The WWE RAW tag team title picture has suddenly gotten interesting
In the past, WWE has been accused of not focusing enough on its tag team division. But the promotion has put a little spice behind the RAW Tag Team Championship picture in recent weeks, with some intriguing match-ups and a big showdown next week.
The current champions, Chad Gable and Otis, have really gelled as The Alpha Academy. Gable has especially grown in his role as the 'mentor' of the squad, and his promo skills have never been better. It's difficult not to compare him to Kurt Angle, considering their similar ring style and the way they both can play the snobby, blue-chip athlete character.
Next week, the reigning champs will be putting those red-leathered nickels on the line in a three-team showdown. The wildly entertaining team of RK-Bro have been to the top of the mountain before, but they won't be the only challengers on that Monday night.
As two main event performers, Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins have formed an unlikely duo and have already grabbed a win over the titleholders this week.
Following their loss, @WWEGable acknowledges that both the #WWERaw Tag Team Championships and #WrestleMania itself are at stake in the Triple Threat Match next week. https://t.co/ia1NfRicOf
As we travel down the road to WrestleMania, it's interesting to see all of these different storylines intertwine in the RAW tag team division.
Randy Orton and Riddle always seem to be either teetering on the edge of a break-up or are as close as brothers. Alpha Academy has been steady as a team, but Otis and Gable will also be rare examples of underdog champions in this triple threat bout. Owens and Rollins are simply stars in their own right, and now that they have seemingly joined forces, both men play off of each other well.
The sidebar to all of this is KO's quest to get to The Show of Shows, despite his hatred for the state of Texas. That could lead to a confrontation with a certain WWE legend you've probably heard about.
All in all, it's great to see WWE highlighting these three teams in an angle ahead of WrestleMania
While this may just be lightning in a bottle, it's been refreshing to see such energy being pumped into the RAW tag division.
Yes, it may feature a makeshift team in Owens and Rollins, but they're both former world champions and have star value. Alpha Academy and RK-Bro have been together long enough that they are now established pairings.
Otis pins Randy Orton to win the gold for the Alpha Academy!
#WWE #WWERaw https://t.co/NTP72cwj51
And by the way? Somewhere lurking nearby are the former titleholders, The Street Profits. The Mysterios have to be put on the list of formidable contenders as well. They will factor into this mix at some point in the weeks and months to come.
The triple threat match next week on RAW should be an entertaining contest, and it will help fill in some blanks in terms of the WrestleMania card. Hopefully, the WWE Universe will continue to see more of this kind of effort put into the tag team divisions of RAW and SmackDown.
Which team do you think will unseat Alpha Academy as the WWE RAW Tag Team Champions? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.