Rezar is finally speaking out about his WWE release — and he says it wasn’t just about creative plans falling apart.
The Authors of Pain were part of WWE’s February 7, 2025 wave of cuts that also included Akam, Paul Ellering, Cedric Alexander, Sonya Deville, and Blair Davenport. At the time, reports pointed to stalled storylines and backstage perception issues after the Wyatt Sicks angle collapsed. Now, more than a year later, Rezar is claiming a specific backstage situation played a role.
While speaking to Casinostugan on February 27, 2026, Rezar explained that things shifted quickly behind the scenes — and the change was obvious.
“There was something that happened backstage. After that, we weren’t getting called on any shows anymore, so the message was clear.”
According to Rezar, the group’s absence from television wasn’t random. He says a “minor incident” took place, and after that, their momentum disappeared.
“Something happened backstage, I don’t want to get into it too much, but there was a minor incident, and obviously they didn’t like it.”
Although he declined to provide specific details about what happened, Rezar didn’t deflect responsibility. Instead, he owned his part in it — even if he believes the situation may have been more complicated than it appeared.
“I’ll take responsibility for it, I don’t care, but obviously, there’s something that led up to that situation.”
He also pointed to his long tenure with WWE, stressing that this wasn’t a pattern of behavior during his nearly decade-long run.
“I’m always professional. I was with WWE for a total of almost nine plus years. I never had an incident or anything like that, but yeah, I’ll take responsibility for it. I don’t care.”
AOP had been reintroduced to WWE television months before their release, with Paul Ellering returning alongside them. However, their on-screen momentum stalled after creative directions shifted. Now, Rezar’s comments suggest there may have been more going on behind the curtain than fans realized.
Backstage incidents in wrestling can sometimes carry consequences far beyond what fans see on TV. If Rezar’s version is accurate, that “minor incident” may have been the turning point that sealed AOP’s fate.
Do you think a single backstage moment can derail a WWE run — or was this release always coming? Drop your thoughts below and let us know what you think.