out of the group, there have been strong hints that Crusifino will soon join him.
Tension continued on the 10 June edition of NXT, with D’Angelo taking the pin in a match that saw Stacks attempt to interfere.
A break-up now seems inevitable – and likely to happen in the next few weeks.
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3. Zaruca
Zaruca – Sol Ruca and Zaria – are another team on NXT whose future is far from guaranteed.
Subtle seeds for an eventual breakup have already been planted.
Recently, as part of Sol Ruca’s ongoing rivalry with Kelani Jordan over the North American Title, Zaria was shown to be overly protective of her partner – much to Ruca’s visible annoyance.
It seems only a matter of time before Zaria turns heel and challenges for the title – a big feud is surely coming before one or both performers move to WWE’s main roster.
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2. No Quarter Catch Crew
In what seems like an epidemic of teams in WWE NXT breaking up, No Quarter Catch Crew are another about to disband.
The duo of Charlie Dempsey and Tavion Heights appear set to split following the recent departure of Myles Borne, who beat Dempsey to earn his exit from the group.
Now, Heights has also made clear his intention to leave the group.
A final breakdown of the crew looks likely to happen in the coming weeks
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1. Melo Don’t Miz
The Miz and Carmelo Hayes have always felt like a pairing of convenience rather than a team with genuine chemistry.
With Miz reportedly set for a hiatus to host the reboot of American Gladiators, a break-up between the pair appears imminent.
If Miz turns on his partner on the way out, it could turn Hayes back to his natural role as a babyface.
It would also hopefully lead to a renewed spotlight for Hayes — a WWE performer whose talent deserves a more significant spotlight.
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