Road Dogg Confirms Changes To Two WWE Star's Ring Names

One of the many changes that have occurred in WWE since Vince McMahon's retirement is certain wrestlers are again being billed with a first and last name instead of just one or the other.

"Road Dogg" Brian James, who reportedly recently returned to WWE as Senior Vice President of LIve Events, confirmed on his "Oh... You Didn't Know?" podcast that Riddle and Theory have regained their first names. 

"His name is Matt Riddle again," James said. In response to his co-host bringing up Austin Theory, James said: "Yeah, yeah. I think it's already probably already out there."

Riddle and Theory previously joined a list of WWE stars such as Big E, Otis, Angel, and Humberto to have their names shortened under the Vince McMahon regime. This past Monday on "Raw" during Riddle's interview segment with rival Seth Rollins, he was referred to as "Matt Riddle," with his full name being listed in the graphic.

Riddle originally had his name changed in October 2020 in the build to Survivor Series, while Theory's name change occurred after WrestleMania 38 earlier this year. In Theory's first TV match following the loss of his first name, he won the United States Championship by defeating Finn Balor.

On a side note, when Theory was asked during a recent interview with CBS Sports' Shakiel Mahjouri if he'll get "Austin" back, he said: "I would say no. Just because I love 'Theory. To me, 'Austin' was just always the throw-on, my first name, but 'Theory' was just what I created in the backyard as a kid. I love it. 'Theory,' that's all we need."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Oh...You Didn't Know? with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.