Subhojeet Mukherjee on January 15, 2026
Jake Something’s AEW debut as Jake Doyle made headlines—and now we know exactly why the name change happened.
During a January 15, 2026 Q&A session on PWInsider, Mike Johnson was asked why AEW dropped the name “Jake Something” in favor of “Jake Doyle.” Given that “Jake Something” had built a reputation across TNA and the indies, fans were curious whether legal red tape played a role. Johnson shut down any speculation that it was about trademarks:
“It wasn’t a trademark issue. It was what AEW decided to utilize on camera, which means it was a Tony Khan call.”
That decision lines up with AEW’s internal push to rebrand former TNA talent as they transition into the All Elite Wrestling ecosystem. Jake Doyle’s surprise debut came just ahead of the January 7 episode of Dynamite, where he appeared in a pre-show digital segment attacking JetSpeed’s Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight on behalf of The Don Callis Family.
The segment marked the official start of his AEW run—just days after his TNA contract quietly expired on January 1. Despite earlier reports that his deal was supposed to run through late 2026, the early expiration allowed him to debut without delay.
With Tony Khan personally choosing to rebrand Jake Something as Jake Doyle, it’s clear AEW sees long-term potential in the powerhouse star. Now the limelight is on Doyle to make this new chapter count.
Do you like the name change from Jake Something to Jake Doyle? Or should AEW have kept his original ring name? Sound off in the comments below!
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