Losing Sami Zayn was the best thing that could have happened to Cesaro & Nakamura

Tables match for the SmackDown Tag Team championship

The re-focused team of Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura have had The New Day’s number, and they used it to call for the tables at Sunday’s PPV.

The Road to Extreme Rules

When Sami Zayn opted to sit out the shows WWE’s been producing at their Orlando Performance Center in the midst of the pandemic, it looked like it might be bad news for Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura. One minute they were the muscle for an entertaining heel holding the Intercontinental title. The next they were a “creative has nothing for you” tag team.

But, something happened. Several things, really. Between injuries, and COVID, the roster’s been seriously depleted. Bad decisions created an opening in the SmackDown Tag title scene. And someone backstage remembered that Cesaro is one of the best wrestlers in the world, and that Shinsuke Nakamura is entertaining even when he’s coasting & it can be impossible to take your eyes of him when he’s motivated.

So with Forgotten Sons out of the picture, Vince McMahon & Bruce Prichard started booking them to do things like this - beat the 8-time champs The New Day in non-title action.

The championship opportunity that earned them devolved into chaos...

... but The Artist Collective continues to have the upper-hand in this rivalry. Last night it earned them the right to pick the stipulation for Extreme Rules.

Shinsuke! Get The Tables!

What’s at stake

Kofi Kingston & Big E’s place in WWE is quite secure at this point, at least as a tag team. A loss here just starts the countdown to their ninth tag title reign. Especially given the current state of the division.

Either team would be protected in a loss; all they have to do is point out they weren’t pinned or submitted when lobbying for a rematch. But it does seem there’s more on the line for the Swiss Cyborg & King of Strong Style. Another win on July 19 at The PC would cement them as a legitimate tag team, and officially put their time as lackeys for a funny bad guy in the history books.