There's no doubt that over the last few months, SmackDown Live's tag team division has been anchored by The Usos and New Day. They've been the highlight of three straight PPVs, and their feud could go down as one of the best in WWE history. But while those teams have been killing it in the ring, another team has been making their mark in their own way. Breezango, also known as the Fashion Police, have been steadily gaining momentum as one of the best parts of the Blue Brand due to their hilarious, surreal, crime show-parodying segments called the Fashion Files.
The segments, which pay homage to pop culture's most cherished crime shows, have been a creative boon for the show and for both Tyler Breeze and Fandango. But the Fashion Police are more than just a comedy duo. When the SmackDown Live after Hell in a Cell ran a Fatal 4-Way to determine new #1 contenders to the tag team championships, Breezango were clearly the crowd favorites. Is it time for their run at the belts, and a more prominent role on SmackDown Live? Just days before Hell in a Cell, RealSport sat down with Tyler Breeze and Fandango to talk about future title opportunities, what makes a good comedy tag team, the need for passion and perseverance in this business, and so much more.
RealSport: You guys were kind of thrown together as a tag team, and now you're absolutely killing it. What's the key to developing good tag team chemistry? How do you find that connection if you maybe haven't worked together a whole lot?
Tyler Breeze: At this point we're still trying to work on it [laughs].
Fandango: I'm not going to lie to you, it won't take a lot to split us up. We almost broke up right before this interview. This tag team is on thin ice.
Breeze: Don't start that. Let's at least make it through an interview. But no man, it's a feeling out process. This especially was one of those things where we weren't doing too much and they just said "here's an opportunity," which, any opportunity that comes around you have to make the most of it. You don’t know when the next one will come. The thing with our roster is that it's so talented, and we have the depth where if you're not going to make the most of those minutes you get on TV, somebody else will. So we had a couple of ideas that turned into fun and all of a sudden we're having a blast, people are having a blast watching, and it just turned into something we didn't even see coming.
Fandango: I think we've obviously had segments and wrestling matches on Raw and SmackDown just being single competitors, but I think doing the Fashion Files weekly right now brings a different entity to the SmackDown show. It's something different, it's comedic relief between matches, so it's kind of something that separates us from the rest of the roster. It's bringing something different to SmackDown every week, and we take pride in making these skits as funny as possible every week. We really take it seriously.
Creating the Fashion Files
RS: And being comfortable and passionate about what you're doing is going to come across to the audience, right?
Breeze: Totally.
Fandango: You can see when people are trying to be funny, and it's very transparent. And just me being a hilarious dude in real life, and Breeze being semi-funny, it really comes through.
Breeze: Wow. All interview, man, all interview.
Fandango: But I think, like, when we're getting ready to film the Fashion Files every week, we're just two dudes having fun backstage. And it's not overly micromanaged, where we have to perfectly hit everything on the script. It's pretty much us getting some material and just having fun with it and trying to make it our own. I think it really comes across as us just having a good time.
Breeze: Yeah, when we're just kind of bouncing of each other and then you have to stop for a second because everyone in the room is laughing, you know you're on to something.
Fandango: The looser it is, the more fun it is, and that's when the best material comes out.
RS: Doing a Twin Peaks-inspired segment on an episode of SmackDown Live certainly seems like you're keeping it loose and having fun.
Breeze: By the way, our writers loved it. They said "thank you so much, we can just retire now that we've done a Twin Peaks parody." I'm telling you man, they loved it. And that's been the theme; every week we're going, "okay, what's next, what's next?" Then as we're doing it more stuff pops up, and it's just a room full of people laughing our heads off at ourselves, so it's fun.
On the importance of chemistry in tag team wrestling
RS: In order to counteract the idea that you'll break up before this interview is even over, I want to know what makes the guy sitting beside you a good tag team partner. Breeze, what do you love about working with Fandango, and Fandango, what does Breeze bring to the table that keeps you invested in this tag team?
Breeze: I'm going to let Dango go first on this one.
Fandango: I'll throw this at you: Breeze is a good tag partner because I'm forgetful.
Breeze: Very forgetful.
Fandango: I forgot we were doing this interview. I woke up at noon and thought I was flying home. But Breeze makes a hell of a tag partner because he picks up my gear that I leave behind at most live events. He's probably saved me thousands of dollars on gear.
Breeze: Literally brand new gear, you give it to him, and he leaves that day without it.
Fandango: I've got a lot of stuff going on at home, back at the house. [Laughs]
Breeze: Dango's a great tag partner, man. It's one of those things where, when you're in a tag team you have to rely on somebody and…[laughs]
At this point in the interview, which was conducted in WWE's scorching hot archive warehouse, Fandango has gotten up off the couch and is kneeling in front of a giant fan, lifting his shirt and doing his best supermodel poses.
Breeze: …and as you can see, he's someone you can rely on, believe it or not [laughs].
Fandango, shouting from across the room: VERY RELIABLE!
Breeze: Honestly, I think we're a good little mix. We balance each other out.
NXT, and what's next for Breezango on SmackDown Live
RS: Alright, since Fandango is just cooling off, let me ask you something specific. When some people talk about Tyler Breeze, there's a common talking point that perhaps you have some unfinished business in NXT, that you didn't get your run as champion and that's a missed opportunity. Do you feel that way, or is it, "I'm on SmackDown Live doing my thing and I'm a happy guy"?
Breeze: It's kind of a mixture of both. I think, especially at the time, when NXT was becoming what it is today, I like to think I was an integral part of that. If you look, Neville was NXT Champion, Sami Zayn was NXT Champion, and Tyler Breeze never was.
Fandango: You weren't the NXT Champ?
RS: See, he's forgetful.
Breeze: Never was. I was always in the mix.
Fandango: Aw, man.
RS: He was in nearly every single multi-man match for the championship though.
Breeze: Yeah! It's one of those things where if I really thought about it, or if I wanted it bad enough, there's always some unfinished business there. But SmackDown Live, we've got some unfinished business there as well: those SmackDown Live Tag Team Championships. We came close before with The Usos a couple of times. I think it's time we get back in there as well.
RS: Don't get me wrong, New Day and The Usos have been doing some incredible stuff…
Breeze: Killing it. Totally killing it.
RS: …but it looks like we're on to something else after Hell in a Cell. Maybe it's time for Breezango to step up.
Fandango: There's some surprises coming up. I can't say anything, but there are surprises.
Breeze: [laughs] He can't remember them, but he thinks they're coming. But yeah, we have some unfinished business there.
RS: Do you guys have a dream tag team matchup? Someone in that locker room, or from the past that you'd love to lock up with?
Fandango: Earthquake and Typhoon? We pretty much based our entire careers, our whole tag team style, on Earthquake and Typhoon.
A long pause before bursting out laughing.
Breeze: Alright, it's like, I don't see the connection there, but okay [laughs].
RS: Let's get back to the Fashion Files for a second. I want to know, how do you create a tag team that's largely comedic relief and still retain some sense of aggression? How do you make sure you can still be taken seriously as in-ring competitors?
Breeze: So you know what's kind of been funny is, along the way, you can read something and you don't know how it's going to translate. But we've been lucky in that I can sense comedy, Dango can sense comedy, and if we're going through it and laughing to ourselves, we have to assume that there's at least a couple other people laughing. And if we don't feel it they probably won't feel it either. And I think we're in a special area where everyone likes being a part of it, everyone want so get their hands in it, so being taken seriously can come across that way.
Fandango: Everybody wants a piece of the Fashion Files
Breeze: Like, it's probably just a matter of time before you see someone like, maybe a Vince.
Fandango: I heard Mr. McMahon is dying to get on Fashion Files.
Breeze: Especially after Arn [Anderson] was on there. Arn blew up on the internet.
RS: You're definitely responsible for Arn Anderson's success.
Breeze: Seriously. He won't leave us alone now. Every time we see him he goes, "hey, when am I back on?"
Fandango: I go, "Arn! We don't know when you can get back on. But when we find out, you'll be the first to know!" He won't leave us alone.
Breeze: He learned that he was "trending" and now he won't stop talking to us.
The key to longevity in the wrestling business
RS: Alright, I'm getting the wrap-up signal, so two things really quickly. Fandango, you recently posted a picture on Instagram from your very first match, celebrating 18 years in the business. What advice would you give to someone starting out right now? What's the key to longevity?
Fandango: You know, being consistent. If times get tough, just start mailing it in.
Breeze: [Laughs] Do the least possible to keep going. What advice.
Fandango: [Laughs] Yeah, stay under the radar and do just enough to get by. No, it's like anything man, if you love being in a band and you want to be a rock star, or you love acting, or you love pro wrestling, the times are going to get tough, and it's the people who really love what they’re doing that stick it out through when you're performing in front of 10 people in a crappy auditorium after driving ten hours through a snowstorm. Those are the times you get through if you really love what you do.
RS: So it's keeping that passion alive, no matter what.
Fandango: Yeah man. And eventually the payoff is getting in video games and seeing yourself as an action figure. Look, like anything else, it's the people that get into something just to be famous or make money that don't stick through the hard times, and you can tell. So yeah, it's surreal to come here and see yourself in a video game, or getting to meet cool people like Tyler and do cool stuff on TV. It's the payoff for all those hard nights on the road.
Tag Team Legends Lightning Round
RS: Alright, so before we go, I want to do a real quick lightning round where I name the tag team and you tell me whether they're fashion friendly or not.
Fandango: None of them [laughs]. No, okay, go. I'm ready.
RS: Demolition?
Breeze: No.
Fandango: Yes.
Breeze: Wait, really?
Fandango: Ok no. Wait, who did you say? [Laughs]
RS: Attitude Era Hardy Boyz?
Breeze: Oh totally.
RS: The Dudley Boyz?
Fandango: Ugh, no.
Breeze: I kind of like the camo though!
Fandango: No.
Breeze: Yes for me. Write it down.
RS: The Road Warriors?
Breeze: Yes, of course.
RS: Harlem Heat?
Breeze: No.
Fandango: No.
RS: Booker T is going to be mad.
Breeze: Sorry. I didn't like the little hat.
Fandango: Yeah, the hat was confusing for me.
Breeze: Definitely threw me off.
RS: And finally, Too Cool?
Fandango: Oh for sure!
Breeze: Big time yes!
Which legendary tag teams do you think are or aren't fashion friendly? Let us know in the comments below!
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