WWE has secured the trademark rights to a number of ring names.
Drew McIntyre, Dolph Ziggler, Zack Ryder, and Ezekiel Jackson were among the names that had been trademarked. On February 23, the company filed for the terms with The United States Patent and Trademark Office under the entertainment services classification. The following is the description:
“Trademark registration is intended to cover the categories of entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibitions and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer rendered and through broadcast media including television and radio, and via the internet or commercial online service; providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; providing information in the fields of sports and entertainment via an online community portal; providing a website in the field of sports entertainment information; fan club services, namely, organizing sporting events in the field of wrestling for wrestling fan club members; organizing social entertainment events for entertainment purposes for wrestling fan club members; providing online newsletters in the fields of sports entertainment; online journals, namely blogs, in the field of sports entertainment.”
The WWE filing for Ezekiel Jackson’s name is interesting. Jackson worked for WWE from 2007 to 2014, debuting on the main roster in 2008. He held the ECW and Intercontinental Titles while with WWE. In 2015, he announced his retirement from wrestling.
The Zack Ryder trademark follows Matt Cardona’s filing for trademark rights to his former WWE ring name. He later tweeted that he attempted to obtain it but was turned down. Cardona revealed on Jason Powell’s Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast that WWE fought him over the trademark, so he backed down.
There have been rumors that WWE may bring him back after his wife, Chelsea Green, returns to the company.
