Dave's Battle Axe- - The HYPE is Real?

With much of the WWE universe grumbling about the recent brand split, it’s easy to forget that this is an opportunity to re-brand athletes into new versions of their old, worn out personas. We ARE making Darren Young great again after all and others who are benefitting from the shake up include Braun Stroman and Natalya. But, so far, all eyes are on the up and comers from NXT. The new wave of insta-superstars are ready to shine but who will stand out?

It’s easy to see that the Cruiserweights will eventually take the spotlight on Monday Night Raw, but the more intriguing picture I’m seeing is in the tag team division. Raw’s teams are scarce right now with The New Day still finding inventive ways to hold on to their titles over the likes of Gallows and Anderson, Enzo and Cass, The Golden Truth, Shining Stars and the Dudley Boyz.  Smackdown Live on the other hand has the smaller roster but the larger stable of tag teams, all of whom save the Usos are NXT born and bred.

Now the question is with the tag belts on the other show, what can elevate Smackdown's stacked tag division and who can be the cream that rises to the top?  With the Ascension, Breezango and Vaudvillians paying dues of late, it looks like easy pickings for the hottest tag duo on the scene, Jason Jordan and Chad Gable - American Alpha.  But not so fast, former NXT champions, there’s one more tag team out there that’s undefeated on the big stage (so far) - The Hype Bros!

Yes, the unlikely coupling of stalwart workhorse Zack Ryder and always hyped Mojo Rawley have proven to be a winning combo for both. I could see the potential of the team when they were putting things together on NXT and I had a feeling if Mojo could continue to develop his moves in the ring, they could be a serious challenge to the American Alpha boys as THE face tag team.

It’s perhaps too easy to dismiss the hype surrounding Mojo Rawley, another former football player that has taken his time developing his in-ring game, but in a recent match with Samoa Joe on NXT, Rawley proved that his brawling style can work just fine with elite level talent. By coupling Rawley’s burly size and hyped power with Ryder’s resilience and move set, the WWE has created a potent combo that is already over with crowds.

Can American Alpha wrestle circles around the Hype Bros tho? From what I can see, Jordan and Gable can wrestle circles around everyone on the planet, that’s not the real question.  The REAL question is are you HYPE???

- Dave Parrish