Two new NXT stars will have their names changed by WWE.
WWE is at it again with the name changes. This time it is Kacy Catanzaro and Kay Lee Ray according to PWInsider.
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Catanzaro will now be going by the name Katana Chance. Her profile page has yet to be updated to reflect the name change.
Catanzaro first became known and wowed the world on American Ninja Warrior. She was the first woman to climb the Warped Wall obstacle on the show. Prior to that she was a NCAA Division I gymnast and won Southeast Regional Gymnast of the Year award in 2012. She has also appeared in Sports Illustrated’s Fittest 50 list twice which lists the world’s fittest athletes.
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Catanzaro first made her way to WWE when she began her wrestling training at the Performance Center in 2018. In 2018 she also competed in the Mae Young Classic and appeared in the 2019 Women’s Royal Rumble match. She also formed a tag team with Kayden Carter to compete in 2021’s Women’s Dusty Classic which they made it all the way to the semi-finals. The two are continuing to show NXT they are a pair to watch out for.
Kay Lee Ray No More…Now Introducing Alba Fyre
Kay Lee Ray’s new name will be Alba Fyre. Her profile page is also yet to be updated with the new name.
Ray may be a new name to American audiences as she made her debut in NXT TakeOver 36 in August. However, UK fans are very aware of her because she dominated the women’s division on NXT UK. She held the NXT UK Women’s Championship for an astounding 649 days and started being known as “The Forever Champion.” Like all things, her title reign eventually came to an end when she lost the championship to Meiko Satomura.
Ray also made a big impact in the US when she also competed in the 2021’s Women’s Dusty Classic. She, along with her tag partner, Io Shirai, won the tournament and put everyone on notice. The last we saw Ray she competed at Stand & Deliver on April 2 where she competed in a Fatal Four-Way match for the NXT Women’s Championship. She came out on the losing end of that match. However, losing when titles are involved is pretty rare for Ray so that may not happen next time.
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WWE filed trademarks for both “Alba Fyre” and “Katana Chance” on April 12. It looks like WWE is committed to these new names and it is only a matter of time before they officially change Ray and Catanzaro’s ring names.
WWE And Their Constant Need To Change Wrestler’s Names
WWE has been going crazy with these name changes the last six months or so. They first changed Walter to Gunther, Raquel Gonzalez to Raquel Rodriguez, Matt Riddle to Riddle, Austin Theory to Theory, Pete Dunne to Butch and recently Raul Mendoza to Cruz Del Toro.
I personally hate these name changes when they have a history established with a name. I understand WWE wanting to change their indie name so WWE can own their new name. However, when people like Gunther, Butch and Ray have a long history of using a certain name within WWE and even have title reigns under those names, it just seems dumb and it would be very easy for casual fans to lose track of those wrestlers and make it harder for those fans to follow their favorite wrestlers.
What do you think of Catanzaro and Ray having their names changed? What do you think of their new names, Katana Chance and Alba Fyre? Do you like that WWE has decided to change NXT stars names especially when they get called up to the main roster? Let us know who is one Superstar you wish would go back to their old name and who should change their name immediately over on Twitter!
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Sources: PWInsider, Wrestling Inc., WWE
