Retiring as an in-ring performer in 1983 due to injuries, Ellering spent most of his wrestling career managing the Road Warriors, working with them from 1983 to 1990 and again on occasion between 1992 and 1997.

[5] Ellering was trained in Minneapolis, Minnesota at a camp run by American Wrestling Association (AWA) owner and promoter Verne Gagne and wrestler/trainer Eddie Sharkey in the mid-1970s.

His notable feuds were with Jesse Ventura as a face, and as a heel with Jerry Lawler and Jimmy Valiant, from whom he won the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship.

During the tour, Ellering and Terry Latham defeated Mighty Inoue and Rusher Kimura in a two-out-of-three falls match to win the IWA World Tag Team Championship.

[1] Ellering formed a stable named the Legion of Doom including such wrestlers as King Kong Bundy, Jake Roberts and the Road Warriors.

Ellering returned as the manager of Hawk and Animal (by now using the Legion of Doom as their actual team name) at Wrestlemania VIII and stayed with them until they left the WWF after SummerSlam (1992).

On April 9, 2018, Paul Ellering made his debut on Monday Night Raw with Akam and Rezar as they answered an open challenge from Heath Slater and Rhyno.

[8] On the December 29, 2023 episode of Smackdown, a vignette was shown of Karrion Kross and Scarlett, showing that they have aligned with the Authors of Pain and Paul Ellering, signalling their return to WWE in 2024.

On SmackDown: New Year's Revolution, Ellering, alongside the Authors of Pain, made their televised return, assisting Karrion Kross and Scarlett in attacking Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits, confirming their alliance in the process.