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WWE makes subtle name changes to Seth Rollins, others

Originally posted on WWE on ClutchPoints
By Andrew Korpan | Last updated Mar 12, 2025 11:42 AM ET

Recently, fans have noticed WWE made a name change to Seth Rollins. Dominik Mysterio and Bronson Reed also received similar treatment.

On the March 10, 2025, edition of Monday Night RAW, Rollins was not announced as “Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins.” It appeared the “Freakin'” part of his name was taken out.

Now, WWE has made the move official, removing it from their roster page on their website. Additionally, Dominik Mysterio is no longer “‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio,” and Bronson Reed isn’t “‘Big’ Bronson Reed.”

The change was long overdue. The “Freakin'” nickname was added to Rollins’ ring name in 2022. Wrestling name changes are nothing new, as AEW’s Adam Copeland (formerly known as Edge in WWE) recently changed his name to Cope.

Former AEW star Ricky Starks also joined WWE recently, debuting on NXT. However, he also got a name change, and he now goes by Ricky Saints.

WWE fans will have to wait and see if they remove any adjectives from other Superstars’ nicknames. Rollins, Mysterio, and Reed were three of the most infamous cases, and the company has reversed course on it.

It is unlikely WWE will remove other nicknames, such as the “American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes or “Main Event” Jey Uso. The adjectives appear to be the only ones that have gone.

Why did WWE give Seth Rollins a name change?

Seth Rollins entering the Royal Rumble on February 1, 2025. Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images.

It is unclear why WWE removed “Freakin'” from Rollins’ name. Perhaps they wanted his character to undergo a subtle change, with him taking a more serious approach to his feud with Roman Reigns and CM Punk.

Maybe Rollins is about to undergo a gimmick change. He is a “tweener” at the moment, with him not committing to being a full-on babyface or heel, so maybe he will continue his descent to the dark side.

When Rollins first received his nickname, he was in the midst of his “Visionary” gimmick. It was a somewhat directionless gimmick, but WWE may have thought the “Freakin'” gave him an edge.

Somehow, it stuck, and WWE introduced him as “Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins” for years. He even went by it throughout his World Heavyweight Championship reign.

Currently, he is entrenched in a heated feud with Reigns and Punk. He has a long history with Reigns, dating back to their WWE main roster debut as part of the Shield. Now, their rivalry appears to be renewed.

At the same time, he has been feuding with Punk for months. Punk won their first singles match against each other during the WWE RAW on Netflix premiere on January 6, 2025.

Weeks later, at the Royal Rumble, Rollins and Reigns had a back-and-forth that culminated in Punk eliminating both of them from the match.

Punk was then dumped over the ropes by Logan Paul, leading to Reigns confronting him. Rollins then interrupted them and he attacked both Reigns and Punk before going backstage.

Rollins and Punk then had a second match during the March 10, 2025, edition of RAW. Reigns interfered, pulling Rollins out of the ring before attacking him. Rollins technically won since Reigns pulled him out of the Steel Cage.

This article first appeared on WWE on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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