Wikipedia

Rezar

Gzim Selmani (born 16 June 1994) is a Dutch professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist of Kosovo Albanian descent. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Rezar as a member of Authors of Pain (with Akam) and as a subgroup of The Final Testament stable.

Rezar
Rezar as NXT Tag Team Champion in 2017
Born
Gzim Selmani

(1994-06-16) 16 June 1994 (age 30)
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Ring name(s)Gzim Selmani
Rezar[1]
Billed height6 ft 4 in (193 cm)[1]
Billed weight330 lb (150 kg)[1]
Billed fromAlbania[1][2]
Trained byWWE Performance Center
Debut30 January 2016
Mixed martial arts career Martial arts career
Other namesThe Albanian Psycho
NationalityDutch
Height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight265 lb (120 kg; 18 st 13 lb)
DivisionHeavyweight
StyleJudo, kickboxing
TeamGolden Glory
TrainerMartijn De Jong
Years active2012–2014 (MMA}
Mixed martial arts record
Total8
Wins6
By knockout1
By submission3
Losses2
By knockout2
Amateur record
Total2
Wins2
By knockout1
By submission1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
Last updated on: 9 June 2016 (2016-06-09)

After signing with WWE in 2015, he has since teamed with Akam as part of the Authors of Pain, with whom he has held the NXT Tag Team Championship and WWE Raw Tag Team Championship once, and they also won the 2016 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament. To date, Selmani is the first and only Albanian to ever wrestle in the WWE.

Early life

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Gzim Selmani was born on 16 June 1994 Amsterdam, Netherlands, and grew up in Huizen.[3] He is an ethnic Kosovo Albanian, with roots from Mitrovicë.[4] He began practicing judo from the age of four, took up kickboxing at age 12 and began training in mixed martial arts alongside his brother Egzon, at the age of 15. Selmani became Professional Kickboxing Heavyweight Champion, after an 8-man tournament in one night, that took place in Bremerhaven, Germany.[3]

Mixed martial arts career

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Selmani joined Golden Glory management team and began to compete in amateur mixed martial arts Shooto competitions in the Netherlands in 2012.[5] His first professional fight was on 8 July 2012 against Kaan Postaci in The Hague The Netherlands. He ended up knocking him out with a knee left hook combo. He won his second fight at Shooto Europe against Jorrit Leeman. On 24 November 2012 Selmani Fought Anatoli Ciumac in Brașov, Romania, which he won.[6] He faced Ante Delija at Final Fight Championship 05 and lost by TKO. Selmani defeated Mario Milosavljevic in November 2013 to record his second professional victory, and beat Tomaž Simonič at FFC 10 in Skopje, Macedonia. Selmani defeated Oli Thompson in 18 seconds in the main event of BAMMA 15 on 5 April 2014 in London.[7] Selmani competed for Bellator MMA at Bellator 130 in October 2014, losing via TKO to Daniel Gallemore.[8]

Mixed martial arts record

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Professional record breakdown
8 matches 6 wins 2 losses
By knockout 2 2
By submission 4 0
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 6–2 Daniel Gallemore TKO (punches) Bellator 130 24 October 2014 2 4:33 Mulvane, Kansas, United States
Win 6–1 Oli Thompson Technical Submission (guillotine choke) BAMMA 15 5 April 2014 1 0:18 London, United Kingdom
Win 5–1 Tomaz Simonic Technical Submission (arm-triangle choke) Final Fight Championship 10 13 December 2013 1 1:54 Skopje, Macedonia
Win 4–1 Mario Milosavljevic Technical Submission (standing guillotine choke) Bosnia Fight Championship 1 9 November 2013 1 0:35 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Loss 3–1 Ante Delija TKO (punches) Final Fight Championship 5 24 May 2013 1 3:09 Osijek, Croatia
Win 3–0 Anatoli Ciumac TKO (retirement) Klash Champions Battlefield 4 – Road to Glory 24 November 2012 2 5:00 Brașov, Romania
Win 2–0 Jorrit Leeman Submission (armbar) Shooto Europe Pro 13 October 2012 2 2:58 Deventer, The Netherlands
Win 1–0 Kaan Postaci KO (punch) Fight Club Den Haag 8 July 2012 1 2:10 The Netherlands, The Hague

Professional wrestling career

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WWE (2015–2020)

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Main article: Authors of Pain
 
Akam (left) and Rezar (right) with Paul Ellering (middle), as the NXT Tag Team Champions in February 2017

Selmani got invited for a tryout in Dubai, and it was William Regal’s choice to get him to sign a contract for WWE. In May 2015, it was reported that Selmani had signed a contract with WWE and would begin training to become a professional wrestler at the WWE Performance Center.[9] In October 2015, WWE confirmed that Selmani was a WWE developmental recruit already training at the Performance Center.[10] He made his in-ring debut at a NXT house show in Venice, Florida on 30 January 2016, losing to Josh Woods.[2] By February 2016, Selmani had formed a tag team with Sunny Dhinsa,[11] and they became known as The Authors of Pain by April 2016.[12]

Selmani and Dhinsa made their televised NXT debuts on 8 June 2016 at NXT TakeOver: The End;[13] following the NXT Tag Team Championship match, they attacked champions American Alpha (Chad Gable and Jason Jordan) before leaving backstage with Paul Ellering.[14] On 15 June episode of NXT, the Authors of Pain won their first televised match and were managed by Ellering.[15] On 24 August episode of NXT Selmani's ring name was revealed to be Rezar,[16] while Dhinsa was billed as Akam.[17] The duo won the 2016 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, defeating TM61 in the tournament final at NXT TakeOver: Toronto. At NXT TakeOver: San Antonio, the Authors of Pain defeated #DIY to win the NXT Tag Team Championship. They retained the title at NXT TakeOver: Orlando by defeating #DIY and The Revival in a Triple Threat Tag Team Elimination match by eliminating both teams. At NXT TakeOver: Chicago, the duo participated in the first NXT Takeover main event for the NXT Tag Team Championship by defeating #DIY in a ladder match to retain the title. At NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III, the Authors of Pain lost the titles to SAnitY. at NXT TakeOver: WarGames, Authors of Pain and Roderick Strong competed in a 3 team WarGames match which was won by The Undisputed Era. On 20 December episode of NXT, Authors of Pain lost the NXT Tag Team Championship to Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly. At NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia, Authors of Pain got a rematch but were unsuccessful. At NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, Authors of Pain competed in a Triple threat tag team match for the NXT Tag Team Championship and Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic trophy which was won by The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly).

On 9 April episode of Raw, The Authors of Pain, along with Ellering, made their main roster debut, defeating Heath Slater and Rhyno. After the match, Akam and Rezar ended their partnership with Ellering by pushing him away and leaving him ringside as they returned backstage.[18] On 3 September episode of Raw, The Authors of Pain, now under the shortened name of "AOP", were accompanied to the ring by the 205 Live General Manager, Drake Maverick, who announced himself as their new manager.[19]

On 5 November episode of Raw, The Authors of Pain defeated Seth Rollins in a handicap match to win the Raw Tag Team Championship for the first time. They went on to defeat SmackDown's Tag Team Champions Cesaro and Sheamus in an interbrand Champion vs Champion match at Survivor Series. They lost the titles to Bobby Roode and Chad Gable on 10 December episode of Raw. In January 2019 Akam suffered an undisclosed leg injury that reportedly would keep him out for “at least a few months”. He and Akam returned to action at Super ShowDown on 7 June 2019.[20]

In September 2019, AOP began appearing in vignettes, warning of their return. During the 2019 WWE Draft in October, AOP went undrafted, becoming free agents and able to choose which brand to sign with. Three days after the draft's conclusion, AOP signed with Raw, remaining on the brand.[21] Rezar started to show up with Akam as Seth Rollins' disciples. In March 2020, it was reported that Rezar suffered a bicep injury and the injury would sideline him for six to eight months.[22] On 4 September 2020, AOP were released from their WWE contracts.[23][24]

Independent circuit (2022)

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In May 2022, Gzim Selmani and Sunny Dhinsa, now known as Legion of Pain, have announced the launch of their professional wrestling promotion, Wrestling Entertainment Series (WES).[25]

Return to WWE (2023–present)

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Main article: The Final Testament

According to a report from Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful on 30 August 2023, the Authors of Pain had been re-signed with the WWE in 2022 prior to the return of Vince McMahon as chairman in January 2023 and they were on the internal travel list as of May 2023.[26][27]

During the 22 December, episode of SmackDown, Rezar along with Akam were shown in vignettes by Karrion Kross and Scarlett that they will be returning as part of an alliance.[28] On SmackDown: New Year's Revolution, Rezar, alongside Akam and Paul Ellering made their televised return to WWE, assisting Karrion Kross and Scarlett in attacking Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits, confirming their alliance in the process.[29] AOP made their return to the ring on 16 February edition of SmackDown where they faced NXT talents Beau Morris and Javier Bernal in a squash match.[30] At Night 2 of WrestleMania XL, the stable lost against The Pride in a Philadelphia Street Fight.[31] On the following episode of NXT, The Final Testament made their NXT return with AOP attacking Axiom and Nathan Frazer, who have just won the NXT Tag Team Championships from Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker.[32]

During night 2 of the WWE Draft, which occurred on 29 April 2024, Rezar was drafted to WWE Raw, with the rest of The Final Testament.[33] At Week 2 of Spring Breakin', Rezar and Akam was unsuccessful at winning the NXT Tag Team Champions from Axiom and Nathan Frazer after interference from New Catch Republic.[34]

Other media

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Rezar made his video game debut as a playable character in WWE 2K18 and has since appeared in WWE 2K19 and WWE 2K20.[35]

Championship and accomplishments

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Rezar". WWE.
  2. ^ a b "1/30 WWE NXT in Venice, Fla. – PARKS'S In-Person Report on Asuka vs. Emma main event, Sara Lee in action, more". pwtorch. 31 January 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Team Selmani about". Team Selmani. Archived from the original on 15 February 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  4. ^ Sina, Beqir (26 May 2019). "Gzim Selmani mundësi shqiptar, i famshëm në botë pasi ka rrëmbyer titullin kampion në RAW, WWE". Bota Sot (in Albanian). Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Shooto Holland – Warriors 3". Sherdog. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  6. ^ "TKlash Champions Battlefield – Road to Glory". mmacore.com. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  7. ^ "BAMMA 15 results". British Association of Mixed Martial Arts. Archived from the original on 20 August 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  8. ^ "Bellator 130 results: Emanuel Newton survives early trouble, taps Linton Vassell". MMAJunkie. 25 October 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  9. ^ Johnson, Mike. "WWE signs former Bellator fighter". pwinsider.com. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  10. ^ "Tough Enough Competitors Join New Class at The WWE Performance Center". WWE. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  11. ^ "NXT Tampa, FL, live results: Sami Zayn vs. Manny Andrade for the first time". Wrestling Observer. 13 February 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  12. ^ "4/22 WWE NXT in Tampa Results – TMDK & Nikki Storm make NXT debuts, A-Riley vs. Dillinger main event, No Way Jose, Mandy Rose". Pro Wrestling Torch. 23 April 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  13. ^ Johnson, Mike. "Dillinger has strong showing: Ongoing NXT TakeOver – The End blog". pwinsider.com. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  14. ^ "NXT TakeOver live results: Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor cage match; Nakamura vs. Austin Aries". Wrestling Observer. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  15. ^ Tylwalk, Nick. "NXT: Finn Balor finds out what's next". Canoe.ca. Archived from the original on 25 July 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  16. ^ "Rezar_WWE". Twitter. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  17. ^ "Akam_WWE". Twitter. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  18. ^ Benigno, Anthony. "The Authors of Pain def. Heath Slater & Rhyno". WWE.com. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  19. ^ "AOP def. Keith Thompson & Jimmy James". WWE.com. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  20. ^ "WWE Superstars Return To Action At Super ShowDown, Updated List Of Participants". Wrestling Inc. 7 June 2019.
  21. ^ "Breaking news regarding WWE Crown Jewel, free agency and the Intercontinental Title: WWE Now". WWE.com. 17 October 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  22. ^ "Rezar Sustained Arm Injury During WWE Raw". Fightful. 10 March 2020.
  23. ^ "Akam and Rezar released". WWE. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  24. ^ Defelice, Robert (4 September 2020). "WWE Release Akam & Rezar Of AOP". Fightful. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  25. ^ "First show from AOP's new promotion features return of Nia Jax & Lana, debut of Alistair Overeem". cagesideseats.com. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  26. ^ "Former WWE Tag Team May Have Secretly Been Re-Signed; Could Return to NXT Brand Soon". E Wrestling. 30 August 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  27. ^ Hamdy, Ahmed (31 August 2023). "Two former champions may have secretly re-signed with WWE two years after release - Reports". Sportskeeda. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  28. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (22 December 2023). "Karrion Kross Hints At Needing 'Authors' For His Proclamation On 12/22 WWE SmackDown". Fightful. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  29. ^ Phu, Angeline (5 January 2024). "The Authors Of Pain (& Paul Ellering) Return On WWE SmackDown Alongside Karrion Kross". Wrestling Inc. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  30. ^ "Cagematch". 16 February 2024.
  31. ^ DeFelice, Robert (7 April 2024). "Bobby Lashley And The Street Profits Beat The Final Testament In Philadelphia Street Fight At WWE WrestleMania XL". Fightful. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  32. ^ Moore, John (9 April 2024). "NXT TV results (4/9): Moore's review of the Stand & Deliver fallout show, Bron Breakker and Baron Corbin vs. Axiom and Nathan Frazer for the NXT Tag Team Titles". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  33. ^ Powell, Jason (29 April 2024). "WWE Raw results (4/29): Powell's live review of the WWE Draft night two, Sami Zayn vs. Bronson Reed for the Intercontinental Title, appearances by Women's World Champion Becky Lynch and U.S. Champion Logan Paul". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  34. ^ Moore, John (30 April 2024). "NXT TV results (4/30): Moore's review of Spring Breakin' Night Two with Oba Femi vs. Ivar for the NXT North American Title, Axiom and Nathan Frazer vs. AOP for the NXT Tag Team Titles". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  35. ^ Wilson, Ben (11 July 2018). "WWE 2K19 roster: every confirmed wrestler, plus 20+ rumoured new faces". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  36. ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2018". cagematch.net. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  37. ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2019 - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.profightdb.com. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  38. ^ "Raw Tag Team Championship". WWE. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  39. ^ "NXT Tag Team Championship". WWE. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  40. ^ Pappolla, Ryan (19 November 2016). "The Authors of Pain def. TM61 to win the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic with Paul Ellering suspended above the ring in the Crash Cage". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  41. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (19 November 2016). "Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic (2016)". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
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