TNA Wrestling star Elijah, formerly known as Elias in WWE, made an unexpected appearance on the May 6, 2025, episode of WWE NXT on The CW. He emerged as the final entrant in a Battle Royal held to determine the #1 contender for Oba Femi’s NXT Championship at the upcoming NXT Battleground premium live event on May 25th.
Elijah, who was released from WWE in September 2023 and made his official TNA Wrestling debut in February 2025, immediately impacted the NXT Battle Royal by eliminating Charlie Dempsey.
This appearance is part of the working relationship between WWE/NXT and TNA. His participation in NXT comes just weeks before a major TNA event.
At TNA Under Siege on May 23rd, Elijah is scheduled to team with TNA World Champion Joe Hendry to face the duo of Frankie Kazarian and current NXT standout Trick Williams, further showcasing the crossover talent involvement between the two promotions.
Elijah’s previous WWE tenure included memorable runs as both the guitar-strumming Elias and his “younger brother,” Ezekiel, had a lengthy program with Kevin Owens.