WWE Makes An Unusual Announcement On the Wyatt Family

We’re not surprised to hear that the Wyatt Family will be defending the SmackDown Tag Team Championships via the Freebird rule–after all, we reported on it–but it is unusual that the company would issue a press release announcing that fact.

On one hand, it’s good to see WWE using all the tools at their disposal to further their storytelling. But at the same time, it’s odd to see WWE.com reporting a story that would typically be an on-air announcement–and a fairly predictable one, at that.

You can read the full text of the announcement below.

---

The Wyatt Family is evoking a rarely-used custom during their reign as SmackDown Tag Team Champions, WWE.com has learned.

While Bray Wyatt & Randy Orton captured the titles for the Family at WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, SmackDown LIVE Commissioner Shane McMahon and General Manager Daniel Bryan have sanctioned Luke Harper as champion as well, making him eligible to defend the titles alongside Wyatt or Orton under the Freebird Rule.

Named for WWE Hall of Famers The Fabulous Freebirds, the rule stipulates that a faction that holds a championship can assign any of its members to defend the title at any given time. The reigning Raw Tag Team Champions, The New Day, have used the Freebird Rule to great success. Xavier Woods has defended the titles several times alongside either Kofi Kingston or Big E, who won them at SummerSlam 2015.

The Wyatts’ challengers might have rested easier knowing they wouldn’t have to contend with the enigmatic Harper on top of Wyatt himself and The Viper. No more.