The Club captures Raw Tag Team Championship at Royal Rumble
In the first of five championship encounters at the Royal Rumble event Sunday night at the Alamodome, the Raw Tag Team belts changed hands during the Kickoff show when Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson defeated Sheamus and Cesaro to take the titles.
.@LukeGallowsWWE & @KarlAndersonWWE are the NEW #RAW Tag Team CHAMPIONS!! #RoyalRumble
— WWE (@WWE) January 29, 2017
"TOO SWEET ME!" - @WWEGraves pic.twitter.com/Sn6wqVbEF4
Anderson appeared to be on the brink of submitting to Cesaro's sharpshooter before Gallows emerged to deliver a boot to the Swiss Superman's face to break it up.
With Sheamus and Anderson brawling, "The Celtic Warrior" nearly knocked out one of the two officials in the heat of the moment. This momentary distraction allowed Gallows to deliver yet another kick to Sheamus, before he and Anderson set him up for their duel finisher, the Magic Killer.
Cesaro, who was the legal man at the time, clotheslined Gallows over the top rope, with Anderson rolling his adversary up from behind to secure the pinfall with a handful of tights for added leverage.
A second official assigned to the contest was sent to the floor by Sheamus' patented Brogue Kick beforehand, taking him out of the equation.
One referee eats an accidental #BrogueKick from @WWESheamus!! Good thing there's TWO REFS in this match!! #RoyalRumble pic.twitter.com/t5Mclh3qbu
— WWE (@WWE) January 29, 2017
This is the first championship reign for Gallows and Anderson since becoming official members of the main roster on April 11. They won the IWGP Tag Team Championship on three occasions during their time spent overseas in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
They now become just the third team ever (Dudley Boyz, Steiner Brothers) to have won tag-team gold with both the WWE and New Japan.
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