4 months ago
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Tamyra Mensah-Stock is looking to follow in the footsteps of WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle as being an Olympic gold medalist who can successfully transition over to WWE. The 31-year old won gold for the United States in 2021 in freestyle wrestling, and agreed to sign with WWE in 2023. Like many people who join WWE, she has undergone a name change, as she had her first televised match on the July 2 "NXT Level Up" as Tyra Mae Steele, where she was defeated by Wren Sinclair. Mensah-Stock had already appeared on TV, appearing as a model in Chase U calendar, but the match with Sinclair was the first time WWE fans got a taste of what she could do in the ring.
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In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that there is some confusion within WWE regarding Mensah-Stock having her name changed. The feeling amongst some within WWE is that the average fan won't know her name, thus changing it to something that the fans can become attached to, which someone like Jade Cargill hasn't had to worry about due to being known for her time in AEW.
However, Meltzer believes that if WWE are going to market her as an Olympic gold medalist, they should have her use her real name given that's the name she had when she won the medal, with Meltzer also noting that the medal is realistically the only reason she is signed with the company, as there was no interest from WWE until after the Olympic games in 2021. Regardless of what name she uses, those within WWE have been impressed with both her attitude, and her progress shown on various house shows, so the sky is the limit for Tamyra "Tyra Mae Steele" Mensah-Stock.
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