Smark Out Moment

Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.

This week, Gabby Velasquez, Jordan Chaffiotte, and Hannah Irelan will be giving their thoughts on the introduction of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship!

This week, we have a special treat. The female forces of Smark Out Moment will be discussing how they feel about the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship and what they would like to see happen with the division going forward. Let's not waste any time, let's discuss...


VELASQUEZ: I mean, imagine the alternative. That’s too many belts for this girl to keep track of. I’m really interested in the idea of NXT women fighting for them because of the implications it could have on the call-up process, which seems to be in a constant state of flux. That said, I think that it’s an interesting way to keep the brands feeling more connected; cross-promotion rivalries are fun! This ensures that if things slow down on one brand, a pay-per-view and title change can instantly stir the pot.

IRELAN: I am a big believer in these Tag Championships being tri-branded. These women all need to have the chance at making history, especially since they’ve all worked so hard to get to this point. Brand splits have always been a little odd when it comes to hindering championship availability, so this will only make that easier. I believe that keeping these championships tri-branded will only continue to fuel the Women’s Evolution.

CHAFFIOTTE: I haven't been a huge fan of the way the brand split has been executed to begin with, so this makes me pretty happy. While the women's roster is deep with amazing talent, it's too small to divide it any further. This way, competitors on all brands can try their hand at forming new teams to challenge Bayley and Sasha for the gold. Personally, I would like to see all championships to be above brand, so this is a step in the right direction. It takes away so many limitations that would only serve to hinder the growth of the women's tag team division.


CHAFFIOTTE: My heart says the Iiconics, who I think really deserve a shot at those titles. However, this is WrestleMania, and we know that they want the biggest match possible. In terms of big match feel, there's probably no better team to challenge Boss n Hug Connection than the Bella Twins. It's a totally fresh matchup between two teams who have a lot of respect for each other but haven't had the opportunity to work together. In particular, Sasha went on record saying she wanted to have a match with Brie. There's no combination of these two teams that aren't exciting to me, which means we can focus on great storytelling and spots rather than hot tags. I wouldn't expect the Bellas to walk away with the titles, but it would be a fun and exciting match.

I would rather Andrade had a long run with the belt, but it’s the only championship Mysterio didn’t win in his original run, so he can win it and lose quickly just to say he’s held it.

IRELAN: I have always been a huge fan of the Bella Twins, and to see them have an epic comeback, especially since we have been following the two through their tumultuous lives as of late, would really be something special. It would definitely be one of those cool cases of new vs. veteran, and matches like that always draw huge crowds. Just on a personal note, seeing the Bellas back in action against such new and fresh blood would really be seeing their stories come full circle for me.

VELASQUEZ: I’ll go ahead and stir the pot and not say the Bella Twins. It’s not that I wouldn’t enjoy seeing them take to the squared circle again, I just think that there are other, more exciting options. My idea, therefore, which is definitely not happening in a million years, is for Bayley and Sasha to defend their titles against NXT’s Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir. *puts on tinfoil hat* This could set the stage for a 4 Horsewomen monster match at SummerSlam. But, uh, I’ll admit that it’s a massive stretch.


IRELAN: I believe it’s just another step in the women’s quest for equality in the wrestling industry. Never in our time have we seen women tag champs, and to be clear, it’s been a long time coming. I have been waiting for this since the announcement of such an evolution. It’s created a standard in the women’s division. It’s created a level of respect for these women. They are here to stay, and with every bridge built, they are further solidifying that legacy. These Tag Team Championships were just another bridge for them to cross.

VELASQUEZ: I’m much less optimistic than I used to be when this Women’s Evolution started. We know that WWE operates for the bottom line: profit. They did not begin to feature women’s wrestling until fans took to Twitter and stock prices dropped. They do not employ women in their creative team. The Women’s Evolution is no sham, however; no one can take away what has been accomplished by the women in this company both past and present. Legitimate as it may be, it would be foolish to think that these titles were anything other than a chance for WWE to spout how progressive it is all while shunting aside other female champions like Asuka. These titles are signs of progress, but every moment is only as valuable as the one that follows it. Your move, WWE. Surprise me.

CHAFFIOTTE: Plain and simple, it's a symbol. It didn't happen because of a rise in excellent tag team wrestling in the women's division, it happened because WWE wanted this symbol of progress. Still, symbols matter and it's important now that we have it to push it forward and use it to lift up the division on the whole. I do worry about the fact that in WWE, tag teams (male or female) exist to be broken up and create single stars. That said, I'm optimistic about the potential it has and it will really come down to whether WWE is willing to commit. It's obvious this matters to the women of WWE, so I'm eager to see what happens when they put their hearts into these titles.