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The Authors of Pain made their long-awaited WWE main-roster debut when they appeared on Raw earlier this month to defeat Heath Slater and Rhyno in convincing fashion.
Following the match, the monstrous Akam and Rezar distanced themselves from Paul Ellering and it has since been confirmed that the experienced manager will no longer represent AOP in WWE.
A recent report from PW Insider suggested the decision was made for Ellering to part ways with the duo simply because WWE would rather use him in NXT instead of on the main roster.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at five Superstars and/or tag teams who the legendary former Road Warriors and AOP manager could join forces with next.
#5 Lars Sullivan
If Brock Lesnar leaves WWE this year, there’s a possibility that Paul Heyman will remain with the company and become an advocate for another member of the roster.
Lars Sullivan is a name that often comes up when fans speculate who Heyman could represent next. However, “The Leviathan” is still in the early process of building his character on NXT television, so it would be seen as a considerable demotion if the former ECW owner suddenly left the WWE spotlight to appear on NXT.
Rather than Heyman, Paul Ellering is a much more likely representative for the up-and-comer. The former AOP manager could talk the talk while Sullivan walks the walk as a silent destroyer.
#4 Rachael Ellering
With another Mae Young Classic on the horizon, there’s every chance that WWE could bring back Paul Ellering’s daughter, Rachael, to compete in the tournament for the second year in a row.
Rachael, who goes by the name Rachel Evers on WWE television, defeated Marti Belle in the first round of the inaugural Mae Young Classic in 2017 before she was eliminated in the second round by Abbey Laith.
Perhaps WWE could decide to pair the Ellerings up, if only for a short while, if Rachael returns to NXT this year or if she competes in the next Mae Young Classic.
#3 Riddick Moss and Tino Sabbatelli
Riddick Moss and Tino Sabbatelli have won just two televised matches since joining forces in late 2016 and there have been signs recently that the perennial losers of the NXT tag division could soon split up.
It wouldn’t be all that surprising if the two went their separate ways, especially considering the potential that Sabbatelli has to be a major heel as a singles competitor, but it also wouldn’t be the worst idea if they welcomed aboard a manager to help get them back on track.
Paul Ellering could attempt to revive their careers as a tag duo and, just like he did with the Authors of Pain, help them become serious NXT Tag Team title contenders.
#2 The Revival
While reports state that WWE made Paul Ellering split up with AOP because they would prefer to use him in NXT, it has also been rumoured that the reason behind the split had nothing to do with Ellering not wanting to travel as part of the main roster.
This is the most outlandish suggestion of the five, but if WWE had a change of heart and decided to use the brains behind AOP as a main-roster manager, then they could do far worse than pair him up with The Revival.
Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson have lost their way on Monday Night Raw and could get their WWE careers going in the right direction again with help from the experienced Ellering.
#1 War Raiders
If Paul Ellering represents a current NXT tag team in a similar way to how he worked with the Authors of Pain, then the newly signed War Raiders are the heavy favourites to bring him on board as their manager.
Hanson and Rowe are effectively a like-for-like replacement for Akam and Rezar in the NXT tag division and they made their intentions known on their debut earlier this month when they attacked Heavy Machinery, Riddick Moss and Tino Sabbatelli.
It’s pretty clear that the company has high hopes for the former IWGP and ROH Tag Team champions, and an alliance with Paul Ellering would only further cement their status as one of the hottest tag team prospects in all of WWE.
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