The IIconics

The IIconics are an Australian professional wrestling tag team consisting of Billie Kay and Peyton Royce, currently signed to WWE, performing on its Raw brand.[3][4] Kay and Royce, who are real-life friends, both attended Westfields Sports High School and were trained by Madison Eagles. They are the first all-Australian tag team champions in WWE history, and the first Australians to win a title at WrestleMania, WWE's flagship event.[5]

The IIconics
Billie Kay (left) and Peyton Royce (right) in 2019
Tag team
MembersJessie McKay / Jessie / Billie Kay
KC Cassidy / Cassie / Peyton Royce
Name(s)The Iconic Duo[1]
The IIconics[2]
Jessie and Cassie
Jessie McKay and KC Cassidy
Billed heightsBillie Kay: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Peyton Royce: 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Combined
billed weight		264 lb (120 kg)
Billed fromSydney, Australia
Debut8 May 2015
Years active2015–present
TrainerMadison Eagles

Prior to WWE, Kay and Royce wrestled in Pro Wrestling Women's Alliance (PWWA) in Australia under the names Jessie McKay and KC Cassidy.[6] They debuted as a team on 8 May 2015 shortly after being both signed on WWE's division NXT, and were used as jobbers on house shows, not picking up a single victory as a team for almost a year and half; during that time, they were renamed Jessie and Cassie, before taking on their current names of Billie Kay and Peyton Royce.

The two debuted on NXT television on 5 October 2016, later dubbing themselves The Iconic Duo and unsuccessfully chasing after the NXT Women's Championship. They made their move to the main roster by joining SmackDown on 10 April 2018, now as The IIconics, and captured the Women's Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 35 the following year.

History

Origins

Before forming as a team, Kay (under her real name Jessie McKay) and Royce (as KC Cassidy) wrestled each other at Pro Wrestling Women's Alliance (PWWA) throughout their careers including a title match for the PWWA Championship.[7][8]

Both women joined WWE, where they were assigned to NXT, in 2015, originally under their ring names from PWWA. Cassidy made her debut on the May 15th episode of NXT, losing to NXT Women's Champion Sasha Banks in a non-title match.[9]

NXT (2015–2018)

McKay and Cassidy were teamed up shortly after joining NXT, although they would only appear in house shows for over a year. Their first match as a team was on 8 May 2015 at a house show in Largo, Florida, where they lost to Bayley and Carmella in what was also McKay's first match in WWE.[10][11] For a period of over a year, the two were used as jobbers and lost all of their matches as a team, although they won a few separately; during that period, they were renamed Cassie (Royce) and Jessie (Kay), before taking on their names of Peyton Royce and Billie Kay in August 2015.[12][13]

The team made their TV debut on the 5 October 2016 episode of NXT, and were later dubbed "The Iconic Duo".[14] Almost a year and a half after the creation of their team, the duo picked up their first win on 14 October 2016 at a house show in Fort Pierce, Florida, defeating Aliyah and Liv Morgan.[15] They also won their first match on television on the 28 December 2016 episode of NXT, defeating Aliyah and Morgan again.[16] On 28 January 2017 at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio, the two were voted 2016's "Breakout of the Year" at the NXT Year-End Awards; they also competed at the event in their live TV debut, both losing in a fatal four-way match for the NXT Women's Championship won by defending champion Asuka.[17][18]

At NXT TakeOver: WarGames, Royce unsuccessfully competed in a fatal four-way match for the vacant NXT Women's Championship against Kairi Sane, Nikki Cross, and winner Ember Moon.[19] The duo's final televised match on NXT TV was on the 4 October 2017 episode of NXT in a loss against Cross and Ruby Riott, although they kept on competing in house shows; their final match as a part of the NXT brand was on 21 April 2018 at a house show in Fort Pierce, Florida, where they lost against Dakota Kai and Steffanie Newell; after the match, both teams hugged each other.[20][21]

SmackDown brand and WWE Women's Tag Team Champions (2018–2019)

Kay and Royce, now known as "The IIconics", debuted on the 10 April 2018 episode of SmackDown Live, attacking SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair, allowing Carmella to cash in her Money in the Bank contract and defeat Flair to win the championship.[22][23][24][25][26][27] The following week on SmackDown, The IIconics won their first match on the main roster by defeating Asuka and Becky Lynch.[28] On 6 October at Super Show-Down in their native country, they defeated Asuka and Naomi.[29]

In 2019, The IIconics entered their first Royal Rumble match at the eponymous event, eliminating Nikki Cross before being eliminated by Lacey Evans.[30] The following month at Elimination Chamber, they participated in the first female tag team Elimination Chamber match to determine the inaugural holders of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, eliminating Naomi and Carmella before being eliminated by Nia Jax and Tamina; the match was ultimately won by The Boss 'n' Hug Connection (Bayley and Sasha Banks).[31] In March, The IIconics started a feud with The Boss 'n' Hug Connection, whom they defeated in a non–title match on the 19 March episode of SmackDown.[32] .[33] Because of their win, they (and two other teams) challenged Banks and Bayley for the championship at WrestleMania 35 in a fatal four–way tag team match.[34][35][36] At the event on 7 April, The IIconics won the Women's Tag Team Championship after Kay pinned Bayley.[37] Their win made them the first all-Australian tag team champions in WWE history (the only previous occurrence of an Australian tag team champion was Buddy Murphy, who became NXT Tag Team Champion alongside American Wesley Blake in 2015), and the first Australians to win a title at WrestleMania.[5][38]

Two days later on SmackDown, in their first title defence, The IIconics defeated Kris Statlander and Karissa Rivera.[39] On the 17 June episode of Raw, the IIconics successfully defended their titles against Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross.[40] On the 16 July episode of SmackDown, The IIconics retained their titles against The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) via count-out.[41]

On the 5 August episode of Raw, the duo lost the titles to Bliss and Cross in a fatal four-way elimination match. They were the first team eliminated in the match, being knocked out by Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. Their reign ended at 120 days.[42]

Raw brand (2019–present)

On 16 October, it was announced that The IIconics had been drafted to Raw as supplemental picks of the 2019 WWE Draft.[43]

The team made their return on the 11 May 2020 episode of Raw, interrupting WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross. They later defeated the champions in a non-title match.[44]

Other media

Kay and Royce made their video game debut in WWE 2K18 and its sequels WWE 2K19 and WWE 2K20.[45]

Championship and accomplishments
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References
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  4. "Peyton Royce". WWE. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
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  11. Middleton, Marc (9 May 2015). "WWE NXT Live Event Results From Largo (5/8): Tye Dillinger Main Events, New Recruits In Action, More". Wrestling Inc. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
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