The Curse of Caring: BlissCross & Their Pursuit of Tag Team Gold

Believe it or not, we are now just one day away from WrestleMania. Weird huh? Either way, if the show must go on, so must my features. If for some reason, you’re reading this blog silliness but have missed those, read, like, share and all that good stuff over here. Unfortunately, though, even my process has been impacted somewhat and ten features became six before last week, six became five. With that in mind, I thought I’d do something a little different, releasing a bonus “feature” that’s really just me rambling about something that inexplicably, I care about.

The Women’s Tag Titles seemed doomed to me from square one, that was just my initial response. There’s a ceiling to tag team wrestling in WWE, a cap that it’s represented as a prelim feat rather than the main event achievement in its genre. If established units of the highest order failed to beat those odds often, this felt like a challenging concept for a division that naturally, would be filled by brand new teams. For a variety of reasons, that first six months would indeed be a struggle too, with the new belts taking a backseat almost immediately.

In the meantime though, Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross formed an alliance of sorts, finding a chemistry that’d transform them from a seemingly predictable angle into an odd couple tandem. Their presence offered a potential shift for the tag team titles and after a sudden title win, ‘BlissCross Applesauce’ looked to reinvigorate the struggling division. They took some positive steps too, with Bliss’ stature increasing the titles’ visibility as her and Cross tied together some televised defences. Better yet, their eventual loss would lay the foundations for a new chapter as well, beginning a conflict with the Kabuki Warriors.

In an almost double-turn scenario, Asuka and Kairi Sane shifted alignment with their title win, as the former used green mist to secure the win. That sparked a potentially dynamic programme, with a babyface BlissCross in pursuit of the now villainous Kabuki Warriors. On sheer talent, that possibility was promising but with the starting point too, this fledgling division felt healthier than it had since WrestleMania. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be the case, as Bliss was then out of action for almost two months, halting the direction before it could even truly begin.

That was a frustrating time, because as Asuka and Sane took the titles to new heights opposite Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch, things felt too in flux to be assured of anything. The BlissCross team’s future seemed unclear, as this unavoidable time apart meant that for better or worse, their days as tag title contender could be numbered. I’ve spent far too many hours of my adult life writing about professional wrestling but while analysis is fun, sincere fandom remains the best way to watch any product.

In the second half of 2019, the Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross angle was just about the only thing in WWE that I could view through those eyes. For me personally, it was a rare beacon of light, an ongoing saga that I could look forward to each week. That made Bliss’ absence all the more disappointing, as it felt as though she’d been cut off mid comeback. I decided then though that if and when she was reunited with Cross, I’d do my best to watch as a fan first and foremost.

The results, well they’ve been mixed. Bliss’ return put her back by Cross’ side but as a fan, there was no hook, nothing to sink my teeth into for quite some time. That was disheartening but eye-opening in its own way, highlighting the pitfalls of WWE’s rather rigid creative approach. Clearly, this match wasn’t on the cards in January or February and on TV, that meant that there was no chase. I couldn’t get swept up in the babyfaces’ pursuit of tag team gold because there wasn’t one, they were simply waiting.

When considering the bigger picture, that takeaway feels like a natural result of how much talent is currently under contract. Even still, it really stood out to me that there’s an inconsistency there, a failure to tell stories without a match immediately in sight. Nonetheless, Bliss and Cross made a seamless transition to the babyface side as performers. They’d leant that way before of course but no doubt remained now, this was a babyface team that didn’t have a ton of fresh foes awaiting them. That didn’t take the shine off their work though, far from it.

Bliss appears as motivated as ever since returning and Cross remains an absolute breath of fresh air. Her energy is unmatched, and she just throws herself into each segment. The result is that Nikki leaves an impression almost every week, whether it be a subtle piece of character work or something so outlandish that only she could pull it off. The greatest compliment to Cross is that somehow, she’s made Bliss the ‘straight man’ of this team, a thought that once seemed inconceivable considering the former multi-champion’s personality.

As a team, BlissCross seem consistently upbeat and enthusiastic, they are just fun to watch. As a ‘writer,’ that’s a lame sentence to write but as a fan, it’s the easiest way to describe them. Whether they are in a major role or a lesser one, my viewing experience is better for Alexa and Nikki’s presence. It’s for that reason that though the route hasn’t been perfect, I’m still invested in this team’s WrestleMania match, as they take on the Kabuki Warriors for the first time since that aforementioned “double turn.”

Ideally, this would feel like the culmination of months of work, either the series’ final match or the result of a lengthy chase to contention. It’s neither but I’m still naïve enough to care. The Kabuki Warriors are the most talented team to ever hold those belts, one of the most dynamic in-ring pairings even possible right now. They’re a wonderful team and though their reign hasn’t been littered with memorable title defences, that’s more of a reflection of the division than it is their reign. They are perfect foes for BlissCross and hopefully, this is the start of something beneficial.

The truth is folks that behind the silly metaphors and cliché crutch, I’m just a dumb fan that for one reason or another, has decided he cares about a female tag team’s pursuit of the women’s tag team titles. There are few decisions less likely to work in one’s favour but yet here I am, hoping to throw myself into an empty arena match that’s an afterthought in the grand scheme of WrestleMania. Not for me though, it’s an attraction and what a colossal mistake that could prove to be.

I think that if you cover wrestling, there’s an objectivity that should be prevalent in your work, a logic to your opinions beyond gut feelings. This was the chance to do something a little different though, a chance to discuss a lesser match that actually means something to me. There’s an interesting story in this match, a truth that to me, this is a pivotal moment for those belts. If at some point, this feud can’t be a hit in some form or fashion, these titles are a bigger uphill battle than they already appear to be.

That’s a story, no question but in this case, I find myself invested in the stakes themselves. At WrestleMania, I’m simply rooting for the babyfaces and frankly, that’s a refreshing stance to take. I recommend it in fact. You may lack confidence in the payoff, I mean I do too but if somewhere within WWE’s landscape, you can find a character or two to root for, that’s still a rather enjoyable outlet. Frustrating too of course, incredibly frustrating at times but in theory, that’s still the escape of this experience.

 I love analysing wrestling, pondering the next move and such but it’s still pro wrestling and if you can’t enjoy a piece of the puzzle, it’s not worth putting together. BlissCross Applesauce have reminded me of that and with my gaudy t-shirt (that is banned for public wear) on, I’ll be rooting for them at WrestleMania. This weekend, I’ll find out if that was foolish or not but right now, it feels rather good, I must say.