WWE Smackdown Tag Team Title Tournament To Conclude At Backlash 2016
New champions will be crowned at the blue brand's first solo outing.
Though it had been heavily rumored since Raw selected WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day in the WWE draft, Tuesday's Smackdown made it official - the blue brand now has its own set of tag team titles.
The Smackdown Tag Team Championships were unveiled by Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan to open the show, and with them came the news that the first champions would be decided in a tournament. The tournament matches will be held on Smackdown over the coming weeks, while the finals will take place at the Backlash Pay-Per-View.
The eight-team tournament began on Smackdown, with the brand's two hottest teams advancing to the semifinals. First, The Usos defeated The Ascension in a short, action-packed match, and later, American Alpha beat Breezango in a longer, more dramatic contest.
Next week's opening round matches will include The Hype Bros versus The Vaudevillains and a special encounter pitting Heath Slater and Rhyno against an as-yet-unnamed team. Slater interrupted the introduction of the titles to make an impassioned plea for his hiring and inclusion in the tournament, so McMahon indulged him - he could participate if he could find his own partner, but he'd only get a Smackdown contract if he and his partner won the titles.
Backlash airs at 8:00 PM ET on Sunday, September 11 on the WWE Network.