Is Otis Better off Ditching Tucker and Starting WWE Solo Career?

WWE has a pretty disastrous record when it comes to promoting successful NXT tag teams on to the main roster, but some cases prove to be more frustrating than others.

Heavy Machinery's uninspiring push since arriving on SmackDown Live is certainly one example of that.

Otis and Tucker have failed to pick up any sort of momentum on WWE for various reasons. Whether that is due to poor booking from the company or just a distinct lack of in-ring sparkle, things haven't quite gone to plan for one of NXT's top tag teams of recent years.

Things may well change over the summer, or things could get even worse. But the longer their uneventful run goes on, the more it's easy to ponder whether splitting the team could benefit one star in particular.

Otis has no shortage of pedigree in the world of wrestling. However, since teaming up with Tucker, the pair have picked up real momentum, but Otis has always appeared to have an extra sprinkle of star talent about him.

Whether it is his excitable attitude both in and out of the ring, his signature caterpillar move that always draws cheers or just his general in-ring ability, he definitely looks like the man in Heavy Machinery who could make a go of things on his own.

But that is a move WWE should approach with genuine caution. Fans have seen all too many times in the past how breaking up teams—whether successful or not—can be calamitous. Take Enzo and Cass as an example. Within months, the stock of both had fallen sharply, albeit for differing reasons, and the duo were gone from the company.

That's not to say the same would happen to Otis and Tucker, but it's something the company must consider if it thinks about splitting up Heavy Machinery.

Otis' singles victory last week, and the reaction he got both during and after the match, shows there may be some potential for the company to work with moving forward, though.

But is now the right time?

Probably not, in truth. After all, they only debuted on the main roster just six months ago, and in such a crowded, talent-saturated environment like WWE is at the present time, that's not long enough for them to make an impact.

However, the rest of this year will be crucial for Heavy Machinery's future prospects. If Otis and Tucker can force their way back into tag title contention soon, they have a real chance of being a success on SmackDown Live.

That may be an issue in the immediate term, given how a babyface team (The New Day) is holding the belts, and trying to turn a popular duo like Heavy Machinery heel would almost certainly be the nail in their coffin as a team.

But as soon as an opening appears for the pair, they have to be able to take it. 

Otherwise, by the time 2020 begins, Otis' future could lie away from Tucker. That would be a shame given how they've come up to the main roster together, but it wouldn't be the first time WWE has broken up a tag team from NXT, would it?