WWE: Ranking The Usos’ Top 10 Matches of All-Time
By Joe Hulbert
7. Champion vs. Champion: The Bar vs. The Usos (Survivor Series 2017)
I get the sense that years down the line, last year’s Survivor Series event will standout quite a bit in modern WWE history. With a unique champion vs. champion format, SmackDown and RAW’s finest went head to head. As the blue brand’s tag team belt-holders, The Usos took on RAW’s champions: The Bar. On a show jam-packed with star-power, capturing the crowd’s attention was no mean feat but in the end, these two teams did so in memorable fashion.
Jimmy and Jey used quick tags to control Cesaro early until ‘The Swiss Cyborg’ powered his way out of the corner and made a tag. Though subtle, this early exchange did a fabulous job of establishing the dynamic between these two champion teams. The Usos had untouchable chemistry and immaculate tag team fundamentals but the physical tools of Sheamus and Cesaro are often too much and that seemingly became the story here. Just a month removed from their babyface ‘turn,’ The Usos fought from underneath whilst being controlled by their villainous rivals.
After Jimmy was isolated for a relatively lengthy period, he eventually brought Jey in for a hot tag that was quickly turned around as the heels maintained control. Cesaro’s sharpshooter soon followed and magnificent selling came with it. Writhing in agony and dragging himself forward with desperation, Jey hooked the crowd with persistent selling of the submission and created a wonderful false finish. A wild exchange of back and forth offence then broke out and it culminated in Jey valiantly fighting free to tag Jimmy in.
A memorable finish followed as he ran wild and hit a dive to the outside whilst tagging Jey back in with one swift move. That allowed him to pin Sheamus with the big splash. and though its middle portion wasn’t as gripping as the matches listed next, this one became quite riveting down the stretch and I’m a big fan of its overall tone. After a year as violent villains, The Usos reminded the world of their babyface appeal here and they did it with the basics: great selling, tremendous fire and enough innovation to make it all special.
This match really was a strong one and I enjoy its place in history, especially on a card as uniquely stacked as this one.