New Tag Team Formed In WWE SmackDown Dark Match

A dark match that took place prior to last night’s episode of WWE SmackDown may have hinted at the formation of a new tag team on the blue brand.

Prior to the show, Heavy Machinery defeated the makeshift duo of former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal and former Intercontinental Champion Shelton Benjamin, two men who have not been given a great deal of screen time recently.

Could this be the start of a regular pairing on SmackDown? Shelton has been spinning his wheels since his team with Chad Gable was broke up last year and Jinder has been left without the Singh Brothers to back him up after their switch to 205 Live and he too has been treading water for a year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Mpx9gP4IVs

SmackDown is desperately short of tag teams since the Superstar Shakeup, as evidenced last night by Daniel Bryan and Rowan becoming the brand’s new tag team champions. With Benjamin and Mahal doing nothing of note it makes sense to team them up to give them something to do and increase the depth of the tag ranks.

The problems for the division of late have been:

• Jeff Hardy’s injury causing the break up of the Hardy Boyz
• Cesaro moving to Raw and thus ending The Bar
• The Usos moving to Raw
• Big E’s injury and Kofi Kingston winning the WWE Title meaning the New Day are not teaming regularly
• The Good Brothers moving to Raw
• Sanity splitting three ways in the Superstar Shakeup
• Ricochet and Aleister Black splitting in the Superstar Shakeup
• Shane McMahon and The Miz splitting due to Shane’s heel turn

WWE has also hinted at further teams forming, including Ali & Finn Balor and Shane McMahon & Elias. Chances are we will see more underutilised performers be given the chance for television time in the tag ranks in the coming weeks.

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• Shelton Benjamin
• Smackdown
• Jinder Mahal
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