As a team, they are best known for their time in
WWE, where they originally formed and became the inaugural
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions as Heath Slater and Rhyno and for their time in
Impact Wrestling, where they are former one-time
Impact World Tag Team Champions.[1] The team also works on the
independent circuit where they have won various tag team titles. In October 2023, the team was effectively disbanded after Heath was departed from Impact Wrestling.
History
WWE (2016–2019)
After the
2016 Draft, WWE started a storyline where Heath Slater was a free agent since he wasn't assigned to Raw nor SmackDown. As part of the storyline, on the August 9 episode of SmackDown Live, the two wrestled each other with the stipulation that if Slater won, he would be signed to the SmackDown roster; however, Rhyno defeated Slater. On the August 23 episode of SmackDown, Slater was offered a spot in the tournament for the newly instated
SmackDown Tag Team Championship if he found a partner. After struggling to find a partner, Rhyno approached Slater and agreed to be his partner for the tournament.[2] Rhyno and Slater defeated
The Headbangers in the first round and The
Hype Bros in the semi-finals to advance to the finals at
Backlash,[3] where they defeated
The Usos to become the inaugural champions, while also granting Slater a contract.[4][5]
On the September 13 episode of SmackDown Live, Rhyno and Slater defeated
The Ascension to successfully retain the titles in their first defense following Slater's official live contract signing.[6] At
No Mercy, Rhyno and Slater retained the titles against The Usos. At
Survivor Series, Rhyno and Slater were the team captains for Team SmackDown in the
10–on–10 Survivor Series Tag Team Elimination match, where they were defeated by Team Raw.[7] At
TLC on December 4, Rhyno and Slater's tag team championship reign came to an end at 84 days after they were defeated by
The Wyatt Family (
Bray Wyatt and
Randy Orton).[8] Two days later on SmackDown Live, Rhyno and Slater received their rematch, but failed to regain the titles. At
Elimination Chamber on February 12, 2017, the duo were the first entrants into the tag team turmoil match for the titles, eliminating Breezango and The
Vaudevillains before being eliminated by The Usos.[9]
On the December 3 episode of Raw, General Manager Baron Corbin created a match between Rhyno and Slater, where the loser would be fired from Raw. Rhyno lost the match and was subsequently forced to leave the brand.[12] However, after Corbin was removed from power, he returned to Raw to aid Slater against an attack from
Jinder Mahal on the December 24 episode of Raw.[13] The following week on Raw, Rhyno and Slater faced Mahal and
The Singh Brothers in a losing effort.[14] On July 17, their team ended after Rhyno left WWE.[15][16]
Impact Wrestling (2020–2023)
After Rhyno left WWE, he signed with
Impact Wrestling and changed the spelling of his name to Rhino (as WWE owns the trademark with the "y" spelling). Slater was released from WWE in April 2020 due to budget cuts as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic. He then made his debut in Impact on July 18 at
Slammiversary, now using the shortened name Heath. The duo then began a storyline where Heath did not have a contract with Impact and tried to obtain one, similar to the storyline in WWE that resulted in the two becoming a team in the first place. Their first match as a team with the promotion took place at
Victory Road, where Heath and Rhino defeated
Reno Scum (Adam Thornstowe and Luster the Legend).[17]
On October 24 at
Bound for Glory, both Heath and Rhino took part in an
IntergenderCall Your Shot Gauntlet match, where the winner could choose any championship match of their choice; however, if either Heath or Rhino won, Heath would earn a full-time contract with Impact Wrestling, but if they both lost, he would be fired. Rhino would go on to win, thus winning Heath an Impact contract; however, Heath suffered an injury during the match.[18]
In March 2021, while Heath was injured, Rhino turned
heel and joined
Violent By Design (
Eric Young,
Deaner, and
Joe Doering).[19][20] In September, Rhino would be kicked out of VBD.[21][22] On the September 30 episode of Impact, Heath would make his return after nearly a year, saving Rhino from a potential attack by VBD, and Heath then looked to give Rhino a hug afterwards, but Rhino would walk out of the ring.[23][24][25] In the following weeks, Rhino was not sure which side to take,[26][27] and Heath asks Impact EVP
Scott D'Amore to make a match pitting him and anyone else against Violent By Design at
Bound for Glory, which was accepted.[28][29][30]
On October 23, 2021, at
Bound for Glory, Rhino appeared as Heath's tag team partner, where they defeated VBD, thus turning Rhino into a
face again.[31][32]
On October 27, 2023, Heath departed from Impact Wrestling, effectively disbanding the team.[35]
Independent circuit (2020–present)
On October 10, 2020 at Xtreme Intense Championship Wrestling (XICW), Heath and Rhino defeated DBA and Jaimy Coxxx to become XICW Tag Team Champions.[36] On February 17, 2022 at the 'St. Valentine's Day Mayhem' event for Insane Wrestling Revolution (IWR), the duo defeated Aaron Orion & Jack Price to become the inaugural IWR World Tag Team Champions.[37]
^Kreikenbohm, Philip (November 14, 2020).
"Impact World Tag Team Championship". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved January 4, 2021.