On the most recent edition of “Conversation with The Big Guy,” which you can listen to in full at this link, former WWE star Ryback had the following to say on why he decided to change his name legally to “Ryback”:
I legally went and changed my name to Ryback. For many reasons, one of which I owned and created and used before my time in WWE. I am very proud of so, I went through the proper steps, through Clark County in Las Vegas. It cost a lot of money and I go in front of the judge September 1st, but when this airs, hopefully everything is approved, but moving forward I will be known as Ryback Alan Reeves moving forward. I don’t think anyone, outside of Warrior has done this. I feel like if my name was a little different, I might second guess it, Ryback is not so off the wall, or so different than Ryan. It came off of Silverback and my name is Ryan, so Ryback, so it’s different yes, it is a name, there are other people out there named Ryback. A lot of people thought I came up with the name Ryback from Under Siege, but it’s one of those things, it’s not me trying to get over on somebody, this is stuff that I had before and that I want associated with my brand, and you know, I am still going to be Ryan, but I need that name, I want that name associated with the Big Guy and it was something that had to be done. I have the right to earn money outside of WWE. I created this [Ryback], and many talents in the WWE create their brand, and they always tell us that we are responsible for our brand, and I am so fully responsible for my brand, and I don’t think it is fair for guys to spend a good chunk of their time in one place and when they leave there they are not allowed to use that identity, which isn’t fair, and I definitely thinks it needs to change and more people need to speak up on that and take control, and I am just doing what is right for me. There is a huge difference between promoting the “Big Guy” Ryback and Ryan Reeves, and it’s because that is the brand that they associate with me and it’s not fair to give talents everything they have and to be the ones to take that away and leave them with nothing, so I am only looking out for myself and with what I am trying to establish outside of the WWE. It’s just me doing what needs to be done, and like I told you from the beginning, there is no fear and I have been through the worst of the worst and overcame things will continue to overcome things. It’s just something that had to be done.
