The Authors of Pain (AOP), Akam and Rezar, recently reflected on their two WWE main roster runs, opening up about frustrations that began on their very first day and continued through to their final departure.
In an interview with Metro.co.uk, Rezar (Gzim Selmani) spoke candidly about the team’s journey, including the split from Paul Ellering, their pairing with Drake Maverick, and the unfulfilled potential of The Final Testament.
The powerhouse duo rose to prominence in NXT, capturing the NXT Tag Team Championship under the guidance of WWE Hall of Fame manager Paul Ellering. However, when they were called up in April 2018, WWE informed them Ellering would no longer be part of the act.
Rezar admitted the decision nearly drove them to quit immediately. “That was the day that we were deciding to stop with WWE,” Rezar recalled. “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… he said, ‘Yo, let’s just give our resignation letter and just leave.’”
Ellering himself convinced them to stick it out, assuring them they could reunite down the line.
According to Rezar, the decision to remove Ellering came directly from Vince McMahon’s preferences: “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.”
Their first main roster run soon saw them paired with 205 Live GM Drake Maverick, whose comedic segments often overshadowed their dominance.
While Rezar praised Maverick as a “creative genius,” he admitted the presentation never felt right, “We were never happy on the main roster. We couldn’t do our thing, we felt like a piece was missing.”
AOP were released in 2020 before returning in early 2024 as part of The Final Testament faction with Karrion Kross, Scarlett, and a returning Ellering.
Rezar said their second run also fell short, particularly regarding Kross’ positioning. “Kross has all the talent in the world to become a WWE Champion and be the face of WWE, and they just didn’t give it to him. It’s f***ing crazy.”
He added that the faction’s direction ultimately didn’t reflect what was initially promised by Paul “Triple H” Levesque, “He was very excited at the beginning and made a lot of promises that didn’t come to fruition. But I have nothing bad to say about Hunter. He was always respectful.”
The Final Testament was disbanded after the group’s release in February 2025.
Now, Rezar is shifting his focus back to combat sports.
A former national judo champion and MMA fighter, he is pursuing a boxing career and has already called out former World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall. Still, he hasn’t ruled out a wrestling return, noting that he, Akam, and Ellering remain close. “We still talk every day,” Rezar revealed.
