Take a struggling WWE tag team, drop their first names, deck them out in gaudy ring attire with sledgehammer props, give them a cheap imitation of The Undertaker’s entrance and voila: you have The Bludgeon Brothers. The problem with this fast food style repackage concocted by WWE creative is that it's lazy and just isn’t going to get over with the WWE Universe.
SmackDown Live’s Luke Harper and Erick Rowan are talented but have struggled to find success outside the comfort of The Wyatt Family. After a successful run as followers of Bray Wyatt, Harper and Rowan were first “set free” by Wyatt in 2014. Both had moderate midcard success before returning to the family a short time later.
The Wyatt Family had a brief resurgence before being broken by the brand extension and injuries. Harper and Rowan have the ability to succeed as a tag team without the backing of Wyatt. However, they need the right story to be told in order to be successful. Fans will soon get tired of The Bludgeon Brothers because no fan will ever invest in just props, funny laundry, and entrances with little substance.
Substance is what WWE creative hasn’t given this new gimmick. They've simply sent Harper and Rowan to the ring after a few mediocre vignettes with a new look that lacks a solid story behind it. Fans also won’t be fooled by The Bludgeon Brothers’ domination of the Hype Bros.
New Champs in WWE! More RIGHT HERE
The above-mentioned feud’s primary purpose was to split the Hype Bros and won’t be seen as a “feather in the cap” of The Bludgeon Brothers. Although the plan is for the team to be independent of The Wyatt Family, maybe another Wyatt story should have been told to help reintroduce the duo instead of ignoring their Wyatt roots.
Regardless, Harper and Rowan need something more than sledgehammers and fresh duds to help fans invest in them. What do you think? Could WWE creative do more to help The Bludgeon Brothers? Or do you think this repackaged tag team will be successful with what they were given? Sound off in the comments!
Send us news tips at [email protected]