‘Monday Night Raw’ Superstar Receives Name Change Without Any Explanation
Name changes in the world of professional wrestling aren’t that out of the ordinary, but having them occur out of nowhere is something that doesn’t happen as often. When a superstar signs with WWE, they may end up having their name changed in NXT or after hitting the main roster, but sometimes, a change is necessary for an established star. That is what has very quietly happened this week, as one Monday Night Raw superstar will now be known by a different title.
A few months ago, the man known as “The Drifter” wandered out onto the stage of Monday Night Raw and continued to do that sort of thing for a couple of weeks. Elias Samson eventually made his in-ring debut by defeating Dean Ambrose by disqualification, and he’s been involved in some pretty big feuds since April.
Despite feuding with Ambrose and now Finn Balor, Wrestling Inc. has noticed something very interesting about Elias Samson, and it has to do with his name. All of a sudden, his name has been changed to completely take away his last name, and he will likely just be referred to as “Elias” from this point on.
Judging by the official website of the WWE, this change seems to be permanent.
Looking at his official bio on the WWE website, his last name has been completely taken away and he is only being referred to as “Elias.” Looking at the recap of this week’s Monday Night Raw, he is still referred to as “Elias Samson,” which means the decision to make the change came sometime in the middle of the week.
This wouldn’t be the first time that a superstar has had their name randomly changed out of nowhere and without much explanation. Other examples in the last few years include the following.
- Antonio Cesaro to Cesaro
- Adrian Neville to Neville
- Big E Langston to Big E
Others such as Hideo Itami, Sami Zayn, and Finn Balor have had their names changed upon arriving in NXT or on the WWE main roster. Sometimes, WWE just leaves things alone and doesn’t change their previous names at all, but they do like to have a bit more control over what their talent goes by.
It is likely that announcers won’t even bring much attention to the name change and just go as if nothing has happened.
Elias Samson, or now, just Elias, has been in the spotlight a good bit since arriving on Monday Night Raw as he’s picked up big victories over Dean Ambrose and Finn Balor. He hasn’t really been involved in a feud or program, of sorts, but he’s faced some grudges and tough competition. WWE changing his name so that he only goes by “Elias” could be a way of shaking things up a bit, but it will be interesting to see how it affects his position on the roster.
[Featured Image by WWE]
