American Alpha vs. The Field: WWE Elimination Chamber 2017 Match Preview, Pick

American Alpha is set to defend the SmackDown Tag Team Championships on Sunday, February 12, at the WWE's Elimination Chamber event. Chad Gable and Jason Jordan will be facing The Usos, The Vaudevillains, The Ascension, Breezango, Heath Slater and Rhyno in a Tag Team Turmoil Match.

The jam-packed bout may feel like a Hail Mary to some, but it could be a prime example of the WWE trying to fully invest in the Blue Brand's tag team division.

American Alpha's reign as tag champs will only be as good as the competition that challenges them. This is obviously a way for the WWE to give the five top teams a generous amount of spotlight, which could be the best idea for all involved.

But some fans may feel the more traditional route is the best way to go.

The WWE's usual method of featuring one team at a time, and allowing that team to the opportunity to become viable contenders, is not being employed here. Two strong teams vying for the top prize in their division has typically been the way the company has booked in the past, but it's not happening this time.

Of course, the reason for that may have something to do with the champs themselves.

Jordan and Gable are two of the best hands on SmackDown Live, and they comprise one of the best duos the WWE has seen in quite some time. Their teamwork in the ring sets them apart from the rest, and their commitment to being the best is evident every time they step between the ropes.

They have the perfect formula for tag team dominance, and they are the top tandem on the program.

However, that does not mean they will leave Elimination Chamber with the titles. Their championships are in serious jeopardy thanks to the type of match they're booked in, and it could be that the WWE will make a change on February 12.

The Preview

Gable and Jordan want competition.

The fact that they're so good and so natural in the ring has indeed placed them above every other team on Tuesday nights. Though it doesn't necessarily mean that the field can't keep up with them, it has become obvious that American Alpha is in the perfect spot as tag team champions.

So when all else fails, throwing them straight into the fire perhaps seemed like the best way to go.

Now American Alpha has the chance to prove they are the best, and that no one can measure up to their work in the ring. But despite how good they are, they will need to step up at Elimination Chamber to deliver a great match.

This one could be a bit chaotic, to say the least.

When it comes to properly spotlighting the best duos, six teams are really four teams too many. The onus is on the guys involved to do what they do in the right time frame and stay focused on the task at hand.

That means that the match cannot be filled with one massive high spot after another.

The temptation to do just that will be there, but only two teams will be in the ring at a time, so there's no reason why it has to be a train wreck. The bout should begin at a slow pace and then build with one tag in after another.

One by one, each guy needs to get in the ring and work his style of match. The basic give-and-go must be used, whether it's Fandango and Tyler Breeze keeping it on the mat, or Jimmy and Jey Uso taking it to the air.

Daredevil stunts will be used, because that is the WWE style, but they have to come when the time is right.

The only way to properly tell a story between the ropes is to give fans the opportunity to connect to what they're seeing. That means Heath Slater should be as entertaining as possible, and it also means that Rhyno should come in and crush as needed. Aiden English and Simon Gotch have the ability to be the strongest heels in the match, and they should take every shortcut available to ensure that happens.

Then Konnor and Viktor should come in and destroy everything in their path.

The Ascension should be one of the top tag teams in the company. But thanks to some horrendous booking that portrayed them as Road Warrior clones, Konnor and Viktor have done nothing but struggle. It's been so bad that if The Ascension had disappeared from the main roster, many fans likely would never have known the difference.

But this match has given them a renewed sense of purpose. Rather than flexing like the second coming of Hawk and Animal, Konnor and Viktor instead look like zombified mutants wreaking havoc on their opponents.

But these teams will need everything they have and much more against American Alpha. Jordan and Gable are at the top for a reason, and they will prove that at Elimination Chamber. The match itself will break down into a finisher-fest at times, and chaos will reign, but only one team will be standing in the end.

The Pick

American Alpha will be victorious on February 12. Jordan and Gable have indeed dominated the tag team scene on SmackDown Live, and this will give fans even more reason to believe that the duo is unstoppable. 

But the clock is ticking on their tag team title reign.

That's because The Revival will eventually go from NXT to the main roster, and SmackDown Live will likely be its destination. Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder are perhaps the most popular heel team that fans have ever seen, and they will bring an aura of competitiveness to Tuesday nights.

The Revival vs. American Alpha must happen again, this time on SmackDown Live.

Wilder and Dawson are the flip side of Jordan and Gable's coin. Both teams are good in the ring, highly skilled as tag wrestlers and capable of bringing the house down any time they step between the ropes.

But while Jordan and Gable are enthusiastic and full of life, Wilder and Dawson are devious and full of venom.

It's a tag team rivalry that will go down as one of the best that the WWE has ever seen, and it needs to happen at some point in the near future. But until it does, American Alpha should continue their reign atop the tag team division on SmackDown Live.

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here