Rumor Killer On Additional WWE NXT Name Changes
Not so fast on these two wrestlers having their character names altered.
Name changes have been coming fast and furious to WWE/NXT recently, but a couple rumored new monikers appear to be incorrect.
Fightful Select reports that they'd been contacted by readers about new names for Dakota Kai and Indi Hartwell, that the two NXT women would be renamed "Clarice Riverz" and "Indiana Hallow," respectively. However, the outlets has confirmed that this rumor isn't true.
WWE has been on a tear lately, renaming wrestlers as part of a decree that newer superstars cannot use their real names or character names they used on the independent scene, with Kacy Catanzaro (now Katana Chance) and Kay Lee Ray (now Alba Fyre) being the most recent to see their monikers altered. Kai went by Evie on the independents (her current name is a WWE creation), while Hartwell did use her name prior to signing with WWE, but it hasn't changed yet.
If WWE decides to change Hartwell's name, there's a really easy answer: Indi Lumis. Considering her character is currently married to fellow NXT superstar Dexter Lumis, this would make sense and allow WWE to give her a new name. Of course, something that makes sense isn't exactly WWE's forte.
In addition to the two NXT women previously mentioned, we've seen Raul Mendoza rechristened "Cruz Del Toro," Raquel Gonzalez's last name changed to Rodriguez and Austin Theory's first name dropped altogether. Throw in Pete Dunne being renamed Butch and you can see WWE's obsession in name changes in recent weeks.
Looking at the current NXT roster, wrestlers such as Kushida, Fabian Aichner and Roderick Strong could be in for new names if this mandate is going to continue to run rampant.