It was a breakup that was a long time in the making. For weeks, fans were expecting the Hype Bros to split and on Tuesday, heading into Clash of Champions, they finally did. Zack Ryder was discussing how low things had gotten for the team after facing the Bludgeon Brothers and that they needed to get kickstarted and back on a winning track. Apparently, Mojo Rawley had other ideas and turned on Ryder, blasting him from behind and emphatically kicking and punching his former partner, exclaiming "The Hype Bros are dead!".
Rawleys' heel turn will be something to watch, and it's likely the two will face off at Clash of Champions. Is this a good move by the WWE? On a show like SmackDown Live where tag teams aren't necessarily considered a strength, why would WWE choose to break them up now?
Here are five reasons WWE broke up The Hype Bros.
5. This Was Always a Thrown Together Team
The Hype Bros. weren't really a team that was given much thought when put together in NXT. Mojo was struggling a bit in NXT, and Ryder had just been sent down, so it made sense to team together. You could tell Ryder was never really a fan of the idea, but he needed a way to get noticed again by WWE and this was his ticket back to the main roster.
The fact that the team lasted as long as it did probably surprised a lot of people. They did well, but the expiry date was passing on these guys as a group.
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4. WWE Sees A Future In Mojo Rawley
WWE has given some opportunities to Mojo Rawley that suggests they see something in him. He won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania last year, and he's the guy WWE chose to turn on the group. The heel in a situation like this is usually the talent the company plans to push and the babyface gets forgotten.
Rawley is still green in many ways, but he's improved a lot. He's a talented actor with strong charisma and he's got the kind of size of a guy the WWE likes to promote. Expect him to get a new look and new personality.
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3. Ryder Isn't Considered Important
Zack Ryder has never gotten his fair shake in the WWE and this might be just another example. Even when he was showcased at WrestleMania and won the Intercontinental Title, it was taken from him one day later.
Despite the fact that Ryder has proven he has the ability to get the crowd behind him, the company continues to use him in roles where he enhances others. He looks to be giving Rawley the opportunity to go out on his own here and WWE feels Ryder is just a stepping stone.
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2. WWE Needed Matches for Clash of Champions
Currently, WWE only has AJ Styles versus Jinder Mahal set for Clash of Champions on December 17, 2017, and they might have been looking for a way to add more matches the fans would care about. With Royal Rumble being the next big show, this pay-per-view feels more like a throw-away show than anything else, and a heated rivalry between Rawley and Ryder at least gives fans a reason to tune in.
This should be a feud that lasts a bit longer than one pay-per-view and these two will probably bump heads again in January.
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1. The Crowd Was Turning On The Team
The Hype Bros was a fun team, but not one the WWE Universe was truly invested in. In fact, the crowd was turning on them and during the segment where Rawley was taking out his frustrations on Ryder, you could hear the crowd chanting "this is awesome."
That's not a good sign when the crowd is eagerly awaiting a tag team break-up. The WWE saw this and decided it was best to make a move, splitting these guys up and giving them singles opportunities. They say the crowd controls the story. Even though we know that isn't often the case, it might have been here.
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