Sunny Dhinsa (May 20, 1993) is a Canadian professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler previously signed to WWE under the ring name Akam. He is a former NXT Tag Team Champion along with Rezar as The Authors of Pain.
Professional wrestling career
World Wrestling Entertainment
NXT (2015-2018)
Dhinsa made his NXT debut in 2015 on the April 4th edition of the show, where he joined a battle royal to determine the NXT Title.
The Authors of Pain (2016-2020)
The following year in 2016, Dhinsa joined forces with Gzim Selmani to form the tag team known as The Authors of Pain, with Dhinsa as Author of Pain #2, and Selmani as Author of Pain #1. The team won their debut match on May 16, defeating Cezar Bononi & Chris Atkins. Their first title match was on May 21, challenging American Alpha (Chad Gable & Jason Jordan) for the NXT Tag Team Championship. Despite losing to American Alpha, the Authors of Pain faced the champions in a title rematch on May 26, but were again defeated. On October 28, The Authors of Pain joined the second Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament, where they eliminated No Way Jose & Rich Swann in the quarter finals of the tournament. On October 30, The Authors of Pain eliminated team #DIY during the semi finals. On November 19 at NXT TakeOver: Toronto, The Authors of Pain eliminated team TM-61 to win the tournament final and become the 2016 winners of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. From November 30th through the month of December 2016, The Authors of Pain remained on a winning streak, defeating teams including Anthony Bowens & Jonathan Ortagun, Heavy Machinery, and Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford.
During the course of 2017, The Authors of Pain pursued the NXT Tag Team titles held by #DIY. They lost their first title match challenge during the January 12th edition of NXT. Two days later on January 14, they met in a title rematch resulting in a second loss to the defending champions. At NXT TakeOver: San Antonio, The Authors of Pain defeated DIY, win the NXT Tag Team titles for the first time. They retained the titles for most of the first half of 2017 before losing the titles at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III, to SAnitY team members Alexander Wolfe & Eric Young. They won their title rematch on October 4 however, because SAnitY had been disqualified, the titles did not change hands. On the following night on NXT Live, team SAnitY retained their tag titles against The Authors of Pain.
Akam & Rezar returned in 2018 on January 4, winning a #1 Contendership match for the NXT Tag Team titles after defeating The Street Profits. They went on through January, wrestling against teams including SAnitY and Heavy Machinery. On January 27 at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia, The Authors of Pain challenged The Undisputed ERA (Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly) for the NXT Tag Team Championship but did not succeed in winning the titles. On February 2, The Authors Of Pain entered the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, advancing in the first round after eliminating TM-61 (Nick Miller & Shane Thorne). On February 17, The Authors of Pain met The Undisputed ERA once more in a title match for the NXT Tag Team Championship, but were once more defeated. On March 7, The Authors Of Pain returned for the semifinals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, eliminating The Street Profits. Later they competed in the tournament final, competing against Pete Dunne & Roderick Strong, but both teams were disqualified. On April 7 at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, a tournament final rematch was held in the form of a triple threat match involving The Undisputed ERA. Neither The Authors Of Pain or Dunne & Strong succeeded in winning the match. They wrestled their final NXT match on April 19, defeating TM-61.
Raw (2018-2020)
On the April 9 edition of RAW, The Authors of Pain, along with Ellering, made their main roster debut as heels, defeating Heath Slater & Rhyno. Following the match, Akam & Rezar told Ellering to back off, signaling that he was no longer going to manage the group. Akam & Rezar defeated Heath Slater & Rhyno during the following week's Monday Night RAW, in 2:36 after having decimated Slater & Rhyno the previous week in under a minute. The Authors of Pain finished their debut month on Monday Night RAW with a victory on the April 30 episode, defeating Francois & Jean-Paul in 1:05. Returning on the May 7 episode of RAW, The Authors of Pain wrestled and won a dark match, defeating two anonymous opponents. Returning to televised programming on the June 25 episode of RAW, the Authors of Pain defeated the team of Rex Gibson & Rich Gibson in less than a minute. Returning for the July 2 episode of RAW, the Authors of Pain faced a stronger challenge in Titus Worldwide (Apollo Crews & Titus O'Neil), defeating the pair in 2:50. The following week on the July 9 episode of RAW, the Authors of Pain prevailed once more, defeating Titus Worldwide in a rematch ended at 2:15, forty-five minutes less than their previous encounter. On the July 30 episode of RAW, Apollo Crews defeats Akam in a singles match. Their team rivalry continued in a six-man tag match held on the August 13 episode of RAW, in which the Authors of Pain teamed with Mojo Rawley, losing for the first time against Titus Worldwide and their ally Bobby Roode. This defeat was avenged during the following week's August 20 episode of RAW, defeating Titus Worldwide in a two-on-two tag match putting an end to their tag team rivalry. Returning on the September 3 episode of RAW, The Authors Of Pain defeated Jimmy James & Keith Thompson in a squash match lasting only 0:30. On the September 10 episode of RAW, the Authors Of Pain defeated Nathan Bradley & Ronnie Ace at 1:20. The following week on the September 17 episode of RAW in Dallas, Texas, the Authors of Pain defeated local wrestlers Barrett Brown & Gregory James within precisely 1:00. On the September 24 episode of RAW, the Authors of Pain teamed with Baron Corbin in a six-man tag match lost to reunited members of The Shield Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins.
Akam was released by WWE on September 4, 2020.
In wrestling
- Finishing Moves
- Pumphandle Death Valley Bomb
- Signature Moves
- Backbreaker Rack
- DDT
- Death Valley Bomb into the Turnbuckle
- Powerbomb
- Running Big Boot
- Running Powerslam
- Russian Legsweep
- with Rezar
- Double-team finishing moves
- The Last Chapter
- Super Collider (Stereo powerbombs, after colliding their opponents)-2017,used as a signature thereafter
- Double-team finishing moves
- Managers
- Tag teams and stables
- The Tribe (w/ Gzim Selmani & Lovepreet Sangha)
- The Authors of Pain (w/ Rezar)
- Nicknames
Championships and accomplishments
- WWE NXT
- NXT Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Rezar
- Winner of the 2016 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament - with Rezar
- World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWE Raw Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Rezar
