Can WWE's makeshift team of Shinsuke Nakamura & Riddle take down The Usos?
WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champions Jimmy and Jey Uso have been the promotion's most superior team for quite a while now.
Usos have held the WWE Smackdown titles since July 2021, and recently added the RAW belts to their mantle by defeating RK-Bro. They stand by their cousin and Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns, as part of The Bloodline - the clear-cut dominant force in the promotion today. In many ways, they have looked unstoppable.
However, some ghosts from their pasts are coming back to haunt them, as they are now squarely in the crosshairs of Riddle and Shinsuke Nakamura. Both of those WWE Superstars are no strangers to gold, and are looking to strike again.
The makeshift team came together when both of their regular partners were injured. Riddle's brother-in-arms, Randy Orton, is on the shelf at the same time as Nakamura's compadre, Rick Boogs.
The two men have serious beef with The Bloodline. They both blame the champs for their partner's pain, and they figure the best revenge is to lighten the load for Jimmy and Jey by taking a couple of title belts off their shoulders.
Now WWE has The King of Strong Style teaming with The King of Bong style.
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They have looked great together, but have yet to grab the belts thus far. While the WWE Universe may not accept this act as much as RK-Bro, there's still a funny and interesting contrast between the two performers. Their almost natural chemistry together makes them enjoyable to watch.
For Nakamura, this is a big change in direction. At least for now. His association with Boogs was strangley embraced by the fanbase. It started as a novelty act, but the two were being positioned to possibly hold the tag championships.
Unfortunately, that all got sidetracked when the rocker tore his quadriceps during the opening match of WrestleMania 38.
After months of teaming up with Orton in an odd couple alliance, Riddle finds himself in a different situation with Nakamura.
Both men are free-spirited artists, but can also dish out their fair share of violence. Sometimes overlooked because of their eccentric behavior is that they have both been involved in mixed martial arts and are legitimate strikers. They also don’t mind letting their hair down, having some fun and dabbling in a little bit of comedy from time to time.
Now they have come together for a couple of common causes. Not only are they gunning for the RAW titles, they are doing it in tribute to their fallen comrades.
But can this mis-matched pairing defeat WWE's most dominant tag team? The Usos have the luxury of not only being twins, but they have also been a team for their entire careers. In comparison, the coalition of Nakumura and Riddle is like a grain of sand in the desert; they have only had a handful of matches together.
It will be interesting to see how it all plays out over the next few weeks.
Will the Usos shake off yet another set of challengers? Or will the stopgap combo of Riddle and Nakamura end their reign of tag team terror?