Jaxson Ryker’s defeat of Elias in a Symphony of Destruction Match on July 19th may have had more ramifications than anyone expected.
Ryker and Elias initially began teaming together in December 2020 and appeared regularly on RAW. However, the team split in May after losing to RAW Tag Team Champions AJ Styles and Omos. After the acrimonious split the two Superstars faced off in numerous matches including a Strap Match.
The rivalry came to a head two months later with Ryker defeating Elias on RAW in a Symphony of Destruction Match. After the defeat Elias disappeared from WWE television, that is until a mysterious vignette aired on August 9th.
In the clip the former 24/7 Champion is shown standing next to a roaring fire while clips from his match with Ryker flash in and out, accompanied by chants of “Walk With Elias.”
As the video ends, Elias places his guitar on the fire, with the voiceover from the star saying that “WWE used to stand for Walk With Elias, but Elias is dead.”
The former NXT Superstar signed with WWE back in 2014, initially appearing on the black and gold brand as The Drifter.
The Pittsburgh native arrived on the main roster in 2017, before going on to clash with the likes of The Undertaker, Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens.
The August 9th edition of RAW also saw the return of Randy Orton after seven weeks away.
After Orton arrived back on the red brand, Riddle tried to rekindle the partnership, only to be rebuffed by The Viper. Riddle attempted to get back in Orton’s good graces at numerous points during the show, but was ultimately unsuccessful.
Despite being told not to come to ringside during Orton’s clash with AJ Styles, Riddle arrived as the match headed to a conclusion to help Orton claim victory. After the match, the pair embraced in the ring much to Orton’s discomfort. Although the harmony was short-lived as The Legend Killer quickly hit an RKO on Riddle as the show went off the air.