WWE's Ivar Reveals Why War Raiders Went Back To Original Team Name But Not Solo Names

Ivar and Erik have been repackaged several times across their WWE tenure, going from the War Raiders, to the Viking Experience, to The Viking Raiders, before returning to their original name in October 2024. However, the two have interestingly not gone back to their previous names, Hanson and Rowe, and on "Insight with Chris Van Vliet," Ivar explained why this ended up happening.

According to Ivar, they had a conversation with Triple H, who wanted them to slowly pull away from the heavy Viking themes in their gimmick. "We were actually scheduled to return in Calgary — the Calgary 'Raw,'" he said, however he then noted they were pulled at the last second, which made him doubt their return. "The next week we got a phone call 'Hey, how do you feel about coming back as The War Raiders?'"

Additionally, Ivar also confirmed that there was talk about bringing back their old names. "I think at this point, we spent five years in the main roster as Erik and Ivar, and that's — especially with the Ivar singles run — that's how we're known," he added, noting that a return to their former names would ultimately erase their history. "We're a couple of big, badass dudes, with beards — but, I mean, we have — we're real people and we have a very long history with the wrestling business."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Insight with Chris Van Vliet" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.