Team Rhodes Scholars vs. Brodus Clay & Tensai
The as-yet-unnamed tag team of Brodus Clay and Tensai aim to build up some steam against a reunited (for one night only) Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow) in the Elimination Chamber Pre-Show.
The Road to Elimination Chamber
It looked like Team Rhodes Scholars appeared to be the shoo-in heirs apparent to the WWE Tag Team Championship. After multiple failed attempts at besting current champions Team Hell No (Kane & Daniel Bryan), though, Rhodes & Sandow reluctantly decided to split to pursue singles careers while pledging to remain best friends on the Feb. 1, 2013 episode of SmackDown.
However, the two self-involved Superstars seem to have realized that theirs is a bond too strong to be broken and have embarked on an immediate reunion tour.
Brodus Clay & Tensai have a brand-new partnership of rivals-turned-friends. On a special Raw Roulette (Jan. 28), Clay neglected to inform the faux Japanese sensation that their Lingerie Match had been changed to a Bodyslam Contest. The two realized they had more uniting than dividing them, and engaged in an impromptu boogie in lieu of the scheduled match.
These two teams don't have much history together. Team Rhodes Scholars parted ways on Friday Night SmackDown, just four days after Tensai and Clay teamed up on the following Monday Night Raw.
However, Sandow -- before his Rhodes Scholars days -- has had a few interactions with Clay in the past. On the July 30 episode of Raw, Sandow launched a sneak attack against Clay to punish the "Funkasaurus" for laughing at the beat down D-Generation X delivered to "The Intellectual Savior." The two would have a short feud, culminating in Sandow picking up a pinfall victory on the Aug. 20 episode of Raw.
What's at Stake?
For Team Rhodes Scholars, it's unclear whether this is the start of a reunion or just one last match together. The pair looked to be on the cusp of dominating the tag team division before their break up. A win here would allow them either go out on a high note or revitalize their partnership for the long term.
As for Clay & Tensai, they've experienced early success so far as a team. This will be their first true test on a major stage. Coming out victorious against their technically skilled opponents might take the team to the next level. A loss, though, and the team might end just as soon as it began.
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Will intellectualism triumph over hedonistic buffoonery, or will good times squash the soporific buzzkills? The only way to find out is to watch the Elimination Chamber Pre-Show streaming live on WWE.com, YouTube.com, and Facebook.com TOMORROW NIGHT (Feb. 17) and keep checking back with us throughout for anything and everything you might have missed!