NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn, collectively known as the Unholy Union, get set to do battle with Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler and the pair admit they’d be mad not to want get in the ring with the two Superstars.

The two teams are set to clash on Friday’s SmackDown show, with both the NXT Tag Team Titles and Rousey and Baszler’s WWE Tag Team Championships on the line in a unification match.

It’s been a quick rise up the ranks for the two Scottish stars, who were mainstays of WWE’s NXT UK brand before moving to the US and competing on NXT.

After a brief feud against each other, Fyre and Dawn joined forces and tasted championship gold in NXT, impressing enough to earn a move to SmackDown in last month’s WWE draft.

Now, ahead of their biggest WWE match to date, Mail Sport spoke to the Superstars about their move to the blue brand and their place in the women’s tag team division.

The two Scottish stars made the move to SmackDown during the latest WWE draft

You recently were traded to SmackDown in the WWE draft, how much did you know about the move before we saw it play out on TV?

Isla: ‘We had absolutely no idea. We knew we were coming in to watch the draft party, we found out that morning on the way to a NXT live event saying you need to be at the PC, but we had no idea, it was out of the blue.’

Alba: ‘We even actually thought the announcement was for Grayson (Waller), because we were sitting right behind him. And when Shawn (Michaels) kind of nodded his head saying he’s not happy about this one we were like ‘it’s Grayson’ it has to be. But the look you see on our faces is genuine because we had no idea that it was happening.’

Isla: ‘Even when they said ‘NXT Women’s…’ and I was like it’s Indie (Hartwell). But it was the ‘s’ on women’s and I was like oh that’s plural!’

Alba: ‘It all went a bit mad after that, but we thought it was other people every step of the way.’

Isla: ‘I was like shall I either bother putting on make-up as we’ll just be in the back!’

What has it been like since moving to SmackDown and being part of such a well know WWE brand?

Isla: ‘It’s unreal. It’s been lovely too, because everyone has been so welcoming and it’s been the best environment to go into. It’s nerve-wracking because it’s like your starting at a new school but everyone has been so lovely.’

Alba: ‘I feel like everyone really wants to help as well, they give advice when it’s asked for and it’s just a nice environment to be in.’

Fyre and Dawn arrived on SmackDown as the NXT Women’s Tag Team champions

Talk to us about the Women’s tag team scene in WWE, what have you made of it and how much are you looking forward to mixing it up with Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler?

Alba:’ I feel like coming up to SmackDown has opened it for us and there are so many people we can go in and create new matches with, and new stories with that we’ve never done before – and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.’

Isla: ‘There’s such a diverse range of teams there, even with Katana Chance and Kayden Carter being called up, we’re on different brands but that’s something we can also revisit. Then there is Ronda and Shayna, who are Ronda and Shayna.’

Alba: ‘You’d be mad to step in the ring with them, but you’d be mad to not want to step in the ring with them. They are definitely a challenge we’d like to take on.’

Isla: ‘Also when Liv Morgan is back there’s her and Raquel and they never lost their titles so that’s another match.’

Alba: ‘And obviously Damage CTRL are kicking around on our brand, too, so wherever you look there are great teams for us to mingle with.’

WWE’s two women’s tag team champions will meet in a unification match on SmackDown

It seems the women’s tag team scene is improving, especially as in the past it has been criticised for some fans for it’s lack of depth and real tag teams. What are your feelings on how it’s viewed?   Alba: ‘Who knows? It’s not really our jobs to decide that but whatever we’re given we’re going to work with.’

Isla: ‘Obviously we were single wrestlers for our entire careers and we’ve only come together now, but we very much a team and have fully invested everything into us as a team.’

Alba: ‘And with that, a team name. We didn’t want to just be Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn or some combination of our names, we wanted a name that could just be us. Dawn of Fyre was suggested but there’s no room to grow anything as it’s just our names, whereas who knows what Unholy Union could be. It’s what we wanted for a while, so we’re really glad to have it now.’

Isla: ‘There’s so much talent with Damager CRTL, Ronda/Shayna, and there’s so much growth for people to invest. With those teams  hopefully it grows the division because we want to be a staplehold for the division and show that although there have been some great women’s tag teams in the past, we are the next one and this is a division that’s strong. It’s not just throwaway tag teams it’s a full division.’

You’ve both spoken about the role Shawn Michaels role in your career, what has it been like having him on hand during your time in NXT?

Alba: ‘He’s helped so much. Just knowing that he’s there, you want to give him your best. In NXT UK we used to joke that he was the voice of God because he would be in America and he’d watch our matches and then talk to us over a tannoy.’

Isla: ‘The first time that happened I was terrified! I had just finished a match and they were like ok clear and then this voice said ‘good job ladies’ and I jumped out of my skin thinking what was that?’

WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels has been a massive help to Fyre and Dawn in NXT

Alba: ‘Then getting to come over here to NXT and work with him personally and see him around all the time, as well as all the coaches here – there’s so many of them I couldn’t name them all – it’s unreal. Getting to come here and train under that for a while it’s definitely improved us.’

Isla: ‘There’s such a depth of training, too. There are people who have recently been in the system like your Oney Locon and then there’s your Fit Finlay’s, your Johnny Moss, Norman Smiley – there’s so many. You can’t name them all, but they all bring such different things to the table that you can take a little bit from this one and a little bit from that one and this place can breed the most perfect wrestlers because it’s like a learning tree.’

Shawn was obviously part of a legendary tag team in The Rockers, what tag teams did you enjoy and have you taken any inspiration from them?

Isla: ‘Kane and Undertaker!’

Alba: ‘I’ve been part of tag teams previously for a small amount of time, and there were little bits and influences that come from a lot of different places. Kane and Undertaker has to be at the top, you can totally see that with us.’

Isla: ‘Even looking back to older teams like the Jumping Bomb Angels to the guys in NXT now like Gallus, The Dyad, people who were close with and get to work with. There’s such a range that you end up taking bits from everyone and different eras and just find what works.’

We’re just a week away from WWE coming over to these shores for Money in the Bank, as two Superstars who cut their teeth in the UK, how much are you looking forward to the event?

Alba: ‘There’s nothing like the UK crowds and I feel like they deserve every pay-per-view they get. I’m still going to be biased and say we want one in Scotland, because Wales has had one now, London this year, so maybe Scotland next. The London show is going to be a riot and so much fun.’

Isla: ‘It’s so cool for us as well because it was only a year ago we were in London every six weeks for NXT UK tapings and it’s such a mental thing to think we were there in the studios with no crowds and just trying our best to get the brand working. Now SmackDown and Money in the Bank are going to be in London and we’re there as well.’

Finally, you’re two of a number of Scottish Superstars to have made it onto the WWE roster, is there something in the water in Scotland right now?

Alba: ‘It’s so mad because I remember when Paige got hired way back and I was like they’ve got someone from the UK now, they don’t need any of us.

Then Nikki (Cross) went and they had a Scottish girl, so they definitely won’t need us. But since then I just don’t know what has happened, but we’re not complaining.’

Drew McIntyre leads a number of WWE Superstars on the roster who hail from Scotland

Isla: ‘Coming up in Scotland you didn’t see anyone do it. Obviously, Drew (McIntyre) done it, but it’s good to now look ahead and think we can influence the next generation of Scottish wrestlers coming through. Because we’re tiny, just 5 million people!

Alba: In NXT there are five championships, including Noam Dar and at one point five people holding those championships were from Scotland. It’s mind blowing.’