WWE NXT's Lexis King Explains How He Was 'Trapped' By Brian Pillman Jr. Name

Second-generation performers are very common in professional wrestling, with individuals like Randy Orton and Charlotte Flair finding great success in carrying out their family legacies over the years, while others have struggled to live up to the hype. One man who has found it incredibly tough early in his career is Lexis King — fka Brian Pillman Jr — who has not only been saddled with his late father's expectations but also the same name.

Since his departure from AEW earlier this year and subsequent move to WWE's developmental system, King has attempted to start afresh in a bid to carve out his own legacy and has made an immediate mark on "NXT" in recent weeks. In a recent interview with "Reality Of Wrestling," the 30-year-old explained the difficulty of emerging out of his father's shadow, who passed away from a heart attack when his son was just four years old.

"I feel like I never had a choice, it was always in my blood. From the day he decided he was going to name me Brian Pillman, I was trapped and it was everywhere I'd go," he said. "I couldn't escape that legacy and I couldn't escape all the reminders of him — and to be fair, he didn't exactly leave me a choice, he left me on this earth without anything. I have to go back out there and reclaim it all and the best way to do that with my genetics and my personality and what I inherited from him indirectly, is to be a pro wrestler."

King has just one television match under his belt since joining the "NXT" roster but has been working live events and sharing the screen with the brand's main-event talent including Carmelo Hayes and Baron Corbin in recent weeks. 

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Reality Of Wrestling" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.