Last week on SmackDown Live, Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan introduced the Smackdown Tag-Team Championships to a reception far better than what the WWE Universal Championship received, from the WWE universe. They also announced a tournament which will conclude at WWE Backlash with the crowning of brand new SmackDown Tag-Team Champions. While two teams have been eliminated from the contest already, it is impossible to predict who will go home with the prize. We do have some thoughts about the contenders that remain. and with news and rumours breaking every day...we can only ask you to read on.
#1 American Alpha
When American Alpha was announced as part of the Smackdown draft pick, the WWE Universe should scream with glee. After all, they’re the most popular tag team in NXT history, former NXT champions and undoubtedly a team to watch out for in the future. Jason Jordan and Olympian Chad Gable are definitely the most ‘over’ tag team on Smackdown and for a brand that thrives on giving ‘opportunities’, they seem like the clear favourites to take the crown at Backlash. They can also work their backsides off, and we know that they’ll tear the place down, given half a chance. We are ready, willing and Gable for them to be our Tag-Team Champions on SmackDown.
#2 The Usos
The sons of Rikishi haven’t really made a dent in the WWE Universe of late, but of all the teams in the contest they’re the most experienced and the only ones to ever be champions before. While it is inevitable that American Alpha will eventually become champions, from a booking standpoint, WWE may want to make Jordan and Gable chase the championships for a while before they do so. And hence, the Usos. They’re great in-ring workers, the crowd knows who they are; and they’re the only team to be worthy opponents for American Alpha in the current Smackdown roster. In fact, we cannot think of another unit to have benefited as much as they have, with the brand split. Will the Usos become the Bluesos? Okay, apologies for that joke.
#3 The Hype Bros
When 100,000 people filled the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, the last person they expected as the winner of the 7-man Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match was Zack Ryder. But Ryder had his Wrestlemania moment, if only to lose it the next night on Raw,to the Miz. Our point is that Zack Ryder has always been booked as a man who pulls off upsets in big matches, and with Mojo Rawley in tow(who had a fantastic singles match with Samoa Joe on NXT recently)...they could be getting a push to become legitimate Tag Team Championship contenders. And in this particular match, they could be booked as the underdogs who score an upset, and become Tag Team Champions. Feel the hype, guys!
#4 The Headbangers
In August 2016, it was announced that this former tag team from the Attitude Era will return for one last run, and be part of the Tag Team Championship picture. The return of Mosh and Thrasher is huge news and is sure to bolster the tag team division like never before. We haven’t really followed their careers and don’t really know what they'll bring to the ring. But just the fact that they’re making this huge comeback should be very interesting. Although considering the decline in the popularity of heavy metal worldwide, and the Electronic Dance Music boom, we wonder if they’ll return as ‘The Electronica Heads’.
#5 Heath Slater & Rhyno
We’ll be honest. If you ask us which team we're rooting for to become the Smackdown Live Tag Team Champions, it’s the unlikely duo of Heath Slater and Rhyno. The ‘hottest free agent’ gimmick has gotten Slater over like nothing has in the past. He’s faced off against Rhyno in singles competition recently, not to mention getting destroyed by Randy Orton and Brock Lesnar, and shockingly enough, the crowd has supported him throughout. There are even chants for Slater from the crowd, who’re ravenous to see him. Everyone wants Heath Slater to get signed to the blue brand and with Rhyno, who allied himself with Slater last week on SmackDown, we think that it may just be possible for Slater to pull off the upset. Because we’re not sure exactly how long this ‘hottest free agent’ gimmick will last, despite its success, and because if this tag team does not win, millions of wrestling fans who’ve tuned in, will be left heartbroken.
