8 Things WWE Fans Need To Know About American Alpha
3. Reluctant Beginnings
It all started in May 2015. Jordan had turned heel on Dillinger earlier in the year, and was on the lookout for a new tag team partner. Gable started approaching Jordan to volunteer his services in a number of backstage segments, but he was immediately shot down. Jordan found the diminutive Olympian’s over-enthusiasm grating and annoying, and instead rotated through a gauntlet of unsuccessful allegiances with the likes of Sylvester LeFort, Marcus Louis, and Solomon Crowe.
Gable was practically begging Jordan to let him team with him at this point, and after failing to succeed in any of his other experiments, Jordan finally relented. It proved to be the best move of his career: American Alpha were an instant hit, and after an impressive run through the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, they were soon on their way to Tag Title success.
While it took Jordan a while to get used to Gable’s goofy charisma, their chemistry in the ring was instantaneous. American Alpha went from a happy accident to one of the most beloved teams in NXT history, and it would never have happened had Jordan not overcame his initial reluctance.