Killer Kelly, you know, from the long, legendary Killer family. Killer Khan, Killer Bees, Killer Kowalski.
Well, not really. But she did get to keep her name in WWE.
This surprised many, as WWE's last decade has taken a more safe approach when it comes to character names. In fact, Killer Kross changed his ring-name to Karrion Kross shortly before his NXT debut. Kelly herself was shocked when the time came and she realized she didn't have to switch, as she tells Fightful in an exclusive interview.
"No. I was afraid. But, I assume they forgot or something like that, and then just started announcing me as Killer Kelly. ‘Cause my first match in WWE was during the UK tournament. I didn’t even know I was going to wrestle on that show. We were there hanging out backstage and then they announced the match. I was like, ‘Oh, my God. Killer Kelly. Okay, that’s cool. That’s cool.’ I didn’t have a contract at the time. Then I did the Mae Young. I still didn’t have the contract. It was in talks, but I didn’t have it. Once they handed me the paperwork and it said ‘Killer Kelly,’ I was like, ‘Okay.’ So, I can keep Killer. So, that’s amazing. ‘Cause that’s the name that I wanted. It was a little tribute to the Portuguese crowd, who named me. So, iI was like, ‘That’s cool. They let me keep it.’ Yeah. I was very, very lucky. I really think they forgot."
Not only did Kelly keep the name for use in WWE, she retained it for use outside WWE as she navigates the indie scene.
You can see our full interview with Killer Kelly at the top of the page, and you can follow her on Twitter at this link. She also streams on Twitch, which you can watch at this link!
