The Revival's 5 Best WWE Matches

Admittedly, the names Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler may take a little while getting used to. Contrary to that, there's a pretty good chance that the former Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder won't miss a beat once they return to the ring, whenever and wherever that may be. Considered one of the strongest and most cohesive tag teams of the modern era, the former Revival members have delivered in big situations.

Looking back through their brilliant tenure in NXT, as well as their rather hampered time on WWE's main roster, Dawson and Wilder have churned out performances that have gone far beyond expectations of the standard WWE tag team match. An Anderson and Blanchard for contemporary times, you could just as easily say that Dawson and Wilder have been the best opponents that a number of their peers have ever worked with.

Let's take a little stroll down memory lane and look back upon the best performances we've seen so far from the "Top Guys". Barring unforeseen circumstances, we can expect more tandem classics like these down the road.

Admittedly, the names Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler may take a little while getting used to. Contrary to that, there's a pretty good chance that the former Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder won't miss a beat once they return to the ring, whenever and wherever that may be. Considered one of the strongest and most cohesive tag teams of the modern era, the former Revival members have delivered in big situations.

Looking back through their brilliant tenure in NXT, as well as their rather hampered time on WWE's main roster, Dawson and Wilder have churned out performances that have gone far beyond expectations of the standard WWE tag team match. An Anderson and Blanchard for contemporary times, you could just as easily say that Dawson and Wilder have been the best opponents that a number of their peers have ever worked with.

Let's take a little stroll down memory lane and look back upon the best performances we've seen so far from the "Top Guys". Barring unforeseen circumstances, we can expect more tandem classics like these down the road.

5. Vs. American Alpha (NXT TakeOver: The End)

With it sadly looking like Jason Jordan will never wrestle again, the skinny on his WWE career will probably be "he was Kurt Angle's illegitimate son." I prefer to remember his potential as a true athlete, teaming with fellow mat standout Chad Gable as American Alpha. And I'd also like to remember this often unsung bout.

The grace of the babyfaces matched up with the Swiss timepiece-level precision of Dawson and Wilder to epitomise the Revival formula: old school tag rasslin' + the wonders of modern innovation and athleticism = gold. This was Steiners vs. Midnights in 2016.

4. Any House Show Match Vs. Chad Gable & Bobby Roode

Permit me this cheat. For reasons that are unclear (but were wholly welcome), Raw Tag champs Dawson and Wilder had a lengthy series of 25-30 minute matches with Gable and Roode on the house show circuit in the early months of 2019. Fans everywhere reported their exploits on social media, and attested to the unfettered greatness of these matches.

This author personally witnessed them square off in the opener of an otherwise non-descript house show in Atlantic City, NJ that March, and I have to say, it's probably the best match I've ever seen in person. Other fans around North America came to perhaps similar conclusions.

3. Vs. Kyle O'Reilly & Bobby Fish (NXT, November 2019)

You may have noticed a pattern on this list so far - The Revival's shiniest moments in WWE came either 1) in NXT or 2) at WWE's live events. Go figure, this entry comes from that period of brand warfare last autumn, when Dawson and Wilder were dispatched to their old stomping grounds to try and hinder the insurgent third brand.

This non-title battle of heel duos went 25 minutes, with Fish playing de facto face-in-peril while Dawson and Wilder unloaded a ton of high-impact manoeuvres on the veteran. It ended with The Revival losing, but all four looked tremendous.

2. Vs. DIY (NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II)

You probably knew what the top two were going to be, but the order may have been up for grabs. Taking runner-up is the first major encounter between the two, the night before the 2016 SummerSlam. Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa made for two ideally-plucky babyfaces to do battle against the well-established champs.

Gargano in particular came off like a star, the ultimate valiant fighter, as he fought against the Revival current. Because this is an earlier chapter in the story, naturally, the heroes had to fall, and it was Gargano and his injured knee that succumbed to the champions' ingenuity.

1. Vs. DIY (NXT TakeOver: Toronto)

And somehow they managed to top even *that* classic. Best tag team match to ever take place under the WWE banner? Even if you take into account the TLC/ladder-based matches from the Attitude Era, this is certainly in the running. It belongs on the same plane of greatness as Austin and Helmsley vs. Jericho and Benoit, and Angle and Benoit vs. Edge and Mysterio, for sure.

This time, the heroes stand tall, fighting from behind in a two out of three falls scrum, capturing the belts amid a brilliant finish in which Gargano and Ciampa forced a dual submission on Dawson and Wilder. Try as they did to keep the other from tapping, both submitted to end this legendary battle.