Pretty Deadly Help Austin Theory Retain United States Championship On WWE Smackdown

Pretty Deadly have gotten the last laugh over The Brawling Brutes. For now.

During "WWE SmackDown" Friday night, Sheamus looked to be closing in on becoming the new United States Champion, and after delivering 25 Beats of the Bodhran to Austin Theory, it was only a matter of time until he was going to connect with the Brogue Kick. That's when Elton Prince and Kit Wilson suddenly appeared ringside, taking out Butch and Ridge Holland before distracting Sheamus just long enough for Theory to roll him up with a handful of tights — it should be noted that Pretty Deadly's interference may have had less to do with helping Theory and more to do with getting another one over on Butch and Holland. Since being drafted to "SmackDown" from "WWE NXT" on May 1, Pretty Deadly have wasted little time in making a splash, primarily at the expense of the Brutes. They defeated Butch and Holland in their "SmackDown" debut last week, only to be attacked on "The SmackDown LowDown" by Butch the following day. What better way to get payback than by costing the leader of the Brutes a chance to win the US title?

Since coming over from "NXT UK" in 2022, it's been a pretty quick rise for Pretty Deadly. During their time in developmental, Prince and Wilson enjoyed a length "NXT UK" Tag Team Championship reign before winning the "NXT" Tag Team Championships on two occasions. In fact, they won those titles during their very first appearance on "NXT 2.0," outlasting Brooks Jensen & Josh Briggs, Grayson Waller & Sanga, Legado del Fantasma, and The Creed Brothers in the process.