Rejected Pitch For Kay Lee Ray (Alba Fyre) WWE Name Revealed: ‘They Were Like ‘No, You’re A Badass”

Published: 21 minutes ago by Dave Adamson | Last Updated: 10 seconds ago by Dave Adamson

Dave has been a website writer for WrestleTalk since October 2022, having previously written for Den of Geek, among a number of wrestling, movie and television-related sites. Dave has been around the independent wrestling scene for more than a decade, including behind-the-scenes.

Rejected Pitch For Kay Lee Ray (Alba Fyre) WWE Name Revealed: ‘They Were Like ‘No, You’re A Badass”

Alba Fyre has revealed the origins of the ring name that she had for the last four years of her time in WWE, and the pitch she made which was rejected.

Signed to her first contract in January 2019, the star who would eventually be known as Alba Fyre would initially use her independent wrestling name, Kay Lee Ray.

No longer under contract with WWE, the star once again known as Kay Lee Ray has revealed the origins of the Alba Fyre name.

Speaking to the Daily Star, Kay Lee Ray revealed she had pitched names, but ultimately went with WWE’s suggestion, stating:

“It was WWE’s idea. I had pitched some names, but ultimately, it was one that they suggested that we went with. Alba Fyre, it’s Scottish fire, that is what I am.

“They know what they’re doing, they’re WWE. I always feel, differently from the independents, in WWE, I’m an actor on their TV show. If they present a character to me, I’m going to play that character, but on the independents, I’m going to play the character that I want to play.

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When asked about her pitches, Ray revealed that one of her suggestions was “Paisley”, which WWE rejected.

She explained:

“Well, people from there might make fun of me for this, but Paisley was actually one that I suggested. I was born in Paisley, so like Paisley Ray, something like that, so it kind of went with the Kay Lee. But they were like ‘No, you’re a badass, we need something fiery.'”

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Kay Lee Ray would reveal that her parting ways with WWE in April of this year was due to her contract expiring.

The star has since made a return to the independent wrestling scene, defeating Molly Spartan at Pro-Wrestling EVE on June 5 in London, England.

Bringing The Fyre To WWE

Already an established WWE star before she became Alba Fyre, she would join forces with Isla Dawn in January 2023, following their feud on NXT.

The alliance would reap rewards, with Dawn and Fyre being the final NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions and, later, the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.

Dawn would be released from her WWE contract in February 2025, and later reveal that she was “not surprised” at the decision.

For Fyre, no longer allied with her dark teammate, she would join The Green Army, alongside Chelsea Green and Piper Niven, with the fire tempered into a much less serious character.

It was through The Green Army, as a Slaygent, that Fyre showed an arguably greater degree of character work, clearly having fun in the spotlight of Chelsea Green’s antics.

Describing herself as an “actor on their TV show”, it’s easy to see how Fyre was able to fit into any role that WWE creative gave her, whether it be the hard-edged brawler or the comedic foil.

A veteran of the independent scene before joining WWE, a return to that very space brings the benefits of all that Kay Lee Ray experienced during her tenure. With Kay Lee Ray also making it clear during the Daily Star interview that she is back on the independent scene with opportunities coming, it’s highly likely the star will continue to shine, wherever she may land.

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