The WWE Tag Team Championship name was used in 2002 after the WWF became WWE, continuing the same tag team title lineage that began in 1971. It was a name change to match the company’s new branding, not a new championship.
This version of the title overlapped with the start of the first brand split, when WWE divided the roster between Raw and SmackDown. Early on, the tag titles still moved between both shows, but that changed as the split took hold.
By mid-2002, the belts were tied to a single show based on where the champions landed, and the titles began functioning as Raw or SmackDown! championship titles rather than company-wide tag team belts.
The WWE Tag Team Championship name only lasted a few months, but it marked the moment the original tag title lineage became part of the brand split system.
