Elijah Reveals Vince McMahon Personally Changed His WWE Name

Elijah, the former WWE star known to millions as Elias, is now making waves in TNA—but he hasn’t forgotten how his name first got chopped down in WWE, thanks to Vince McMahon.

During a recent chat with Inside the Ropes, Elijah reflected on his main roster call-up and how Triple H had always believed his “Drifter” persona was destined for bigger things. But the biggest change happened right before his first night on RAW—when Vince made it clear Elias Samson wasn’t the name moving forward.

It all started with Triple H spotting something different in Elijah’s act compared to the rest of the NXT roster.

“He [Triple H] pulled me aside early on when I started catching on, and I can remember he gave me like a little catchphrase that maybe I’ll use down the line. But he pulled me aside and he said… there was a line that they had written called, ‘What it needs is what I am.’ And essentially, Hunter came to me and he says, ‘Hey, what this business needs is what you are.’”

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With his guitar, songs, and entertainment-focused character, Elijah stood apart from the more wrestling-heavy roster.

“Because at that time, there was nobody doing that. And they were amazing, but like, you know, Sami Zayn was like a wrestler… Shinsuke Nakamura, the Japanese wrestler… Finn Balor, the wrestler… and they were all wrestlers in their own right. And then there was me. Totally different. He sings a song. He walks with a guitar. He wears jeans when he wrestles… It stood out as something different.”

Triple H didn’t hide that Elijah’s act was perfect for RAW.

“And he caught on to that right away, and he would always say, ‘This is a main roster act. This is main roster stuff.’”

After WrestleMania 33, Triple H officially announced Elijah’s call-up to RAW in front of the NXT locker room.

“And then one day, after one of the NXT tapings, all of us were hanging out… everybody’s there… Hunter’s giving his post-show speech, and he says, ‘Oh, just one other announcement… Elias Samson, you got to drift your ass to Monday Night RAW.’”

But backstage at RAW, Elijah got word his name was changing—and Vince McMahon made the call.

“First thing I remember, I did the rehearsal, and it said like Elias Samson right under my tag or whatever. And Michael Hayes came up to me and he says, ‘Hey, Vince doesn’t want Samson. You’re going to be Elias now.’”

After performing his act privately for Vince, the WWE boss was all in.

“Oh, this is going to be good.”

Fast forward to today, Elijah has embraced a new chapter in TNA with his real name and a fresh start. But behind the curtain, his WWE journey—and the boss’s influence—will always be part of the story.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.