Already a legendary WWE tag team, The Usos have built up quite an array of stand-out matches. However, which one is their greatest thus far?
Since 2010, The Usos have been an absolute constant in WWE’s tag team division. Though they didn’t achieve immediate success, Jimmy and Jey earned credibility and with it have delivered some genuine tag team classics. Considering their ever-growing match catalogue, I thought now was a good time to list their top 10 matches thus far, especially considering Sunday’s rematch opposite their famed rivals, The New Day.
It’s hard to argue that the current SmackDown Tag Team Champs are in the prime of their career but in reality, they’ve been a formidable act for quite some time now. Whether it be as face-painted, smiley babyfaces, vicious and nasty heels or even as something fascinatingly in-between, The Usos have always thrive once that bell rings. Their range and versatility is arguably their greatest tool and that shows more than ever in the consistent quality of their work as one of WWE’s tag team centrepieces.
However, this duo have quite often found themselves in multi-team matches and whilst most excite tremendously, I’ve opted to exclude them from this list. That means that for all their bluster, matches like 2015’s memorable TLC clash won’t appear in this top 10. Along with it, multiple strong Fatal-4-Way tilts will also be sadly absent. Why? Because frankly, I think The Usos are at their strongest when wrestling with a good vs. evil conflict and that’s always best shown within 2-on-2 contests.
Don’t get me wrong, multi-team matches serve a purpose and are always fun but the traditionalist in me likes his wrestling simple and simply nothing beats a two team thriller. It’s also a testament to The Usos that they have enough strong matches to fill this list without those more chaotic affairs. With that being said, let’s get to the list.
DISCLAIMER: You all are almost certain to disagree with my list, but just know that I have a proven history of being wrong so don’t worry yourself too much.
10. The Usos vs. Tyson Kidd & Cesaro (Fastlane 2015)
We begin our list in February 2015, with babyface Usos and their copper tag titles. The challengers here are the duo of Tyson Kidd and Cesaro and though likely somewhat forgotten, this was a match very much worth watching. Jey and Kidd got us started with some intensity and even as babyfaces, the crispness of The Usos’ work still shines through in a big way. After a back and forth, a quick tag allowed Cesaro to go after Jimmy’s leg, and that led to this match’s heat segment.
This portion showed Jimmy’s tremendous babyface fire whilst also a highlighting the challengers’ refreshing aggression when working a body part. As will become a trend with both brothers, Jimmy sold tremendously and understandably so considering the vigour of which his leg was being attacked. The heels busted out some cool tandem offence in control too, with a Boston Crab – Leg Drop combo particularly standing out. We even saw a one-legged Cesaro Swing at one point. Eventually the hot tag was made, and Jey ran wild as the crowd rightly began to pick up after an admittedly muted start.
Cesaro cut Jey off either way, and then deadlift suplexed him from the apron to the middle of the ring. Kidd followed up with a springboard elbow but Jey still kicked out as the action really began to escalate. A sharpshooter attempt was then blocked as The Usos rallied with offence on both men. A big dive from Jey left Cesaro floored and after Kidd retaliated, he found himself Samoan Dropped into the barricade. Tyson countered Jimmy’s splash though and finally secured the sharpshooter. Jey halted the hold with a superkick regardless and then brawled to the floor with Cesaro.
Though he’d eat a superkick for it, Cesaro then successfully distracted Jey which allowed Tyson to hit a sharp low-kick and his finish for the tag title win. It may have been somewhat subtle but that low-kick was actually a really nice touch for this finish. It made all of that previous limb work worthwhile, and that’s always cool. This match wasn’t long enough to become truly great but it was super physical and a nice example of The Usos’ range.
It’s just a shame that other factors would stop these teams from ever really showing what they were likely capable of together. Enjoyable match nonetheless.
9. Sin City Street Fight: The Usos vs. New Day (SmackDown Live 9/12/18)
After already feuding for a few months, The Usos and New Day were now ready to take the level of violence to a new level. They’d do just that here too, shining on this stacked episode of SmackDown Live. A wild brawl broke out immediately, with New Day quickly setting up a table before they were both violently cut off. The Usos would use some weaponry in control too, hitting a chair-assisted superkick before bringing out the kendo stick.
E was the victim and took some big shots until Kofi made the save and unleashed with the kendo himself, shattering it on Jimmy’s back. Some creative offence would almost get Kingston the win but The Usos soon countered and nastily sent him into the barricade. E rallied all the same and went after both Usos, even hitting a big double splash. As was seemingly always the case, E would then be brutalised with some superkicks before the champions headed up top for Double Uce.
Before they could hit it though, Kofi sent Jey through that aforementioned table and left Jimmy all alone, visibly shocked by the destruction. Midnight Hour followed and New Day had regained their tag titles. The positioning of this match limited its length but content wise, it was jam-packed nonetheless. With an increased level of aggression and violence, this served as a perfect preview for the following month’s Hell in a Cell match. Moreover, I’ll forever love Jimmy’s response to his brother’s table fall, it’s so simple but incredibly authentic and a wonderful insight into their team dynamic. Incredibly fun match.
8. The Shield: Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins vs. The Usos (Money in the Bank 2013)
Of all the matches on this top 10 list, it could be argued that none were as pivotal in the Usos’ career as this one was. Challenging for the titles on a PPV pre-show, The Usos very much proved they belonged here in this tag team thriller. To earn their shot at The Shield, Jimmy and Jey beat Tons of Funk and 3MB…if that’s not indicative of this division’s health then I don’t know what is. Either way, the contenders went for quick pins early and used some tandem offence to maintain control, forcing The Shield to regroup.
Reigns’ power soon turned things around though, heavily taking out Jey on the apron. The champions then controlled The Usos to minimal sympathy, this crowd wasn’t initially invested but soon would be. Eventually, Jey created some space but before he could make the tag, Jimmy was yanked off the apron by a cunning Rollins. The tag soon came regardless and a big dive on both men elevated the match immediately. With a wildly energetic hot tag, Jimmy Uso had captured the live crowd and was now running wild, making for some wonderfully dramatic false finishes.
A crazy tower of doom spot followed and this Philly crowd was now electric. To add another layer, The Usos then got some revenge, pulling Reigns off the apron to stop a Shield tag. This isolated Rollins which allowed Jimmy to hit a superkick that simply couldn’t have felt more like a finish. He’d hit the follow-up big splash too but Reigns broke the fall at the very last moment. ‘The Big Dog’s superman punch would regain champs’ control and they quickly closed the show, retaining their titles.
Though they’d lost, The Usos were huge winners here and showed the kind of instincts that have since made them a mainstay WWE tag team. After this, their rise was inevitable and rightly so, they’d clearly figured things out in a big way.
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.
6. American Alpha vs. The Usos (SmackDown Live 3/21/17)
Though they’d turned heel six months prior, the landscape of SmackDown Live had stopped The Usos from gaining any real momentum. In the background of an already muted tag team division, Jimmy and Jey hadn’t received the focus they likely deserved but with this match, that’d soon change. Facing the young champions, The Usos’ whole approach here was wonderful. From their first step to their last, they exuded a bitterness absolutely perfect for their role as aggressive veterans that were simply desperate to prove their worth.
American Alpha’s technical wrestling got them an advantage early and quickly established this match’s story and dynamic. Eventually, the challengers cut Gable off and isolated him, doing so with a tenacity fitting to their recently altered personas. Gable struggled desperately but simply couldn’t make the tag as The Usos’ tag team experience allowed them to maintain control. Jason Jordan came in soon enough though and run wild on both Usos including an Angle Slam (foreshadowing!) false finish on Jey.
In response, The Usos scored some superkicks but Gable somehow kicked out of Jimmy’s big splash much to this crowd’s chagrin. Jordan then halted a Double Uce attempt as Gable hit a big suplex on Jey from the top. A Steinerizer followed but Jimmy just broke up the pin just in time. Jordan hit a belly to belly on the floor in retaliation and ‘THIS IS AWESOME’ chants began to echo in an instant. A moonsault from the top to the outside would then be Gable’s final involvement before Jey launched him over the barricade.
The challengers then double-teamed Jordan and a superkick closed the show, getting The Usos their first title win in two years. I’d imagine people don’t view Alpha’s main roster run particularly fondly, but this match is quite brilliant regardless. The closing stretch is simply magnificent and more than that, its finish represents the start of The Usos’ recent purple patch. Great stuff and likely underappreciated.
5. The Usos vs. Luke Harper & Erick Rowan (Money in the Bank 2014)
The start of a sublime but admittedly brief rivalry, this PPV opener still stands out in my mind. Setting the tone, Jey and Harper met in the middle for an immediate brawl. The Usos then double-teamed the big man before he responded with an incredible drop-kick. Rowan then came in and they began to rough Jimmy up but with quick tags, the champs rallied and began to use their speed advantage. However, Jey mistakenly turned his back to Rowan and as a result, was sent head first from the top rope to the barricade.
Harper then added insult to injury, violently assaulting Jey on the outside before throwing him back in. The heels continued to control him too, even taking out Jimmy when need be. Both Harper and Rowan worked tremendously here, with especially Harper being particularly crisp and aggressive. Jey eventually evaded a Rowan spear either way and brought in Jimmy who unleashed some big strikes on a stunned Harper. He was on fire here but simply couldn’t secure a pin.
Meanwhile, Rowan went after Jey on the outside which led to Jimmy making a big dive for the save. This crowd was hot from the start but now had a very real, genuine investment. A close roll-up false finish only escalated that excitement and so did Harper’s always impressive sit-out powerbomb for 2. Now incensed and desperate, Harper hit a big dive on both Usos as this match descended into sheer insanity. The now named ‘Reckoning’ followed but Jey made the save and floored Harper with a superkick.
Rowan then lost his mind and went up top. He was unsurprisingly halted though and a double superplex set him up for a big splash as The Usos retained their titles. This match on its own is excellent but it thankfully wasn’t quite the final chapter. Either way, it’s a great example of The Usos maximising an opportunity, something they’d do consistently in the years to come.
4. The Usos vs. New Day (Battleground 2017)
Though not the first match of their 2017 rivalry, this Battleground beauty between The Usos and New Day stands out as a key moment in both teams’ careers. A month prior they’d fought to a count-out finish and a memorable rap battle had come in-between but it was now time to take the physicality up a notch and that’s exactly what happened here. To set the tone, Kofi jumped Jey early in a psychological touch that quickly established the match’s urgency and importance.
No count-out finish would halt New Day this time and that showed in their immediate intent. That wild New Day start only made the cut-off spot more impactful as The Usos battered Woods before going into their control segment. The heat portion of a tag match is obviously pivotal and that’s what made this particular match so outstanding in my mind. Though it wasn’t overly long or drawn-out, The Usos beat Woods up with methodical violence, trash talking along the way. They cheated too and still did so with enough venom to maintain their vibe as tough, aggressive champions.
This is obviously The Usos’ list but it would be remiss of me to ignore Woods’ showing here. He sold fabulously and fought with a fire that would soon make this rivalry famous. Desperate head-butts earned him some space and he then brought Kingston in for the hot tag. However, The Usos caught his ‘trust fall’ and slammed him into the floor before catching Woods with a pair of uppercuts. Eventually legal again, Xavier rallied but his long distance elbow drop was halted by a brutal superkick to the face.
The story here had very much been that The Usos were in the form of their life and consistently a step ahead without being able to ever actually secure the win. This led to a dramatic Boston Crab false finish in which Woods refused to tap, selling his heart out all the same. In fact, his sell here was similar to Jey’s in that aforementioned Survivor Series bout that came just a few months later. Perhaps that’s indicative of the way these two teams impacted each other, even when they had briefly moved onto other foes.
Woods soon made the tag again nonetheless and more intense false finishes followed until The Usos’ ambitious double splash attempt cost them. New Day capitalised and in the perfect finish, Woods won with his Elbow Drop of doom. A quite extraordinary match maximised by the duelling emotion shown after the finish. Best of all, this was just the start.
3. Two-out-of-Three Falls: The Usos vs. Luke Harper & Erick Rowan (Battleground 2014)
It’s another Battleground banger here at #3 and the PPV sequel to #5 as these two teams upped the ante in a major way. Just like last time, a quick pace was immediately set as Jey jumped Rowan with a big uppercut, sending his Wyatt Family mask flying. Harper rebounded for the challengers though, violently launching Jey under the bottom rope to give them an advantage. Sharp control work followed and unlike in some earlier outings, it didn’t take much for Jey to get huge ‘Uso’ chants going…an indicator of their growing popularity.
He soon brought Jimmy in too but there’d be no hot tag as Harper instead stopped him in his tracks with a big boot, going 1-0 up. Smartly, the heels would quickly look for a 2nd fall too, keeping Jimmy down for a sustained period of time. Some quick footwork would get the champs a tag though, and with it came a swift Jey roll-up to level things up at 1-1. Enraged, Harper reacted immediately, laying Jey out with a heavy clothesline.
More control followed for Harper & Rowan until Jey avoided Luke’s big boot. This arena suddenly erupted, legitimately desperate for a hot tag. That my friends, is tag team wrestling at its best. He made the tag too and Jimmy came in with a huge dive on both men before scaling the barricade for another attack. His top rope crossbody landed also but Harper just kicked to keep the match alive. Jimmy simply couldn’t be stopped here and was beating Harper at every turn until another big boot sent him to the floor.
This of course allowed for a Harper dive or as an excited JBL called it, a “flying bus.” As is a trend on this list, “this is awesome” chants soon emerged. This crowd was with everything they were doing by now and each false finish down the stretch simply heightened the drama. Just like last time, Rowan’s top rope attack would cost him as Jimmy moved, tagging Jey in for a big splash that Rowan still somehow kicked out of.
A 2nd splash attempt was stopped by Harper though and Rowan recovered, superplexing both Usos in a nice flashback to the opposite spot in their previous PPV match. Jimmy kicked out but seemed to be finished after Harper’s discus lariat, forcing Jey to make a desperate save. Double superkicks then floored the challengers and Double Uce from one corner got The Usos the win. Wow, this match stuns me every time and could easily be someone else’s #1. Though their presentation has been adjusted, you sense that the inevitable Bludgeon Brothers/Usos matches will soon steal many a show. Either way, this was fabulous.
2. New Day vs. The Usos (Summerslam 2017)
In a rematch of July’s Battleground clash, The Usos and New Day seemed poised to end their rivalry at ‘The Biggest Party of the Summer.’ However, this card featured a range of matches and for that reason, these two teams found themselves on the pre-show. The pros and cons of a pre-show spot are well over discussed but as The Usos have since said themselves, this ‘snub’ served as a real motivation to prove their worth. Though they may have been on early, their positioning on this packed show allowed for more time and that resulted in sheer in-ring brilliance.
Kingston was swapped out for Big E here but the heat remained unchanged, with Woods getting isolated after a fun opening exchange. I will concede that for me, this heat segment wasn’t quite as engaging as its predecessor but it was solid regardless and in the end, laid a smart platform for what was to come. It certainly had some smart stuff within it too, especially the challengers yanking E from the apron before a tag could be made.
The eventual hot tag led to some big tandem offence for the babyfaces including a Big E splash off Woods’ shoulders. More Xavier fire came next and pure insanity followed including a double splash to both the inside and outside of the ring. That understandably created a quite obscene false finish and another one came after…even in an admittedly different fashion. Woods’ applied a submission whilst E halted any potential interference, really making the people bite big on it as a finish.
‘UpUpDownDown’ came next and somehow the match was still alive as this Brooklyn crowd was now going wild. Things hadn’t peaked yet either as a pop-up Samoan Drop floored Woods on the outside. An onslaught of superkicks then grounded E and The Usos reclaimed their titles with simultaneous splashes. This final few minutes of this match are some of the most action-packed, high octane spells that you are likely to ever see in a tag match. Just extraordinary and rather symbolic of what made this feud special: a genuine hunt for respect.
1. Hell in a Cell: New Day vs. The Usos (Hell in a Cell 2017)
Whilst this Sunday’s Fastlane will play home to another battle between them, this match very much remains the blow-off to this sublime tag team rivalry. With the Hell in a Cell stipulation to help add gravity to their conflict, these two teams immediately went for weaponry and chaos quickly broke out. Some creative tandem offence followed for New Day until Big E missed his frightening spear through the ropes which allowed Jimmy to hit a quite insane dive over the top rope against the cell.
New Day’s powerhouse is hard to deter though and fired back, successfully hitting that aforementioned spear in a moment of sheer violence. Now in control, Woods took the opportunity to shatter a couple of trombones before also utilising a cowbell and a gong. Though the early action had moments of intense danger within it, this had quickly become a bizarre form of fun and games for New Day. That would soon change though.
An early attempt at hitting Midnight Hour allowed The Usos to rally as Jimmy launched a steel chair at Woods’ head and Jey floored E with a superkick. The challengers were now in control and used a pair of kendo sticks to batter E, nastily taunting Kingston who stood helpless outside the cell. However, their period of dominance would soon be violently stopped as Jimmy’s spine was sent crashing into Woods’ knees. ‘UpUpDownDown’ followed too, but Jey broke up the pin just in time.
This inspired Xavier to retrieve an army of kendo sticks, locking Jey into the corner of the cell. With Jey now trapped, the lone Uso was battered with the steel steps until Jey fought free to make the save. They then fought back with an incredible electric chair – suicide dive spot on the outside. The Usos then used handcuffs to tie Woods to the post and viciously took a kendo stick to him, inciting genuine boos from the now raucous live crowd.
Big E made a comeback for the champs though and hit the Big Ending for a huge false finish before superkicks again left him floored. Double Uce followed but Xavier broke up the fall, still handcuffed all the same. More kendo shots then came his way and though he’d head-butt free one final time, the numbers game soon brought his end as The Usos regained their titles with a steel chair assisted Double Uce. For my money, this match is quite simply perfection.
This was fought with intensity and in the end, reached a level of violence not often seen in modern WWE. More than that though, there were moments of pure emotion and drama which makes this match truly unforgettable for me personally. It may even be my favourite Cell match ever, and that’s no mean feat. Just beautiful pro wrestling by two sublime teams and for me, the whole package makes this The Usos’ greatest match yet.
Next: WWE Fastlane 2018 Predictions
Years down the line, this list may be dated but I’d like to think that currently, it neatly represents The Usos’ immaculate ability as one of the finest tag teams in recent memory. They really are quite incredible and I hope everyone appreciates that whilst they are still here, in their prime.