Conan Lycan only just landed his WWE ID deal, and he’s already getting a pretty significant makeover. The independent wrestler now has an entirely new identity under the WWE system, officially introducing himself as Kato Sykes.
Lycan revealed the change Tuesday afternoon on Instagram, posting a photo of himself and keeping the announcement about as simple as possible.
“Kato Sykes
#wwe #wwenxt #nxt”
The change comes less than a month after Lycan’s relationship with WWE became official. On the October 7 episode of WWE EVOLVE, AJ Styles personally informed him that he had earned a WWE ID contract after spending months getting opportunities around the company.
Before receiving the deal, Sykes had already been getting plenty of looks from WWE. He defeated Marcus Mathers in a non-televised match ahead of the October 6 episode of NXT and previously defeated Brooks Jensen before the September 8 show. He had also participated in WWE’s SummerSlam tryouts.
Sykes has been wrestling since late 2018 and built his reputation on the independent scene with promotions including ETU, Limitless Wrestling and CSW, where he became a three-time Heavyweight Champion. He also worked several TNA Xplosion matches in 2024 before WWE started giving him more opportunities.
Getting the WWE ID contract was already a pretty strong sign that the company saw something in him, but giving him a completely new ring name makes this next phase feel even more official. Whether Kato Sykes eventually becomes a regular presence on NXT television remains to be seen, but WWE clearly isn’t wasting much time establishing his new identity.
What do you think of Conan Lycan becoming Kato Sykes after signing his WWE ID deal? Let us know what you think in the comments.
