In recent years, WWE has shown a much greater interest in its tag team division, placing Superstars together to form a talented duo or by developing teams down in NXT such as The Ascension and The Lucha Dragons.
The competition within the division is the best it has been in years, and the fact that fans were given a tag team Elimination Chamber match just a few weeks ago shows how much emphasis has been put on improving tag team wrestling in WWE.
Just five years ago, the promotion didn't even have six teams on the roster.
With teams such as The Usos, Tyson Kidd and Cesaro, The New Day, The Prime Time Players, Erick Rowan and Luke Harper, The Ascension, The Lucha Dragons and Los Matadores, WWE has a solid tag team division for years to come.
In NXT, Blake and Murphy and the team of Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady are both very promising teams for the future.
But every single team listed could become even better by working with a veteran team that has done it all, and perhaps no team in history has accomplished more than the Dudley Boyz. Bringing the Dudleys back to WWE would make the tag team division even more legitimate. So why hasn't that move been made?
It seemed like the wheels had been set in motion for the team to return when Bubba Ray made a surprise appearance in this year's Royal Rumble. The crowd loudly popped when he joined the match, and Bubba had a good showing while he was in there.
But nothing else came of it.
The Dudleys haven't competed together in WWE in nearly a decade, working their final match in the summer of 2005. But they have remained a team over the years, competing in TNA as well as overseas in Japan.
The Dudleys had what can only be described as a great run in WWE. The feuds and matches they put together with the Hardy Boyz and Edge and Christian are the stuff of WWE legend. Those three teams were responsible for the instant success of the Tables, Ladders and Chairs match.
Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley won 10 tag team titles in WWE. The fact that they also held the tag team titles in both ECW and TNA puts them up near the top of the list of greatest tag teams in wrestling history.
They can still perform in the ring. WWE bringing back this team wouldn't be like making Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair active competitors again. Though both Bubba Ray (43 years old) and D-Von (42) are older competitors, they still have plenty to offer in the ring.
If the Dudleys were to return, they'd almost instantly be the most popular team on the roster—especially amongst fans who remember the duo's first stint with the company. Unless the two veterans were to make outrageous demands, it doesn't make much sense for WWE not to have them back.
Feuds and matches with any of the teams currently on the roster would be great against the experienced tandem of Bubba Ray and D-Von. They could be used to help put over teams such as The Ascension or The New Day.
What would a match between Rowan and Harper vs. the Dudleys look like? On the most recent edition of Monday Night Raw, Rowan and Harper debuted a new finishing move in their victory over Los Matadores. Though they have named that move The Way, it looked awfully familiar. Bubba Ray didn't let that go unnoticed.
Dear @WWE, if ya wanted the DUDLEY DEATH DROP hit THE WAY it should be, ya should have had the BALLS to call us. #RAWNewOrleans
— Bully Ray (@REALBully5150) June 9, 2015 Harper had a quick response for him.
.@REALBully5150 @WWE @TestifyDevon Anytime, anywhere...we would enjoy showing you THE WAY.
— . (@LukeHarperWWE) June 9, 2015 Right there, WWE would have a way to introduce the Dudleys to the WWE Universe once again.
Think about this scenario. The Dudleys return and get locked in a feud with Harper and Rowan that lasts a good portion of the summer. At some point, the Lucha Dragons are placed between the two teams and at SummerSlam, WWE tries to recreate the magic from those past TLC matches by booking a TLC match with these three teams.
It's just one of many possibilities that would be at the company's disposal by having one of the best tag teams of all time back on the roster.
So what is WWE waiting for?
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