Stars threatened to quit WWE on RAW

Over the years, fans have seen a few disgruntled stars walk out of WWE. Sasha Banks and Naomi did it in 2022 just before an episode of Monday Night RAW. While this incident is highly publicized, there was another instance where two stars threatened to leave WWE.

In 2018, former NXT Tag Team Champions Akam and Rezar, known as the Authors of Pain, were called up to the main roster. AOP had found success on NXT, as they were paired with legendary manager Paul Ellering.

However, on their debut on RAW, they ended the association with Ellering. Now, Rezar, whose real name is Gzim Selmani, has revealed that this creative decision nearly led to them quitting WWE.

Talking to Metro UK, Rezar said that after they were told that they would have to part ways with Ellering on the main roster, they were ready to put down their papers on their first night on RAW.

"To be honest, when we had to leave Paul Ellering, that was the day that we were deciding to stop with WWE. 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 back together later,'" he said.

Rezar then mentioned that the decision likely came from Vince McMahon, who didn't want elder people to be around on the main roster.

"And it was a Vince McMahon thing. 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," he added.

You can watch the interview below:

After moving on from Ellering, AOP were managed by Drake Maverick, and they soon won the RAW Tag Team Championship. They would lose the Titles to the team of Chad Gable and Bobby Roode on RAW.

After some fleeting feuds and a brief absence, they allied themselves with Seth Rollins in late 2019. AOP were subsquently released by WWE in September 2020.

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Authors of Pain returned for another WWE run

Following their WWE release, Akam and Rezar competed on the independent circuit as the Legion of Pain.

They made their return to WWE in 2024 alongside Paul Ellering and joined Karrion Kross as part of The Final Testament stable. They began a feud with Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits, known as The Pride.

This culminated in a Philadelphia Street Fight at WrestleMania XL, where The Final Testament lost.

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If you use quotes from this article, please credit Metro UK and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.