WWE: How reDRagon Could Ignite the NXT Tag Team Division

WWE NXT can use Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish to help save its tag team division.

The state of the NXT Tag Team division has fallen flat following the untimely demise of fan favorites, #DIY at NXT Takeover: Chicago this past May. However, in recent weeks, two familiar faces in the world of professional wrestling have debuted at Full Sail Arena to join the WWE NXT brand. These men are two highly accomplished former Ring of Honor stars, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly.

For those who are unaware, both Fish and O’Reilly are well-travelled and highly touted competitors who have built impressive resumes throughout their respective careers. Fish is a former ROH World Television Champion and O’Reilly is a former ROH World Champion, PWG Champion, and 2013 PWG Battle of Los Angeles winner. Not only have the two men found success in singles competition, but to many, they are best known for their work as the tag team, reDRagon.

The hard-hitting duo have been incredibly successful, particularly during their time with Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling. The team won the NJPW 2014 Super Junior Tag Team Tournament, are former 2-time IWGP Junior Tag Team Champions, and 3-time Ring of Honor Tag Team Champions.

However, it is interesting to note that the two men’s NXT debuts came two weeks apart, and were not introduced as a unit. Whether or not WWE intends for them to pursue singles careers remains to be seen, but at this time, they are desperately needed to breathe new life into the NXT Tag Team division.

Currently, NXT has an abundance of singles competitors who respectively could be placed in a program to compete for the NXT Championship. Talent such as Drew McIntyre, Roderick Strong, Hideo Itami, Aleister Black, and Kassius Ohno could all be legitimate contenders to fight for the title. Where the problem currently lies for the NXT brand is their desperate need to rebuild its lackluster Tag Team Division.

Since its inception, NXT has forged fantastic tag teams such as The Revival, American Alpha, The Ascension, and #DIY. It should also be worth noting that current NXT Tag Team Champions, The Authors of Pain, have come along way since their debut, and have maintained their undefeated status for well over a year now. However, with the recent main roster callups, breakups, and injuries to NXT tag teams, there is no one left to compete with the Authors of Pain to create a believable story.

Recently, the newly formed team of Heavy Machinery failed to capture the NXT Tag Team titles after challenging AOP to a match with virtually no buildup or buzz around. It was almost as if WWE were just booking Heavy Machinery in that position simply because they could size up to the behemoths, Akam and Rezar. Aside from Heavy Machinery, the only other active team on the roster they can face are their NXT Takeover Brooklyn III opponents, Alexander Wolfe and Killian Dain of Sanity. Once again, this match hardly makes sense by industry standards, as two heel teams will face off against each other in a match that no one is talking about.

Assuming that The Authors of Pain retain their titles at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III, the question now becomes, who is left to challenge them? The only formidable opponents for the current champions would be fan favorites, TM-61. However, Shane Thorne is still recovering from a knee injury, which initial reports indicated that he could be out of action until October. With that being said, WWE may need to tweak their tentative plans for both Fish and O’Reilly if they want to push them as singles competitors. On the contrary, it may be no coincidence that the duo debuted two weeks apart and competed against the same opponent in Aleister Black. Regardless of the speculation, WWE needs to do what is right for NXT’s current product and introduce reDRagon to the NXT Universe.

Next: WWE NXT Review, August 2

Between the two men, it is likely that in the long-term WWE will invest much more in O’Reilly than they will in Fish. Fish is 37 years old and when comparing their resumes, Kyle O’Reilly is most definitely the horse to bet on when it comes to the future star factor. At 30 years old, O’Reilly has already accomplished a great deal, and it is likely that the trend will continue in WWE in the years to come. Nevertheless, all of the success that can be attained as singles competitors should not be the current focus for WWE. By pairing the two men together and introducing them to a more unfamiliar audience this could be a huge momentum swing for both men’s careers and for the NXT Tag Team Division moving forward.