Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but one big tag team return may finally be imminent.
The Authors of Pain looked like they could become a dominant team on the main roster. Akam and Rezar, lead by Paul Ellering, had their way in NXT.
But, in a stroke of anything but genius, once the pair landed on the main roster, Ellering was removed from the equation.
And do you remember much else about the team after that? I didn’t think so.
After losing one to injury, the duo was removed from television and then ultimately released.
But, here’s where things get…interesting.
There have been reports for the better part of a year that the Authors Of Pain would not only return to WWE…but that they’d already been re-signed.
Big Tag Team Return May Finally Be Imminent
According to a recent report via Fightful, the team has apparently been hanging around the Performance Center as far back as late 2022.
That would put them on WWE property right around the time that Triple H ascended to the head of creative following Vince McMahon’s forced retirement.
Since that initial rise for Hunter, there was a brief power struggle, with McMahon forcing himself back in. Once the sale he wanted was a done deal, however?
Vince lost the creative power struggle, and things are back to how they should be.
Why does this matter? Well, if we assume AOP were brought back by Triple H, then any plans for them could have been delayed or squashed by Vince.
With McMahon gone, the path for return is very wide open.
Per the report, we should see the Authors return “very soon”. The the current expectation is that they will do so on the SmackDown brand.
And, SmackDown teased a new stable with Karrion Kross with the AOP. Therefore, we could see that trio appear next Friday.
We will have to see if Paul Ellering also joins the new stable.
