Head of WWE Talent Relations John Laurinaitis is reported to have ordered a new recruit to cut his long hair before he made his TV debut.
Over the years WWE has at times asked talents to either cut or grow their hair depending on the needs of the company at the time. While sometimes the need to lose hair can lead to a ‘hair vs. hair’ bout, as demonstrated perhaps most famously in WWE by CM Punk and Kurt Angle, most of these changes take place behind the scenes.
Dave Meltzer has now reported in his Wrestling Observer Newsletter that such a change took place before new WWE recruit Javier Bernal made his televised debut on 205 Live.
Meltzer reported that John Laurinaitis “pretty much ordered” Bernal to get rid of his long locks before he took part in his bout against Draco Anthony. The report adds that Laurinaitis noticed Bernal during rehearsals and made the request although made it clear the choice was Bernal’s.
Javier Bernal took to social media to seemingly confirm the change and show his new look.
Javier Bernal joined WWE after taking part in tryouts that were held in Las Vegas during the week of SummerSlam 2021.
Another picture from the rookie star’s social media shows him with a resplendent head of hair, indicating just how drastic the change to his look was.