Kylie Rae made her WWE debut, with what might be her WWE name

There were some interesting names at last week’s tryouts at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. Among them was former AEW, Impact & NWA wrestler Kylie Rae.

It would seem the tryout went well for Rae (whose real name is Briana Rae Sparrey, which will be relevant here in a sec). She worked the Main Event taping before the Dec. 12 Raw, losing to Dana Brooke. “Smiley Kylie” was introduced as “Briana Ray”... so now you can see why her government name was relevant.

A talented performer, Rae’s babyface character has connected with fans everywhere she’s worked — and at least for this appearance, she was very much still working that gimmick. Her act has always drawn comparisons to face Bayley. With the former Hugger well-established as a heel for WWE, signing Rae could be a way for Triple H & team to deliver their version of a “good girl” who appeals to young and not-so-young members of the audience.

Of course, at least on the wrestle web, Rae’s exits from each of the promotions listed above are as well known as what she did while signed to them. She’s been open about her mental health struggles that have prompted her to step away from wrestling multiple times in the past.

Hopefully the treatment Kylie/Briana’s received and the work she’s done have her in a place where she can show what she can do on the business’ biggest stage, and that WWE fast-tracking her to this point means they’re confident they can be a part of a support system that helps Rae succeed.