The Usos Prove That Evolution Equals Championships in WWE

A year ago today, The Usos turned in their bright colors and face paint for mean mugs and all black. This switch from Nickelodeon to Death Row wasn't just crucial for their careers, but the advancement of WWE's Tag Team Division. According to the Usos, it could not have come soon enough.

The current SmackDown Tag Team Champions recently joined former tag team legends of their own right, Edge, and Christian on their podcast, E&C's Pod of Awesomeness. The topic of their heel turn naturally came up and the Usos were happy to discuss their big switch:

"We couldn't wait to turn heel. We noticed when we were doing the babyface run, it was cool, it was a whole other side of us, being the good guy and running with that. And then, if you don't adapt and evolve in this business, you'll get left behind, and we felt that.

According to the brothers, they could feel apathy beginning to creep:

"We started to feel it, something has to be done, we gotta change something. And then, [we were told], 'tonight we're gonna turn them heel.' We finally got to do that and when we did, we knew that this was gonna be the time, and this was really gonna be our breakout.

For the Usos, the jump from face to heel was all too natural:

"This is really gonna be who we are. The babyface Usos, that was us too, but this is really gonna be who we are. We from the Anoa'i family. Samoan family wrestling. They naturally work like heels. And I feel like we naturally work like heels."So it's way easier, more comfortable, [we actually] get to talk crap to somebody, we barely got to talk when we were babyfaces. We're glad we made this move."

There's no denying that the Usos as heels have been a smashing success. The brother's new tenacious identity is all too believable and this realistic interpretation of themselves have been essential to their success. Like many wrestlers, before them, the Usos were saddled with a gimmick that they outgrew. However, unlike many of their peers, they found evolutionary ground for their career.

Getting a second layer of your character in WWE almost always leads to championships. Look no further than Rocky Maivia and The Rock. For nearly 10 years, the Usos proved that they were consistent and trustworthy workers in WWE. Now that their dues have been paid, they get to have a little fun. We here at Pop Culture root for the Usos. You should too.