One WWE superstar wasn’t immediately sold on a name change.
WWE has been known to make both name and character changes to talent once they’re brought to the main roster from NXT. There are exceptions but for the most part, WWE wants complete control over a talent’s name for trademark purposes.
In the case of one SmackDown superstar, the change wasn’t met with enthusiasm initially.
Raquel Rodriguez Didn’t Like Alteration
During an appearance on Ryan Satin’s Out of Character Podcast, Raquel Rodriguez admitted she didn’t like that WWE changed her last name at first (h/t Fightful).
“I wanted to keep Gonzalez because it represented me. It represents my legacy because it’s my real last name. It’s the name that my dad used while he was wrestling throughout his career, but I wasn’t upset about it.
“I’m glad that they still gave me something hispanic, Rodriguez, I’m grateful that I got something that is R and R. I was joking with Rhea that her initials are RR, mine are RR, when we used to tag together, we were R&R.
“I can’t say that I was super upset. I just wish…Gonzalez had a special meaning to me, but it’s always going to be my name.”
What Raquel can certainly be happy about is her current status on the main roster. She has been booked as a strong up and comer, who came close to pulling off a massive upset over current WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey.
WWE recently made another change to Raquel, although it had nothing to do with trademarks. Raquel’s finisher used to be called the “Chingona Bomb” but WWE changed it to the “Texana Bomb” over fear that “Chingona” sounded too close to a curse word.