What’s the story?
In its weekly pro-wrestling rumour round-up, Cagesideseats.com is speculating that the SmackDown Live Tag Team Championship may be kept off of the WrestleMania 33 card. Current champions American Alpha have been feuding with The Usos on the blue brand recently but the titles were nowhere to be seen this past Tuesday.
Cageside Seats also speculates that the absence of a SmackDown Live tag title match at the Show of Shows could well end up being the impetus for a post-WrestleMania story for the champions and the entire division.
In case you didn’t know...
The SmackDown Tag Team Championships were established in September 2016 when Heath Slater & Rhyno defeated The Usos in a tournament final to become the inaugural champions. The Beauty and the Man-Beast subsequently lost the titles to The Wyatt Family duo fo Bray Wyatt & Randy Orton, who in turn lost the titles to American Alpha (Chad Gable & Jason Jordan).
American Alpha have held the titles for over 71 days and counting, and seemed on course to battle two-time WWE Tag Team Champions Jimmy & Jey Uso at WrestleMania 33, but that may not be the case.
The heart of the matter
WrestleMania is far and away the largest show of the year and as such everybody wants a showcase space on the card. It is also the time of year when part-time performers are more visible than ever and as such, the card for the Showcase of the Immortals resembles something of a log-jam, with seven matches confirmed for the show and four heavily-rumoured bouts yet to be inked in.
The SmackDown tag team division could arguably be described as the division with the least focus on main roster TV and as such it would be no surprise to see the titles kept off the big event.
If it leads to a clearer focus and some much-needed attention for the division over the summer it could well be the best thing, although it could also be argued that the American Alpha/Usos feud is already more heated than anything happening in the tag ranks on WWE RAW.
What’s next?
Speculation is speculation and as such, it remains to be seen whether the blue brand’s tag belts find their way onto the card for The Ultimate Thrill Ride. The belts’ absence from television this week doesn’t bode well, however, and the members of the division may well find themselves as anonymous eliminations in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at the Show of Shows.
Sportskeeda’s take
On the one hand, if this came to pass it would be immensely frustrating. American Alpha and The Usos have sowed the seeds of what could be a great feud and a showcase match at the biggest show of the year would go a long way to establishing the belts and the division.
On the other hand, the WrestleMania 33 card is already looking a little overblown and that is without the heavily-rumoured Undertaker vs. Reigns, Cena/Nikki vs. Miz/Maryse, Aries vs. Neville and Ambrose vs. Corbin matches being confirmed.
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