Former champion to leave faction and change his gimmick? - 4 WWE stars who need to bring back their old ring names
WWE has been a major hit since Triple H took over the creative direction of the company last summer. After around a year, most wrestlers are in a better position than they were prior to him taking the reigns.
One of the biggest improvements in the Triple H era has been changing superstars back to their old gimmicks or reverting their names. For example, Nikki A.S.H., Doudrop, and Max Dupri became Nikki Cross, Piper Niven, and LA Knight once again.
Another bonus from the Triple H regime is wrestlers getting half of their names back. A unique Vince McMahon quirk is dropping half of a wrestler's ring name. The most recent stars to get their full names back are Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo, who recently returned to NXT.
In addition to Los Lotharios, the likes of Tommaso Ciampa, Austin Theory, and Matt Riddle all had parts of their names brought back. Still, there are a handful of stars who are missing part of their name or should revert to their old ring name. Which superstars still need the massive change?
Below are four WWE stars who need to bring back their old ring names.
#4. Butch needs to revert to Pete Dunne
BUTCH @PeteDunneYxB rocking our Brawling Brutes Football Jersey with @fahdmania 🔥 https://t.co/DuFZFfQHgU
Butch is currently one of WWE's most underrated superstars. He's part of The Brawling Brutes, a faction on Friday Night SmackDown also featuring Sheamus and Ridge Holland. While the group is fun, it has limited his growth as a singles star.
Prior to becoming Butch, he was known as The Bruiserweight Pete Dunne. The 29-year-old is a former NXT Tag Team Champion and the second-ever United Kingdom Champion, proving he had plenty of success prior to the character makeover.
Fans have been begging for Butch to return to being Pete Dunne. Given Triple H's history of booking The Bruiserweight, a change would certainly make sense. Still, it likely won't happen until The Brawling Brutes break up. Will that happen soon? For now, only time will tell.
It has been rumored, however. According to WrestleVotes, the plan is for the former NXT United Kingdom Champion to return to his old persona by the end of the year. With the year over halfway completed, time is ticking for the change to be made.
#3. Shotzi should have her last name brought back
Shotzi is another underrated superstar in WWE. She first attempted to join the company through Tough Enough, but a health issue caused her to not progress further into the series. Thankfully, she still found herself signed by the company and currently competes on SmackDown.
While Shotzi's gimmick hasn't dramatically changed, she did have a longer name prior to being called up to the main roster. While on NXT, The Ballsy Badass went by the name Shotzi Blackheart as opposed to just one singular name.
Unlike some of the changes made, Shotzi is a pretty unique name that works singularly. Still, something about the name Shotzi Blackheart just sounds cooler than Shotzi by itself.
After Bayley and IYO SKY cut her hair on WWE SmackDown, could The Ballsy Badass return with a new look and her old name back?
#2. Rip Fowler & #1. Jagger Reid, The Dyad need their old ring names back if they remain with WWE
The Dyad is a tag team comprised of Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid. They currently compete on NXT. In addition to being a duo, the pair are also part of The Schism faction alongside Joe Gacy and Ava Raine. Ava is the daughter of The Rock and still developing, while Joe is the leader of the stable.
Prior to becoming The Dyad, the tag team was better known as The Grizzled Young Veterans. Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid weren't their ring names, either. The pair were James Drake and Zack Gibson, which were certainly less gimmicky.
The talented stars have asked for their release from WWE, but many hope to see them stick around. If their issue is the new gimmick, the company could revert them to the characters fans remember. They could once again become The Grizzled Young Veterans and abandon The Schism once and for all.