Former WWE Superstar Jeffrey Sciullo, formerly known as Elias, has signed with Ring of Honor (ROH), according to the Wrestling Observer. Now competing under the name Elijah, he has aligned himself with Vincent and Dutch, forming a new faction under the banner of The Righteous.

Elijah recently shared a video on social media, hinting at his new direction. The clip features him, Vincent, and Dutch dressed in white, walking through a field as Elijah strums a guitar. A narrator delivers an ominous monologue, ending with the question:

“Who wants to run with The Righteous Ones?”

The video’s narration suggests a rebirth theme, portraying the trio as men of one mind and one spirit, spreading a message in a world of wicked lies.

The faction has been active in ROH, recently competing in a double bullrope match against Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara at Final Battle. While The Righteous last appeared on AEW television during September’s Casino Gauntlet match, they have remained active on the independent scene.

Since his WWE release in 2023, Elijah has competed for Wrestling REVOLVER, IWC, The Crash in Mexico, and completed a tour with World Series Wrestling in Australia. This past weekend, Elijah, Vincent, and Dutch appeared together on Chris Jericho’s Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager at Sea, further solidifying their bond as a unit.

With his official signing to Ring of Honor, Elijah embarks on a new chapter in his career. His association with The Righteous signals a fresh creative direction, and fans will be eager to see how this faction evolves in the ROH landscape.

Former WWE star Elias says he’d love to return to WWE.

The wrestling veteran was signed by the company in 2014. While he didn’t have much success in his developmental run, the Drifter’s mic skills made him an instant hit on the main roster.

His run with the promotion came to an end in September 2023 but many believe that the officials could have done a lot more with the 37-year-old.

The indie wrestling star who now goes by the name Elijah talked about a potential return to the company during a recent K & S WrestleFest virtual signing.

Elias first claimed that his run in WWE was awesome and he got to do a lot of great stuff. While he had many memorable moments in the company, he would love to be part of the promotion again:

“Elias can and could and should do so much more in WWE. They only scratched the surface with my capabilities. I had a lot of great moments, some incredible guys to go up against,”

• Walk With Elijah! Ex-Superstar Elias Rebrands for Post-WWE Career

Right before his release, the former WWE star was involved in a storyline with Kevin Owens. He played the part of his own brother Ezekiel while Owens refused to believe that the two were different people.

After KO won this feud, the storyline was dropped from TV. Elias renewing his rivalry with Owens who recently turned heel again would be the perfect way to reintroduce him on WWE programming.

• Elijah Says Seth Rollins Sniped His Idea For Monday Night Messiah Character

Seth Rollins’ Monday Night Messiah character dominated WWE television for a good run, but the idea was allegedly jacked from another Superstar.

Elias, who was released from WWE last year, claims the company stole one of his ideas. He shared with Metro.co.uk that he was always brainstorming to evolve his character. One idea he was enthusiastic about was the “Monday Night Messiah.”

“There was a character that I really thought could have been incredible myself, it was the Monday Night Messiah. And if you realize, Seth Rollins and AOP ended up – for lack of better terms, they just gave it to those guys.”

“I had a real vision of me being the Pied Piper of Monday Night Raw and controlling people, with kind of a cult-like leader. The biblical themes and things like that, I always love that Messiah stuff,” he added.

No Hard Feelings

The former WWE Superstar, who was best known for his musical Drifter persona, insists there is no ill will towards Seth Rollins, though he feels he had a great vision for the character.

Elijah mentioned that his pitch was just one of many he submitted to the creative team until his last day, noting that it’s common for such ideas to be given to wrestlers who are more prominent.

Elias explained that higher-paid wrestlers or those in the spotlight often receive more resources and attention. He emphasized that this was not a criticism of Seth Rollins, whom he acknowledged as an incredible talent, but rather an observation of how the system operates and the inherent risks in sharing creative ideas.

Seth Rollins found great success with the “Monday Night Messiah” persona, which eventually evolved into his “The Visionary” character.

Former WWE Superstar Elias will be working as Elijah from here on now that his non-compete clause has officially expired. 

Elias was released from WWE in September 2023, in the first wave of talent releases following the launch of TKO Group Holdings. Elias signed with WWE in 2014 and left the company as a four-time 24/7 Champion. He is also a one-time Slammy Award winner (Best Musical Performance of 2020) and a one-time WWE Year-End Award winner (Breakout Superstar of 2018).

Walk With Elijah

With the Elias name owned by WWE, the former Superstar has now relaunched himself for his career outside of the promotion. On Twitter this week, The ex-Superstar announced that he is now Elijah. The video leaned on biblical themes, which makes sense as both the Elias and Elijah names come from the Old Testament prophet of the same name. 

Elias can be seen waking in a wooded area while snippets of his time in WWE flash on screen. A voice-over also speaks in biblical prose before Elias arrives at a grave site with a priest waiting for him. The former WWE Superstar falls backwards into the grave before re-emerging from the dirt as Elijah. 

Hello… I am ELIJAH pic.twitter.com/2oDFDUkKEz

— ELIJAH (@_Iam_Elijah_) January 1, 2024

This rebrand has had fans talking and also caught the attention of another Elijah. On Twitter, a Welsh wrestler who also competes as Elijah shared his reaction to the ex-Superstar’s rebrand. 

Hello… I am ELIAS? https://t.co/zTxQ5rrluu

— ELIJAH (@ELIJAHWrestler) January 1, 2024

Why was Elias almost fired from WWE multiple times during his tenure with WWE NXT? Click here to find out. 

In September, WWE released several talents, and that came as a big surprise. WWE fired over 100 people from their corporate headquarters, right after the TKO Group Holdings deal closed, and then they axed several members of their roster.

The NXT Superstars who were fired during that list of releases has already seen their non-compete clauses run out. NXT Superstars only have a 30-day wait, but main roster talent must wait even longer.

Although WWE released all of those Superstars at once, they saved Matt Riddle on his own the next day. He had a laundry list of infractions, personal drama, and other backstage controversies with WWE; so, he burned his last bridges and nobody could protect him from a release this time around. The Original Bro will be among those names that will enter the free agent market this week.

As of next week, around December 21st, those released WWE Superstars will be officially free agents. Their 90-day non-compete clauses are going to expire, leaving a lot of possibilities in the pro wrestling world. 

Those former WWE Superstars will officially become free agents, granting them the freedom to work with any organization. The list of wrestlers includes Mustafa Ali, Aliyah, Shelton Benjamin, Rick Boogs, Emma, Dana Brooke, Dabbo-Kato, Elias, Quincy Elliot, Mace, Mansoor, Riddick Moss, Matt Riddle, Shanky, Top Dolla, and Dolph Ziggler.

We previously reported that Dolph Ziggler already has a pro wrestling gig announced. Odds are, his schedule will be as busy as he wants it to be. 

AEW is also always a part of the conversation whenever non-compete clauses start to expire. It stands to reason that Bryan Danielson would pull to have Tony Khan sign Mustafa Ali, someone he also pulled to work with during his final run in WWE.

We will have to see where all of those former WWE Superstars appear next. It could result in some big headlines in the not too distant future.

Austin Theory’s attempt to cash in his Money in the Bank contract was frankly ‘bizarre’ according to Elias.

On Raw, Theory made history as the first man to cash in the contract not for a World Championship, as he challenged United States Champion Seth Rollins.

Thanks to an attack by Bobby Lashley, Theory was unsuccessful in cashing in on Rollins, who retained his title after a curb stomp.

Bizarre

WWE’s booking of Theory’s cash-in has received mixed reviews from fans, who have questioned why he’d not challenge for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title.

Speaking on The Bump, Elias gave his two cents on the matter, and found the events on Raw strange.

“I thought the whole thing was a little bit bizarre. First off, it’s an open challenge. So what are you doing in the first place? Secondly, then he wants to use it on a random Monday Night RAW.

“If I was Austin Theory and I had the Money in the Bank, I would have waited for a way bigger moment, and maybe somebody like Roman Reigns when they were vulnerable. So hey I get it. Seth, he’s resilient, he did it again, he came out on top. But as for Austin Theory, I think the whole thing’s bizarre all around.”

Responding to his loss on social media, Theory said he’ll “never stop” and remained optimistic despite the defeat this week.

Behind the Scenes

Many have questioned if Theory’s loss this week is down to WWE’s change of management backstage.

When Vince McMahon was running WWE, Theory seemed poised to be the company’s next big star.

Since Triple H was appointed Head of Creative and Talent, Theory has suffered a three-month-long losing streak, as well as his failed cash-in attempt.

Theory’s cash-in was produced by Jason Jordan, who produced all segments related to Seth Rollins on this week’s Raw.

Ezekiel’s days as a WWE Superstar may have come to an end according to a report from PW Insider.

Ezekiel debuted in WWE on the post-WrestleMania 38 episode of Monday Night Raw, confronting Kevin Owens.

Owens accused the new Superstar of being Elias, Ezekiel’s older brother, a claim that ‘Zeke has consistently denied.

The End of Ezekiel

The Ezekiel character proved to be a hit with fans, but he hasn’t been seen in over a month on WWE TV.

Ezekiel’s last in-ring appearance was on the August 8, Raw, where he was power-bombed on the ring apron by Owens.

The following week, Ezekiel, Elias, and their father Ernie were all seen in a hospital segment alongside other members of the family.

According to Mike Johnson of PW Insider, Ezekiel has been delisted from WWE’s internal roster.

At this time, there are no reported plans for the character to return in any capacity.

The Return

Ezekiel’s time in WWE may have come to an end, but the opposite is the case for his brother Elias.

In the same report, it’s noted that Elias has been re-added to the company’s internal roster and is expected to be used as an in-ring performer again soon.

Elias hasn’t competed for WWE since the July 19, 2021, edition of Monday Night Raw, where he lost the Symphony of Destruction match to Jaxson Ryker.

After a lengthy hiatus and teased change in character, Elias returned to WWE programming earlier this year, appearing on-screen with his brother.

There is a new update regarding Kevin Owen’s WWE absence over the last two weeks.

Owens strikingly missed the go-home episode of RAW for Money in the Bank. He was supposed to participate in a qualifying match for the Money in the Bank ladder match between him and Ezekiel.

Owens wasn’t on last week’s Raw, and now it seems like we may have to wait a bit longer for his return.

This week, a video of Owens saying it’s “in their hands right now” circulated. The video led fans to believe that he’s personally ready to return, it’s just a case of WWE making it happen.

Owens Update

Dave Meltzer, on the Sunday Night’s Main Event podcast, reported that Kevin is “fine,” but he’ll likely be back in a few more weeks.

It was previously reported that the former WWE Universal Champion had been out of action due to a minor injury.

NHL Draft Appearance

Kevin Owens recently made an appearance at the NHL Draft to surprise a high-profile fan, Bruce Boudreau, the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks.

Join us as we run down The Good, The Bad and What The Heck?! moments from this week’s Raw.

Plus, we’ll name the show’s MVE (Most Valuable Entertainer).

Subscribe to the SEScoops YouTube Channel and comment below to let us know what you think!

As promised, Elias made his highly-anticipated return and Kevin Owens got more than he bargained for.

For weeks, KO has been trying to prove that Ezekiel, Elias’ younger brother, is actually Elias. Zeke promised his older brother would show up on the June 20 episode of Monday Night Raw and he delivered.

Before Elias could get a song going, however, Owens interrupted.

KO was not convinced that the video of Elias and Ezekiel having a face-to-face conversation was real. He got inside the ring and smashed Elias’ guitar.

This prompted Elias to take another guitar and smash it over Owens’ back.

When KO got to the back, he challenged Ezekiel, Elias, or their alleged long-lost brother “Elrod.” Zeke ended up accepting the challenge.

On the June 20 episode of WWE Raw, fans will once again walk with Elias.

During the June 13 episode of Raw, Kevin Owens took on Ezekiel, the “brother” of Elias. For weeks, Owens has been obsessed with proving Ezekiel is actually Elias.

Owens’ rage ended up costing him the match as he had an outburst on top of the commentary table as the referee counted him out.

Owens had already beaten Ezekiel at Hell in a Cell but he was goaded into giving Zeke a rematch after he “admitted” to being Elias. Once he got the match, Ezekiel revealed he lied about actually being his brother.

After winning the rematch, Ezekiel grabbed a mic and announced that Elias will be making his way back to Raw next week.

WWE has been playing up the Ezekiel character. The company has gone as far as to send Zeke on a journey to Elias’ stomping grounds such as the Performance Center.

Last year, WWE ran a vignette that saw Elias burn his guitar and claim that the character was dead.

It’ll be interesting to see how WWE plays this one out next week.

Kevin Owens can’t turn to his own friend Sami Zayn when it comes to his conspiracy theory on Ezekiel.

Ezekiel has only been around for two weeks and he’s already been a thorn in the side of Owens. On the April 4 episode of WWE Raw, Owens ranted about how he went into his WrestleMania 38 match with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin injured.

This prompted Ezekiel to hit the ring. Kevin Owens claimed that the new upcoming star is actually Elias. Ezekiel insisted that Owens was mistaken and that he is actually Elias’ brother.

Kevin Owens Gets No Help From Sami Zayn

While Owens is convinced that Ezekiel is actually Elias, he hasn’t exactly done a good job of convincing others. He couldn’t convince Tommaso Ciampa during the April 11 episode of Raw and he can’t even convince Sami Zayn.

“HELP ME!!! @SamiZayn”

“They will try to minimize you because you speak the truth! Keep fighting the good fight!! …I must say that picture is pretty convincing though.”

“There’s leaves growing out of his GD arm! Think!!!”

Owens has been calling for Ezekiel to take a lie detector test on the April 18 episode of Raw. It’s quite the extreme measure from KO. After all, Ezekiel does have some pretty damning evidence that he’s telling the truth.

Ezekiel has produced a photo that should clear up any confusion regarding his true identity.

The handsome, clean-shaved grappler made his WWE TV debut last week on the Raw after WrestleMania. He bears a striking resemblance to WWE Superstar Elias, but maintains they are not the same person.

Ezekiel claims to be Elias’ younger brother and doesn’t understand why anyone would question him on this.

Are Elias and Ezekiel the same person?

On Tuesday, Ezekiel re-posted a photo on Instagram of himself with Elias:

Several wrestlers have commented on his IG post and back up Ezekliel’s story.

Madcap Moss wrote, “I think I took this picture.” AEW star Cesar Benoni added, “I was there that day.”

It remains to be seen if this “evidence” will be enough to convince skeptics like Kevin Owens. For now, we’ll have to take Ezekiel at this word.

On Monday’s edition of Raw Talk, Ezekiel continued answering allegations that he’s actually Elias.

Backstage Note on Elias’ New Ezekiel Gimmick

On this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW, we saw Elias return to WWE TV with a brand new gimmick. Sporting a clean-shaven look and some new ring attire, Elias, now going by the name Ezekiel, confronted Kevin Owens fresh off his WrestleMania 38 loss to Stone Cold Steve Austin. The man formerly known as “The Drifter” noted that he isn’t Elias, but rather Elias’ brother, Ezekiel.

According to a report from PWInsider, WWE internally has Ezekiel listed as a babyface for the red brand. Also, the Elias character has been removed from WWE’s internal roster. For now, it seems that the Elias character is dead, and Ezekiel is here to stay. It should also be noted that Ezekiel is now using Elias’ old Twitter account.

Cody Rhodes Set for The Bump

Cody Rhodes made his return to Monday Night RAW last night, cutting an emotional promo before ultimately shaking hands with Seth Rollins to close the segment. Rhodes made his triumphant return to WWE at WrestleMania 38 this past weekend, as he was revealed as Rollins’ mystery opponent. Rhodes defeated Rollins in a classic matchup, and made it clear that he intends to win a World Title during his new run with the company.

Now, WWE’s Kayla Braxton has announced on Twitter that Rhodes will be a special guest on this week’s episode of The Bump, streaming live on WWE’s YouTube channel tomorrow at 10:00 AM ET. You can check out the official announcement below.

WWE hasn’t used Elias in several months after killing off his old musical character. 

Fightful reports that new vignettes have been filmed for him and he’d been tentatively slated for a return to Raw. However, the report cited a source stating that “doesn’t really mean anything until firm plans are set.” It was added that a name change has been pitched, but there’s no word yet on what it is. 

This past December, WrestleVotes reported Elias was given new gear but Vince McMahon scrapped the look because he felt that Elias looked too much like Hall Of Famer “Macho Man” Randy Savage. 

Elias was last seen in vignettes in August but hasn’t wrestled since July on Raw where he lost a “Symphony of Destruction” match to Jaxson Ryker, who is no longer with the company. 

At the time, the vignettes teased him getting a new gimmick and the Elias character was dead with the idea that he was focusing on wrestling more than music. 

Typically, WWE waits to debut or re-debut a wrestler around this time of year as they’re focused on WrestleMania storylines so if WWE does come up with plans it won’t be until next month at the earliest.

WWE has no solid plans for Elias after killing off his old musical character a few months ago, according to latest reports.

The officials had no end game in sight for the drifter when they aired the vignettes teasing the change. The video packages were shot just to kill off the musician gimmick according to WrestleVotes Twitter account.

WWE did try to rebrand him with colorful trunks and beard. Vince McMahon and others thought Elias looked too similar to Randy Savage and they didn’t like it.

After that character was not approved, the former NXT star is back to square 1 as far as his rebranding goes with no real plans for his future.

Elias has not wrestled on WWE TV since his symphony of destruction match against Jaxson Ryker. Ryker won this match on the July 19 edition of Raw but he has since been released by WWE.

• Backstage News On Plans For Elias And Jaxson Ryker

WWE started airing vignettes teasing a character change for the former champion back in August. The last of these packages aired on August 23 but we haven’t seen the Raw star since then.

With no proper plan in motion, it’s hard to say when or if we will see Elias back on WWE TV. We will have to see what role the creatives come up with for him.

Raw Superstar Elias has had the opportunity to work with, and opposite, some of WWE’s most beloved Legends. However, during a recent interview with Lilian Garcia on her podcast Chasing Glory, Elias revealed how he used to get “offended” by Legends being featured on WWE programming.

Elias shared how he would be “personally offended” by Legends like The Undertaker, Kane, and Shawn Michaels coming back to WWE.

“The reason would be that I should either be in there with those guys and learning from them and they should be passing on the knowledge or they just should not be there because it’s the new guy’s time. That’s how I felt. I had a little bit of anger towards that generation.”

He argued how he was getting loud reactions from the WWE Universe and that despite his hard work, Legends would just come back and “[…] take spots at WrestleMania. They take spots at big PPV’s. Elias is shoved to the side for whatever reason. I had like an anger about that.”

Elias then shared how he watched the Undertaker’s docuseries, The Last Ride. The Raw Superstar explained how the series helped him understand The Undertaker’s perspective.

“He knows the young guys want his spot. He also knows that he has to let this go sometime and he has been through the ringer. His body has been through it,” Elias said. “But, he just loves the business so much and you can relate to that. I was like, oh, let me put myself in this situation and get paid incredibly well. One of the best of all time. The fans go absolutely insane for the guy. It softens me to go, oh, I get it and I don’t have that anger that I did have before. Who knows if the situation is ever reversed.”

Elias And “The Dead Man”

Regarding The Undertaker, Elias reflected on his opportunities to share the ring with “The Dead Man.” He opened up about on a tag team matchup he had againstt ‘Taker at Madison Square Garden.

Elias shared how he had read interviews explaining how Superstars would be affected by The Undertaker’s entrance. It was something he didn’t think would impact him. However, he couldn’t deny he felt “goosebumps” as soon as The Undertaker’s music started.

“Sure enough, when his music went off and Madison Square Garden went crazy and you hear that gong, I got goosebumps then. Then when he came out, it was like the next level. Then when I actually saw him, I can actually feel that moment now.”

Elias appeared on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw alongside his new follower, Jaxson Ryker, who he claimed understands his “universal truth.”

Raw Superstar Elias has revealed he was nearly fired during his time on WWE’s black-and-gold brand, NXT.

Elias opened up during a recent interview with Lilian Garcia on her podcast, Chasing Glory. Elias, who was known by the nickname The Drifter in NXT, shared how he was put on a list to be fired “multiple times.”

He revealed how those who didn’t like him during his WWE tryout disliked him even after being hired by WWE.

“William Regal always said yes, liked me, and got me through, but the people that said no, they were running the show,” Elias explained. “I didn’t know anybody in the business, so I’m an outsider to their crew and they can be protective in their circle. I was put on the list to be fired, multiple times in NXT.”

Elias contineud, “I was made aware of it two different times. You can imagine walking into work knowing ‘that guy right there wants to fire me.’ It makes you walk on eggshells, there’s extra pressure. There were a lot of ups and downs.”

Elias’ 30 Day Deadline

Elias shared how he was pulled aside and told he needed to deliver something that stood out. He was informed they would examine his performance in 30 days. If he didn’t deliver, it was suggested he would be “better off somewhere else” as “not everyone is meant to be a WWE Superstar.”

During this time, Elias would come up with The Drifter gimmick. Another potential name he toyed with was The Judge.

“I put together a vignette, merchandise, ways to debut, feuds, a whole packet. I presented it to him and he said, ‘This is good. Let’s meet and talk about it.’ He brings me into this roundtable room and everyone is there. Dusty Rhodes, Nick Dinsmore, everyone who worked there. He sits down, has my packet, and goes, ‘We all looked at it, it’s really good.’ Shoves it to the side and goes, ‘What else you got?’ I’m like, ‘….What?’ ‘What else you got?'”

Elias explained how he had spent 30 days ensuring The Drifter package delivered in the meeting. He was then told the lights would go off. When they came back on, he would have to deliver something totally different and new.

“He turns the lights off, when he turns them back on, I start yelling at everyone in Italian. Dusty Rhodes goes, ‘Holy shit.’ Nick Dinsmore is like, ‘I got goosebumps.’ The guy that put me on the spot is like, ‘There it is.'”

Despite impressing with the on-the-spot change, Elias would eventually switch it up. He would later bring in a guitar to showcase his skills. Seeing what he could do with the guitar in hand convinced Dusty Rhodes to sign off on The Drifter character.

Elias Teases Character Change Following Symphony Of Destruction Match

Raw Superstar Elias has teased a change could be on the horizon for his character. Taking to his Twitter account, he addressed his Symphony of Destruction match with Jeff Hardy that took place last Monday Night on Raw. During their bout, Elias would suffer from a storyline electrocution.

In the video, Elias discussed being told by doctors how he would no longer be able to play the guitar again. He then shared how, when he was electrocuted, “something in Elias did change.” According to him, he has since “seen visions” and knows the purpose of his life. It’s something he promises to share with the WWE Universe going forward.

“[…] to those of you that said, ‘Elias deserves it,’ I just have to say, ‘Screw You.’ See, the doctors said that that kind of voltage would have killed an average man,” Elias said. “It certainly would have killed a below-average man, like many of you in the WWE Universe. But Elias is no average man. In fact, that’s why they call me ‘The Extraordinary Elias.'”

“I Have Seen Visions, And I Know The Purpose Of My Life”

The Superstar continued, “And I can tell you, doctors said I may never be able to play guitar again. But despite all the odds, and [thanks to] modern medicine, I have gained full function in my hands. Now I can tell you: when I was electrocuted, something in Elias did change. And on top of that, I have seen visions, and I know the purpose of my life. And now that I have that knowledge, I will be sharing my gift with all of you.”

Elias lost the Symphony of Destruction match to Jeff Hardy, who suffered a scary moment following a Swanton Bomb to the outside. You can see highlights of their clash below.

If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.

Elias recently returned to WWE after being on the shelf for months with a torn pectoral muscle. He sat down with Sports Illustrated recently and spoke about his injury, recovery, and current storyline with Jeff Hardy on RAW.

“I don’t know if my chest will ever look the same that it was, but I feel strong,” Elias said of his pectoral muscle tear. “When this happened, it sounded like a piece of paper getting ripped in half. But my strength is back. I’ve been training in the ring; I feel good and I’m ready.”

Elias also spoke about his current storyline with Jeff Hardy. The angle originally played out on Smackdown but both Hardy and Elias were recently drafted to RAW.

“There is a lot to this story,” Elias said. “I know people love Jeff Hardy. I grew up loving him, too. His wrestling ability and longevity, it’s amazing. But if there are people out there that think Elias, who was the man hit by a car, doesn’t know who was driving it, you’re in the wrong.”

Elias has a new music album coming out on October 26th. During the interview, Elias also spoke about what went into this project.

“I searched my soul during my down time, seeking truth, and that’s why I entitled the album Universal Truth,” Elias says. “It is different from the album I put out in 2018. That was very character-driven, and I loved that album, but this is different. It’s spiritual, it’s energy, it’s rock and roll. The lyrics are deep and meaningful. You’re going to feel the energy when you listen.”

• Elias Reveals He Was Set To Face The Undertaker At Super ShowDown

The full interview with Elias can be read here.

Elias made a smashing return to WWE television.

WWE booked a triple threat match on Monday’s episode of RAW on the USA Network. AJ Styles vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Seth Rollins took place in the second hour of the show.

Near the end of the match, Elias came out of nowhere and hit Hardy in the back with a guitar. Styles took advantage of this moment and pinned the former WWE Intercontinental Champion for the win. 

Elias walked out of the ring and had a staredown with Hardy, who was still in the ring. 

Elias had been sidelined due to an injury. Back in May while on SmackDown, he took part in the tournament for the vacant Intercontinental Championship after WWE stripped Sami Zayn of it. 

He beat Baron Corbin during the first round of the tournament. However, in late May, it was announced by WWE that Elias had suffered an injury in storyline due to a car accident. 

However, the real story was that Elias had suffered a torn pectoral muscle and required surgery. At the time, the belief was that he would be out of action for 6-9 months. 

Not only with this return happening on RAW, but also with him starting a storyline with Hardy who is also on the red brand, it appears that this is where he’ll be working for the next year. 

• Elias Reveals He Was Set To Face The Undertaker At Super ShowDown

The recently released episode of The Undertaker’s docuseries, The Last Ride, featured footage of ‘Taker interrupting Elias in the ring. He would proceed to deliver a chokeslam and Tombstone Piledriver to Elias. Turns out that this exchange was intended to build into a matchup between the two Superstars at WWE’s 2019 Saudi Arabia event, Super ShowDown.

Taking to his Instagram account, Elias revealed how a clash was “set to happen” in Saudi Arabia after their segment. He reflected on how everything about that night was “electric.”

As can happen, however, plans changed. Instead of Elias, The Undertaker would ultimately face off against Goldberg.

“Myself and The Deadman have crossed paths multiple times since I’ve been here, and I hope it’s not the last,” Elias wrote. “There is a great story to be told both on screen & behind the curtain. He’s one of the greatest to ever do it.”

The fourth episode of Undertaker: The Last Ride was made available this past weekend. The docuseries has provided an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at The Undertaker as he reflects on his legacy and what he still wants to accomplish in pro wrestling. The final episode is scheduled to air on the WWE Network on Sunday, June 21.

Elias was removed from the Intercontinental Championship tournament on Smackdown recently. 2 weeks ago, he was shown being taken to a “local medical facility” after being hit by a car. As it turns out, the angle will explain Elias’ absence from the show. He is dealing with an injury that will keep him out of action for months.

According to a report from the Wrestling Observer, Elis has suffered a torn pectoral muscle and will be out of action for some time. The typical recovery time for a torn pec is 4 months but there is currently no timetable available for his return.

• Renee Young Says She’d Like To Manage Elias

Elias on the WWE Main Roster

Elias made his WWE main roster debut shortly after WrestleMania in 2017. He had been on NXT since 2014. The only title he has won in his WWE career thus far is the 24/7 Championship which he has held on 4 occasions.

This year at WrestleMania, he defeated King Corbin on night 1 of the 2-night show. He again defeated Corbin in the 1st round of the Intercontinental Championship tournament before an injury led to him being no longer able to continue. AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan will face each other in the finals of the tournament this week on Smackdown.

• Elias Believes He Is “Capable Of Even More” In WWE

WWE Superstar Elias recently joined Busted Open Radio. During their conversation, Elias opened up about his WWE career to date, admitting that he is “begging” for more opportunities. He explained how he would love to be further along in his career as he feels capable of doing more. 

“I am begging for the opportunity to be, you know, even further along than where I am. And you know what, it’s great,” Elias said. “I’m on television every week and people feel alive. But I tell you what, man, I feel like I’m capable of even more. I am looking for that on all aspects, to the point where people might be getting upset with me [because] I’m pushing so hard.”

He spoke about being able to play his guitar and further his connection with the crowd on the fly. Elias then stressed how he just wants the door of opportunity to “open up just a little bit.” If it does, he’s confident he could break through to the next level.

“The good thing is I have a passion for playing music and playing guitar. I’m always, always thinking of new ways to note, you know, new riffs, I jam around on my guitar. As well as new ways to interact with the crowd, new catchphrases whatever it may be. So, you know, I’m just waiting for, you know, for the door to open up just a little bit. So I can bust through you know what I’m saying? Man that’s all I’m asking for.”

At the time of writing, Elias doesn’t have a matchup scheduled for WrestleMania 36. The show is expected to take place on April 5 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. That is if Tampa officials don’t “pull the plug” on the event.

H/T to WrestlingNews for the transcription.

WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett has shared high praise for modern-day musical Superstar, Elias. Speaking with Metro.co.uk, Jarrett stated how Elias is set for big things in WWE thanks to his charisma and aura. 

“He’s got a huge upside,” Jarrett said. “His injury last year was unfortunate, because he was really starting to get on a roll.”

He continued, “He’s got something that you can’t teach, that you can’t coach, that you can’t manufacture. He’s got a unique set of skills. He’s got an aura about him, a charisma about him that’s very unique. The fact that he can play, and sing, and wrestle, and write music, and tie it all together – it makes him a very entertaining character.”

Elias’ WrestleMania Matchup

Elias is reportedly set for a big match at this year’s WrestleMania against none other than John Cena. It’s speculated that WWE will begin to build towards a match between them when Cena returns to WWE television. He is currently scheduled to appear on the February 28th episode of SmackDown. The belief is that Elias would be able to get the rub from Cena, even in a losing effort. 

WWE presents the WrestleMania 36 pay-per-view event on Sunday, April 5th, 2020 in Tampa, Florida at the Raymond James Stadium that will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming months.