Keith Lee was not a fan of WWE’s idea of a nickname for him.
While speaking with Fightful’s Sean Sapp, Keith Lee revealed that he actually rejected the Bearcat nickname at first. In the notes from the interview from the outlet’s paywall, Keith Lee explained how his rejection was eventually overturned.
He said that he wasn’t in favor of the Bearcat Lee name, and actually rejected it at first, and they seemed cool with it. Within a couple of weeks, Lee was brought into a meeting with Vince McMahon who said “I need you,” and someone in that position saying that helped convince him to do it. It happened in the middle of Raw during a main event and made Lee feel like it was a big deal. Vince McMahon was off the headset for the meeting, which was very rare at the time.
“He said if he could pitch some goofy, ridiculous gimmick of his own it’d be a dragon because they’re “majestic as fuck.” Lee wondered if him initially passing on the Bearcat gimmick affected him negatively. He spoke highly of the freedom to be himself in NXT.”
Fightful Select
It’s unknown why Vince McMahon was so insistent that Keith Lee take on the Bearcat nickname, but it was his show to run at the time. Keith Lee did his best with the situation, but things just didn’t pan out. Hopefully, he is enjoying his booking in AEW much more.
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