American Alpha

Starting in May 2015, *NXT* newcomer Chad Gable began a storyline with Jason Jordan, in which he tried to convince Jordan to form a new partnership, following the dissolution of Jordan's team with Tye Dillinger. After nearly two months of coaxing, Jordan finally agreed to a tag team match with Gable as his teammate. On the July 15 episode of *NXT*, Jordan and Gable were successful in their official debut together against the team of Elias Samson and Steve Cutler. On September 2, Jordan and Gable competed in the first round of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament, beating the team of Neville and Solomon Crowe. After defeating the Hype Bros, they would get eliminated from the tournament by the team of Baron Corbin and Rhyno. Originally a heel tag team, their fighting spirit, and resiliency against their larger opponents won them many fans and began a gradual babyface turn for the pair. On the November 18 episode of *NXT*, Jordan and Gable would call out main roster tag team The Ascension and defeat them. On the December 2 episode of *NXT*, Jordan and Gable would face another pair of former NXT Tag Team Champions, The Vaudevillains, and defeat them as well. At NXT TakeOver: London, Gable and Jordan were successful in a fatal-four-way tag team match which was taped for the December 23 episode of *NXT*. On the January 8 tapings of *NXT*, the team of Jordan and Gable began using the name **American Alpha**.

American Alpha squared off with Blake and Murphy on two separate occasions on the January 27 and February 24 episode's tapings, where they were successful both times, as well as teaming with Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady against them and Dash and Dawson on the February 17 episode, where they victoriously emerged.

American Alpha faced off with the Vaudevillains on the March 16 episode of *NXT* in a number one contender's match, where they emerged victorious, earning them an NXT Tag Team Championship match against Dash and Dawson, now called "The Revival", at NXT TakeOver: Dallas. The pair won the NXT Tag Team Championships at the event. They defeated the Vaudevillains on the April 20 episode of *NXT*. On June 8 at NXT TakeOver: The End, American Alpha lost the titles back to The Revival, ending their reign at 68 days. After the match, they were assaulted by the debuting Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar), who were managed by legendary manager Paul Ellering. The pair subsequently failed to win back the NXT Tag Team Championship after being defeated by the Revival in a two-out-of-three falls match on the July 6 episode of *NXT* before wrestling their final match on the brand on July 20, where they were defeated by The Authors of Pain.

As a result of the 2016 WWE draft on July 19, the team was drafted to the *SmackDown* brand, being their first tag team pick overall. On the August 2 episode of *SmackDown*, American Alpha made their debut, defeating The Vaudevillians. The pair teamed with The Usos and The Hype Bros at SummerSlam to defeat the team of The Ascension, Breezango and The Vaudevillains.

The pair then entered an eight-tag team tournament which would determine the inaugural SmackDown Tag Team Champions, defeating Breezango in the first round to advance to the semi-finals where they faced The Usos. Despite defeating The Usos quickly on the September 6 episode of *SmackDown*, Gable's knee was kayfabe injured during a post-match assault when the Usos turned heel, rendering American Alpha unable to compete at Backlash and undoing their attempts to become the inaugural champions.

They returned on the September 20 episode to face the Usos in a number one contender's match to establish who would face inaugural Smackdown Tag Team Champions Heath Slater and Rhyno at No Mercy, where they were defeated due to Gable's injury, marking their first loss on the main roster. At the event, they would instead team with the Hype Bros to face the Ascension and the Vaudevillians, where they were successful.

On the November 1 episode of *SmackDown*, American Alpha defeated The Spirit Squad to qualify for Team *SmackDown* for the 10–on–10 Survivor Series tag team elimination match at Survivor Series. Team *SmackDown* was defeated by Team *Raw* at the event, with American Alpha being eliminated by Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson after eliminating The Shining Stars. The duo won a tag team turmoil match on the following episode of *SmackDown*, giving them the right to face Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton of The Wyatt Family to establish the number one contenders for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship, but were defeated following the interference of Luke Harper. At TLC, the pair teamed with The Hype Bros and Apollo Crews to defeat the Ascension, the Vaudevillians and Curt Hawkins on the kickoff show.

On the December 27 episode of *SmackDown Live*, they defeated Randy Orton and Luke Harper of The Wyatt Family, Heath Slater and Rhyno, and The Usos in a four corners elimination match to become the new SmackDown Tag Team Champions, celebrating with their families afterwards. After defeating The Wyatt Family (Orton and Harper) in a rematch to retain their titles on January 10, 2017, the pair would go on to defend their titles in a tag team turmoil match at Elimination Chamber successfully against the Ascension, the Usos, the Vaudevillians, Breezango and Heath Slater and Rhyno, entering fourth and eliminating the Usos and the Ascension, despite an attack by the Usos after their elimination, continuing their feud. American Alpha would defeat the Ascension on the following *SmackDown* in a rematch, and then Breezango the week after, being confronted by the Usos after both matches.

On the March 21 episode of *SmackDown Live*, American Alpha lost the SmackDown Tag Team Championships to The Usos after suffering a non-title match loss to the pair the prior week. After making their WrestleMania debut at WrestleMania 33, where both were unsuccessful in winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, they failed in their championship rematch to the Usos, being attacked by Primo and Epico afterwards, who defeated them the following week. American Alpha got revenge by defeating the duo the following week in a beat the clock challenge match, although their time was beaten by Breezango. This was their last televised match as a tag team, as Jordan moved to *Raw* while Gable stayed on *SmackDown*, effectively ending the team.