William Regal On Why He Can Use His Name In AEW
In a world of copyright claims and intellectual property disputes, William Regal has explained just how he can use his WWE moniker in AEW.
William Regal spent over two decades as part of WWE, firstly making his name on-screen as a multiple-time champion in the company remembered most for his comedy skits as Commissioner and for his penchant for brass knuckles. Later in his career, Regal became a driving force behind the NXT brand, acting as its on-screen General Manager and behind the scenes, scouting and hiring some of the best wrestling talents in the world.
When his time in WWE came to an abrupt end in early 2022, it wasn’t long before Regal was back on a wrestling show when he made his shock AEW debut at their Revolution pay-per-view. William Regal stormed to the ring after Bryan Danielson took on Jon Moxley in a brutal match, slapping both men before making them shake hands and the Blackpool Combat Club was born.
However, prior to joining WWE all those years ago, the English star was known as Steven, and occasionally Lord Steven Regal, leading many to wonder what he would be known as in AEW. The answer was straightforward, he goes by William Regal.
Speaking on his Gentleman Villain podcast, William Regal explained the very simple reason he got to keep his WWE name:
“I own the name.”
However Regal concedes that there is one situation where he would stop using the name on-screen:
“If Mr. McMahon would’ve asked me not to use it, I wouldn’t’ve used it.”
“The only thing that WWE had was a copyright in America and in Europe if I was to wrestle. They could stop me wrestling, if they wanted to, as ‘William Regal,’ but I don’t wrestle anymore.”
William Regal will be at ringside as the Blackpool Combat Club team with Santana, Ortiz, and Eddie Kingston to face The Jericho Appreciation Society in Blood & Guts.