WWE Royal Rumble Kickoff Show: WWE Raw Tag Team Championship

[Jack-Hammer]

The Raw Tag Team Championship match with Cesaro & Sheamus defending against Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson was announced for the 2 hour kickoff show this Sunday.

They've had some entertaining matches for the titles in the past and while I do think Gallows & Anderson will be the next champs, I don't see it happening this Sunday. The heels have the momentum going for them right now, especially since they didn't get the tag titles last week due to a technicality, so booking 101 suggests that the babyfaces rally and come out with the victory.

 

[Navi]

I'm just not feeling this feud at all. Might be the fact that they've had so many matches in the past, don't know, but is it a bad thing that I don't care who wins.

I like Cesaro and Sheamus as a tag team, it's done much more for them than being singles wrestlers. Would not like to see them drop back into the mid card if they do drop the titles.

 

[OYDK]

I really think you have to go with Anderson/Gallows here if you're serious about making them a staple in Raw's tag division. How many more losses can they sustain until the crowd just decides to give up on them completely? To the point where booking them strong and hitting the reset button can't save them anymore? Not very many. These guys aren't New Day or Enzo and Cass. They're not going to get over on the mic or even necessarily in the ring. They can't repeatedly lose and still maintain momentum by being vastly entertaining. The only way Gallows and Anderson get over is through dominant booking and key wins, and it has to start at the Royal Rumble.

In all honesty, Gallows/Anderson should have been the ones to take the titles from New Day. They are your life-long tag team on who you can build the foundation on. Cesaro/Sheamus aren't. Not saying the two are bad together, just that everybody knows they're going to split eventually. The Rumble is the time to give Gallows/Anderson their chance. If they flop, there's always Enzo and Cass to fall back on.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

I'm pretty sure everybody gave up on Gallows and Anderson six months ago anyway.

Joining WWE has proven to be an unwise decision for them. Maybe not financially but creatively. I certainly wouldn't put the belts on them at this point.

 

[Boubou79]

I thing Gallows and Anderson need the tag team belts right now, more than ever. Have them defeat Cesaro and Sheamus by cheating and cheating again in the rematch. Cesaro and Sheamus can reclaim their belts at Wrestlemania. After that Gallows and Anderson won't need the titles because they can play another role as enforcers for their leader... when they join the Balor Club.

 

[Hyorinmaru]

It shows what they think of both tag teams when a title match is stuck on the preshow.

I'm not a big fan of either team but I'm thinking The Club will win. Like someone said above they aren't that good to be able to take all these loses and still be relevant. The titles are needed to keep people caring. No one cares about Cesaro & Sheamus as a team and they titles have done nothing to change that.

 

[Spencesc11]

Anderson/Gallows should've went to Smackdown on the Brand Split along with Styles to keep the Club going and become tag champs already. But if your going to make them relevant then you put the straps on them now and let them keep'em till at least Wrestlemania.

 

[The Life Of Pablo Ren]

It's not right the time and the place so it won't be the time and place.

I share the same sentiments as a few others in this thread, I couldn't care less about this feud. It started off promising but it got very old very quick. But given the fact that they'll be on a 2 hour pre-show, I'm sure they'll be given a decent amount of time and will deliver a fun match.

 

[StaRRStruck]

As much as I would like to see the straps on Gallows/Anderson, I believe Cesaro/Sheamus will retain the titles. The odd duo haven't really been showcased much in this program with The Club from a promo perspective.

I liked the false finish and the singles matches leading up but this week felt like a repeat with a singles match between to partners of the team. It could have worked as a building block to add another dynamic to this Sunday instead it really just gave The Club a little more un-needed momentum considering they have looked pretty strong against the current Tag champs.

The tag title scene seems obscure right now they're loads of talented tag teams it just feels like the division is in a limbo which can be due to part of the Rumble being featured. Post-Rumble I expect the division to re-heat with Enzo/Cass potentially entering the title picture once Cass and Rusev have a proper one on one blowoff match. As for Sunday, I predict the straps stay on the champs but if they do happen to lose I hope Cesaro and Sheamus find something meaningful to do heading into WrestleMania season.

 

[Navi]

I'm assuming that they had much bigger plans for Gallows and Anderson like pairing them up with Finn Balor and forming the Balor Club. Balor's injury has thrown a spanner into the works though, and it seems like they've just been coasting along ever since. Might be that the WWE is holding off on pulling the trigger on them till he returns. Not doing Gallows and Anderson any favours in the meantime. If they do win the belts this weekend then maybe that's a sign that Balor is coming back soon.

 

[ShinChan]

Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson need this win and the titles much much more than Cesaro and Sheamus need to retain.

Gallows-Anderson have had numerous chances at the titles and have always come short. New Day's record reign was created on cost of them, for sure.

Now They need to get the titles at any cost so as to start building their lost credibility.

Sheamus and Cesaro can lose due to miscommunication or anything and it could do wonders for Gallows-Anderson.

 

[Dave]

It's a great shame this match has been relegated to the Pre-Show but it is what it is. The New Day shouldn't have been conquered if this was the path that the WWE were going to take with the Raw Tag Team Championships. I get it, Sheamus and Cesaro had to win the Championships at some point. But here we are, a month later, and the Championships and Champions don't even get a match on the PPV proper... Shameful.

Still, I think that Sheamus and Cesaro escape the Rumble with their belts. I just haven't been able to get on board with The Club and I haven't really bought into them as legitimate challengers to the Championships. If the WWE had have maintained their momentum they had when they made their debut, they would have been Champions by now. But they have flip=flopped so many times over the last few months that it becomes almost impossible to view them as legitimate threats to the reign Sheamus and Cesaro. That said, if there was ever a time to get The Club over, it would be now. I just don't think that the fans are behind them enough and I don't think the WWE are either.

Cesaro and Sheamus retain.