No Mercy 2016: Heath Slater & Rhyno v The Usos

Rhyno & Heath Slater’s path to SmackDown Tag Team Championship glory may be a feel-good story for the ages, but their challengers at No Mercy, Jimmy & Jey Uso, aren’t concerned with fairytale endings. Claiming they were cheated out of the titles once before, The Usos want the championship gold and will stop at nothing to get it.

The twin brothers’ relentless pursuit has already left one Superstar battered. American Alpha’s Chad Gable has twice been injured at the hands of Jimmy & Jey, most recently on the Sept. 20 edition of SmackDown LIVE. In a battle to determine Rhyno & Slater’s next challengers, The Usos savagely targeted Gable’s bad knee en route to winning the match, sparking speculation that not only Gable returned from injury too soon, but also that The Usos will sink to any depth to improve their position in Team Blue’s tag ranks.

The Usos have all but promised more of the same for “Beauty and The Man Beast,” further demonstrating just how callous Jimmy & Jey have grown in recent weeks. Gone are the neon colors, call-and-response ring entrance and fan-friendly smiles, replaced by scowling countenances and a ferocious new attitude.

Yet, Rhyno & Slater’s success isn’t just improbable — it has been well-earned, too. The One Man Band and his Gore-minded partner defeated The Usos once before, in the SmackDown Tag Team Championship Tournament Final at WWE Backlash (albeit on a night that The Usos had already competed before). And Slater’s guaranteed SmackDown LIVE contract may afford him luxuries like an above-ground pool and a new double-wide, but it doesn’t mean he and Rhyno are planning to relinquish the titles any time soon.

Will the Anoa’i family tree add yet another pair of tag team titles to its incredible legacy? Or will Rhyno & Slater hold strong in the face of The Usos’ vicious threat?