Taya Valkyrie is now Franky Monet. She had been wrestling under her previous name for more than a decade. As is often the case, however, she changed it for her debut under the WWE NXT banner.
Monet recently took to Twitter to comment on her name change.
“Hey guys, I LOVE MY NAME…..maybe since I picked it. Go figure!” she Tweeted. “I could be called Sunshine Tuna and I would make it work!!! So take a breath, stop complaining and enjoy this evolution and ride with me. Thanks”
She also explained her reasons for the name.
“Monet for the French artist, Franky because I’ve always loved unisex names and I think it’s super cute, spunky and different,” she Tweeted.
The name “Sunshine Tuna” seemed to gain traction online.
“And for the record, nobody was going to name me Sunshine Tuna, it was just an example,” Monet continued. “The name does not make the wrestler. One that’s powerful and strong helps of course but just know we all think long and hard about these things. I’m me, la WERA LOCA. Always, now, forever.”
Her comments led Peyton Royce to reflect on what her WWE name almost was:
