The countdown is officially on for the return of two former WWE stars to the company, which is something that has been rumored to be happening for several months.
The Authors of Pain are returning to WWE television. AOP (Akam and Rezar) has been believed to be under contract with WWE since 2022, as there had been a lot of talk over mid-August about AOP and Ellering returning to make appearances in NXT.
After a strong run in NXT and constant stop-and-start pushes on the main roster, AOP was let go in 2020. Fightful Select first reported AOP was believed to be under contract and slated to make a return to television shortly on the SmackDown brand.
During Friday’s SmackDown, a vignette aired to begin the hype for their return. Pwinsider reports that AOP and their manager, Paul Ellering, will return on the SmackDown: New Year’s Revolution airing on FOX on January 5, 2024.
👀 https://t.co/xveJTHnJ0C pic.twitter.com/MLvRerpPoE
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) December 23, 2023