WWE has made significant changes in recent months. If you’ve been watching the weekly shows, you’ve likely noticed changes in the lighting, ringside area, stage setup, wrestler promos, and commentary, among other things.
During the WrestleMania post-show press conference, Triple H stated that fans can expect more changes to the product in the coming months, with things gradually rolled out. So far, those changes have received mostly positive feedback from fans on social media, and there appears to be another shift in philosophy that fans will likely appreciate.
Tama Tonga made his WWE debut last Friday night on WWE SmackDown, joining Solo Sikoa in what appeared to be the formation of a new Bloodline or offshoot of the faction that appears to be heading for a collision course with Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso, and possibly others.
It is worth noting that Tama Tonga was allowed to keep his name. When Vince McMahon was in charge, wrestlers from other promotions were required to change their names for trademark and merchandising purposes. Wrestlers, such as Ronda Rousey, could occasionally keep their real names, but it was uncommon for someone to keep their gimmick name.
According to Fightful Select, Giulia is expected to keep her name and make her debut at NXT Heatwave on July 7th. We’ll see if this trend continues with future signings, but it appears that WWE is backing away from complete gimmick overhauls.
Under Vince McMahon, the company rarely mentioned a wrestler’s background. This has also changed. Michael Cole recently mentioned Sting’s retirement. NJPW and CMLL have both been mentioned on WWE TV in recent months.
It is truly a new era for WWE.
