Summer Rae On Relationship With WWE Legend Dusty Rhodes & His Help Picking Her Name

Coming up with a name is a big decision in professional wrestling. While speaking to "Insight with Chris Van Vliet," Summer Rae revealed how Dusty Rhodes played a role in helping to create hers after initially disliking her first option, Kylie Summers.

"He [Rhodes] goes, 'What in the f*** is a Kylie Summers,'" Rae revealed. "He said, 'Your name will stick with you for the rest of your life, what you have for the rest of your life'... I said, 'Kylie Summers, fine, what about Summer? Because it was Summers,' and he was like, 'Yeah, okay I like that.'" 

A big reason he liked it was due to it being two syllables, which is something he pushed for wrestlers to have as it was easier for fans to chant. He also pushed Rae to have the last letter of her first name be the first name of her last as it rolls off the announcer's tongue. It wasn't just in creating her name where the "American Dream" was able to help Rae, though, as he would ensure she had a role on his FCW show no matter what. Whether it was ring announcing, refereeing, or being a General Manager, Rhodes would always find a place for her. 

"Dusty was the only person that believed in me super early," she said. "It was great, I think it was really good for my confidence so early on just like Dusty Rhodes was in my corner, it's so great. I hear him all the time, he'd always tell us, especially when I was on Raw valeting, he'd always say, 'Do it first and ask for forgiveness after.'"

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Insight with Chris Van Vliet" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.