Daniel Bryan and Rowan vs. New Day SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match Booked for Extreme Rules

Daniel Bryan and Rowan wanted real competition in the SmackDown tag team divison. Now it appears [...]

By Connor Casey

Daniel Bryan and Rowan wanted real competition in the SmackDown tag team divison. Now it appears they'll get it. WWE announced via WWE.com on Tuesday that Bryan and Rowan will defend their SmackDown Tag Team Championships against The New Day's Big E and Xavier Woods at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view on July 14 in Philadelphia. The announcement comes just one week after New Day picked up a win over the reigning champs on an episode of SmackDown Live.

"Ever since they captured the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, Bryan & Rowan have touted themselves as the saviors of the tag team division," WWE.com wrote in the match's announcement. "While a successful championship defense over Heavy Machinery at WWE Stomping Grounds added stock to their boasts, reality came crashing down on the pair during the June 25 installment of SmackDown LIVE, when The New Day scored a victory over them in non-title action."

Based on his response, Woods was a fan of the announcement.

After holding the WWE (now Raw) Tag Team Championships for a record 483 days, the New Day turned their attention to the Blue Brand's tag team championships starting in early 2017 when they were drafted to SmackDown. Kofi Kingston and Woods beat The Usos for the titles at Battleground in July 2017, kicking off a feud with Jimmy and Jey that resulted in the titles changing hands three more times through October of that year. The New Day picked up their third reign with the blue titles and fifth reign overall as tag champs in August 2018, defeating the Bludgeon Brothers two nights after SummerSlam.

With Kingston focusing on his WWE Championship run, this announcement renews the group's focus on the tag titles for the first time in months. After dropping the world title to Kingston at WrestleMania 35, Bryan teamed up with Rowan and turned his attention to the tag division a month later. The two won the titles by beating The Usos for the vacated titles on the May 7 episode of SmackDown.

Other top matches announced for the Extreme Rules pay-per-view include The Undertaker and Roman Reigns vs. Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre, Kingston vs. Samoa Joe for the WWE Championship, SmackDown Women's Champion Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss and a Last Chance Winner Takes All Mixed tag team Extreme Rules match pitting Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch against Baron Corbin and Lacey Evans.

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