We have new WWE tag team champions as of tonight's episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown (December 6, 2024), and the tag team division has a new villainous team on top as two heel turns shocked the WWE Universe to usher in these new champions.
Heading into the night, The Motor City Machine Guns were scheduled to face The Street Profits in a title defense. However, there was a backstage segment where it was shown that Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford had been attacked backstage, with the party/parties responsible not being revealed.
SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis was checking on them and decided that he had to obviously call off the scheduled title match, informing Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin that they didn't have to defend their belts. That was when Johnny Gargano came over, interrupting the scene, suggesting that the match doesn't have to be called off and instead, he and Tommaso Ciampa could step in. The champions were okay with the impromptu change, and the match was booked for later on.
After that, there was another backstage segment where Gargano informed Ciampa that they were getting their title opportunity, and instead of being happy about it, Ciampa vented that all Gargano did was get them the title shot they should have had weeks ago. It appeared as though their issues as of late would be bubbling over, as Ciampa also said he hadn't forgotten about how he asked Gargano last week to pick either himself or The Motor City Machine Guns, and hadn't received yet an answer.
During the match, Gargano and Ciampa continued to bicker, to the point that Gargano actually pushed Ciampa down. It seemed they were doomed to come up short yet again, but in a shocking twist, Gargano nailed Sabin with a low-blow. A shocked Shelley entered the ring to ask Gargano what he was doing, and ate a superkick for his efforts. Gargano and Ciampa then chuckled to themselves, happy that they had pulled off a ruse, and proceeded to score a pinfall and capture the tag titles.
After a commercial break, Gargano and Ciampa were backstage, laughing about the situation that they had planned out, and celebrated with Gargano's wife, Candice LeRae, who has firmly been a heel allied with Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton over the past few months, further cementing the heel turn and changing their dynamic going forward.
What do you think of this heel turn and tag team title change? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!