TLC 2016: Heath Slater & Rhyno v The New Wyatt Family

With Randy Orton fortifying its ranks, The Wyatt Family may be more dangerous than ever before, and that could spell trouble for SmackDown Tag Team Champions Heath Slater & Rhyno. Alongside the family mastermind Bray Wyatt, The Viper will challenge the popular titleholders this Sunday at WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, live on WWE Network.

Orton & Wyatt earned the opportunity by defeating American Alpha on the Nov. 29 edition of SmackDown LIVE. Now that Orton & Wyatt have downed Gable & Jordan, the powerful duo sets its gaze on Slater & Rhyno.

In a short amount of time, Wyatt & Orton have shown their partnership to be potent and, perhaps, unbreakable. Orton even sacrificed himself for Wyatt during the 5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match between Raw and SmackDown LIVE, shoving The Eater of Worlds out of the way of a Roman Reigns Spear. Though The Viper ended up suffering the blow, he also proved his loyalty to the Wyatt Family mastermind in the process.

Slater & Rhyno, meanwhile, share a similarly unique bond. Since forming their alliance, the champions have overcome the odds time and time again, proving doubters wrong one match after another. Though The One-Man Band has admitted The Wyatts give him “the heebie-jeebies,” Slater appears emboldened by The Man-Beast’s fearlessness.

Can Rhyno convince Slater to stay strong against two of SmackDown LIVE’s most vicious Superstars? Or will the new era of The Wyatt Family prove to be too much for the champions? And what role might the ever-threatening Luke Harper play in this Sunday’s contest?