BROOKLYN, N.Y. — After weeks of taking a backseat to the American Alpha hype train, The Usos reasserted themselves by earning the decisive pinfall in SummerSlam Kickoff’s opening 12-Man Tag Team Match. So why aren’t they smiling?
The win should, by any indication, have been a windfall moment for Jimmy & Jey, the longest tenured duo of a SmackDown Live Tag Team division that is almost entirely comprised of tandems that were formed in WWE NXT (Breezango being the sole exception). American Alpha has been by far the most heralded of the bunch, and the two-time WWE Tag Team Champion Usos were claiming as recently as last week that they weren’t quite ready, willing or Gable to cede the driver’s seat of the division.
Ahead of SmackDown Live, Jimmy and Jey Uso are determined to exert their dominance over Team Blue's newest tag team sensation.
So it’s understandable that the Slammy Award-heavy twins used this 12-Man Tag Team Match as an opportunity to make a statement, especially after Alpha scored the deciding pinfall in a similar content a few days earlier. They did so after a bout that erupted into chaos rather quickly, with each tandem looking to position themselves as Team Blue’s top team. At one point, The Ascension had cleared the ring until American Alpha sent them packing, and Aiden English of The Vaudevillains (who had taken the fateful Grand Amplitude on Tuesday) singlehandedly neutralized both grapplers.
The Usos, American Alpha and The Hype Bros battle Breezango, The Ascension and The Vaudevillains in the SummerSlam 2016 Kickoff: Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.
When the action resumed, Zack Ryder was left to the mercy of Breezango, The Ascension and The Vaudevillains, who attempted to isolate the WrestleMania 32 miracle man from all 11 of his would-be saviors. After taking an artillery’s worth of offense, Ryder finally managed to land a neckbreaker on Konnor and reach Jimmy Uso, who was quickly stopped short by Tyler Breeze. Enter Jason Jordan, who delivered suplexes left and right until each Superstar rushed the ring to attack anyone and everyone who stood in his path.
When the dust cleared, Jordan and Gable managed to catch Simon Gotch in Grand Amplitude, only Jey Uso tagged himself in right before Gable could complete the maneuver. Jey swooped in with a Frog Splash to steal the pin for himself, clearly marking his territory for the benefit of anyone who may have forgotten.
So, perhaps the reason he wasn’t smiling was because he felt The Usos had to prove themselves all over again. Perhaps the reason Alpha wasn’t smiling was that it came at their expense.
After being part of the winning squad in the 12-Man Tag Team Match in the SummerSlam Kickoff, The Usos build momentum in the tag team division.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — After weeks of taking a backseat to the American Alpha hype train, The Usos reasserted themselves by earning the decisive pinfall in SummerSlam Kickoff’s opening 12-Man Tag Team Match. So why aren’t they smiling?
The win should, by any indication, have been a windfall moment for Jimmy & Jey, the longest tenured duo of a SmackDown Live Tag Team division that is almost entirely comprised of tandems that were formed in WWE NXT (Breezango being the sole exception). American Alpha has been by far the most heralded of the bunch, and the two-time WWE Tag Team Champion Usos were claiming as recently as last week that they weren’t quite ready, willing or Gable to cede the driver’s seat of the division.
Ahead of SmackDown Live, Jimmy and Jey Uso are determined to exert their dominance over Team Blue's newest tag team sensation.
So it’s understandable that the Slammy Award-heavy twins used this 12-Man Tag Team Match as an opportunity to make a statement, especially after Alpha scored the deciding pinfall in a similar content a few days earlier. They did so after a bout that erupted into chaos rather quickly, with each tandem looking to position themselves as Team Blue’s top team. At one point, The Ascension had cleared the ring until American Alpha sent them packing, and Aiden English of The Vaudevillains (who had taken the fateful Grand Amplitude on Tuesday) singlehandedly neutralized both grapplers.
The Usos, American Alpha and The Hype Bros battle Breezango, The Ascension and The Vaudevillains in the SummerSlam 2016 Kickoff: Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.
When the action resumed, Zack Ryder was left to the mercy of Breezango, The Ascension and The Vaudevillains, who attempted to isolate the WrestleMania 32 miracle man from all 11 of his would-be saviors. After taking an artillery’s worth of offense, Ryder finally managed to land a neckbreaker on Konnor and reach Jimmy Uso, who was quickly stopped short by Tyler Breeze. Enter Jason Jordan, who delivered suplexes left and right until each Superstar rushed the ring to attack anyone and everyone who stood in his path.
When the dust cleared, Jordan and Gable managed to catch Simon Gotch in Grand Amplitude, only Jey Uso tagged himself in right before Gable could complete the maneuver. Jey swooped in with a Frog Splash to steal the pin for himself, clearly marking his territory for the benefit of anyone who may have forgotten.
So, perhaps the reason he wasn’t smiling was because he felt The Usos had to prove themselves all over again. Perhaps the reason Alpha wasn’t smiling was that it came at their expense.
After being part of the winning squad in the 12-Man Tag Team Match in the SummerSlam Kickoff, The Usos build momentum in the tag team division.
