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The Matchup:
The first ever WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions, Heath Slater and Rhyno, defend their titles against the very team they defeated to earn the championship, the Usos, this Sunday, October 9, 2016, at No Mercy, being held in the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. Will Beauty and the Man-Beast be able to survive another round with the Samoan brothers or is it Jimmy and Jey’s time to shine?
The Road to No Mercy:
The best thing about the story between Slater, Rhyno, and the Usos is that it has been on-going since the night of the Draft on July 19. Jimmy and Jey were drafted to SmackDown Live much later than American Alpha. That very night, the two talked about how being on the side of their cousin, current United States Champion and a member of the RAW brand, Roman Reigns, had put them in a bad light with the fans at large.
Poor Heath Slater was not drafted by either brand. Instead of fade away and classify himself as obsolete, Slater began to plead his case to the commissioners and general managers of both shows. This is when he first encountered Rhyno.
Slater’s persistence paid off in an opportunity to gain both a contract with the blue brand and a chance for championship gold. If he could find a partner and make it through the tournament for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, then not only would he win the titles but also a contract. Rhyno decided to team with Slater because he "saw something in the young man’s eyes".
Slater and Rhyno quickly became the most beloved odd couple in WWE since Team Hell No. Through Slater’s resilience and Rhyno’s brute strength, the two found themselves in the finals for the new championship at Backlash.
The Usos, on the other hand, were a bit salty that their names were not in the general conversation for who would become the first SDL tag team champions. Instead, the darlings from NXT were the favorites to win the tournament. Well, Jimmy and Jey were not pleased with this at all and decided to do something about it.
After taking out AA, the Usos won a second chance match at Backlash and were in the tournament final against Slater and Rhyno. Despite a brand new attitude and look, the Usos lost, making Slater and Rhyno the first ever SDL tag team champions. It was a Cinderella story, as much of the fans had grown to care about Slater winning for his six to nine (no one really knows the real number) kids. And because Slater finally got to install that above ground pool to go along with a new double wide trailer.
The Usos were not deterred from the loss at Backlash and soon found themselves in a match against the team they took out of the tournament, American Alpha. This was to determine a number one contender for the tag team championship at No Mercy.
Shortly after that, the Usos attempted to intimidate the Champs but only really fired Rhyno up, so much so that he crumbled his own crackers. You don’t talk crap about Heath’s kids when the Man Beast is around.
The Stakes:
The WWE SmackDown Championship is on the line. This new side to the Usos is definitely dangerous but Slater and Rhyno refuse to back down. One has to wonder exactly how far Jimmy and Jey will go this Sunday to capture the titles.
Hopefully, the Champs can protect their legs, even if they cannot protect the championship.