As previously reported, Seth Rollins has undergone a name change, as the ‘Freakin’ part of his name has been ditched. The change was first spotted in the graphics for his entrance and has now been confirmed on WWE programming.
Rollins isn’t the only WWE Superstar, however, who has undergone a change. On WWE.com, Bronson Reed has lost the ‘Big’ adjective. Similarly, Dominik Mysterio, for all his work as a heel since turning on his father in 2022, is no longer ‘Dirty.’
Reed’s name was changed in August 2023 to reflect the size of the Australian powerhouse. Similarly, Dominik Mysterio’s name was changed in 2023. Both changes came about during Vince McMahon’s return to WWE. On the Insight podcast, Seth Rollins shared that the decision to add ‘Freakin’ to his name came directly from McMahon himself.
WWE undoing these changes demonstrates the company’s continued efforts to distance themselves from its former chairman, and this isn’t the first time this has happened. In 2022, after McMahon’s first exit from WWE, Theory became Austin Theory once more, undoing a McMahon edict that prevented wrestlers from using any part of their real names on TV. McMahon stepped down from WWE for the second time in January 2024 over the allegations made by Janel Grant. McMahon has denied all accusations against him and claims his relationship with Grant was entirely consensual.
McMahon reportedly has plans to launch an entertainment company once the Grant lawsuit is finished, with questions remaining as to whether a new wrestling company could be coming. If so, McMahon will have free reign to call his talent whatever he wants, but in WWE, his changes are becoming a thing of the past.
