12 WWE Superstars You Forgot Debuted Under Different Names
A rose by any other name? Not so much.
Doesn't "Stone Cold" Steve Austin have a much better ring to it, pardon the pun, than "The Ringmaster", "Ice Dagger", or "Otto Von Ruthless"?
Similarly, "The Rock" sounds exponentially better than "Rocky Maivia" or "Flex Kavana", just like "Hitman" Bret Hart blows "Cowboy" Bret Hart completely out of the water. The fans get it, the talents understand it, and it's a lesson that WWE has learned numerous times over.
Names matter.
Regardless of whether it's a first name, last name, or nickname, a bad name can sink a prospective young talent before they ever have a chance to swim.
Just like naming a newborn baby "Jeeves" almost instantly guarantees a career as a butler, the right character name for a WWE superstar is vital. In all seriousness, a bad character name isn't necessarily the kiss of death for the talent behind it, but more often than not, a name change will be required, and sometimes the entire gimmick requires an overhaul before they're ever likely to enjoyed sustained success in WWE.
As previously mentioned, some of the greatest superstars in WWE history began their careers using a different moniker. Though some have crafted longer careers than others, the following 12 WWE superstars have made lasting legacies, with varying degrees of success - despite starting out as someone else.
12. The Natural Disasters
When Earthquake and Typhoon formed the Natural Disasters in the Summer of '91, the two put to bed a year-long feud that began shortly after Tugboat Thomas debuted on WWF television. Who is Tugboat Thomas, you ask? That would be Fred Ottman's first WWF character name.
Later shortened to just "Tugboat", Ottman's name changed again, this time to Typhoon, when he joined forces with his longtime enemy, a man that also experienced numerous name changes before settling on "Earthquake".
John Tenta began wrestling for the WWF in dark matches first using his real name in March of 1989, and then as "Earthquake Evans", managed by the Doctor Of Style, Slick, in September '89. Tenta's first televised spot came as "John from West Virginia", a planted "fan" that aligned with Dino Bravo and manager Jimmy Hart, attacking the Ultimate Warrior and taking the name of "The Canadian Earthquake".
Like Ottman, Tenta's name was eventually shortened to just "Earthquake" and, with the exception of a short run as the masked Golga in 1998, it was his for the duration of his WWF career.