Former NXT Champion Keith Lee has a new moniker that pays tribute to a WWE Hall of Famer from the 1950’s.
Lee competed in yet another dark match before this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw. He defeated a local talent in a squash match. What’s interesting to note about his latest appearance is that he was billed as Keith “Bearcat” Lee during his entrance.
You can see footage of Lee’s introduction in the clip below:
Bearcat Wright
Keith Lee’s new “Bearcat” moniker is a reference to popular African American pro wrestler from the 1950s, Bearcat Wright. Wright was posthumously inducted into the legacy wing of WWE Hall Of Fame in 2017.
Here is a brief Twitter thread giving a little background on WWE Hall of Famer Bearcat Wright:
Keith Lee’s Road to Bearcat
Keith Lee was last seen on WWE TV during the August 2 episode of Raw where he won a match against Karrion Kross. He returned to the road with WWE during the Raw brand supershow live event this past weekend.
The heavyweight star defeated Akira Tozawa at the supershow event. What’s interesting to note here is that the former champion played the role of a heel in his match against Tozawa.
Lee has also been growing a beard. There is speculation that it could be a preparation for turning him heel when he finally returns to WWE TV. Though when that may happen is not known.