ANOTHER WWE Wrestler Loses A Name
The renaming bug hits legacy NXT superstar, shortening up to a comically tiny three letters.
The WWE moniker cutting room floor is notoriously littered with tons of discarded first and surnames: Antonio, Samson, Carrillo, Garza, Dozovic, Langston, Blackheart and on and on.
Now, it looks like we can add one more: Raine.
Yep, NXT's first fourth-generation superstar apparently has seen her name shortened to just Ava, as indicated on her Twitter account and how Vic Joseph simply referred to her by her first name when she pulled off her mask during Thea Hail's match on Tuesday's episode of NXT.
just stopping in to say hi ? https://t.co/chnn7ErOYa
— A V A (@AvaRaineWWE) February 15, 2023
A bit more official confirmation can be found on WWE.com, where her last name has been lopped off in favor of just three little letters.
Ava debuted on NXT in October as the fourth member of Schism alongside group leader Joe Gacy, Jagger Reid and Rip Fowler. The daughter of The Rock, Ava has yet to have a match (per Cagematch), but one would hope that genetics alone would mean that she would be at least capable once she steps between the ropes.
Most recently, Ava is involved in an ongoing storyline where the Schism apparently is trying to corrupt Chase U's Hail, which either could lead to Thea joining the dark group, or a potential match involving Ava and the spunky student.
The name change itself is a bit curious, as there was nothing wrong with "Ava Raine," and shortening it to a three-letter name seems a bit unnecessary. It's not like people couldn't remember or chant three syllables, and all three of her stablemates have first and last names.