UPDATED: WWE Talent Reportedly Now Permitted to Retain Their Names After Leaving the Company

For decades, WWE talent couldn't retain their names when working for other companies unless it was their real name or used in another wrestling organization before joining WWE. According to Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Live, this policy has changed in the TKO era.

Alvarez explained, "I was told that these new TKO deals are such that when you go to WWE, they are going to trademark everything. For example, Ethan Page went and they trademarked Ethan Page. This is from someone in the company. When you leave, they hand everything over to you now."

He continued, "Apparently, when you leave WWE, and it's kind of the same thing with AEW, it's like she [Vaquer] can leave and take her name. Ethan Page can leave and take his name. While you're there, they own the rights to everything for pro wrestling. But that is a very big change from back in the day when they owned you into perpetuity. She very much wanted to keep her name and apparently, they're allowing her to keep the name in WWE. They're gonna trademark it while she's there..."

Alvarez and Mike Sempervive also noted how Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik retained their names after leaving WWE.

It's worth mentioning that Stephanie Vaquer's legal name is Ana Stephanie Vaquer González, so she could have continued as Stephanie Vaquer if she left WWE. Additionally, Julian Micevski used the name Ethan Page before WWE. Despite this, Alvarez's point about wrestlers now being able to use their names elsewhere after leaving WWE remains significant.

UPDATE ON THIS STORY:

⚡ Rumor Killer on Talent Using Ring Names After Leaving WWE

Reports surfaced today claiming WWE was allowing wrestlers to keep their ring names after leaving the company. However, both Fightful Select [...]

— Ben Kerin Jul 16, 2024 11:05AM