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.