The Viking Raiders def. Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins (Kickoff Match)

Updated Jun. 18, 2020 12:59 p.m. ET

It seems strange to say the Viking Raiders are coming off something of a drought, but after losing the Raw Tag Team Titles to Seth Rollins & Murphy and falling to The O.C. at WWE Super ShowDown, it may have been fair to wonder if Erik & Ivar lost a step. Elimination Chamber Kickoff, then, served as notice from the former Raw Tag Team Champions that they’re as dominant as ever, despite an impressive effort from Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins.

To help get their mojo back against a team that has run roughshod over them, Ryder & Hawkins opted for an unusually aggressive tactic, mugging Erik in a two-on-one attack that stretched the rules to their breaking point. They began to panic when Ivar received the tag, and Ryder’s aggression got the better of him when he accidentally dropped Hawkins with his own Rough Ryder. The Ultimate Broski’s shock didn’t last long, as he fell to the Viking Experience moments later and wasn’t in much of a position to feel much of anything. A noble effort, but the story between these two teams remains the same.