WWE Files for "Spike Dudley" Trademark After Hyson Drops Claim
Summary: WWE filed on Nov. 6 to trademark "Spike Dudley," five days after Matthew Hyson, who played the character, abandoned his own May application, Fightful and WrestlingHeadlines reported on Nov. 9. No details of any agreement are public.
The quick version
- WWE filed an application on Friday, Nov. 6, for the name "Spike Dudley," per Fightful and WrestlingHeadlines. Both published on Monday, Nov. 9.
- Matthew Hyson, who played Spike Dudley, filed for the name in May. He abandoned that application on Nov. 1, per WrestlingHeadlines.
- Neither WWE nor Hyson has said why, or whether they reached a deal. We did not open the USPTO record.
WWE has filed to trademark "Spike Dudley," Fightful and WrestlingHeadlines reported on Monday, Nov. 9. The filing is dated Friday, Nov. 6. It came five days after Matthew Hyson, the man who played Spike Dudley, gave up his own application for the same name.
How the two filings line up
- May 2026. Hyson files for the name, per WrestlingHeadlines. The outlet says he wanted it for merchandise.
- Late August. The application is published, which opens a window for others to challenge it, per WrestlingHeadlines.
- Sept. 24. WWE asks for a 90-day extension to the window, giving it time to contest the filing, per WrestlingHeadlines. Fightful's wording is stronger: it says WWE opposed Hyson's application.
- Nov. 1. Hyson and his trademark attorney file an express abandonment, and the application is listed as "abandoned," per WrestlingHeadlines.
- Nov. 6. WWE files its own application, per both outlets.
What WWE's filing covers
Fightful posted the description of services. It covers live and broadcast wrestling performances, online wrestling news and information, fan club services, and online newsletters and blogs about sports entertainment. It is not a filing for merchandise.
What is not known
- Why Hyson abandoned the filing. WrestlingHeadlines says the timing suggests the two sides may have reached some kind of understanding. That is the outlet's reading. No details have been made public, and we cannot confirm it.
- What WWE plans to do with the name. We found no WWE statement.
- Whether the new application will be approved. Trademark filings can be refused. WWE's RKO application for wrestling services was refused this month. See our RKO story.
Source: Fightful (Jeremy Lambert) and WrestlingHeadlines (Matt Boone), both Nov. 9. The two reports agree on the Nov. 6 filing and Hyson's abandonment. They differ on how far WWE had gone against Hyson's application, and the story says so. We did not open the USPTO record and did not contact WWE or Hyson. We left out personal details about Hyson that WrestlingHeadlines includes.
Sources
- Fightful (Jeremy Lambert), "WWE Files To Trademark 'Spike Dudley'", Nov. 9, 2026, 9:06 AM (the Nov. 6 filing, the description of services, Hyson's abandonment). https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/wwe-files-to-trademark-spike-dudley/
- WrestlingHeadlines (Matt Boone), "ECW Trademark Situation Takes Interesting Turn As WWE Files New Application", Nov. 9, 2026 (the May filing, the Sept. 24 extension, the Nov. 1 abandonment). https://wrestlingheadlines.com/ecw-trademark-situation-takes-interesting-turn-as-wwe-files-new-application/
- WrestlingNews.com, "USPTO Refuses WWE's Second Try to Trademark "RKO"", Nov. 8, 2026. https://wrestlingnews.com/story/uspto-refuses-wwe-second-rko-trademark-application/
- WrestlingNews.com staff reporting: read both reports in full and compared the dates. We did not open the USPTO record and did not contact WWE.
How we credit sources: Editorial standards.