The NXT Tag Team Championship will be defended at NXT Takeover: Philadelphia after the title holders were involved in the now infamous NXT Takeover: War Games. Authors of Pain look to reclaim the titles against the now established team of Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish.
The story of this match goes way back to August with NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III, where the now tag team champions – Fish & O’Reilly – attacked the teams of SAnitY (who just won the tag tittles that night) and their opponents this Saturday, Authors of Pain. The pair from The Undisputed Era quickly stablished themselves as a threat in the Tag Team Division, attacking relentlessly every team that got on their way. They would eventually beat the team of Sanity and claim gold in less than 2 months in the NXT brand. The hard-hitting, MMA-influenced and furious style that always followed the former reDRagon has been on display since their arrival, but at NXT Takeover: Philadelphia, they will be put to the test, as they go toe-to-toe against one the most dominating tag team in NXT’s history.
Authors of Pain has had a rocky road since losing the tag titles against SAnitY. When they were champions, the story was that nobody could go up-front and beat the gigantic team of Akam and Rezar, managed by the legendary Paul Ellering. The team’s size, resistance to huge impacts and great coordination in offense, made them an indestructible unit. They ran through teams like TM-61 in the 2016 Dusty Classic, The Revival, Heavy Machinery and #DIY. It wasn’t until the chaotic unit of SAnitY, commanded by Eric Young, that we saw a flaw to the team and in the process, lose their titles.
If anything can describe the current state of WWE’s third brand, it’s chaotic. The Undisputed Era have gone out of their way to make NXT their show, with them ruling over everybody, creating havoc amongst talent and establishing themselves as the main attraction. It seems that each day that we see the NXT brand, Author of Pain are more and more outside of the picture. Their run has gone for more than a year since their debut in NXT Takeover: The End – attacking American Alpha – and now, it seems that they are on their way out to the main roster. It’s now clear that the team to conquer the NXT tag team division is The Undisputed Era of Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish.
Prediction: O’Reilly and Fish retain the tag titles against the Authors of Pain. That’s usually the case when a team has run their course in NXT and their next chapter is going to the main roster. Also, the brand has pushed greatly The Undisputed Era, with them winning the War Games, Adam Cole being heavily showcased against their top stars and the former Re-Dragon quickly winning the tag titles.
