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The W - Pro Wrestling - Wrestler's in-ring names
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Jakegnosis
Morcilla








Since: 26.7.02
From: Maine

Since last post: 6296 days
Last activity: 6280 days
#1 Posted on | Instant Rating: 3.91
This has been discussed already, I'm sure, but with the looming ascension of my man Nova to the WWE, I'd like to hear people's opinions. What is up with WWE newcomers and incredibly boring names?

I like my wrestlers colorful and larger than life. John Cena, Sean O'Haire, Nathan Jones? How fucking boring and unoriginal, in my opinion. At least "Brock" is a tough-guy name. What was wrong with Prototype? Leviathan? And, most importantly, (to me, anyway because I'm a fan of the guy) why change a kick-ass name like Nova? To something boring, undoubtedly consisting of an unremarkable given name and a humdrum surname?

Look at the guys who are over right now. Even guys who have regular names, like Chris Benoit, have some kind of cool, badass nickname, like "The Canadian Crippler." I think these gimmick names and nicknames add to the wrestlers' personas and help get them over. But all the newcomers are getting boring, generic "real person" names. To me, a wrestler named "John Cena" isn't as cool as "The Prototype," or even John "The Prototype" Cena.

What's going on with this? Does it piss you off like it does me?



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Karlos the Jackal
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Since: 2.1.02
From: The City of Subdued Excitement

Since last post: 3002 days
Last activity: 1956 days
#2 Posted on
    Originally posted by Jakegnosis
    What's going on with this? Does it piss you off like it does me?


Yeah, it kinda does.

When Nova showed up on Velocity as "Mike Bucci" (I think) I was particularly annoyed (and he did show up as "Nova" a coupla weeks later, too). I mean, calling a guy "Rodney Mack" is one thing, but Boochie? Feh.

I guess it's supposed to be more "real" or something (or it's because they aren't sure what they want to do with them, so they can't give them a "gimmick" name -- I mean, they passed up a chance to give Cena a cool hiphop name because they sent him out there as a "determined rookie who likes sports"), but it seems like it would just makes it harder for casual fans to remember who's who.

--K

(edited by Karlos the Jackal on 14.3.03 2202)
CruelAngel777
Sujuk








Since: 7.4.02

Since last post: 2781 days
Last activity: 2764 days
#3 Posted on | Instant Rating: 2.70
I like Bucci. More ass for Bucci.
Big Bad
Scrapple








Since: 4.1.02
From: Dorchester, Ontario

Since last post: 1917 days
Last activity: 1486 days
#4 Posted on | Instant Rating: 5.54
I thought Cena was unofficially nicknamed "C-Note."

But yeah, I agree with your point. Whoever dismissed a kickass name/gimmick like the Prototype is nuts.

But then again, what would you rather see? Bill DeMott, or General Hugh G. Rection? Chavo Guerrero or Lieutenant Loco?



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FurryHippie
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Since: 29.10.02
From: New York

Since last post: 6414 days
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#5 Posted on
I'm actually kind of digging the no frills names. It's more like the japanese style, which I'm a fan of. There's just something about cartoony gimmicks these days that doesn't sit well with me. Maybe because I'm not a little kid anymore so guys like the "Ultimate Warrior" won't cut it. I say it's cool that they just use real names, as long as it doesn't hurt their gimmick.

For example, look at Sean O'Haire. He definitely isn't just a cookie-cutter gimmick, but they didn't feel the need to give him a name like "Damien D. Evilberg" or something. They use a regular name, that may seem boring, but they expand upon the gimmick. I think that insults the fans less than having over-the-top names. I don't mind so much ordinary names at all. It's the substance of the guy's gimmick that counts.



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socetew
Chourico








Since: 23.5.02
From: NYC, baby!

Since last post: 6303 days
Last activity: 6300 days
#6 Posted on
Kurt Angle has a boring name, but he is a cool guy.

I like "V1," because that seems very subtle, and yet it makes Matt seem incredibly cool in a way that us computer dorks can totally appreciate.

Rey Mysterio is a cool name on its own, although I STILL want to call him Rey Mysterio, Jr.

I liked Hugh Morrus much better than Bill DeMott... but this guy probably won't get much of a push any time soon, so who really cares, right?

The Wall, and to an extent, Malice, were pretty tough names. I don't even know that guy's real name, and probably wouldn't recognise him if he came out shirtless with long hair.

Stunning Steve Williams was a pretty lame moniker. But I always liked the title Dr. Death Steve Willaims, and that never seemed too over the top for me (those are two different people, which I'm sure everybody knows).

The one name I'm still TOTALLY confused about is why they at first changed Shane Helms to Gregory Helms. I was a big fan of the whole Sugar Shane thing, but maybe they thought it seemed a bit frivolous, like Stunning Steve? Which is his real name anyway: Shane or Greg?

-soce, t.e.w.



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FurryHippie
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Since: 29.10.02
From: New York

Since last post: 6414 days
Last activity: 5102 days
#7 Posted on

    Originally posted by socetew
    The one name I'm still TOTALLY confused about is why they at first changed Shane Helms to Gregory Helms. I was a big fan of the whole Sugar Shane thing, but maybe they thought it seemed a bit frivolous, like Stunning Steve? Which is his real name anyway: Shane or Greg?

    -soce, t.e.w.



I'm 99% sure they changed it because this was going on during the Invasion thing, and they didn't want to confuse our simple minds with SHANE McMahon being the owner of WCW and SHANE Helms being a scrawny cruiserweight. I believe his real name is Shane Helms, judging by the site ShaneHelms.com



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Captain_12_Pack
Polska kielbasa








Since: 10.3.03
From: Elmwood, IL

Since last post: 6495 days
Last activity: 20 days
#8 Posted on
But, what about the unbridled success Salvatore Sincere had after he went to his real name of Tom Brandi?

Okay, bad example...



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Jakegnosis
Morcilla








Since: 26.7.02
From: Maine

Since last post: 6296 days
Last activity: 6280 days
#9 Posted on | Instant Rating: 3.91
    Originally posted by Big Bad
    But then again, what would you rather see? Bill DeMott, or General Hugh G. Rection? Chavo Guerrero or Lieutenant Loco?


I'd rather not see Bill DeMott at all, thanks very much. What a bully! Chavo Guerrero works due to the fact that his uncle, Eddie "Latino Heat" Guerrero is well-known. The family connection is there. If there was no Eddie, I doubt I would care as much about Chavo. He's definitely a sidekick.

Kurt Angle is a no-brainer, because he's Kurt Angle the Olympic Champion. Matt and Jeff Hardy have regular names, but they were "the Hardy Boyz" which is a gimmicky name, so that makes sense.

Not all gimmick names are lame, for God's sake. I'm not asking for the return of Doink or the fucking Gobbledygooker. But do you think Mark Calloway would be as successful as the Undertaker? Would people give as much of a shit about Steve Williams as they do Stone Cold? Would the fans pop as hard for Duane Johnson as they do for the Rock? Hell no. Not in a million years. "If you smmmeeeeeellllll what Duane. Is. Cooking?" "That's the bottom line, 'cause Steve Williams said so?" Do those catchphrases seem appealing?

Not everyone needs a gimmicky name, but I think there are way too many people running around with "average joe" names. I like the idea of Sean O'Haire's gimmick, but so far they've used him to get people to flash the crowd. Oooohhh... He's SO EVIL. Nathan Jones is supposedly known as "The Colossus of Something Road." Why not Call him Nathan "Colossus" Jones, or something? Why not call Cena "C-Note?"

I hate to break it to anyone, but the WWE is in no way, shape or form "realistic." It's supposed to be grand and larger than life. The wrestlers should be larger-than-life, too.

(edited by Jakegnosis on 15.3.03 1134)

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Santa Sangre
Bockwurst








Since: 21.6.02
From: Germany

Since last post: 2763 days
Last activity: 2763 days
#10 Posted on
The only reasoning I can think for the ring names is that it usually takes a wrestler one or two gimmick changes before he gets over. Management figures a rookie wont get over with a great gimmick, so they saddle him with a pedestrian persona. If the guy garners any heat from that weak gimmick then he has proven hiself worthy for a something better. Kurt Angle is the exception to the rule:)



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Peter The Hegemon
Lap cheong








Since: 11.2.03
From: Hackettstown, NJ

Since last post: 51 days
Last activity: 21 days
#11 Posted on

    Originally posted by CruelAngel777
    I like Bucci. More ass for Bucci.


Maybe everytime he's not onscreen, all the other wrestlers can ask, "Where's Bucci?"

Sorry, had to be said.

Having all gimmick names would be lame, and having all real names would be lame. I think at this point that they've swung a bit too much toward the real, and I agree with the idea that The Prototype and Leviathan were good names, better than their real names. (The Prototype would even fit better with Cena's current gimmick--quick, name five rappers who use real names!) Of course, they can get too goofy, and yes, Big Bad, MIA was an example of the worst of it. Probably a good thing that Brian Kendrick isn't coming in as Spanky...
Cerebus
Scrapple








Since: 17.11.02

Since last post: 2451 days
Last activity: 2173 days
#12 Posted on | Instant Rating: 2.74

    Originally posted by Jakegnosis
    If there was no Eddie, I doubt I would care as much about Chavo.


Pepe is no doubt up there in stick horse heaven crying his heart out over this.

Real names are ok for people who already have character. If you need character thrust upon you, you shouldn't be allowed to get over using YOUR name, cause YOU are not the one getting over, the CHARACTER is.



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Andouille








Since: 8.6.02
From: Canada

Since last post: 2532 days
Last activity: 2532 days
#13 Posted on
I couldn't agree more. Once again, this is wrestling. This "real names or bust" attitude is really starting to bother me. There's a reason Michael Sean Hikkenbottom became Shawn Michaels. And even a boring name like that needed a moniker to go with it to make it stick (thank you, Curt Hennig). Real names like Owen Hart and Bret Hart worked because one, usually nicknames were put with them, and two, those are interesting, almost cosmetic sounding names.

Charlie Haas is not a cosmetic name. Shelton Bejamin don't sound great either. Neither does John Cena. Bill De Mott comes to mind as well. These guys need monikers. I'm not saying call Team Angle Pound and Sledge the Hammer Twins, but at least give them monikers. Like...Uh..."Vegeance" Charlie Haas and "Joltin'" John Cena.

Names with monikers like i suggested are needed...only...better...






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Mild Mannered Madman
Toulouse








Since: 1.3.02
From: Westminster, CA

Since last post: 3904 days
Last activity: 150 days
#14 Posted on

    Originally posted by FurryHippie

      Originally posted by socetew
      The one name I'm still TOTALLY confused about is why they at first changed Shane Helms to Gregory Helms. I was a big fan of the whole Sugar Shane thing, but maybe they thought it seemed a bit frivolous, like Stunning Steve? Which is his real name anyway: Shane or Greg?

      -soce, t.e.w.



    I'm 99% sure they changed it because this was going on during the Invasion thing, and they didn't want to confuse our simple minds with SHANE McMahon being the owner of WCW and SHANE Helms being a scrawny cruiserweight. I believe his real name is Shane Helms, judging by the site ShaneHelms.com



It's actually Gregory Shane Helms.





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Scrapple








Since: 24.3.02
From: Oshkosh, WI

Since last post: 3886 days
Last activity: 3847 days
#15 Posted on | Instant Rating: 2.44
The worst of course was Batista. Batista sounds good by itself. Then they called him "Dave Batista", which of course, is horrible, as Excalibur noted in his excellent Raw Satires (check's in the mail, right?).



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Knackwurst








Since: 4.1.02
From: The Hague, Netherlands (Europe)

Since last post: 256 days
Last activity: 3 days
#16 Posted on
I think the point is that alot of the names they had in OVW for instance were VERY gimmicky, yet when they were brought into WWE they were the young rookies who start at the bottom.
"Leviathan" sounds like a monster who eats people's heads.
Batista is the name of a guy who worked on Heat until Flair noticed him. If for instance Flair starts calling him Goliath now, it will stick to him within a week.

"Prototype" is the name of a man that is the ultimate wrestler.
John Cena is a guy who was allowed to wrestle Kurt Angle for his debut but doesn't seem to have a finisher yet.
Now he is doing a rap gimmick and in case he needs a name change for him they can do it just like that.

Nova? Well..this one is different because we have known him as Nova for so long.

With someone like Kendrick, I think it is a good idea. Spanky sounds odd (why was that his name anyways) and if he starts doing the mascotte outfits I like it better to hear them go 'Wow, it's Kendrick again' than "Woah! Mascotte-Boy!"

I think the idea behind this all is that with just real names guys aren't stuck to their monikers for years.
Unless it is a great name that can be used for a career I don't think they should call people outlandish names + gimmicks anymore. (E.g. people say Kane is stale, yet take away the mask/name and he is nobody..Hurricane -whose name we know, Greg/Shane Helms- can stop being a superhero and move on to a different name/moniker)




Animal_Magnatism
Loukanika








Since: 17.3.03
From: Lost in Space

Since last post: 7660 days
Last activity: 7326 days
#17 Posted on
It works for some, but WWE wants to add a little more realism to the shows. Not everyone can be Giant Johnson-man or Mr. I-Always-Kick-Ass. There was a Big Dick Dudley, but that's beside the point. Yeah, I was a little mad when they dropped the Jr's from Chavo and Rey, but what casual fan now has heard of Chavo Sr. or Rey Sr.? Nova is better than Mike Bucci. He was billed as Nova the last time he wrestled on Velocity. It's not for the hardcore fans anymore. It's more for the casual fans. I mean they would ask "Why is he called Prototype?" or "The Game, that sounds stupid." Some guys can pull it off, like Undertaker. He's old and well known.



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Morcilla








Since: 26.7.02
From: Maine

Since last post: 6296 days
Last activity: 6280 days
#18 Posted on | Instant Rating: 3.91

    Originally posted by Animal_Magnatism
    WWE wants to add a little more realism to the shows.


People who want realism in their wrasslin' watch UFC, not WWE. I want the grand spectacle. I want this shit to be superhuman. If the Barnum & Bailey fucked UFC and Wonder Woman when they were all on crack, WWE would be the kid. It's huge, visually amazing, spectacularly produced, and makes you say "FUCK, YES!!! THIS SHIT IS SO COOL!!!"

WWE and realism shouldn't even be in the same sentence together.

Anyone who sees a wrestler throw a punch knows it's fake, so how the hell is having a guy called "Nathan Jones" instead of some tough-ass nickname making it more realistic?



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IsaacYankem
Polska kielbasa








Since: 4.3.03
From: Cybertron

Since last post: 7374 days
Last activity: 7298 days
#19 Posted on
I like wrestlers to have a nickname, like "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin or "Macho Man" Randy Savage, or any name that starts with "Mr" like Mr Wrestling, Mr Perfect or Mr Wonderful. That's why my Smackdowm SYM wrestler is named Mr Brutality.
Tenken347
Knackwurst








Since: 27.2.03
From: Parts Unknown

Since last post: 32 days
Last activity: 16 hours
#20 Posted on
Well, actually, Nathan Jones is "The Collosus of Boggo Road," which, if you ask me, is a pretty good nickname.
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