The Hype Bros was once one of the top teams in NXT; then, they went to the main roster, and were not as successful as expected. Although they did not win the tag team championships, Ryder’s move to NXT and subsequent teaming with Rawley was a very successful decision, as it helped revive his character. It also brought cheers to Rawley, as he was starting to get jeered by many members of the NXT Universe. The team was successful in their eight-person tag match with Enzo Amore and Big Cass against Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder and Jason Jordan & Chad Gable at the NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn event preluding SummerSlam .
While they did not manage to win the tag team titles in NXT, their rise in popularity, coupled with Ryder’s success as a singles competitor on the main roster following his NXT stint, allowed Rawley to be drafted to SmackDown Live and reform the team on the blue brand. They would find success initially as a team, winning a battle royal to determine the No. 1 contender for the SmackDown Live Tag Team Championships. However, during the battle royal, Ryder would get hurt and be shelved for six months before returning to reunite the team. Missing their opportunity to cash-in on their championship match, the team started to go downhill from there.
Recently, Ryder and Rawley have been experiencing quite a dry spot in their tag team career, being decimated by the Bludgeon Brothers team of Harper and Rowan. Following the most recent loss, Ryder was interviewed about the slump, stating that the landscape has changed, and now they have to change. After admitting that the team have hit rock bottom, he was attacked by his former partner.
“The #HypeBros are DEAD! YOU HEAR ME? YOU HEAR ME?” #SDLive @MojoRawleyWWE @ZackRyder pic.twitter.com/EtHgwu6seD
— WWE (@WWE) November 29, 2017
After the attack, Rawley confirmed that the landscape has indeed changed. Ryder, however, was not fretful of what happened, and told Rawley that the breakup is a “blessing in disguise.” He also stated that Rawley may think what he did was another “barber shop window” moment , but he could not be more wrong.
Blessing in disguise… #SDLive pic.twitter.com/iZL7VHYFDN
— Matt Cardona (@TheMattCardona) November 29, 2017
Rawley did experience mild success earlier this year by winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the kickoff show of WrestleMania 33 in Orlando, Florida. However, Ryder achieved what many believed to be a greater accomplishment, winning the Intercontinental Championship for the first time just a year before at WrestleMania 32 . Ryder has also won a United States Championship, so Rawley has a way to go before accomplishing Ryder’s WWE resume.