Backstage Update On WWE Status Of Akam And Rezar, The Authors Of Pain

According to a new report, the Authors of Pain, Akam and Rezar, are finally coming back to WWE television, and they're bringing their old manager with them. WWE sources revealed to Fightful Select that there are currently plans in the works for AOP to appear on "WWE SmackDown" sooner rather than later, alongside WWE Hall of Famer Paul Ellering. The team has reportedly been signed since August 2022, almost a year and a half ago

It was Fightful that first reported that the WWE was interested in bringing back AOP in January; earlier reports also had them returning to the "WWE NXT" brand in September, which never happened. It remains unclear why there's been such a long wait between WWE re-signing the tag team/manager combo and actually using them. The last time that the former "WWE NXT" and "WWE Raw" Tag Team Champions were in a WWE ring was on the March 3 episode of "WWE Raw," where they teamed with current AEW star Buddy Matthews and Seth Rollins to defeat The Street Profits and the Viking Raiders; AOP was released later that year.

It's worth noting that one month before their supposed return to the WWE Performance Center, the duo were set to start their new wrestling promotion, Wrestling Entertainment Series. AOP's debut show was canceled only three days before the event. Several stars pulled out because the original date was changed and there were disputes with pay. Recently returned WWE star Nia Jax was featured on the event's posters, but was never actually part of WES.