Hometown hero at SummerSlam? - 5 reasons why DIY are the new WWE Tag Team Champions
After several weeks chasing Austin Theory and Grayson Waller, DIY are the new WWE Tag Team Champions. The NXT legends defeated A-Town Down Under in the main event of the Money in the Bank go-home edition of WWE SmackDown.
The emotional win culminates nearly a decade of working with and against each other for Gargano and Ciampa. As for Waller and Theory, they must go back to the drawing board to figure out what to do next after losing their titles.
DIY was involved in the six-team ladder match at WrestleMania 40 but didn't walk out as champions. They walked out of Toronto as the new WWE Tag Team Champions for the next five reasons.
#5. The history of DIY in Toronto
As they walked out backstage for their big title match, Ciampa and Gargano recounted the duo's history in Toronto.
They won the NXT Tag Team Titles eight years ago in the city and Gargano made his return to WWE two years ago in the same arena.
The city clearly has a special spot in the history of DIY, so it made a potential title win all the more special. Winning in a random city would have been nice, but huge victories have more meaning when a prior history is involved.
#4. Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano are well-respected veterans
The current WWE roster is laden with talented young stars like Bron Breakker, Tiffany Stratton, Austin Theory, and Carmelo Hayes. They're all future champions and will likely carry the company into the next decade.
Tomasso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano are closer to 40 years old and have been in the industry for decades. They don't have years and years in their prime still ahead of them.
The two veterans were the backbones of NXT for years. In that time, they helped out many stars coming through NXT. It can be argued that the brand was at its best when Johnny Wrestling and The Blackheart were among the top stars.
It's taken some time but the crowd finally started to respond to DIY. Instead of a random title swap, the fans were hungry for it. It speaks to the work the new regime has done to properly feature two legends of WWE NXT.
#3. WWE SummerSlam is in Gargano's hometown of Cleveland
Logan Paul might have had the honor of announcing that WWE SummerSlam would be taking place in his hometown of Cleveland. He resides in Puerto Rico now but grew up in the city.
The Maverick has also been on a few promotional posters for the event. Johnny Gargano is also another famous WWE Superstar from Cleveland. He mentions that in promos from time to time and is proud of his hometown.
WWE has tried to get stars from certain cities onto certain cards. They did it for Rhea Ripley, Indi Hartwell, and Grayson Waller at Elimination Chamber: Perth. The same happened for Drew McIntyre, Piper Niven, and the Unholy Union at Clash at the Castle.
Having Gargano in a featured contest in his hometown at the second biggest of the show is a slam dunk decision. Now he'll enter the show as a champion.
#2. They might have the misfortune of losing the belts to the Bloodline
DIY just won the WWE Tag Team Titles so they won't be losing them next week hopefully. But when considering who could possibly dethrone the new champions, one team stands out from the others.
Pretty Deadly, the Street Profits, The OC, and Legado Del Fantasma have all had up and down years. None of the duos has stood out but instead have traded wins and losses.
WWE is trying to build up the new version of The Bloodline as vicious and dominant. Gargano and Ciampa are beloved faces and The Bloodline are dastardly heels. To paint the new group as one to be feared, two members will likely win the titles before the year ends.
#1. It facilitates a split between Austin Theory and Grayson Waller
The relationship between Austin Theory and Grayson Waller has been smooth for the most of the duration of the partnership. Once they won the WWE Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania 40, however, cracks slowly emerged week after week.
Both stars are young, brash, and overconfident. It's part of the reason why the pairing worked out so well. The breakup, however, was only a matter of time because of those very similarities.
Waller has thrown Theory under the bus repeatedly, whereas Theory has sacrificed himself numerous times for his partner. Waller was the one who tapped out, so he won't be able to blame the former US Champ for the loss of the gold.
It doesn't mean that he won't do so after losing the belts. Once the team disbands, they can feud with each other before embarking on singles journeys on WWE SmackDown.