Seth “Freakin” Rollins, “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio, “Big” Bronson Reed, these wrestlers’ nicknames are as much a part of their identities as their ring names, but WWE has seemingly simplified these superstars’ monikers.
WWE.com’s roster page underwent a nickname purge recently, with “Freakin,” “Dirty,” and “Big” cut from the aforementioned wrestlers’ roster pages. Not only have the nicknames been changed, but wrestlers’ pictures have also been changed. Rollins is a good example, as his previously smiling/jazz-hands portrait has been replaced with a much more somber image of the wrestler. WWE has yet to provide a reason has been given for the updates.
Rollins and Mysterio are still heavily featured on programming, with former World Heavyweight Champion Rollins recently competing in a main event cage match against CM Punk on “Raw.” Rollins won the match after a returning Roman Reigns pulled his former Shield brother out of the cage, to the shock of even Rollins himself. Former WWE NXT North American Champion Mysterio has also been regularly featured, as the paramour of Liv Morgan. Both stars have still been referred to by their nicknames on WWE programming, adding further confusion to the website-only simplification.
While Mysterio and Rollins have been featured, Reed is still recovering from a leg injury, which he suffered at November’s Survivor Series event. Reed leaped off the top of the War Games cage, which Roman Reigns dodged, sending Reed crashing through a table. Reed is reportedly not expected back in WWE until after WrestleMania season at the earliest.
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