Missing the main event marker
April 23, 2026, marks an unusual rhythm for the tag team division on SmackDown. While industry veterans like Road Dogg have publicly staked their reputation on Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins, the actual booking of The Street Profits reflects a creative stall.
Road Dogg recently characterized Ford as a potential superstar while framing Dawkins as an unsung hero. This technical assessment matches the eye test from their matches throughout the last quarter. Ford possesses a vertical leap and an explosive catch-sequence that draws genuine crowd reactions, typically peaking around the 12-minute mark of their house show main events.
Dawkins, conversely, brings the grounding force necessary for tag team wrestling. His explosive spinebuster remains one of the most reliable spots in the current rotation, yet the team has been absent from significant television slots for weeks.
The creative gap between potential and payoff
As WrestleTalk recently covered, the industry respect for their move-set is universal. However, technical proficiency does not guarantee a push. The Street Profits have found themselves drifting in the mid-card doldrums during episodes where the top-tier championship pictures clearly take precedence.
There is a glaring lack of narrative stakes attached to their recent work. A pair of world-class athletes standing on the entrance ramp without a defined feud feels like a missed opportunity for the booking team. If they carry the same intensity they showed in their previous work, they should be challenging for unified gold by the time WWE Backlash 2026 hits the schedule on May 9.
The lack of consistent tag team continuity is a recurring critique of the current product. Fans expect a clear path from weekly television to premium live events, yet the Profits currently occupy a vacuum. You cannot rely on individual athleticism to carry interest if the writing around your secondary players remains disconnected from the title picture.
Tactical adjustments for the road to Backlash
Looking ahead to May, the team needs a pivot point. If leadership believes Ford is the breakout star they claim, isolate the tag dynamics and let Dawkins play the closer. Their matches often suffer when they attempt to mimic a standard high-flyer approach; they function best as an opportunistic unit that thrives on quick tags and high-impact finishers.
I expect the creative team to re-insert them into a high-profile tag match before the end of the month. Anything less than a clear win-loss record path would be a failure. They have the charisma, they have the industry backing, and they have the physical pedigree to carry any division they occupy. If they aren't positioned in a meaningful rivalry by the time the calendar turns to May, it suggests management isn't actually listening to the veteran feedback they receive.
Prediction: The Street Profits return to a featured slot on the April 24 episode of SmackDown. They will secure a decisive, clean victory using the Anointment spinebuster-frog splash combination in under 8 minutes. They need this win to regain momentum before the May 9 event roster is finalized.
