Akam and Rezar once threatened to quit WWE.
Following stints in WWE’s developmental brand of NXT, in-ring talents then usually ascend to the company’s main roster. This was the case for Akam and Rezar, known as The Authors of Pain, in April 2018. As revealed in a new interview with Metro UK, however, it almost wasn’t.
According to Rezar, he and Akam expected to move up to WWE Raw alongside their on-screen manager, Paul Ellering. Upon arriving for their first day on the brand, WWE told them otherwise.
“That was the day that we were deciding to stop with WWE,’ Rezar said. “We were just called up. And the first day at the main roster, they were telling us, ‘You have to leave Paul Ellering.’ 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 [band] back together later.’‘
Despite an initial desire to walk out, Akam and Rezar ultimately decided to follow through with the plans for their main roster debut, which saw them defeat Heath Slater and Rhyno. Afterward, the pair celebrated their victory, while pushing away Ellering in the process. This gesture signaled the end of their partnership with Ellering (until their WWE return in 2024).
Rezar attributes this move to a strange notion held by then-WWE CEO Vince McMahon. “He didn’t like older people than him or people his age on the show. He wanted to be the only elderly person who would be in the spotlight at the time,” Rezar said.
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