10 Things NXT Got Right At TakeOver: Philadelphia

9. Authors Of Pain - Babyfaces?

Rezar Bobby Fish Kyle O Reilly NXT TakeOver Philadelphia
WWE.com

The Authors of Pain have done all they can do in NXT, and will likely make the jump to the main roster sooner rather than later. Akam and Rezar have dominated the developmental tag team division since making their debut back in June 2016, running roughshod over all and sundry. They have faced everyone and done everything.

The only real question mark hanging over the inexperienced duo was about their ability to be convincing in a babyface role. Akam and Rezar are towering human beings, and garnering sympathy against smaller opponents is no easy task. The team’s performance in Philadelphia has surely put that debate to bed.

Granted, the Authors were doing battle with one of the finest tag teams on the planet in the shape of Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish. Akam and Rezar more than held their own though, with the former in particular showing great babyface fire towards the end of the match.

The former champions were ultimately unsuccessful in their quest to regain the belts, but they can head to the main roster as a hugely improved and well-rounded team. The Authors of Pain are a clear example of the benefits of WWE’s current developmental system.

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Born in the middle of Wales in the middle of the 1980's, John can't quite remember when he started watching wrestling but he has a terrible feeling that Dino Bravo was involved. Now living in Prague, John spends most of his time trying to work out how Tomohiro Ishii still stands upright. His favourite wrestler of all time is Dean Malenko, but really it is Repo Man. He is the author of 'An Illustrated History of Slavic Misery', the best book about the Slavic people that you haven't yet read. You can get that and others from www.poshlostbooks.com.