Vince McMahon Reportedly Insisted On Petey Williams Changing Name

While WWE's creative process has become known for many of its hyper-specific quirks over the years — from labeling wrestlers as "superstars" to calling its fanbase "The WWE Universe" — changing its wrestlers' names once they arrive on "WWE Raw" or "WWE SmackDown" has become a common expectation as well.

In professional wrestling, identity is everything and for performers who have spent decades building a name for themselves outside WWE, a sudden and oftentimes unannounced rebranding can be a shock to the system. Take longtime independent wrestler Petey Williams, for example. According to a new report from Fightful Select, former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was insistent that Williams be referred to as "Pete Williams," a confounding move to anyone familiar with the two-time TNA X-Division Champion's celebrated career.

Williams, who is known for popularizing the "Canadian Destroyer" throughout his 20 years in the ring, had a producer tryout with WWE in late 2021 and took on the role soon after that. Williams' work producing segments on "Raw" has reportedly been well-received and commended backstage, both by current members of the WWE roster as well as other veteran producers. As reported last year, WWE's initial interest in bringing on Williams as a producer came after his reputation for production work backstage during his time with Impact Wrestling began to gain notoriety around the wrestling world. Since McMahon's departure from WWE in late July, a number of wrestlers on the promotion's roster have returned after being released while others have had their identities rebranded back to their original, more well-known names prior to McMahon's changes to them.