The Usos pay the price for their role in KofiMania

SmackDown Tag Team Championship Fatal 4Way Match

Ricochet & Aleister Black vs. The Usos (c) vs. Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura vs. The Bar

The odds are against Jimmy & Jey at WrestleMania 35, as WWE actually booked consequences for their actions during The New Day’s gauntlet run to earn Kofi Kingston a WWE title shot.

The Road to WrestleMania

Your six-time tag champs have lots of history with Cesaro & Sheamus. They’ve had run-ins with Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura, too (mostly the Bulgarian Brute from his days with Aiden English, since this latest alliance is new, and Nak hasn’t done a ton of teaming on the WWE main roster). The new kids from NXT, Dusty Classic winners Aleister Black & Ricochet represent a new challenge - although the Usos did get to see them in action first hand on the ‘go home’ show when they partnered up for an eight-man tag.

But that’s not why we’re getting this match on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. WrestleMania host Alexa Bliss may not have explicitly said she was told to book this Fatal 4Way by someone in upper management...

... but we’re getting it because the champs made a powerful enemy when they did this:

And let’s face it, seeing as Jimmy & Jey defeated Shane McMahon & The Miz for the belts in the first place (then successfully defended them against the former besties at Fastlane), they were already on the McMahon family’s naughty list.

What’s at stake?

The belts, in a match where the champs don’t have to factor into the decision in order to lose them.

And The Bar would love to take those titles and join The Usos in the six-timers club. A championship run would establish Ru & Shin as more than just a “creative has nothing for you” mash-up, and it would allow Ric & Aleister to start their main roster careers with even more buzz... even if they are a “creative has nothing for you” mash-up.

The big question is: Are this bout’s ties to the KofiMania story over, or could we see Big E & Xavier Woods returning the favor by helping their frenemies keep the titles on lock? And if The New Day plays a role in this, will Vince McMahon see fit to enact some further punishment on the Usos, or Woods & E, or even their brother Kof as he gets set for the biggest match of his career?

We’ll find out Sunday night.