Lexis King Was Excited About Dropping The Brian Pillman Jr Name For WWE NXT

Brian Pillman Harbors No Ill-Will Toward AEW

Lexis King mentioned experiencing self-doubt during his time in AEW, clarifying that he harbors no negative sentiments towards the company. King, formerly known as Brian Pillman Jr., operated under his real name while in AEW and has since transitioned to WWE, joining the NXT roster. During an interview on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, King discussed a significant turnaround in his career while in NXT. He emphasized that any uncertainty about his work stemmed from his own concerns rather than any shortcomings on AEW's part.

When it comes to AEW, Lexis King is not holding onto any sour grapes, because he had a lot of experiences while being paid very well by AEW.

“There’s no ill will. But it’s sort of just that mindset. You know, I’ve put myself in that mindset. Nobody else put me in that; I put myself in that mindset of, ‘What’s going on here?’ Sort of that self-doubt. And then I kept grinding … I moved back home. I kept grinding, going to the local school, trying to find out what makes me tick as a performer. And just the experience [of] living there. The experience traveling with AEW made me the performer I am today.”

Brian Pillman Jr Opens Up About Becoming Lexis King

Some might have assumed that Lexis King may not be 100% thrilled about giving up the Brian Pillman Jr name. After all, that is his actual name. On the contrary, King is happy to have a chance to live out one of his pro wrestling fantasies, as he has his own name now.

“I don’t wanna get into it, but it is my name, so when I go there, I was like, ‘hi, I’m Brian Pillman Jr,’ yada yada yada. Then they gave me the whole ‘you can’t keep your name’ kinda talk, and I was like, ‘well, I don’t wanna make it seem like that’s a bad thing,’ which it’s not. “

“You know, coming into it, I always fantasized about having my own wrestler name. Because my whole career I’ve had his name. My whole life I’ve had someone else’s name. I’ve been walking around with someone else’s name. Brian Pillman is a name that my father made, he made that name on his own. There’s not much I can add to it.”

The Lexis King Name Holds Personal Significance To Brian Pillman Jr

Brian Pillman Jr.'s WWE ring name, Lexis King, holds significant personal meaning for him. The name Lexis is derived from Alexis, his half-sister who tragically passed away in a car accident. 

His last name King is connected to his mother, Melanie Pillman, who previously went by the last name King. Melanie Pillman faced challenges with drug addiction before her passing last year. Additionally, King is the last name of his sister, Skylar King.