Only A True WWE Fan Knows These Superstar's Real Names
- by Will Morgan
- – on
- in Sports
This wrestling business is a work, brother. The WWE is a billion dollar corporation now. It is publicly traded on the stock market. But no matter how much Vince McMahon tries to deny his roots, and how much distance they try to put between themselves and the old days, the wrestling business is still carny as heck. It started in those traveling carnivals, with their carny terms like 'work', 'shoot', and 'mark', and it still hangs on to them by a thread. Pro wrestling is now more transparent than ever. But it is still their goal to trick you and put one over on the audience.
Back in the wild west days of the internet, when dorky kids got excited about their family's dial up modem, newly online wrestling fans were desperate for any and all the information they could find. There were chat rooms, newsgroups, and newsletters all focused on spilling the secrets. And the most easily accessible secret it seemed, were the wrestler's real names! Kids gathered around the screens oohing and ahhing over every tiny tidbit of information they could dig up. Only the coolest wrestling nerds on the playground were able to interrupt the other kids talking about Wrestlemania and drop the bomb that Hulk Hogan was not in fact the Hulksters real name! If you are a true wrestling fan, then you know these guys names. How many can you get?
What is The Rock's real name?
Do you smell what the Rock is cooking? Me neither. So, this is a very easy one. You should definitely know this since the Rock has made the transition from being a professional wrestler to being the biggest movie star in the known universe. He uses his real name now. I'll give you a hint: You know how when you see him in a trailer for a film and they say a normal human first and last name for him instead of "The Rock"? That's the answer.
Do you know Hulk Hogan's name?
This should be another easy one. I mean it's not like Hulk Hogan goes out there announcing his name in public every chance he gets. But the dude is like 400 years old so it's just been out there a while so you've probably heard it. If you are not a big wrestling fan, you may have heard his real name thrown around at the trial where he was murdering Gawker. Also, why are you reading this if you're not a wrestling fan?
What is the given name of the Undertaker?
The Undertaker is a real live, dead, wrestling legend. The deadman has been burying the competition for decades now in the WWE. He never really had long runs with the title. He didn't need them. The dude has always been a sort of sideshow special attraction all on his own. His record number of wins at Wrestlemania is a record that will never be broken, no matter how hard Triple H tries. So what is this legend's real birth name?
What's Stone Cold's real name?
Stone Cold Steve Austin for a short time was the biggest professional wrestling star that ever existed. An ever expanding list of injuries led to his early retirement and having to leave the spotlight sooner than he would have liked, but it is questionable if the candle could have even burned that bright for much longer. Stone Cold was born with one name, but soon changed it and took his adoptive step-father's last name, since that is the man that raised him. That name is his real name.
What is the real name of HBK Shawn Michaels?
The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Micheals is a man of many names. He is the show stopper. He is the main event. He is Mister Wrestlemania. He is also a dude from San Antonio, Texas with a kind of funky real name. This guy tried several variations and combos of his real name as a ring name before he finally landed on the catchy 'Shawn Michaels'. It is a great wrestling name that is fitting for one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.
Can you guess the real name of Triple H?
Bless old Triple H. The guy tries so hard. It is just so difficult for him to be 'cool', or taken seriously as a legend. Remember back when he was trying to make the transition from curtain jerking buddy of HBK to a legitimate main eventer? It took multiple undefeated streaks, multiple title wins, the careers of Test and Mick Foley, and multiple people constantly saying "Wow, Triple H is cool" before audiences would take him seriously. So what's his real name?
What's Randy Orton's birth name?
Mr. Randy Orton is a multi generational professional wrestling superstar. Now that he has gone from a promising rookie to a crafty veteran, he has a huge bag of tricks from which to pull. That combined with the vast amounts of knowledge passed down from his grandfather and his father has taught him the secrets of professional wrestling. Secrets such as grabbing a headlock on your opponent and laying in it for like 10 minutes until the entire arena is asleep.
What is John Cena's real name?
Don't cry for John Cena. Sure, he is heartbroken from his recent Bella breakup. And he got whipped by the Undertaker at 'Mania. But come on! The guy is freaking John Cena! He is a verified Hollywood movie star at this point. He is a wrestling legend! Even the smark haters have come around and embraced him. They guy can almost do no wrong now. Well, his STF is still horrible and he has the goofiest faces this side of Goofy, but you can't have everything.
What is the real name of Roman Reigns?
Roman Reigns is the Big Dawg and this is his yard. And when he is in his yard, he chews his bone. So if you go in there and try to take his bone, you better have some dog treats or he will bite you! Especially if you are a mailman! I'm sorry, I think I got lost in the Roman Reigns metaphors there for a minute. The guy is confusing. I don't think he knows what he's about at this point either.
What name was the Big Show born with?
The Big Show is one of those guys that has a great theme song that you like to sing along with, but then once he gets to the ring you're kind of mad because know you're stuck with a Big Show match. Well, it's the Big Show! Big Show has had a lot of opportunity to show of his acting chops over the course of his weird WWE run. He has cried and jumped on the back of a casket containing his dad as it was dragged away in a car driven by Big Boss Man.
What was the birth name of the Ultimate Warrior?
There are a lot of stories about the Ultimate Warrior and they all kind of boil down to the fact that the Ultimate Warrior was a really intense and weird guy. At one point, because of an intellectual property dispute with the then WWF he had his name legally changed to Warrior. That is crazy. We are going with the non crazy version of his name here, okay? He was able to come back into the WWE's good graces and get in the hall of fame before his untimely demise.
What was the Macho Man's real name?
Dare we feel the power of the Macho King? Mach Man came upon his nickname fairly early in his wrestling career and looking back it almost seems unavoidable. What else could the man be called? He was the most macho of all men. It doesn't sound that imposing or even that threatening. I mean, sure he is macho. So what? But you look at him and you see that crazy look in his eye and you hear him call himself the Macho Man... it's scary, dude.
Do you know Kevin Owens' real name?
Kevin Owens is a bad man and that is pretty great. Or that is pretty bad, depending on what kind of wrestling fan you are. Also, depending on how closely you have followed Kevin Owens in the WWE and the indy scene and on social media the saga of his changing name and the names of his children becomes a jumbled mess. Well, not really if you just pay attention and use common sense. But if you don't do that, it is very confusing.
What was Andre The Giant's name?
Andre The Giant was a larger than life superstar. The recent HBO documentary drives home the the hard fact that it is nearly impossible to tell the truth from the fiction at this point when it comes to Andre stories. Wrestlers and promoters embellish the stories they witness, and tend to embellish the stories they hear second and third hand even more so. Only a few things we can know for sure as cold hard facts of Andre's life. His birth name is one of them.
What was the birth name of the Phenomenal One, AJ Styles?
AJ Styles has had quite the career and that is an impressive feat considering how little of it has taken place in the WWE. The WWE essentially controls wrestling history at this point. They can paint whatever picture they want. And the fact that AJ Styles' time spent in TNA and New Japan are not only acknowledged but brought up as points of achievement by the WWE for the Phenomenal one just goes to show the high regard the dude is held in.
What Daniel Bryan's name?
The American Dragon Daniel Bryan has been one of the most inspiring, then heartbreaking, then back to inspiring stories to come out of the pro wrestling world in a long time. Bryan's sheer grit and determination is in the face of adversity is either inspiring, or very foolish depending on your point of view. If you followed his career before the WWE and NXT you may know he's had different names. What name is the one he had the day he was born?
Know what the real name of Dolph Ziggler is?
This may come as a complete shock, so you may want to brace yourself for this one. Ready? Okay, here it comes. The goofy, completely fake and made up sounding name Dolph Ziggler is not this guy's real name! I know, right? Crazy! The WWE, and when I say WWE I mean Vince McMahon, goes back and forth on letting people use their own name and giving them the goofiest computer generated sounding names imaginable. Guess during which time Dolph Ziggler came into the WWE.
What's Dean Ambrose's real name?
What's the deal with Dean Ambrose? I mean is that guy crazy in real life or what? I think he may be a little bit crazy but he wants people to think he is very crazy so he overdoes it a little. Did you see him on the Stone Cold podcast? He was trying to come off as a crazy rebel but he just came off as a real jerk. That is kind of his character at this point. Just kind of a jerk.
What is The real name of Seth Rollins?
Seth Rollins is the architect! I don't know what that means, but the announcers sure do say it a lot. Seth is a really good wrestler, but I am just not sure what he's doing at this point. I guess he built the buildings that the Shield was living in or something? Now he has contacts and does Game Of The Thrones cosplay and thinks he is a direwolf. The dude's character is confusing. Just go out there and wrestle, man.
What is Finn Bálor's name?
Finn Bálor used to be the guy that was occasionally a demon. Now he's the guy that is nearly naked but throws on a leather jacket at the last minute to protect his modesty. Also, Finn Bálor is not his real name. I know, if you are going to have a fake name why the heck would you pick Finn Bálor? Well, his real name is actually even more Irish than the fake one if that is even possible. That is pretty Irish.
Do you know Ric Flair's real name?
To be the man, you have to beat the man. Ric Flair said that. That's not a great expression. A lot of people have beaten Ric Flair. I guess the are a lot of The Mans out there right now. Ric Flair is as close as you can come to a living legend in the professional wrestling world. His life story is just as crazy as his bar tabs. He came up in a time where real names or versions of them were used.
What is the real name of Bray Wyatt?
Bray Wyatt had a lot of potential when he debuted as a weirdo, backwoods, bayou cult leader. But then he wore out his welcome with a string of losses and nonsensical promos. It's a shame because he is a perfectly serviceable wrestler and he comes from basically wrestling royalty. It's a cool character, but honestly it is nowhere near as cool as using his real name and just being a pure bred wrestling legacy. The dude was born into this business.
What is the real name of Braun Strowman?
There is just something special about a giant monster that destroys everything in his wake and leaves a trail of terror behind him and stands there with his arms raised over his head and screams his own name. For every single thing that the WWE has gotten wrong in trying to get Roman Reigns over with the fans, they have gotten it right and knocked it out of the park with Braun Strowman. This dude is money and is the hottest thing going.
What is Kane's real name?
The Demon Kane is still terrorizing people in the WWE while at the same time his alter ego is running for political office in Tennessee. It is great to see that Kane has had so much success for so long too. I mean after all, he was Jerry Lawler's wrestling dentist for goodness sake. Not everybody is talented enough to bounce back from that. And he was the fake Diesel! Good for Kane! Do you know the big red machine's real name?
What's Sami Zayne's real name?
Sami Zayne is a great wrestler. Unfortunately, he acts like your jerk ska-punk friend from high school. He was one of the last really great baby faces working in the modern wrestling industry. It seems so hard for wrestlers to connect to fans in that way, but Sami could really make that connection. When he made the leap from NXT to WWE and the connection wasn't there, he turned heel and seems to be having the time of his smarmy life with his frenemy Kevin Owens.
What's the real name of Tyler Breeze?
Tyler Breeze is a truly beautiful man. That is why they call him Prince Pretty. Who is they exactly? Everybody. Everybody calls him Prince Pretty. Even people that have no idea who Tyler Breeze even is. Tyler Breeze will be walking down the street and folks who have never watched a second of wrestling in their entire lives will gaze upon his beauty and proclaim, "All hail Prince Pretty! For he is most gorgeous in all of the land!" What's his real name?
What's the real name of Jack Gallagher ?
If you watched the Cruiserweight Classic on the WWE Network, then you may remember Gentleman Jack Gallagher as the sassy British wrestler with the unique move set, interesting style, and the ever present umbrella. If you have seen him lately on 205 Live, then you should probably tell your friends to watch as well because you are the only person watching that show and it is about to get cancelled. His name sounds like a real name, but is it?
What is Bayley's real name?
So hey guys, what exactly is going on with Bayley? Back on NXT she was a well defined character. She was a plucky underdog that never gave up and never lost her faith in the kindness of humans and her desire to hug. Now in the WWE she is just kind of a happy but sad and kind of grumpy loser. Right? Is that far off? How do you get Bayley wrong? Hopefully she gets back on track because Bayley is the best!
What is the real name of Nia Jax?
Did you know that Nia Jax is related to the Rock? Well, if you have ever watched Monday Night Raw with the sound on, you would know that because Michael Cole and the Announce team say that every 22 seconds while she is on the screen. Nia came into the WWE pretty green but she is coming along nicely. And it is great to see her working. The women's' roster needs more diversity especially when it comes to the body types represented.
What's Cesaro's name?
Cesaro is one of the people that has suffered from the ongoing plague that has infected the WWE over the last few years that has caused superstars to lose one of their names! Now known simpley as Cesaro, the guy used to have a first and last name. Before that, he worked the indies under a completely different name. Was it his given name he used as his wrestling moniker while working Chikara? Hey, you got to guess. I'm not going to tell you.
What is the real name of Jimmy Uso?
One of the best thing about the newish, bad attitude Usos is that they call each other Uce. "Hey, what's up Uce?" See? It is really catchy! These guys were kind of popular because they had a funny theme song and entrance, but pretty boring matches. Then a few choice feuds, specifically with the New Day, and an attitude change later, and these Samoan twins are one of the hottest tag teams on a roster hurting for quality tag teams.
What's the real name of The Miz?
There is this really weird phenomenon currently sweeping the wrestling fan world where people are starting to think that the Miz is not terrible. Once reasonable people are actually listening to him talk and not muting his promos. Respectable wrestling minds are staying and watching his matches instead of stretching and taking a walk or partaking in some other useful activity. Hopefully, these recent events will be short lived and the wrestling world will return to its senses and re-realized the truth about the Miz.
What is the real name of Xavier Woods?
Xavier Woods is one interesting cat. Remember that he came up into the WWE main roster not to long ago as a directionless dude with not much of a gimmick and doomed to just float around until he was either made into a jobber or 'future endeavoured' Then he was paired with Big E Langston, and Mr. Kofi Kingston and saddled with the seemingly doomed New Day gimmick. But they made it work. A lot is because of this guy's charisma and tromboning.
What is X-Pac's name?
X-Pac has a pretty interesting history. A more difficult question to ask may be what are all of his wrestling aliases. This guy has had a lot of freaking name changes. That was even his gimmick for a while during the early days of Monday Night Raw. He was made to look like enhancement talent before scoring a huge upset victory over Razor Ramon. Spoilers for a 25 year old Raw episode I guess. He stuck with the 1,2,3 Kid for a while before moving on to other horrible names.
What was the real name of The Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase?
Everybody has a price for the Million Dollar Man! There has never been a gimmick, a theme song, an entrance, an overall persona, that has meshed so well with a performer as there has been with the Million Dollar Man. If you have the WWE Network, you can check out his amazing run in Mid South Wrestling and see how hot he was as a bad guy. And he rode that hot streak right into the WWF with this gimmick and never looked back.
What was Chyna's given name?
No other woman in the history of North American professional wrestling has accomplished more in sports entertainment than Chyna. So it comes across as the ultimate petty act from Triple H that she is not yet in the WWE Hall Of Fame and does a lot to take the halls claim to legitimacy down more than a few pegs. Chyna dominated the women's division, was a great valet, worked an enforcer, a legitimate threat as a manager, and won men's titles as well.
What is the real name of Edge?
Edge is still a pretty young cat but he has done just about everything there is to do in wrestling and has played over several different well defined eras. He debuted in the then WWF as part of the vampire raver club kid group known as The Brood in the pre Attitude Era WWE. The in the Attitude Era, he and his tag team buddy Christian realized that they were great on the mic and amazing in TLC matches. And don't forget the Rated R superstar.
What was Mr. Perfect's name?
Mr. Perfect was, in a word, perfect. He was a wrestling machine. He came from a wrestling family. His dad was considered one of the toughest men in all of Minnesota. Mr. Perfect followed in his footsteps and even teamed with him a few times while wrestling in Verne Gagne's AWA. Mr. Perfect was whisked away from the Minnesota territory and made into an international star by the WWF machine. His charisma and the Perfect Plex assured that he was on top anywhere he went.
What is the name of Rey Mysterio?
Rey Mysterio has not just done a ton to open doors for small wrestlers to main event, but he has opened doors for tiny men in general. Rey started wrestling when he was just a teenager and came into the WCW as a very young man. But the second he appeared on TV he set the ring on fire! Not literally of course. That would be extremely dangerous. I think CZW may have done that a few time and it didn't work out very well.
What is the real name of Asuka?
Asuka has been nicknamed the Japanese Buzzsaw since she entered the WWE. She has left a veritable path of destruction in her wake as she has completely torn apart any competition silly enough to stand in front of her. She is by far the best woman wrestler on the WWE's roster and could be considered at one time one of the best in the world. And her presence on the roster goes a long way to show the WWE seriousness in promoting its women seriously.