Genuine question about talents having their names changed

[Dale]

So we all know by now that talents coming into the company will no longer be able to use their real names or names that they used elsewhere (for the most part)

Depending which side of the fence you're on, you either just roll with the name changes and realise in the grand scheme of things it's not going to make a difference, or you're screaming bloody murder and 'fuck this company.' This isn't about whether them changing names is right or wrong though.

Now the question I want to ask is. Let's give it an approximate timeline of say 12 years so it takes us back to 2010. During this time period, have there been any name changes that have happened that has totally ruined the person and what their potential could have been?

It was something that crossed my mind since the 'Butch' name change really. Is it a shit name? Sure. Would his ceiling have been be the same if he was called Pete Dunne still? Probably.​

 

[Hidden Blaze]

For me it’s more or less that a lot of the name changes are stupid af. Some don’t bother me. Like Austin Theory just becoming Theory isn’t a huge deal. I always called him that for the most part anyways. But the Butch one you mention where it might not change anything, it’s just a stupid af change. Like that’s my only problem is when it’s one that’s so fucking dumb. Even if it doesn’t change anything it’s still dumb and pointless and I’ll always laugh at it being dumb.

 

[Deezy]

Shakespeare once wrote "what's in a name?"

People here change their names all the time.

 

[Cwalker]

I said it before, the whole name change thing doesn’t bother me because I call people whatever name I’m comfortable with anyway.

Now to answer the initial question, I can’t think of a name change where I thought to myself “well this guy isn’t going anywhere”

But…

Some of the names they gave guys in the game show era of NXT were horrendous. Michael McGuilicutty probably being the worst. But there was also Husky Harris, Skip Sheffield, Eli Cottonwood .

So while I can’t think of someone that jumped from one company to the WWE and got a shitty name and was automatically doomed, I can say WWE started some people off wrong.

Most of them were eventually retconned

 

[Sky]

It's a terrible choice when the individual has already become established under a different name (WALTER, Pete Dunne)

 

[Sky]

I guess this can also be the thread for these

WWE NXT STARS GETS NEW NAMES | PWInsider.com

www.pwinsider.com

I see the WWE naming department has been on a steady diet of crayons recently. Once again: established talent being completely renamed

 

[Cwalker]

The question posed though was “has a name change effected someone’s career negatively?”

Like if AJ Styles became Allen Jones in 2016, isn’t he still gonna be AJ fucking Styles?

Like Blaze said, a lot of these name changes are dumb as hell. But have they really hurt anyone’s career? I don’t think they have

 

[Hidden Blaze]

I will say however, if Stone Cold ended up with some of them names suggested to him…. He might not have made it. Even a few wrestlers have said that.

 

[Cwalker]

Ok…yeah…Chilly McFreeze isn’t going to get over

 

[Kiffy Lube]

People evolve, they change. Mike Smith becomes Dr. Face-Less or whatever.

I'm currently Rawhide which I plan to keep for a while. WWE could call me up and say you're "dogshit" I'd take that job.

 

[Swerve]

I think at the end of the day talent wins out over any name change.

 

[Cwalker]

I look at a guy like WALTER, he’s gonna be fine. Unnecessary name change or not, he’s still gonna be WALTER

 

[Kross Rhodes]

I look at a guy like WALTER, he’s gonna be fine. Unnecessary name change or not, he’s still gonna be WALTER

Not to mention Gunther isn’t that different of a name.

 

[Swerve]

I wanted Roman to change back to Leakee when he turned heel but WWE Creative didn't care much for what I thought and his new nickname wound up being better.

 

[Kiffy Lube]

Would you rather have the name Leaky or Reigns? Easy choice.