4 WWE duos who Shane McMahon could crown the new SmackDown Tag Team champions
WWE has announced that Shane McMahon will crown the new SmackDown Tag Team champions on the May 7 episode of SmackDown Live. Former champions The Hardy Boyz were forced to relinquish their titles last week due to Jeff Hardy suffering a knee injury which could rule him out of in-ring action for up to nine months.
The loss of the legendary duo from the tag division, as well as The Club’s move to Raw and the recent break-up of The Bar, has decimated the blue brand’s selection of tag teams, with only The New Day (Big E is currently injured), The B-Team, The Colons, Heavy Machinery and Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura left on Tuesday nights.
WWE’s SmackDown Live preview reads:
“SmackDown LIVE was thrown for a loop last week when, due to Jeff Hardy sustaining a knee injury at the hands of Lars Sullivan, The Hardy Boyz had to relinquish the SmackDown Tag Team Titles.
“With the state of both the blue brand’s tag team division and the titles in question, Shane McMahon will arrive on SmackDown LIVE this Tuesday to crown new SmackDown Tag Team Champions.”
In this article, let’s take a look at four of the most likely duos who could become the new champions on Tuesday.
#4 Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura
Given the wording of WWE’s preview, it sounds like Shane McMahon will simply hand over the vacant titles to another duo, as opposed to announcing some kind of one-night tournament or match to determine the new champions. If that is the case, then the only somewhat credible heel tag team on SmackDown Live who could receive the titles from McMahon is Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura.
Granted, they have failed to win any of their last seven televised matches together as a team, but both men are established Superstars on the main roster and, let’s face it, where else are they going to go from here if they do not end up as tag champs somewhere down the line?
McMahon does not have an alliance with either of these two men, but you can bet that he will look to recruit some new allies if he continues to make enemies on the blue brand.