WWE Rumors: Major Changes Reportedly Planned For Top ‘Monday Night Raw’ Faction
Injuries are an unfortunate reality of the wrestling business, and sometimes they derail major storylines. WWE superstar Rezar got injured on a recent episode of Monday Night Raw, which is expected to keep him sidelined for at least five months. Furthermore, his injury also means that changes will be made to the faction he is part of alongside Akam, Buddy Murphy and Seth Rollins.
Citing the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Sportskeeda reports that Rezar’s injury is likely to result in Akam being taken off the program as well. Both superstars debuted as a tag team called The Authors of Pain, and WWE doesn’t appear to be interested in using Akam as part of the faction without his longtime cohort.
This is unfortunate news for both superstars, as they have been featured in some big storylines in recent months. Rollins is one of the biggest superstars in the company, and serving as his backup was getting both performers plenty of TV time on Monday Night Raw.
Akam and Rezar have mainly been assisting Rollins in his feud against Kevin Owens. While they haven’t been the main focus of the faction, being aligned with “The Beast Slayer” has caused their stardom to rise quite significantly. Previously, they were barely featured on the show before the group was formed.
While Rollins has paired up with Murphy from time to time — they even won the Raw Tag Team Championships together — it remains to be seen if they will be the only members of the group moving forward. According to Sportskeeda‘s report, WWE has no plans to add any replacement superstars for Rezar and Akam. However, that could change at a later date.
It remains to be seen if Akam will be taken off the program completely until his partner recovers, or if he will be repackaged and given an opportunity as a singles star. Since his alleged removal from the red brand’s weekly show has coincided with his partner’s injury, he will likely take a break.
#AOP @Akam_WWE & @Rezar_WWE have a mission and look to sit atop the tag team MOUNTAIN on #RAW! pic.twitter.com/Edj0sIFuMC
— WWE (@WWE) October 8, 2019
However, Rollins has discussed adding new members to his stable in the past — including the possibility of a female superstar. Just don’t expect her to be his real-life fiancee, Becky Lynch.
It’s not uncommon for wrestlers to be removed from the TV lineup when their partner gets injured or suspended. In 2019, Matt Hardy only made a handful of appearances after his brother, Jeff Hardy, got injured last April. The Usos were also recently on hiatus for similar reasons.
