WWE Backlash 2016: 10 Things WWE Got Right
3. Heath Slater & Rhyno Being An Unlikely Success
It was only a few short months ago that Heath Slater was in the Social Outcasts. Alongside the likes of Adam Rose, Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas, Slater was an also-ran on the WWE roster. Going further, it looked like he was a shoe-in to get released should the company have another big clear out.
Obviously, that didn't happen, and Heath is now one half of the first ever SmackDown Tag-Team Champions. That's an incredible turnaround, not least because he holds those titles with Rhyno. Together, the pair are an unlikely success story, one that shows what can happen when WWE give talent the chance to develop their own personalities.
The Usos would have been fine heel champions themselves, but this was the right time to follow through on Heath Slater's underdog gimmick. Fans genuinely like Rhyno and Heath, they come across as natural and easy to enjoy. Completely oblivious to how ridiculous they are, the team just have that intangible quality that's hard to fully explain.
Now, Rhyno and Slater have something to hold onto, and will be part of every SmackDown broadcast. They've been enhanced by the title win.