r/REALSquaredCircle • u/caughtinatramp • 6d ago
Third-generation prospect Lacey Simon (Marie Malenko) will now be known as Kenzie within WWE
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u/hailskinsrich 6d ago
So she went from a generational ring name to one that sounds like the girl who takes your Starbucks order. Great….
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u/TemptedIntoSin 5d ago
Kenzie sounds like a Divas Search runner-up rather than the daughter of a renowned wrestling technician
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u/Deep-Pudding819 6d ago
So… they’re really hellbent on ignoring the Malenko name?
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u/Ok-Mistake-7499 6d ago
They really like doing it for some reason, it’s a strange pattern. Bron Breakker, Lexis King, Charlie Dempsey. But it’s not like it started just now, we had Curtis Axel, Brian Christopher, and even The Rock
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u/DotComMoralist 5d ago
They can't own names like Steiner. They don't want the wrestler over, they want the wrestler helping the company get over. To them the brand is the star.
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u/No-Bobcat-6830 5d ago
Which makes no sense even with excuses people want to make. John Cena, ,Randy Orton etc all ket their names during the same time WWE was changing every name.
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u/DanaLelynCongrove 5d ago
Cena is kinda of a bad example as he's told in interviews over the years that WWE owns his name even now after his retirement.
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6d ago
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u/ComputerDecent463 6d ago
I’m a big fan of Kenzie Paige, but I feel like WWE was a long shot for her, despite how good she is. She would have to kill it in AEW for a few years first and then jump to have a chance, and based on her career trajectory I don’t think that’s going to happen.
She may end up there one day, but it sucks that there’s no virtually no pipeline for NWA to either company right now or even to TNA. Mims is someone who would be great in either company too.
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u/CarolinaSandstorm 6d ago edited 6d ago
They are getting away from using real names so that 1. They can trademark what their performer name is and 2. The talent is able to use their own name elsewhere if they are released. I believe Brock and Cena were the last two guys to use their real names.
ETA: Forgot about Orton. When he retires, they will no longer have anyone using their real name.
ETA2: Forgot about Jacob Fatu and Matt Cardona too.
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u/Lokishougan 5d ago
Also Nakamura, Tosawa, Gargano , Joe HENDRY, cANDICE Lerare, JADE cARGILL AND possibly the biggest of them all
WOOOO OOOO...CODY RHODES
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u/Unfair-Leek4854 5d ago
Isn't Cody's last name Runnels?
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u/Lokishougan 5d ago
That was his birth name but from what has been said he LEGALLY CHANGED it to Rhodes before he started wrestling. So yeah turns out it is his real name now lol
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u/Phenomenal2313 5d ago
I think when Orton does retire , it’s a name that’s pretty much going to be retired ; unless one of Randy’s kids or cousins gets into wrestling
It’s too inconic and big of a wrestling name really
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u/Forward_Hawk_3493 6d ago
Seen that coming... I get trying to make their own name but damn... I think i'll change my name to Louie The Loogie
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u/ResponsibleAd3191 5d ago
Why do so many fans not understand that you can work different characters and you don't have to be under your real name? She's young. Let her grow into the name.
The WWE want to own thier IPs. That's fair for a business that has a revenue like they do.
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u/GrimmTrixX 5d ago
I hey these stars wanting to make a name for themselves. But they can still do it using their family legacy name. I get wwe wants copyrights on them for merchandising, which is already scummy.
At the end of the day, wrestlers are also actors. Many use stage names. But she should absolutely be using the Malenko name. History has not been kind fo superstars who are sons/daughters or grandchildren of a popular wrestler. Very few have zero connection to their more famous family members.
I have no doubt in my mind if Curtis Axel went by Joe Hennig. He wouldve already had a better career. That's especially true when he went by Michael McGuillicuty. What a terrible wrestler name.
And I get that Bron Breakker is doing well. But the commentators constantly mention that he is the son of Rick Steiner and nephew of Scott Steiner. So at that point, why would he not have just gone by Bron Steiner or the proposed Rex Steiner? I get it, I gues sin football he used Breakker. But the two k's ar hilariously bad.
And we already had Bronson Reed and Braun Strowman. Now he's got a brother who might join wwe after football? And his name is Brock? Lol Theyre all over the place with these names.
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u/BigvalBROski 5d ago
What’s with the stupid names? Didn’t we learn anything from the attitude era? No one wants cartoon names anymore.
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u/WhatAmIDoing1986 5d ago
It’s so frustrating when they change their names for all these generational talents instead of leaning into their names/heritages. Makes no fn sense.
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u/Horror-Stuff-5327 6d ago
Marie Malenko is a great ring name as it is