Elias was one of the many WWE stars to receive their release on Thursday. “The Drifter” had been with WWE since 2014, and prior to his recent hiatus, the former WWE 24/7 Champion had found success on the Raw roster by claiming to be his own brother, Ezekiel. This led to a lengthy feud with Kevin Owens, who was determined to prove Elias and Ezekiel were the same person, but Elias never broke character whether it be on TV or in interviews.
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“Yeah, very much so. I mean, borderline overwhelming,” he told ComicBook in June 2022 as Ezekiel when asked about fans getting behind him. “I want to thank my older brother for it. I think there’s a little something. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the audience must see something in me that they saw in Elias. And so there’s some kind of carryover connection there that I am just so grateful for. And I was out in the crowd just a few weeks ago and the guy next to me was screaming. He was a “Zeke freak.” It’s like, I feel like that’s what my crew has called themself. The Zeke Freaks. And I’m grateful for it. I am humbled by it. And it’s really awesome to have that kind of support so quickly.
He finally gave up the ghost while reflecting on his nine years in the company on Twitter — “From Drifting onto the scene..To WrestleMania with John Cena & The Undertaker..To Millions around the world for years Walking With Elias..A #1 ITunes Album & To being my own younger brother (ZEKE) while traveling the world.. It’s been a blast. God is Good!”
What do you think is next for Elias? Tell us your predictions down in the comments!
WWE Announces New Deal to Bring SmackDown Back to USA Network
WWE’s releases came within hours of the company announcing it had signed a new deal with NBCUniversal to bring Friday Night SmackDown to the USA Network. The deal is reportedly for five years and $1.4 billion.
“NBCUniversal has been a tremendous partner of WWE for decades,” WWE President Nick Khan said in a press release. “We are excited to extend this longstanding relationship by bringing SmackDown to USA Network on Friday nights and look forward to debuting multiple WWE special events annually on NBC.”
