Former WWE duo almost quit before their debut on the main roster.
Authors of Pain was considered one of the rising stars in WWE NXT’s tag team division in the late 2010s. The group consisted of Akam and Rezar, with Paul Ellering serving as their manager. Many looked forward to their main roster debut in 2018, but it took an unexpected turn.
The Authors of Pain debuted on WWE RAW in April 2018, where they defeated Heath Slater and Rhyno. Following the match, they ended their relationship with the Hall of Famer by pushing him away and leaving him at ringside, later forming a partnership with Drake Maverick instead.
As it turns out, abandoning Paul Ellering was a decision that didn’t sit right with the former superstars, causing them to almost walk out of the Stamford-based promotion.
Paul Ellering Convinced The Authors Of Pain Not To Quit WWE
In a recent interview with Metro UK, the former Rezar, who is now going by his real name Gzim Selmani, said that on their first day on the main roster, they were told they had to leave Paul.
Akam, real name Sonny, and Rezar then planned to submit their resignation letter after learning they had to leave Ellering. However, the WWE Hall of Famer told them that he had helped them reach that level enough, and they worked hard enough, noting they could always reunite later on.
And me and my tag team partner Akam, Sonny, he said, “Yo, let’s just give our resignation letter and just leave”. But Paul told us, “Try it out. I’ve helped you guys to get there, so much hard work, we can always get the back back together later.”
Authors of Pain were released in 2022 but returned in 2024 with Paul Ellering, Karrion Kross, and Scarlett as part of The Final Testament. However, they were released again in February this year along with the WWE Hall of Famer.