10 Wrestlers Who'll Become WWE Champions For The First Time In 2017
9. The Authors Of Pain
2016 has seen outstanding teams like American Alpha, The Revival, and DIY make NXT’s Tag Title scene one of the most exciting divisions in WWE. Such teams have put the championships on the map with a series of blockbuster performances over the past 12 months, and when the “Match of the Year” votes start coming in, their matches together will surely feature near the top.
The belts are about to enter a transitional phase, however. American Alpha have already been called-up, The Revival will soon follow them, and while DIY are the current champions, it’s hard to imagine them staying in NXT all the way through to 2018. They need some new challengers, and while the fast-rising TM-61 might give Gargano & Ciampa a better match, the bullish Authors of Pain are next in line.
Akam & Rezar secured the biggest win of their young careers with a Paul Ellering-assisted Dusty Classic finals win at TakeOver: Toronto. They’re a set of gigantic, imposing brutes who act as the polar opposite of DIY in terms of style and mindset, and while still green, The Authors will benefit from going up against one of the best teams in the business.
Look for them to unseat Gargano & Ciampa sooner rather than later. They’re still undefeated in NXT, after all, and while it’ll be a while before The Authors of Pain are ready for a call-up, they’ll get a decent NXT Tag Title run.