WWE Rumors: New ‘SmackDown’ Tag Team Champions At ‘TLC’ 2016 Pay-Per-View?


The latest WWE rumors look at the potential for brand new SmackDown Live tag team champions as of the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view. There’s been some recent speculation as to the status of the title belts, and it appears a change could very well be on the way. As of this report, the belts are held by the tag team of Heath Slater and Rhyno. While the team seems well received by a good majority of fans, WWE may be looking at them in a different light when it comes to them being title contenders. So who might be replacing them and will it be soon?

A report from the Ringside News website talks about the current situation with the tag team titles. The report mentions how the company decided to go a different way with the tag team contenders. Instead of rewarding American Alpha with a title shot, they appear to be going another direction. Alpha was able to win the “Tag Team Turmoil” match on SmackDown Live, where they defeated multiple teams in a row to become the new No. 1 contenders. However, shortly after their win over The Usos to get there, they received a message from another team on the WWE SmackDown Live roster.

Bray Wyatt of The Wyatt Family has never held a championship on the main roster. [Image by WWE]

According to Philly.com in their SmackDown results report, The Wyatt Family delivered the chilling message on the big screen to American Alpha. After offering congratulations for their work, Bray Wyatt made sure to let them know they hadn’t defeated all the tag teams that the WWE had to offer. With that, he let them know that next week on SmackDown it would be himself and Randy Wyatt coming for them. That sets up a new match to determine who the final No. 1 contenders for Slater and Rhyno’s championship belts will be.

The top contenders are pegged to head to the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view to battle for the titles with Slater and Rhyno. Right now, if the WWE rumors that are circulating are true, Wyatt and Orton will capture those titles. The belief is that fans may view the team of Slater and Rhyno as a “comedy act” and not take the belts seriously. With The Wyatt Family holding the championship, it would perhaps bring some more prestige back to the titles.

Rhyno and Heath Slater captured the belt after a tag team tournament. In the final match of that tournament, they defeated The Hype Bros and then The Usos at the Backlash pay-per-view. Since then, they’ve held the new SmackDown tag team title belts for a reign of 74 days, which will extend to another two weeks as of the TLC event on December 4 in Dallas, Texas.

A win by Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton makes pretty good sense as it will finally give Wyatt some sort of championship since his arrival on the main roster. While his character style hasn’t necessarily been about gaining championship gold, as a worker he’s among some of the best talents that WWE has. However, he always seems underutilized or lost in the mid-card. With Randy Orton teamed up with him, it helps to bring more attention to Wyatt. Also, it makes room for another storyline which many fans know is coming in the future.

Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt had a bit of a feud before Orton joined The Wyatts. [Image by WWE]

At some point, it’s believed that Orton will turn against Bray Wyatt. When that happens, it will probably help another contending team to gain the championship belts. Of the teams on the SmackDown roster, it would seem that either The Usos or American Alpha will be the beneficiaries of The Viper striking against his current family member. It’s unknown how quickly this might happen, but seems to be the next obvious step as this “super team” will eventually implode to set up a new feud. Could that mean Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt in some sort of match at WrestleMania 33?

For now, it seems like the smart money is on Wyatt and Orton to gain the championship belts as of the early December pay-per-view. The TLC event usually features stipulations for all the matches, so this bout very well could have some added aspects that help in their win.

WWE fans, how do you feel about Wyatt and Orton becoming tag team champions soon?

[Featured Image by WWE]

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