Why Apollo's name has been changed by the WWE

What's the story?

WWE recently dropped Apollo's surname with the Superstar now known as just Apollo. This was a move that many have written off as just another surname drop similarly to Cesaro's or Big E's. However, we have received an official email from WWE officials revealing there is a very specific reason why they've made the name change.

In case you didn't know...

Apollo has been enjoying some limited success of late as part of Titus Worldwide with the team even picking up some wins over the current RAW tag-team champions The Bar. Apollo himself was also given some moments to shine in the build-up to the Elimination Chamber, even if he did fail to qualify.

The heart of the matter

But what exactly is going on with Apollo's name, and why has the WWE made the decision to drop 'Crews' from it, as per the Superstars current profile page on the WWE website?

We received an email from WWE confirming that Apollo's name was being changed to just Apollo and that the reason why was to avoid any possible allusion to Nikolas Cruz, the perpetrator of the recent mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Florida.

The correspondence from the WWE indicated that the decision to drop Apollo's surname and only refer to him as Apollo going forward was a decision made straight from the top, with Vince McMahon never wanting to hear the surname again following the recent tragedy.

What's next?

Apollo and Titus O'Neil seem to be on the verge of being developed into a credible tag-team. However, neither man is currently scheduled to be making an appearance, or compete in a match at WWE's Elimination Chamber, which is a shame.

Author's take

Personally, I quite like just Apollo. It may come across as weird to some readers but I think it makes him seem slightly more credible as a competitor.

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