Ryback On Legally Changing His Name, Says WWE Re-Filed Trademark For The Name

– Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, WWE alum Ryback talked about changing his name legally to his wrestling name and said WWE is still trying to trademark the name. Ryback’s birth name is Ryan Reeves, but he filed to change his name in September of 2016 following his WWE release.

Since then, Ryback has used the name in branding for several of his ventures, but he says WWE has tried to re-file the trademark after he filed for it. Highlights from the discussion and the video of the interview are below:

On changing his name legally to Ryback: “Absolutely. Yeah and again, born Ryan, I didn’t necessarily want to do that. I tell people this, I use this name all the time. I go, ‘If my wrestling name was Grizzly Bear, I wasn’t probably — The Grizz, I wasn’t probably gonna change my name to that. More likely than not. I looked at it as, ‘Ryback, Ryan. Not so bad! I can live with that.'”

On WWE re-filing the trademark for his name: “There was a thing actually, and unfortunately. And I wish them all the best. I’m done being angry, and all that. But WWE re-filed for the Ryback trademark on the final day before I was set to get it. Which I had to pay to have my trademark filed for it. And they re-filed the final day, and my attorney notified me. Then I gotta have a phone call with him. It’s gonna cost me between $45,000 and $60,000 to cancel out their trademark on it. Which more likely it’ll take anywhere from 12 to 18 months, and I should be awarded it at the end. But I’m going to have to pay.”

On asking WWE to drop their filing: “So I sent them a message, I actually sent Mark Carrano? — I think that’s his name — a message last weekend. And nothing mean, just, ‘I would really appreciate it if you guys cancelled this, dropped this on your own. I’m gonna be really upset if you don’t.’ And I’m gonna. I’m gonna be really f**king upset.”

On if he thinks WWE will drop the filing: “I don’t know. It doesn’t hurt to ask, though. But it is what it is. At the end of the day if I have to pay it, I have to pay it. And it’s not all up front, it’s over the course of the time, so that makes it a little better. But I mean nobody wants to pay that kind of money. And it’s unfortunate, and it’s not going to stop me from using the name on anything, but merchandising, can’t have a shirt with Ryback on it. Or Ryback TV on YouTube, they also filed for it in entertainment and online services, which is very odd.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Chris Van Vliet with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.