We feel bad for labeling Cruz Montana a WWE name change ‘victim’

To me, the WWE name change process is usually a case of multiple things being true at once: It’s understandable that WWE wants a name they fully control. It’s also questionable or risky for someone who’s established themselves under another name, which is among the reasons why folks like Samoa Joe and AJ Styles didn’t change their name in WWE. It’s a tough spot for talent to be in, as presumably its non-negotiable. So if you want a shot at being under the biggest spotlight in the industry/genre/artform, you often have to do so while building a new brand for yourself, knowing there’s a high probability you’ll some day have to go back to your old brand or create another new one. Put in that spot, they work with WWE to come up with something that’s personally meaningful to them. Those names always sound odd at first, leading to groans and jokes. Once the performer reveals the reasons behind his name change, some of the groaners and jokes feel bad, and others say they all should. After a