Addition by subtraction?

Addition by subtraction can be a funny thing.

Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura only managed to claim the tag titles together after their Artist Collective stablemate and mastermind Sami Zayn took a leave of absence over the spring and summer.

On the other hand, during the long months that Kalisto was out hurt, Lucha House Party have mostly tread water. Gran Metalik had some personal success over the summer, earning an Intercontinental Championship match against AJ Styles, but by and large they muddled along until Kalisto returned.

And once he did, LHP earned a title shot (their first-ever two-on-two tag title match!) in fairly short order. They would go on to lose that match, but thanks to an assist from Street Profits, they would win a non-title rematch that set this title match up for Clash of Champions.

Is Lince Dorado the problem?

Gran Metalik beat Shinsuke Nakamura in singles action.

Lince Dorado was beaten by Cesaro.

Lince was Metalik’s partner when Lucha House Party failed to win the tag titles.

When they beat Cesaro and Nakamura, Kalisto teamed with Metalik.

As much as I personally love the Golden Lynx, it’s hard to stop from drawing conclusions based on this data...

...but Dorado has one statistics-based feather in his cap.

Glory of ages past

He owns three tag team victories over Cesaro, but not with Lucha House Party, and not in WWE.

In Chikara, when Cesaro was Claudio Castagnoli, Lince Dorado met him in tag matches three times and beat him every time. Twice teaming with El Pantera and once with Halcon Guerrero, Lince defeated the Kings of Wrestling, Claudio teaming twice with Chris Hero and once with the late great Larry Sweeney.

Do three tag victories over a decade ago really mean that much?

Of course not, but it’s all part of the grand tapestry of professional wrestling, and if a young hungry Dorado could beat Cesaro then, a wily veteran Lince can surely beat him now, given a chance.

Will the Artist Collective roll on or can Lucha House Party claim the tag titles?