Artist Collective (professional wrestling)

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Artist Collective
The Artist Collective.jpg
The Artist Collective (from left to right: Cesaro, Sami Zayn, and Shinsuke Nakamura)
Stable
Members Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Sami Zayn (leader)
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Cesaro
Flag of Japan.svg Shinsuke Nakamura
Name(s)The Artist Collective
Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura
DebutAugust 20, 2019
DisbandedJanuary 29, 2021
Years active2019–2021

The Artist Collective was a professional wrestling stable in WWE that consisted of Canadian wrestler Sami Zayn, Swiss wrestler Cesaro, and Japanese wrestler Shinsuke Nakamura.

Contents

The stable was formed as an alliance between Zayn and Nakamura in August 2019, when the duo joined forces as Zayn became Nakamura's mouthpiece and manager and helped him in retaining the Intercontinental Championship. [1] Soon after, Cesaro joined the group and began teaming with Nakamura. In March 2020, the stable was renamed The Artist Collective. After Zayn's absence on television due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cesaro and Nakamura began wrestling as a duo and won the SmackDown Tag Team Championship. [2]

History

Sami Zayn's leadership (2019–2020)

At the 2019 Extreme Rules event, Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Finn Balor to win the Intercontinental Championship. On the August 20 episode of SmackDown , Nakamura formed an alliance with Sami Zayn during Miz TV segment, during which Zayn revealed himself to be Nakamura's official spokesperson due to Nakamura's weak English. [3] Zayn assisted Nakamura in retaining the title against The Miz at Clash of Champions. [4] Shortly after, Cesaro joined Zayn and Nakamura as their frequent ally as he occasionally teamed with Nakamura. On the November 8 episode of SmackDown, Cesaro and Nakamura teamed together for the first time as a team and defeated Ali and Shorty G in a tag team match. [5] The duo unsuccessfully challenged The New Day (Big E and Kofi Kingston) for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship on the November 29 episode of SmackDown. [6] During the end of the year, the trio began feuding with Braun Strowman, who began pursuing Nakamura's Intercontinental Championship. They lost to Strowman and the New Day in a six-man tag team match on the December 27 episode of SmackDown and Cesaro and Nakamura lost to Strowman and Elias in a tag team match on the January 24, 2020 episode of SmackDown. [7] [8]

Strowman earned himself an Intercontinental Championship match against Nakamura by defeating him in a non-title match on the January 10 episode of SmackDown. [9] On the January 31 episode of SmackDown, Nakamura lost the title to Strowman. [10] At Elimination Chamber, Zayn, Cesaro and Nakamura defeated Strowman in a 3-on-1 handicap match, with Zayn pinning Strowman to win the Intercontinental Championship. [11] [12] Shortly after, Zayn began feuding with Daniel Bryan and his student Drew Gulak. On the March 20 episode of SmackDown, the group was named The Artist Collective with Cesaro and Nakamura losing to Bryan and Gulak in a tag team match. [13] [14] [15] The following week, on SmackDown, Gulak defeated Nakamura to earn Bryan, an Intercontinental Championship match against Zayn. [16] At WrestleMania 36, Cesaro defeated Gulak at the kickoff show while Zayn successfully defended the Intercontinental Championship against Bryan, with the help of Nakamura and Cesaro. [17] [18] [19] Zayn disappeared from television after the title defense and refrained from competing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SmackDown Tag Team Champions (2020–2021)

Cesaro and Nakamura formed temporary alliances with King Corbin and Mojo Rawley during Zayn's absence. [20] [21] Cesaro failed to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match against Daniel Bryan on the April 17 episode of SmackDown. [22] On May 12, Zayn was stripped from the Intercontinental Championship and a tournament was set up to determine a new champion, [23] with Nakamura losing to A.J. Styles in the quarter-final round on the May 22 episode of SmackDown. [24] On the June 12 episode of SmackDown, Cesaro and Nakamura defeated the SmackDown Tag Team Champions New Day in a non-title match, [25] which earned them a SmackDown Tag Team Championship match against the New Day on July 10 episode of SmackDown, which ended in a no contest. [26] Cesaro and Nakamura would earn wins over Big E and Kingston in singles matches respectively to earn another title shot against New Day in a tables match at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, which Cesaro and Nakamura won, thus beginning Cesaro's second reign and Nakamura's first reign with the title. [27] [28] [29] They successfully defended the titles against Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado) on the August 21 episode of SmackDown. [30]

Zayn returned from hiatus on the August 28 episode of SmackDown, reuniting with Cesaro and Nakamura backstage; however, Cesaro dismissed him from the locker room so that he and Nakamura could have some discussion by themselves, thus removing Zayn from the group. [31] Cesaro and Nakamura continued their tag team as they retained the SmackDown Tag Team Championship against the Lucha House Party at Clash of Champions. [32] [33] They lost the titles to The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) on the October 9 episode of SmackDown.On the October 16th episode of Smackdown they teamed with Sheamus to face The New Day in their farewell match, which they lost [34] At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Artist Collective unofficially reunited as Cesaro, Nakamura, and Zayn teamed with King Corbin against Big E, Daniel Bryan, Chad Gable, and Otis in an eight-man tag team match in a losing effort. [35] [36] On the January 29, 2021 episode of SmackDown, Nakamura helped Big E and Daniel Bryan fight off Cesaro, AJ Styles, and Sami Zayn, thus disbanding their team. [37]

Championships and accomplishments

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References

  1. ↑ Ryan Pappolla (August 20, 2019). "Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn forged a frightening alliance on "Miz TV"". WWE . Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  2. ↑ Jordan Garretson (July 19, 2020). "Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura def. The New Day to become the new SmackDown Tag Team Champions (Tables Match)". WWE . Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  3. ↑ Roy Nemer (August 20, 2019). "WWE Smackdown Results – 8/20/19 (Bryan vs. Murphy, King of the Ring continues)". Wrestleview. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  4. ↑ Anthony Benigno (September 15, 2019). "Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura def. The Miz". WWE . Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  5. ↑ Doug Lackey (November 8, 2019). "WWE SmackDown Results – 11/8/19 (Tyson Fury appears, Tag Team Title match)". Wrestleview. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  6. ↑ Roy Nemer (November 29, 2019). "WWE SmackDown Results – 11/29/19 (Survivor Series fallout, Firefly Fun House)". Wrestleview. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  7. ↑ Roy Nemer (December 27, 2019). "WWE SmackDown Results – 12/27/19 (#1 Contender's Triple Threat Match)". Wrestleview. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  8. ↑ Roy Nemer (January 24, 2020). "WWE SmackDown Results – 1/24/20 (Final show before Royal Rumble, Six-man Tag)". Wrestleview. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  9. ↑ Roy Nemer (January 10, 2020). "WWE SmackDown Results – 1/10/20 (The Usos return to the ring, Evans vs. Banks)". Wrestleview. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  10. ↑ "WWE Super SmackDown results, Jan. 31, 2020: King Corbin literally eats it in the main event of Super SmackDown". WWE . Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  11. ↑ Jason Powell (March 8, 2020). "WWE Elimination Chamber results: Powell's live review of Shayna Baszler vs. Asuka vs. Ruby Riott vs. Liv Morgan vs. Sarah Logan vs. Natalya in an Elimination Chamber match for a shot at the Raw Women's Championship at WrestleMania 36, Smackdown Tag Title Elimination Chamber match". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  12. ↑ Mike Chiari (March 9, 2020). "Sami Zayn Shocks Braun Strowman, Wins IC Title at WWE Elimination Chamber". Bleacher Report . Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  13. ↑ H Jenkins (March 20, 2020). "WWE STABLE GETS NEW NAME ON FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN". Ringside News. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  14. ↑ Roy Nemer (March 20, 2020). "WWE SmackDown Results – 3/20/20 (WrestleMania 36 details, Rob Gronkowski debuts)". Wrestleview. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  15. ↑ "Sami Zayn on the meaning behind "The Artist Collective": WWE's The Bump, March 25, 2020". WWE . YouTube. March 25, 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  16. ↑ Roy Nemer (March 27, 2020). "WWE SmackDown Results – 3/27/20 (New Firefly Fun House, WrestleMania updates)". Wrestleview. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  17. ↑ Kevin Powers (April 4, 2020). "Cesaro def. Drew Gulak (Kickoff Match for WrestleMania 36 Part 1)". WWE . Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  18. ↑ Bobby Melok (April 4, 2020). "Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn def. Daniel Bryan". WWE . Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  19. ↑ Brent Brookhouse (April 5, 2020). "WWE WrestleMania 36 results, recap, grades: Huge title changes, epic special matches on unique 2020 show". CBS Sports . Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  20. ↑ Roy Nemer (May 8, 2020). "WWE SmackDown Results – 5/8/20 (Final show before Money in the Bank, Strowman/Wyatt)". Wrestleview. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  21. ↑ Roy Nemer (June 5, 2020). "WWE SmackDown Results – 6/5/20 (WWE Women's Tag Title Match, Jeff Hardy explains)". Wrestleview. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  22. ↑ Roy Nemer (April 17, 2020). "WWE SmackDown Results – 4/17/20 (SmackDown Tag Team Title match, Qualifying Matches)". Wrestleview. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  23. ↑ "Intercontinental Title declared vacant; tournament to begin on SmackDown this Friday". WWE. May 13, 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  24. ↑ Roy Nemer (May 22, 2020). "WWE SmackDown Results – 5/22/20 (Charlotte Flair battles Bayley, AJ Styles vs. Nakamura)". Wrestleview. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  25. ↑ Roy Nemer (June 12, 2020). "WWE SmackDown Results – 6/12/20 (Intercontinental Championship finals, Backlash build)". Wrestleview. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  26. ↑ Roy Nemer (July 10, 2020). "WWE SmackDown Results – 7/10/20 (SmackDown Tag Team Championship on the line)". Wrestleview. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  27. ↑ Roy Nemer (July 3, 2020). "WWE SmackDown Results – 7/3/20 (Styles vs. Gulak for the Intercontinental Title)". Wrestleview. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  28. ↑ Roy Nemer (July 17, 2020). "WWE SmackDown Results – 7/17/20 (AJ Styles vs. Matt Riddle for the Intercontinental Title)". Wrestleview. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  29. ↑ Jason Powell (July 19, 2020). "WWE Extreme Rules results: Powell's review of Seth Rollins vs. Rey Mysterio in An Eye For An Eye match, WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman vs. Bray Wyatt in a non-title Swamp Fight, Asuka vs. Sasha Banks for the Raw Women's Championship, Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler for the WWE Championship". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  30. ↑ Roy Nemer (August 21, 2020). "WWE SmackDown Results – 8/21/20 (ThunderDome premiere, two championship matches)". Wrestleview. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  31. ↑ Roy Nemer (August 28, 2020). "WWE SmackDown Results – 8/28/20 (Roman Reigns returns, Payback go home)". Wrestleview. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  32. ↑ Powell, Jason (September 27, 2020). "WWE Clash of Champions Kickoff Show results: Powell's review of Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro vs. Lucha House Party for the Smackdown Tag Titles, three wrestlers pulled from the main show". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  33. ↑ Zak, Brad (October 3, 2020). "Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso – Universal Championship Hell in a Cell Match". WWE. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  34. ↑ Powell, Jason. "10/9 WWE Friday Night Smackdown results: Powell's review of the 2020 WWE Draft night one, Bayley vs. Sasha Banks for the Smackdown Women's Championship, The Fiend vs. Kevin Owens, Big E vs. Sheamus in a Falls Count Anywhere match". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  35. ↑ Powell, Jason (December 20, 2020). "WWE TLC Kickoff Show results: Powell's review of Big E, Daniel Bryan, Otis, and Chad Gable vs. Sami Zayn, King Corbin, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Cesaro in an eight-man tag match". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  36. ↑ Garretson, Jordan (December 20, 2020). "Big E, Daniel Bryan, Otis & Chad Gable def. Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn, King Corbin, Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura (Kickoff Match)". WWE . Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  37. ↑ Barnett, Jake (January 29, 2021). "1/29 WWE Friday Night Smackdown results: Barnett's review of Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens in a war of words, Bianca Belair vs. Bayley, the final push for the Royal Rumble". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  38. ↑ "PWI Top 50 Tag Team 2020 List". wrestlingtravel.org. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  39. ↑ "WWE Intercontinental Championship". World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
  40. ↑ "WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship". World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
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