WWE Clash of Champions 2017: What we learned, takeaways, future projections

Fatal 4-Way Match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship

The Usos (c) vs. The New Day vs. Shelton Benjamin & Chad Gable vs. Rusev & Aiden English

What we learned: I think we learned a few things here. We learned that Rusev and Aiden English may be the new Heath Slater and Rhyno. You’ve got a guy that can beat people down and some comic relief and the crowd is so into it right now. English’s song before the match was hilarious. We also learned in this one that you don’t have to win the match to win the night. Just punch in Chad Gable on Twitter and you’ll understand what I’m saying. Seriously, how amazing was he on Sunday night?

This four-way bout for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship was a little confusing at the outset given that this wasn’t a typical Fatal 4-Way. The rules here were that four men could be in the ring at one time (maybe this is a match where two referees are needed, but that’s too easy to bash so I won’t) and a competitor could only tag his own partner. It was weird to look at in the beginning but ended up working out nicely as this was another fun match that the Boston crowd really seemed to enjoy.

There were some quick near-falls in the beginning before the all-out brawl ensued, which I figured would happen at some point, before order was restored … at least as well as it could be given the format here. Each team got its fair share of offense in, and there were some really fun spots over the course of the 13 minutes this match got, especially Gable suplexing people left and right, some of which looked really uncomfortable. But the crowd was hot for it and the former American Alpha member really stood out in this match, which is saying something given the high level of talent of the people involved. In the end, The Usos were able to retain in a fun match.

What’s next: The tag division on the blue brand has really stepped it up, highlighted this year by the amazing feud between The Usos and The New Day. With the emergence of Rusev and English and Gable and Benjamin as legitimate contenders, I don’t look for things to slow down. The Usos are still at the top of the mountain, and there’s another duo that will enter the title picture very soon, which I’ll get to in a few minutes.