Priest And R-Truth Set To Defend Titles Against War Raiders

Damian Priest confirmed that he and R-Truth will put the WWE Tag Team Championship on the line against War Raiders in a champion-versus-champion showdown on the July 31 episode of SmackDown. Priest and Truth currently hold the WWE Tag Team Championship, while War Raiders carry the AAA Tag Team Championship, meaning both sets of gold will be up for grabs when the two teams collide.

The match was set up weeks ago when Priest and Truth agreed to the title-versus-title stipulation, and Priest reiterated the plan during a backstage segment, making clear the bout is on for next week’s show.

This is exactly the kind of match that underscores how much WWE has leaned into cross-promotional stakes since aligning more closely with AAA. Title unification or champion-versus-champion bouts between the two companies have become a recruiting tool for storylines that otherwise might feel routine, and stacking two currently-held championships on one match gives it an added layer of urgency. For Priest and Truth, an already unlikely pairing that has found its footing as a tag team, a win over War Raiders would be their biggest scalp yet and a strong statement that their reign is more than just a novelty act.

War Raiders, for their part, arrive with size, aggression, and momentum after establishing themselves in AAA, and a victory would let them walk away from SmackDown as double champions, holding gold in two different promotions simultaneously. That kind of achievement would instantly elevate their profile and give WWE further ammunition to promote the ongoing relationship with AAA as more than just occasional crossover appearances.

There’s also a compelling booking question at play: does WWE want to see the WWE Tag Team Championship change hands to a team most associated with a partner promotion, or is this bout more about spectacle and stakes than an actual title switch? Either way, the fact that both championships are on the line adds legitimate consequence to a match that will headline part of the July 31 card.

Expect SmackDown to build this match up heavily in the days leading into it, likely with more face-to-face confrontations between the two teams to heighten the stakes. Fans invested in the tag team scene, or in the broader WWE-AAA partnership, will want to keep an eye on how this one plays out.