Charlie Dempsey is carrying on the family wrestling legacy, but he’s doing it without using one of the most famous names in the business.
Fans have long wondered why the NXT star doesn’t wrestle under the Regal surname despite being the son of WWE legend William Regal. The questions have only gotten louder recently with Dempsey’s role in NXT’s Birthright faction, which is built around second and third-generation wrestlers. Now, William Regal has revealed that the decision came from his son.
According to Regal, Dempsey wanted to make his own name in wrestling and earn everything himself rather than relying on his father’s reputation.
“My lad @SirCharles_WWE hasn’t used his real name, which is Regal, as he wanted to earn his own way in this and for the last 10 years has done more than that. Very proud of him.”
Regal also shared a funny story about his son’s actual name. While leaving the hospital after Charlie was born, Regal said his wife asked what they should use for their son’s middle name. He jokingly suggested “Regal” because the name had paid the family’s bills over the years. The joke didn’t stay a joke.
“And I promise, this is the last thing. When our Charlie was born, as I was leaving the hospital in Atlanta, my wife asked me what we should use for his middle name.”
“I jokingly said Regal as that’s what’s paid for for everything. I came back the next day to find his middle name is Regal. Poor lad.”
So while fans know him as Charlie Dempsey, Regal confirmed that “Regal” is actually part of his son’s real name. For now, though, it doesn’t look like Dempsey has any plans to change his wrestling name. Instead, he’s continuing to build his own career in NXT and prove he can succeed without leaning on the Regal family name.
Do you think Charlie Dempsey should eventually use the Regal name on WWE television? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.