5 Biggest Winners & Losers From WWE SmackDown Live (Oct 25)

2. Winners: Heath Slater & Rhyno

Heath Slater Rhyno Dolph Ziggler
WWE.com

Last night proved that there’s plenty of life in Heath Slater and Rhyno’s story yet. While capturing the SmackDown Tag Team Championships completed Slater’s redemption arc, the duo retain a big crowd following, and they’ve become a very solid tag team. Slater has almost perfected the “face in peril” role, and after he’s spent most of their matches taking a beating, the crowd pop huge when Rhyno makes the hot tag and Gores the life out of his opponent.

They fought-off The Spirit Squad’s title challenge last night, and it took them just four minutes to seal the deal. Rhyno, again, took the victory for his team, and the audience’s response proves that suggestions their act is running out of steam were a little premature. With The Usos and American Alpha off television for a second consecutive week, Slater & Rhyno are the undisputed top dogs of SmackDown’s tag scene, and they hammered it home last night.

If somebody told you a few months ago that a complete unknown (James Ellsworth), an ageing ECW castoff (Rhyno), and a career jobber (Heath Slater) would be among WWE’s most popular stars in October, you’d think they were insane. Yet here we are, and in terms of career turnarounds, few have been more impressive than Slater’s.

WWE deserve full credit for reviving his fortunes, regardless of how long the team acts. Slater has proven his worth as a performer time and time again, and Rhyno is the ideal “straight man” to counter his goofiness.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.