Earlier this week, Tamyra Mensah-Stock, the Summer Olympics gold medalist of 2020, made her first appearance in the WWE.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Tamyra established her dominance in the 68-kilogram weight class, making history as the first black woman to win gold in freestyle wrestling. She later defended her title during the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships to claim her second world title.
In Melbourne, Florida, Tamyra exploded onto the wrestling scene this March during her first NXT house show, where she emerged victorious against Breanna Covington. This past Tuesday, she had her first in-ring TV participation in an NXT Level Up tapings singles match.
During her TV debut, Tamyra battled against Wren Sinclair under the ring name, Tyra Mae Steele. Some questions have been raised as to why she used an alternative name instead of her real one.
Reports originating from The Wrestling Observer Newsletter claim that there have been similar debates within the WWE. The argument is that WWE fans would be more familiar with Tamyra’s real name, hence a more recognizable alias may be more impactful.
This contrasts with Jade Cargill’s strategy, which revolves around the presumption that WWE fans already know her because of her time with the AEW.
Moreover, while the WWE hadn’t shown prior interest in Tamyra, it was ultimately her Olympic gold medal win that became the driving force behind her recruitment.