This past Monday on Raw, WWE almost brought back former NXT Tag Team Champions, The Authors of Pain, before finally deciding against it.

According to Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Live, The AOP (Akam and Rezar) were almost included as one of the eight teams involved in the Tag Team Turmoil match — a match eventually won by Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode. There's no word yet on why the didn't return, but officials decided against using them and will instead send Roode and Ziggler to Clash of Champions to meet the current Raw titleholders in Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins.

This is great news for Roode and Ziggler but leaves the future for The Authors of Pain uncertain. The team has been out of action for some time, only recently making an appearance in June at the latest SuperShow Down event in the 50-Man Battle Royal. Akam was dealing with a serious knee injury that had kept him out of action. WWE was said to be eyeing the right time to bring the team back. Both men are still listed as officially part of the Raw roster but that debut will have to wait.

What This Means

With both members of the team ready to go and perhaps among the strongest of the tag team division in either brand, it stands to reason WWE has bigger plans for them upon their return. Throwing them into an eight-team turmoil match, especially had they not won, would have lessened the impact of their return.

When they do come back, it is likely they will be without the services of Drake Maverick who is wrapped up in the 24/7 Championship storyline. When the team returns and who they work a program with is not certain and Alvarez did not have those details to divulge.

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