WWE confirms Wyatts will defend SmackDown tag titles under the Freebird Rule

It was immediately alluded to by Mauro Ranallo, JBL & David Otunga when they won the belts last Sunday (Dec. 4) at TLC, and now WWE.com has confirmed that new SmackDown tag team champions the Wyatts will defend their titles under the Freebird Rule.

The trio of Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton & Luke Harper will follow New Day’s lead, where Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods have rotated which two members actually compete in their title defenses over the course of their near-historic reign with what are now Raw’s tag belts. Unlike thay group, however, in the case of the new Wyatt Family, the ruling is almost a necessity seeing how Randy Orton is not working house shows in the near future following the birth of his daughter.

Here’s the announcement from WWE:

The Wyatt Family is evoking a rarely-used custom during their reign as SmackDown Tag Team Champions, WWE.com has learned.

While Bray Wyatt & Randy Orton captured the titles for the Family at WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, SmackDown LIVE Commissioner Shane McMahon and General Manager Daniel Bryan have sanctioned Luke Harper as champion as well, making him eligible to defend the titles alongside Wyatt or Orton under the Freebird Rule.

Named for WWE Hall of Famers The Fabulous Freebirds, the rule stipulates that a faction that holds a championship can assign any of its members to defend the title at any given time. The reigning Raw Tag Team Champions, The New Day, have used the Freebird Rule to great success. Xavier Woods has defended the titles several times alongside either Kofi Kingston or Big E, who won them at SummerSlam 2015.

The Wyatts’ challengers might have rested easier knowing they wouldn’t have to contend with the enigmatic Harper on top of Wyatt himself and The Viper. No more.

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