As is WWE’s custom, they have recently changed the performer names of five workers. In this case, though, it’s not main roster workers; it’s NXT workers. Here are the name changes:
Jesse Elaban → Jessi Kamea
Adrian Jaoude → Arturo Ruas
Luke Menzies → Ridge Holland
Trevor Lee → Cameron Grimes
Eric Bugenhagen → Ric Bugez
Along with Eric Bugenhagen’s name change, he’s also been given a new look:
Botch Take: Okay, some of these name changes I understand. Adrian’s last name is impossible to pronounce if you’re unfamiliar so changing that name made sense. Luke Menzies has already been on TV under his name but it looks like this’ll be a repackage and since no one cares about Menzies anyway, why not, I guess. I don’t care too much about Trevor Lee’s name change either, though I don’t really get it. I don’t know who Jesse Elaban is so the name change doesn’t mean anything to me here.
The one that annoys me is this needless repackage of Eric Bugenhagen into Rik Bugez. Like…why? He’s been on TV before and when I saw him, I was immediately sold. He has tremendous energy and charisma. He was over really well and his original name is imminently chant-able (BUGENHAGEN…clap, clap, clap, clap, clap…BUGENHAGEN – it works great like that!). Worse than the needless name change is the change to his look. He now looks like faceless muscle dude in singlet. No. Thank. You. Turns out it’s no only Vince who can ruin a worker; Triple H. is seemingly about to do it with Eric right now. You sure you still want Triple H. running everything?
