WrestleMania 33: 10 Matches That Should Have Happened

9. American Alpha Vs The Revival (Smackdown Live! Tag Team Titles)

John Cena Undertaker
WWE Network

Despite a level of in-ring consistency not exhibited within the WWE tag team division for over fifteen years, American Alpha's run on Smackdown Live! has to be considered a disappointment.

Part of the problem has been with creative malaise on the blue brand. Alpha get to win often enough, but a distinct lack of promo time and limited involvement in actual storylines has forged an emotional disinterest in the talented team.

Some blame must also fall on Jordan and Gable themselves, having struggled to display the intensity and likability that got them so hugely over with NXT audiences in the first place, but hindsight may show how vital their heel counterparts were in establishing the act.

Possibly the best tag team in the entire world, The Revival have paired throwback heel tag team work with dynamic in-ring talent to create one of the most enjoyably detestable units in the industry.

As heels and 'top guys' on NXT, they were perfect foil for the dynamic Alphas, just as they would prove to be for Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano later in the year.

Dash and Dawson bumrushing the former champions on Smackdown Live! would have made ideal WrestleMania fodder, with the former NXT rivalry and a new quest for title glory the simple story to tell.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett