In the conversation of whom the best tag teams in modern WWE history are, for many fans it comes down to two teams, who have been staples of the division for much of the 2010s; The New Day (Big E, Xavier Woods, and Kofi Kingston) and The Usos (Jimmy and Jey). Both teams have had a similar trajectory, starting out as bland babyfaces before turning heel, developing their characters, honing their craft, and gaining an edge.They’re not just teams with similar histories though. They’re also rivals, who have put on some of the best modern WWE tag team matches fans have ever seen. So, let’s take a look at their rivalry, focusing on their major two-on-two tag team bouts, from the weakest to the greatest.Updated on January 29th, 2022 by Tevon King: The rivalry between The Usos and The New Day is one of the greatest feuds in WWE history. Both teams are amongst the all-time great tag teams with the number of Tag Team Championship reigns they have between them. The New Day are 11-time WWE Tag Team Champions, and they are the longest-reigning Tag Team Champions in WWE history as they held the gold for a record 483 days. The Usos aren't doing too shabby either as they are seven-time WWE Tag Team Champions, and they are currently the longest-reigning SmackDown Tag Team Champions at 193 days and counting. Their rivalry is outstanding, and they have traded gold no fewer than four times. They renewed hostilities recently in the fall of 2021, and their matches continue to get better and better. It doesn't matter which pairing of New Day goes toe-to-toe with The Usos as they always bring out the best in each other. Of course, not every battle between the two legendary teams has been great, but the majority have been memorable.
15 * SmackDown (12/17/21)
The Usos and The New Day clashed in a non-title tag team match on the December 17, 2021, edition of SmackDown. Kofi Kingston executed the SOS on Jey Uso early on, looking for a quick victory. However, The Usos isolated Kingston in their corner. King Woods intervened by rescuing Kingston from The Usos' clutches.
Woods nailed Jimmy Uso with a leg drop from the top rope. Moreover, Jimmy continued his onslaught on Kingston by hitting him with a vicious savate kick. King Woods pushed Jey off the apron, and Kingston nailed Jimmy with Trouble in Paradise to secure the all-important win.
14 * SmackDown (10/29/21)
The rivalry between The Usos and The New Day reignited on SmackDown since both teams were now members of the blue brand. They headlined the October 29, 2021, episode of SmackDown. The Usos' SmackDown Tag Team Championships were not at stake. The Usos launched Sir Kofi Kingston into the timekeeper's area after they caught him in midair.
Nevertheless, there was some good chain wrestling between the two teams. Jimmy nailed Kingston with a Samoan Drop, and The Usos nailed Kingston with a double superkick, but he kicked out. However, The Usos were close to sealing the deal with the Uso Splash, but King Woods stopped them in their tracks by pulling Jey's foot off the apron. King Woods blind-tagged Kingston, and he covered Jimmy for the win.
13 * Fastlane 2018
At Fastlane 2018, The Usos defended the SmackDown Tag Team Championship against The New Day. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods represented The New Day with Big E on the outside. Both teams took a page out of each other's books as they resorted to using each other's finishing maneuvers.
The two teams were evenly matched in a back and forth encounter. The Usos hauled themselves over the top rope taking all three members of The New Day out. With the match poised, and all five men laid out, The Bludgeon Brothers made their presence felt. They assaulted both teams, and there was no definitive winner with The Usos managing to retain their titles.
12 * SmackDown (1/7/22)
Six days removed from their instant classic at Day 1, The Usos and The New Day were once again battling over the SmackDown Tag Team Championship. Their Street Fight was the main event on the January 7, 2022, episode of SmackDown. Both teams utilized their surroundings as they took their fight outside the ring.
The Usos tied King Woods with some duct tape, but Kofi Kingston freed Woods. Nonetheless, the fight spilled onto the outside again. Woods tasted some steel as The Usos hit Woods ferociously with the steel steps. Back inside the ring, Kingston nailed Jey with Trouble in Paradise, and Jimmy saved their titles in the nick of time. The Usos hit both Woods and Kingston with double superkicks. Once again, the 1D proved to be the difference-maker as they put Kingston through the table, and they retained their championships.
11 SmackDown (3/27/20)
To date, this pre-WrestleMania 36 episode of SmackDown marks the last time The Usos and The New Day clashed, and it was a #1 Contender Match to challenge The Miz and John Morrison for the Tag Team Titles. It’s a nice bout that runs about 14 minutes before Miz and Morrison interrupt, leading to a No Contest. This was meant to set up a three-way ladder match for the titles at ‘Mania, but that turned into a three-way single's match because The Miz was too sick to wrestle. Ultimately, this was a very “storyline” match.
10 Raw (1/11/16)
A standoff in an earlier segment on Chris Jericho’s Highlight Reel talk show set up this Raw bout, the first time The New Day and The Usos ever met in a traditional two-on-two tag team match. With Jericho in their corner to run defense against Xavier Woods at ringside -- he ends up breaking Woods’ trombone, Francesca -- The Usos ended up scoring a roll-up victory to earn a title shot at The New Day at Royal Rumble. It’s not the most satisfying match, but it works to set up a more important encounter.
9 Royal Rumble 2016
At the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, The Usos and The New Day finally had their first title match against one another. It’s a solid match with New Day retaining, but it also captures both teams in a unique place, as The New Day are still heels (albeit on their way to an impending face turn), and The Usos are still vanilla babyfaces.
Ultimately, this would be one of the weaker big matches in their rivalry, but also a promising sign of great things to come, once they enter a full-blown feud the following year.
8 Money In The Bank 2017
Watching a pay-per-view match, it’s easy for fans to expect a decisive finish considering that all the TV content is used to promote the PPV. However, feuds often run longer than one pay-per-view cycle, and matches like this Usos-New Day bout at Money in the Bank are great examples of that. The in-ring stuff here is solid, but the match ends with The Usos (now heels) walking out on the match to take a count-out loss. It was disappointing at the time, but works to set up future (and better) encounters between the two.
7 SmackDown (4/10/18)
Six months after their Hell in a Cell classic (see below), The New Day and The Usos clashed once again in a #1 Contender match to determine who takes on The Bludgeon Brothers, who had just defeated The Usos days earlier at WrestleMania 34. This 10-minute match feels a bit slight, as it’s meant to set up a much bigger match. There’s also a sense of fatigue, as they JUST spent a huge chunk of 2017 feuding, but still, the two teams have great chemistry that makes even their lesser bouts fun to watch.
6 SmackDown (11/6/18)
The New Day and The Usos met a second time in 2018 in a match with PPV stakes, but not for any title. This time, it was to determine which team captains the Survivor Series elimination match between SmackDown and Raw’s tag team divisions. At this point, The Usos and The New Day have a basis of mutual respect for one another, after their 2017 rivalry -- and it helps that they’re united against Raw. The Usos end up getting the win and ask New Day to join them in the match, which of course, they accept.
5 SmackDown (9/12/17)
On a special episode of SmackDown emanating from Las Vegas, The New Day defeated The Usos in a Street Fight to win back the SmackDown Tag Team Titles after losing them at SummerSlam a month prior.
At this point, the championship is ping-ponging between the two teams every month, but it feels purposeful, adding to the rivalry in a fun way. Combine that with the violence of this Street Fight, and there's a great setup for the most violent conclusion to their rivalry.
4 Battleground 2017
Their Money in the Bank title match ended in a count-out finish a month earlier, setting up for a more decisive encounter at Battleground. This standout opener on a relatively weak show -- Jinder Mahal retained the WWE Championship in the main event -- marks the first great match between The Usos and The New Day. In particular, Xavier Woods gets a great spotlight in this match, as his in-ring abilities are often underrated compared to Big E and Kofi Kingston. The New Day walked away the new champions, but their rivalry continued at SummerSlam.
3 * Day 1
The Usos and The New Day had one of their finest matches together on Day 1. The Usos' SmackDown Tag Team Championship was on the line, and it was the curtain-raiser. They set the bar, and no match managed to top this outstanding SmackDown Tag Team Championship bout.
Fans were mesmerized at the brilliance they witnessed. Fans acknowledged their efforts, and chanted "This is awesome." Near falls and false finishes kept fans on edge on who was going to prevail. The resiliency from both teams was ridiculous. The Usos nailed Kingston with a double savate kick, and they executed a double Uso Splash. King Woods intervened to save Kofi. Ultimately, The Usos paid homage to the Dudley Boyz by using the 3D, or The Usos call it, the 1D to put this instant classic to bed.
2 SummerSlam 2017 Kickoff
Being relegated to the pre-show always feels like a slap in the face to good pro wrestling. The underappreciated Cruiserweight Championship match often got this “unimportant” position at the time, and at SummerSlam 2017, The Usos vs. New Day Tag Team Title rematch ended up being right alongside it. It’s a shame because this 20-minute bout ranks as one of the best pre-show matches ever, which makes you wonder why WWE didn’t open up SummerSlam with this, instead of John Cena squashing Baron Corbin for political reasons.
1 Hell In A Cell 2017
The SummerSlam bout was so good that it seemed hard to top, but New Day and The Usos exceeded expectations with their Hell in a Cell opener, an intense war in the cell that was easily the best match of the night, as well as the best match of their rivalry. Their feud went on for so long and featured so many title exchanges that the inherent danger of the Hell in a Cell match felt like a justified escalation. It’s a bout that delivered thanks to some creatively violent spots and a standout performance from Xavier Woods.