Whats in a name?

[King_of_Swing1520]

one issue of cm punk signing a new deal (no this isnt a cm punk thread) is that he wants to keep the rights to his name. makes sense. he created it so it should be his. however just how important is a wrestlers name?

would shawn michaels still be the hall of famer he is today if he had used his real name Michael Hickenbottom? would Michael McGillicutty be better off as Joe Henning? and which is better seth rollins or tyler black? some guys like randy orton and cody rhodes use their family lineage. but there was rarely a mention that husky harris was actually Mike Rotunda's son. oh and how terrible of a name is husky harris? was it really necessary to change mystico to sin cara or bryan danielson to daniel bryan? and why was john cena able to keep his real name?

so how important is a wrestlers name? and should the wwe have kept some names like tyler black and bryan danielson and would that help those wrestlers get over.

 

[H33LTurn]

Its the person's identity, thats what it all comes down to. The name you worked hard to make a household name and the company that wants to take it away from you. WWE wanting to own certain names is ridiculous. If Punk goes anywhere else we'll still know its CM Punk. WWE thinks that because it provided the platform that its performers have to abide by every rule and associate themselves solely with the WWE. WWE superstars are independent contractors, like people you pay to paint your house. Just because you hired a painter doesnt mean you get to keep his paint when you're done with him, and just because WWE hired the superstar doesnt mean they have a right to keep their name. I feel bad for those who actually went through the trouble of coming up with their own name like Punk. Theres often no justification for these wrestlers who put more effort into their persona than the people who run the show.

 

[Champ1432]

I'm sure WWE changes wrestler's names just for that fact, to own them. If a guy is known by his real name, and he goes somewhere else, he's still going to be known by his real name. But if WWE makes up a name and owns it, then if that wrestler goes somewhere else, they can't use the identity they built in WWE. I don't know for sure if that's the case with those guys you mentioned, but I'm sure it must be at least part of the reason behind changes like Bryan Danielson to Daniel Bryan, which is barely a change at all.

Of course sometimes it's done to better fit a wrestler's gimmick. This is obvious. But as to why some guys keep their names, like Cena, and others don't, I'm not sure. Just the cool factor, I guess. I mean, CM Punk sounds a lot cooler than Phillip Brooks. ( I know Punk came up with that early in his career, way before WWE, just an example.)

 

[ccotreau1]

or in some cases, like Shawn Michaels (ya his birth name is Michael Hickenbottem), but he always was known as Shawn, his middle name, growing up, so that isn't a huge leap. You also get guys like Mick Foley, who owns the trademark rights for Cactus Jack, which explains why he was able to use it in different organizations, whereas Mankind and Dude Love is owned by the WWE.

 

[trashboy]

I'm sure WWE changes wrestler's names just for that fact, to own them. If a guy is known by his real name, and he goes somewhere else, he's still going to be known by his real name. But if WWE makes up a name and owns it, then if that wrestler goes somewhere else, they can't use the identity they built in WWE. I don't know for sure if that's the case with those guys you mentioned, but I'm sure it must be at least part of the reason behind changes like Bryan Danielson to Daniel Bryan, which is barely a change at all.

Of course sometimes it's done to better fit a wrestler's gimmick. This is obvious. But as to why some guys keep their names, like Cena, and others don't, I'm not sure. Just the cool factor, I guess. I mean, CM Punk sounds a lot cooler than Phillip Brooks. ( I know Punk came up with that early in his career, way before WWE, just an example.)

Yeah, this.. WWE changes everyone's names just so they can own them.. Punk has every right to not let WWE steal his name.. and I hope he doesn't give into them and let them take it.. I'm sure Chris Harris is glad that he can't take the Braden Walker name

and also, i think Husky Harris is an awesome name.. Michael McGillicutty on the other hand is terrible, he needs to go back to Joe Hennig.. and you see there? I spelled it Hennig.. because Henning is not his name..

and yes, names can be and are important.. look at alot of them WWE and TNA have come up with lately.. alot of the generic names sound terrible.. I'd rather them just go by their real names instead of something stupid like "Braden Walker"

 

[thegreekhero]

Name's are super important. They have to have a ring to it. They have to sound good. Example: Kofi Kingston. That is a pretty good name. It has that catchy feel to it, although it doesn't sound like a name that is championship material. But how about names like the Brooklyn Brawler. That sounds like a superhero name that a 5-year-old would come up with. It does have a ring to it, but it doesn't sound like a legit title.

Changing a name can also change your whole career. Think of people like Chris Jericho, The Rock, and Hulk Hogan. Obviously those aren't their real names, but they were so catchy and recognizable that they have stuck to them. If you ask someone who doesn't pay attention to wrestling who Terrence Bollea is, they would most likely have no clue. But if you ask the same person if he knows who Hulk Hogan is, he would be able to recognize it. Names can sometimes be one of the main factors that make a character who he is.

 

[The Champ]

I don't think names are nearly as big of a deal as people make them out to be. For example, John Cena and Randy Orton are two of the plainest, most generic names you can possibly come up with. Which two guys are the WWE and the World Heavyweight Champion at the moment? Exactly.

Also, I remember when people were making a big deal out of how silly Dolph Ziggler's name was, and how he would never get anywhere in the WWE because of it. The guy is now a continuously rising star who has proved himself to be a serious competitor, and, regardless of how it actually went down, is technically a former World Heavyweight Champion. All that despite the admittedly crappy name.

If a wrestler is good enough, I believe that you can stick him with the worst possible name and he can make it work.

 

[The Death Rattle]

Certain names simply prohibit wrestlers from climbing the ladder. I read the example of Kofi Kingston earlier, which was perfectly covered. He has gone as far as possible with that awful name, not to mention it still is a tie-in to when he was "jamacian".

You can add other names that won't ever allow a wrestler to get beyond a certain status: Evan Bourne, Jinder Mahal, Heath Slater, Gunner, Crimson, Bully Ray. It's not to say these guys cant be successful, just that they will never attain main event status. The reason is because they are terrible names for top drawing wrestlers.

Also read that Cena and Orton were plain names. They certainly aren't exceptional, but are unique enough to stand out somewhat. I think that is why the WWE is going overboard with giving most new wrestlers a more "realistic" name. They don't want to delve back into cartoonish characters, but sadly seem hesitant to push any sort of characters anymore. Instead, Michael McGullicutty shows up for baffling reasons. That's why someone like Cody Rhodes is working right now. It is a generic sounding name, but he has a defined character with a motive. Sure, his name is not extraordinary but is working because he has substance.

 

[K-Fizz]

would Michael McGillicutty be better off as Joe Henning

I know that I'm going to lose rep points and get a nasty private message about this response, but YES - He would be WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY better off than what is going on now.

When there is a second or third generation star being used in the WWE that comes from a Hall of Fame background such as Mr. Perfect, he should be addressed as such. Sucks that Ted Dibiase Jr isn't taking off, but c'mon - Curt Henning was a wrestling god in his day and I have no understanding as to why he has decided to not take that name with him in his career.

His dad did a lot for us 20's- 30 year old fans; from the epic summerslam match against Brett Hart for the Intercontinental championship, or the OMGWTF EPIC backstab of the 4 Horseman in the WCW/NWO days. He was well liked and well respected with the fans, even though I'm sure that some poor soul got stuck with gum in their hair when he was walking to the ring.

I can understand that a kid may want to avoid living under his fathers shadow, but this day in age we're all going to know anyway - you're young, you're not going to be the next overnight sensation, we get that...just don't act like your dad had no influence on your choice of career.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

It really depends. You can't be a badass named "chickenshit ralph" or something. However, most decent names work. the thing is that once the name becomes a brand you have to use it.

Speaking of brands and names, this isn't just true for wrestlers, but for companies. If you take 2 identical cards, but one has "WWE" at the top and the other any other letters, the one with "WWE" will draw more everytime. Brand recognition. It's why TNA will never beat WWE. WWE has too much brand recognition.

 

[Yesiamaduck]

It's a brand, that means once CM Punk leaves if the WWE ever want to use it they need to check on Punk first which means he has ultimate control on what his name appears on, also he can go on other shows with an established name that the casual fans will recognize.