WWE appears to be planning to change the name of one of its SmackDown stars.
Butch, also known as Pete Dunne, has primarily worked as a tag team member since making his main roster debut last year, following a successful run in NXT UK and NXT. He was paired with Ridge Holland and Sheamus.
The Brawling Brutus would dominate other teams or be ringside for Sheamus’ singles matches. Tyler Bate has joined the main roster after making his SmackDown debut two weeks ago, teaming with Butch against Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince and Kit Wilson). They will rerun it tonight on SmackDown.
Butch hinted at changing his name last week, claiming that the Brawling Brutes were no longer relevant.
According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, a return to Pete Dunne has been in the works for quite some time. Sources have confirmed to Corey Brennan, “It’s exactly what it looks like.”
According to the report, when they “were told at the time that Butch’s name was changed from Dunne, it got some of the heaviest pushback in recent WWE memory”.
One source they spoke with said, “It wasn’t even that it was a bad name. The name was okay. It was fine. But there was already a Butch. An actual wrestler named Butch already in our Hall of Fame.”
