American Alpha was a professional wrestling tag team, composed of former amateur wrestlers Jason Jordan and Chad Gable. They performed on WWE's development territory brand NXT before moving to the main roster on the SmackDown brand. The team was disbanded after Jordan moved to the Raw brand in July 2017 while Gable stayed on SmackDown.
While competing in WWE's NXT brand, they became one-time NXT Tag Team Champions, and are the only tag team to have won tag team championships in both NXT and WWE's main roster in the same year.
History
WWE
Formation and NXT Tag Team Champions (2015–2016)
Starting in May 2015, NXT newcomer Chad Gable began a storyline with Jason Jordan, in which he tried to convince Jordan to form a new partnership, following the dissolution of Jordan's team with Tye Dillinger. After nearly two months of coaxing, Jordan finally agreed to a tag match with Gable as his teammate. On the July 15 episode of NXT, Jordan and Gable were successful in their official debut together against the team of Elias Samson and Steve Cutler. On September 2, Jordan and Gable competed in the first round of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament, beating the team of Neville and Solomon Crowe. After defeating the Hype Bros, they would get eliminated from the tournament, by the team of Baron Corbin and Rhyno. Originally a heel tag team, their fighting spirit and resiliency against their larger opponents won them many fans and began a gradual babyface turn for the pair. On the November 18 episode of NXT, Jordan and Gable would call out main roster tag team The Ascension and defeat them. On the December 2 episode of NXT, Jordan and Gable would face another pair of former NXT Tag Team Champions The Vaudevillains and defeat them as well. At NXT TakeOver: London Gable and Jordan were successful in a fatal 4-way tag team match which was taped for the December 23rd episode of NXT. On the January 8 of NXT tapings, the team of Jordan and Gable began using the name American Alpha.
American Alpha squared off with Blake and Murphy on two separate occasions on the January 27th and February 24 episode taping's where they were successful both times, as well as teaming with Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady against them and Dash and Dawson on the February 17th episode where they emerged victorious.
American Alpha faced off with the Vaudevillains on the March 16th episode of NXT in a Number 1 contenders match where they emerged victorious, earning them a match for the NXT Tag Team Championship against Dash and Dawson, now called The Revival, at NXT TakeOver: Dallas. The pair won the NXT Tag Team Championship at the event. They defeated the Vaudevillains On the April 20th episode. On June 8 at NXT TakeOver: The End, American Alpha dropped the titles back to The Revival (Dash and Dawson), ending their reign at 68 days. After the match, they were assaulted by The Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar), who were managed by legendary manager, Paul Ellering.
SmackDown Tag Team Champions (2016–2017)
As a result of the 2016 WWE draft on July 19, the team was drafted to the SmackDown brand, being their first tag team pick overall. On the August 2 episode of SmackDown, American Alpha made their debut, defeating The Vaudevillains. The pair teamed with The Usos and The Hype Bros at SummerSlam to defeat the team of The Ascension, Breezango and The Vaudevillians.
The pair then entered an 8 tag team tournament which will determine the inaugural holders of the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship, defeating Breezango in the first round to advance to the semi finals where they faced The Usos. Despite defeating The Usos quickly on the September 6 episode of SmackDown, Gable's knee was kayfabe injured during a post-match assault when the Usos turned heel, rendering American Alpha unable to compete at Backlash and undoing their attempts to become the inaugural champions.
On the November 1 episode of SmackDown, American Alpha defeated The Spirit Squad to qualify for Team SmackDown for the 10–on–10 Survivor Series Tag Team Elimination match at Survivor Series on November 20, 2016. Team SmackDown was defeated by Team Raw at the event, American Alpha being eliminated by Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. They defeated The Wyatt Family to capture the SmackDown Tag Team championships in a four corners elimination match also featuring The Usos and Heath Slater and Rhyno on the December 27 episode of SmackDown Live by pinning former 12 time World Champion Randy Orton.
After defeating The Wyatt Family again in a Championship rematch on January 10, the pair would go on to defend their titles in a tag team turmoil match at Elimination Chamber successfully against The Ascension, Usos, Vaudevillians, Breezango and Heath Slater & Rhyno.
On the March 21 episode of SmackDown, American Alpha lost the SmackDown Tag Team Championships to The Usos.
On the July 17 episode of Raw, Jason Jordan was moved to the Raw brand after being revealed as the (kayfabe) illegitimate son of Raw General Manager Kurt Angle. This effectively disbanded the team.
In other media
American Alpha made their video game debut in WWE 2K17.
In wrestling
- Double team finishing moves
- Grand Amplitude (Belly-to-back pop-up by Jordan into a bridging high-angle belly-to-back suplex by Gable)
- Tech Fall (Electric chair lift (Jordan) / diving bulldog (Gable) combination)
- Entrance themes
- "Elite" by CFO$ (July 29, 2015 - July 31, 2017)
Championships and accomplishments
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Rookie of the Year (2015) – Gable
