WWE NXT: Paul Ellering Should Manage War Raiders
This past Monday night on Raw we witnessed the official main roster debut of the Authors of Pain along with their manager, Paul Ellering.
Fans had been anticipating a call-up from WWE NXT at any moment for the AOP. Considering their track record in NXT, their physical size, and their ability learn quickly it was just a matter of time until they got their chance to perform for the larger WWE audience.
One of the things that made the AOP unique was their allegiance with legendary tag-team manager, Paul Ellering.
Longtime fans remember Ellering as the manager of LOD/Road Warriors during their WWF run. Newer fans may only know him as the man that helped the AOP write chapters in their Book of Pain.
Source: WWE.com via YouTube
AOP’s in-ring debut was a squash. They quickly disposed of former SD Live champions, Slater & Rhyno to advance in a tournament to crown new number-one contenders to the Raw tag team titles.
Watching the AOP destroy another team was nothing new to fans that had been watching their run in NXT.
What we didn’t expect to see was Akem & Rezar leave their Hall of Fame manager behind as they walked back up the entrance ramp after the match.
An explanation was given later in a backstage segment, with AOP informing Ellering that his chapter has ended and the Book of Pain will be written without him going forward.
Removing Paul Ellering from the AOP seems like a very confusing move as Ellering gave the team immediate credibility. As inexperienced as Akem & Rezar are, they could always make up that experience gap with the mind of Ellering on their side.
My guess is that Ellering didn’t want to travel full-time on a WWE schedule. That’s simply speculation, but an explanation that would make sense.
My hope is that Ellering wants to continue his run in the NXT system while taking another team under his wing.
I want to see Paul Ellering join the War Raiders.
Source; WWE.com
Think about it. The War Raiders have the potential to be the “Road Warriors” of this new WWE generation.
Hanson and Rowe are two big, athletic, incredibly gifted performers that also happen to wear face paint similar to the Legion of Doom.
Independent wrestling fans have been waiting for months to see how the former War Machine would be used when they finally made their debut under the WWE umbrella. Their debut on the NXT TakeOver Pre-Show put them right in the mix with some other top teams on the brand.
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I have no doubt that Hanson & Rowe both have the ability to become big stars now and in the future on their own. But it would be a huge bonus to have Ellering by their side as they climb the ladder of NXT competition.
Ellering with the War Raiders has the potential to be something special and a great way to build Hanson & Rowe up as immediate threats to any tag team in the world.