The Acolytes Protection Agency (APA) was an American professional wrestling tag team who consisted of Bradshaw (John Layfield) and Faarooq (Ron Simmons).

After renaming themselves the Acolytes Protection Agency in 2000, they adopted the gimmick of bodyguards-for-hire to other wrestlers, and won a third tag team championship in 2001.

[6][7] Both men made their first appearance on TV as a team on the November 15, 1998, episode of Sunday Night Heat attacking 8-Ball, Skull and Paul Ellering as the D.O.A.

The following week on Sunday Night Heat, The Jackyl came down to the ring as the duo interrupted a match and proclaimed Bradshaw and Faarooq to be his Acolytes.

The feud began on the May 30, 1999, episode of Sunday Night Heat with the Acolytes attacking X-Pac after his match against Big Boss Man.

[15][16] Later that night, the Acolytes challenged X-Pac and Kane for a WWF Tag Team Championship match on the following Raw broadcast.

[20][21] The feud intensified on the July 3, 1999, episode of Shotgun Saturday Night, when the Acolytes attacked the Hardy Boyz during a segment.

[23][24] The Acolytes regained the WWF Tag Team Championship at Fully Loaded in a No Disqualification Handicap match against the Hardy Boyz and Hayes.

[36][37] The Acolytes then developed a gimmick as card players and beer drinkers, hustling many wrestlers and WWF employees out of their money.

[39][40] They were unable to win the championship at the Royal Rumble, as the New Age Outlaws defeated them, after Billy Gunn performed a Fame-ass-er on Bradshaw, after interference from X-Pac.

On the April 10, 2000, episode of Raw, the APA protected Kai En Tai during a match, when they were attacked by Buchanan and Bossman.

[50][51] On the May 18, 2000, episode of SmackDown!, the APA were hired to protect Crash Holly for an hour, to prevent him from losing his WWF Hardcore Championship.

[67][68] After sporadic feuds through midway 2001, the APA were awarded a WWF Tag Team Championship match against the Dudley Boyz.

[4][69] The following month on SmackDown!, however, the APA lost the WWF Tag Team Championship to Kanyon and Diamond Dallas Page, one of the invading WCW wrestlers in The Alliance stable.

[84][85] On the Raw brand, Bradshaw won the WWF Hardcore Championship eighteen times,[86] and went back to his Blackjack Texan gimmick, while Faarooq – now wrestling under his real name – had a brief stint with the SmackDown!

After their brief single careers, Bradshaw and Simmons reunited in WWE's former farm territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling in March 2003, winning the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship on April 10, 2003.

[98] After the APA was defeated, Heyman only fired Faarooq and told Bradshaw to worry about his own career, calling him a valued asset to the company and noting his role as a published author and a Fox financial analyst.

Bradshaw returned to wrestling in 2007, on the Raw brand, while Simmons began cutting promos with his trademark catchphrase, "Damn!".

[87][99] The APA had an in-ring reunion on the December 3, 2007, episode of Raw when Hornswoggle hired their protection services for his handicap match against Jonathan Coachman and Carlito.

Layfield attacked Slater with a Clothesline from Hell, and after the match, Simmons simply said his trademark catchphrase, "Damn.

"[102] The APA again reunited on the January 19, 2015, episode of Raw (dubbed Raw Reunion due to numerous special appearances by various WWE Hall of Famers and Legends), alongside the New Age Outlaws, saving the New World Order (nWo) members from The Ascension, during which Layfield attacked Ascension member Viktor with a Clothesline from Hell.

Since October 17, 2022, Layfield, now a manager for Baron Corbin, had been frequently shown doing poker matches backstage with Akira Tozawa.