Jeffrey Daniel Sciullo (born November 22, 1987) is an Americanprofessional wrestler andmusician. He is signed toTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under thering nameElijah. He also makes appearances with partner promotion,WWE performing on itsNXT brand and was known for his previous tenure with the company from 2014 to 2023, where he performed asElias Samson,Elias andEzekiel.
Prior to joining WWE, Sciullo worked for various companies on theindependent circuit under the ring name Logan Shulo. He then joined WWE and was assigned to thedevelopmental brandNXT in 2014 under the ring nameElias Samson, which he portrayed as a musician who often used music to mock his opponents or the fans in attendance, and he was nicknamed "The Drifter". Shortly after joining the main roster in 2017, his ring name was shortened to Elias. In 2018, the EPWWE: Walk with Elias was released byWWE Music Group featuring Sciullo, which was followed byUniversal Truth in 2020. After a hiatus starting in August 2021, Sciullo returned in April 2022, but as Elias' younger brother namedEzekiel. Later that year, Ezekiel was taken off television, and Sciullo returned as Elias until he was released from his contract in September 2023. In 2024, Sciullo returned to wrestling on the independent circuit under the ring name Elijah before debuting in TNA in February 2025.
In early 2014, Sciullo was signed to a developmental deal by WWE under the ring nameElias Samson.[14] He made hisNXT debut at the April 24, 2014, tapings, working as anenhancement talent and teaming withBuddy Murphy in a losing effort againstThe Ascension. Samson was then used sporadically on television throughout 2014 and early 2015, mostly appearing as enhancement talent to wrestlers such asBaron Corbin.
In August 2015, Samson debuted a newdrifter musician character in a match taped prior toNXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, approaching the ring with a guitar before defeatingBull Dempsey, and established himself as aheel at the same time. Samson then entered theDusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament, where he was paired withTucker Knight, but the two were eliminated from the tournament byDash Wilder and Scott Dawson. On the December 23 episode ofNXT, taped beforeNXT TakeOver: London, Samson defeated Bull Dempsey with adiving elbow drop, which he would dub as afinishing move onwards.[15] In the following weeks, Samson would rack up victories over various competitors such asSteve Cutler andJesse Sorensen. On the March 23, 2016, episode ofNXT, after he suffered a loss toJohnny Gargano, Samson would attack him only to be fended off byApollo Crews. This led to a match between Samson and Crews that took place atNXT TakeOver: Dallas, where Samson was defeated. Throughout the rest of the year, Samson would compete in different matches against competitors such asShinsuke Nakamura andFinn Bálor, but he would be on the losing side.[16][17]
In what would be his finalfeud in NXT, Samson facedKassius Ohno (whom he mocked after he had just lost anNXT Championship match againstBobby Roode) in the first ever"loser leaves NXT" match that took place on the March 29, 2017, episode ofNXT, where Samson was defeated.[18][unreliable source?] Just a week later, on the April 5 episode ofNXT (which was taped as part ofNXT TakeOver: Orlando prior to the beginning of the event), Samson wrestled his final match on NXT as the masked "El Vagabundo" (Spanish for "The Vagabond"), where he lost toOney Lorcan, who unmasked him afterwards.[4]
On the April 10, 2017, episode ofRaw, Samson made his main roster debut, appearing on the stage briefly during aneight–man tag team match, as well as walking through the crowd during another match later that night.[19] Samson continued to appear in the background playing his guitar during backstage segments over the next few weeks.[20][21][22] In his in–ring debut match on the May 22 episode ofRaw, Samson defeatedDean Ambrose by disqualification afterThe Miz intentionally attacked him.[23][24][25] In June, Samson started his firstfeud as part of the main roster withFinn Bálor, who interrupted him during one of his performances.[26][27][28] This led to a match between the two, where Samson defeated Bálor in aNo Disqualification match after interference fromBray Wyatt.[29] In the end of July, WWE shortened his ring name to "Elias".[30][31]
Elias during one of his performances onRaw in April 2018
On January 28, 2018, at theRoyal Rumble, Elias entered his firstRoyal Rumble match at No. 6, lasting 26 minutes before being eliminated byJohn Cena.[38] On the February 5, 2018 episode ofRaw, Elias defeatedBraun Strowman and John Cena in a Triple Threat match.[39] Elias competed for the first time in anElimination Chamber match at thenamesake pay–per–view, where he entered last, but was the second participant eliminated by Braun Strowman.[40] Elias also appeared atWrestleMania 34, where he was attacked by Cena.[41] Three weeks later, Elias competed at theGreatest Royal Rumble event, where he entered at No. 20, lasting over 30 minutes and eliminating five wrestlers before being eliminated byBobby Lashley.[42][43][44][45][46] Shortly after, Elias started a feud withSeth Rollins, whom he attacked with his guitar after interrupting his performance.[47] The two eventually faced off for the Intercontinental Championship at theMoney in the Bank, where Elias lost.[48]
In October, Elias turnedface for the first time in his career, as he attackedBaron Corbin with his guitar.[49][50] Throughout November, Elias started a feud with Bobby Lashley, who would defeat him in different matches via count–out, disqualification or a distraction by hismanagerLio Rush.[51][52][53][54] This led to a match at theTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs event, where Elias defeated Lashley in aladder match with a guitar hanging over the ring, after which Lashley would attack him with the guitar after the match.[55][56] The following night onRaw, Elias would gain revenge as he would attack Lashley with a guitar.[57] This sparked aMiracle on 34th Street Fight between the two, in which Elias was victorious.[58]
At theRoyal Rumble on January 27, 2019, Elias entered the Royal Rumble match at entrant 1 and was prepared for a concert before being interrupted byJeff Jarrett, who proposed a duet. After seemingly accepting, Elias attacked Jarrett with his guitar. Afterwards, as the match officially began, Elias lasted fifteen minutes before being eliminated by the eventual winner Seth Rollins.[59] The following night onRaw, Elias turned heel after insulting the crowd, proclaiming that they disappointed him for lackluster reactions towards him, and was subsequently interrupted by Jeff Jarrett andRoad Dogg, who proceeded to sing "With My Baby Tonight" until Elias attacked both men, smashing a guitar over both Jarrett and Road Dogg.[60] On the February 4 episode ofRaw, Elias defeated Jeff Jarrett, who wrestled in his first match onRaw since Jarrett left WWE afterNo Mercy 1999. After the match, Jarrett smashed Elias with his guitar as payback for the previous week. Elias was attacked on bothWrestleMania 35 and the Raw after the event byJohn Cena andThe Undertaker respectively during his musical performances.[61][62]
During the2019 WWE Superstar Shake-up, Elias was drafted to the SmackDown brand. Just before Elias was to have a musical performance, he was interrupted and attacked byRoman Reigns who was also making his SmackDown debut.[63] The following week,Shane McMahon challenged Reigns to a fight for attacking his father. Reigns came out and was attacked from behind by Elias, who assisted McMahon in beating up Reigns. Elias then challenged Reigns to a match atMoney in the Bank, and Reigns accepted. At the event, Elias was defeated by Reignsin 8 seconds.[64] On the May 28 episode ofSmackDown Live, Elias pinnedR-Truth with the help of McMahon andDrew McIntyre, winning the24/7 Championship, his first title in WWE. He lost the title in the same night against R-Truth, after a tag team match that also involved Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre. R-Truth pinned him after the match with the help of Roman Reigns.[65]
The following week atSmackDown Live he defeated again R-Truth in aLumberjack match for the 24/7 Championship, but in the same episode, while the lumberjacks brawled with each other, Truth pinned him under the ring ending his second reign.[66] Elias participated at the 51-Man Battle Royal at the2019 Super Showdown but he was the last competitor eliminated by the eventual winnerMansoor.[67] After this, Elias continued his alliance with Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre, helping them in various feuds and matches.[68] During the special episodeWWE Smackville, he was defeated by Shane's new rivalKevin Owens.[69] On August 12, 2019, during theRaw episode post-SummerSlam, Elias pinned R-Truth in the backstage after hitting him with his guitar, regaining the 24/7 Title.[70]
One week later, atSmackDown, Elias participated in the King of the Ring tournament, defeating Kevin Owens during the first match thanks to the help of Shane, who made himself the special referee while the match was in progress and distracted the latter.[71] Elias then lost and regained the 24/7 title on August 23 during theFox Sports Founder's Day events in Los Angeles, ultimately pinning Fox Sports hostRob Stone on the set of the Fox College Football pregame show immediately after Stone had pinned R-Truth (who had pinned Elias earlier in the day while Elias was doing a concert to kick off the Founder's Day festivities). On August 27 atSmackDown Live,Drake Maverick defeated Elias for the title after the latter was attacked byKevin Owens. It was announced on September 10, 2019, that Elias was suffering from an ankle injury and was not able to compete in the2019 King of the Ring semi-final match againstChad Gable. After a two-month hiatus, He returned on November 29, 2019, edition of SmackDown making fun of Drake Maverick, turning face in the process. The next week, he cemented his face turn when he sang with Dana Brooke and attacked Maverick.
Elias participated in theRoyal Rumble match at thenamesake pay-per-view and entered at No. 2 but was eliminated by theWWE ChampionBrock Lesnar. Elias would then begin a feud withKing Corbin defeating him atWrestlemania 36 at Night 1 of the event with a roll-up pin. On the May 15 episode ofSmackDown, Elias defeated Corbin again during the first round of the tournament for the vacant Intercontinental Championship. On the May 29 episode ofSmackDown, he was unable to continue the tournament when he suffered an injury caused, in storyline, by a car incident. In reality, Elias had suffered a torn pectoral muscle and required surgery rendering him out of action for 6–9 months.[72] As part of the2020 Draft in October, Elias was drafted to theRaw brand.[73] On the October 12 episode ofRaw, he returned from injury and attackedJeff Hardy by bashing his guitar, turning heel once again.[74] AtHell in a Cell, Elias defeated Hardy by disqualification after Hardy smashed him with his guitar. On the November 2Raw, Elias was defeated by Hardy in a Guitar on a Pole match and a few weeks later would again be defeated in a Symphony of Destruction match, ending the feud.
In December 2020, Elias formed an alliance withJaxson Ryker.[75] At theRoyal Rumble, Elias would enter his fourth Rumble match at No. 13, eliminatingCarlito before being eliminated byDamian Priest. AtFastlane, Elias would replaceShane McMahon in his match againstBraun Strowman, in which he was defeated. On the May 31, 2021 episode ofRaw, after challengingAJ Styles andOmos for theWWE Raw Tag Team Championship in a losing effort, Elias split up with Ryker. The two would briefly feud until the July 19 episode ofRaw, where in a match between the two Ryker was victorious. In August, WWE aired vignettes where Elias burned his guitar, ending the musician character.[76]
On the April 4, 2022 episode ofRaw afterWrestleMania 38, Elias returned to WWE television as aface, sporting a look consisting of a clean shaven face, shorter hair, and trunks, and claiming that he wasEzekiel, the younger brother of Elias.[77][78] In the following weeks onRaw, Ezekiel entered a feud withKevin Owens, who refused to believe Ezekiel was really Elias's brother, and thought he was actually Elias himself.[79] AtHell in a Cell, Ezekiel lost to Owens.[80] On the June 20 episode ofRaw, the two brothers "reunited" in a doctored backstage segment.[81][82][83] Later that night, Elias appeared to perform a concert, before being interrupted by Owens. Still refusing to believe that the brothers were different people, Owens challenged Ezekiel, Elias or "even their younger brother Elrod" to a match.[84][85] On the August 8 episode ofRaw, Owens stretchered Ezekiel out of the arena after attacking him with an Apron Powerbomb, ending their feud.[86] On September 16, the Ezekiel gimmick was scrapped and Sciullo would revert back to his Elias gimmick,[87] returning on the October 17 episode ofRaw.[88] He went undrafted in the2023 WWE Draft, and was released from his WWE contract on September 21, 2023.[89][90]
On January 1, 2024, Sciullo posted a video on hisTwitter account to promote his new gimmick, namedElijah.[3] On February 18, 2024, Elijah wrestled his first match since leaving WWE at Wrestling Revolver in a losing effort againstMike Bailey.[91]
On February 3, 2025, Elijah revealed, via a video posted to his Twitter account, he had joined theRing of Honor (ROH) tag team The Righteous alongsideVincent andDutch, becoming The Righteous Ones.[92] On February 7, it was reported byDave Meltzer of theWrestling Observer Newsletter that Elijah had signed a deal with ROH.[93] However on February 12,Fightful Select contradicted Meltzer's report stating that Elijah was not signed to ROH.[94]
AtUnder Siege, Elijah would team with Joe Hendry to defeat the team ofTrick Williams andFrankie Kazarian.[99] Following Trick Williams' TNA World Title win atNXT Battleground, it was announced that Elijah would face Trick Williams for the TNA World Championship atAgainst All Odds. At the event, Elijah would be defeated by Trick Williams.[100]
Sciullo, under hisElijah name, made his return to WWE on the May 6, 2025 episode ofNXT, participating in a battle royal to determine the number one contender forNXT ChampionOba Femi, where he eliminatedCharlie Dempsey andTrick Williams before being eliminated byShawn Spears.[101]
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Scuillo is a born-again Christian.[102] At the age of 15, Jeffrey Sciullo received his first guitar as a gift from his father, an event that marked the beginning of his musical journey. He taught himself to play, initially learning songs by artists such as Eric Clapton. Sciullo described music as something that came naturally to him. Over time, his musical abilities expanded to include the piano, drums, and harmonica. These skills would later become an integral part of his WWE persona, with Sciullo expressing interest in incorporating a wider range of instruments into his character.[103]
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Media related toElias at Wikimedia Commons
