Big title match at upcoming WWE event, feud teased - 4 hints that Montez Ford's current direction could be the end of The Street Profits
Montez Ford had a big night on the latest episode of WWE RAW. The former multi-time tag team champion battled Elias in singles competition and came out on top, which ultimately moved him into a major position for the next Premium Live Event.
The athletically gifted Ford will now be one of six competitors in the Men's Elimination Chamber match at the upcoming Elimination Chamber 2023 event. He is joining Bronson Reed, Damian Priest, Johnny Gargano, Seth Rollins, and United States Champion Austin Theory in the foreboding structure.
The bout is a major one for Montez, arguably the biggest match of his career that isn't for tag team gold. His upcoming opportunity does lead to many fans questioning what may come next for him and his tag team partner Angelo Dawkins, however.
The Street Profits are tremendously entertaining and successful, but Ford's current direction is hinting at a possible split for the two. Could Montez Ford be heading into a singles direction moving forward? Could The Street Profits' time as a tag team be coming to an end?
Below are four hints that Montez Ford's current direction could be the end of The Street Profits.
#4. Montez Ford has a major title opportunity at Elimination Chamber 2023
HE DID IT!!!
@MontezFordWWE is going to #WWEChamber! https://t.co/Bbs7HaB9H2
WWE Elimination Chamber is sure to be a big show. The Belle Center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada will play host to the epic event, with Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn set to headline the sure-to-be epic card. The card is also set to feature Hall of Famers including both Edge and Beth Phoenix.
As noted, a six-man United States Championship Elimination Chamber Match is also scheduled for the show. Montez Ford hopes to outlast and stand tall over top stars including Seth Rollins, Bronson Reed, Johnny Gargano, Damian Priest, and Austin Theory.
If Ford does manage to win, he'll become the new United States Champion. This will likely fully cement him as a singles star moving forward. Even if he doesn't win the bout, just being in title contention is seemingly a big sign that his days in tag team competition are coming to an end.
#3. A rivalry with Austin Theory was teased on RAW
A major match at the upcoming WWE Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event is a great indication that Montez Ford may be moving into the singles division moving forward. That wasn't all that was hinted at on WWE Monday Night RAW, however.
Austin Theory was on commentary when Montez battled Elias for the last spot in the upcoming six-man Elimination Chamber Match. The Now made it clear that he believes he's better than one-half of The Street Profits and even talked down about his future opponent in the promo.
If WWE is hinting at a rivalry between Austin Theory and Montez Ford, that's another nail in the coffin of The Street Profits, even if only temporarily. Kofi Kingston and Big E, for example, both focused on singles opportunities but were still considered members of The New Day. They both just stopped being part of a tag team for a period of time.
Montez may do the same. He could focus his talents on a rivalry with Austin Theory, or as mentioned, the United States Champion. Given that Theory holds the belt, his focus could be on both.
#2. There's not much else for The Street Profits to do as a tag team in WWE
The Street Profits are one of the most successful tag teams of the modern era. They first began teaming up in NXT and even had a brief stint in EVOLVE Wrestling, where they won the company's tag team titles. That was only the beginning of their tag team championship success, however.
The duo went on to win tag team gold on NXT before joining the main roster. They've since captured both the RAW and SmackDown Tag Team Titles, making them Triple Crown WWE Tag Team Champions, a feat very few others have managed.
Given their level of success, the truth is that there's not much else for the duo to do. It could be argued that they could hold the RAW & SmackDown Tag Team Titles at the same time, like The Usos currently do. Other than that, however, they've done everything they can as a tag team. That alone may hint that their time as a duo is coming to an end.
#1. They're seemingly emphasizing that the pair get along too much
EXCLUSIVE: The #StreetProfits explain that when one of them win they all win, with @MontezFordWWE looking forward to competing in the #WWEChamber.
#WWERaw https://t.co/414IgUzA9U
In 2022, a focal point of commentary and interviews was on possible issues and animosity existing between Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins in and out of WWE. Most fans naturally assumed this meant the two would go on to have a feud, perhaps culminating in a big WWE Premium Live Event. Over time, though, the talk of them having issues seemed to fizzle.
Instead, WWE almost seems to be taking the opposite approach. Montez Ford is regularly insisting that there's no issues between the members of The Street Profits. The latest video, which can be seen in the Tweet above, is an example of Montez downplaying any issues the two may have.
There's a chance that this emphasis on them getting along is actually a red herring. A classic expression goes "thou doth protest too much," which implies that if somebody is protesting a point too often, there's a chance it's because whatever point they're arguing against is actually true.
Ford may be so insistent that there aren't issues bubbling up between the two because there really are problems. He could be trying to distract the audience, but this likely means something dramatic could be on the horizon. Could Dawkins or Montez turn on the other?