2. Vince McMahon Wanted To Rename Him 'Mastodon'
Story: When Leon White joined the World Wrestling Federation in early-1996, Vince McMahon was delighted with his new acquisition. Having been a huge star throughout most of the 90's, White brought something new to the table in the WWF. However, McMahon was highly interested in changing his character name from 'Vader' to 'Mastodon'. The thought process behind this was that the company could then trademark the moniker. This is clearly a popular WWE idea, which is why numerous wrestlers are forced to change their name when they sign on the dotted line. Vader was no different, but the idea didn't quite pan out, and he carried on as Vader. Why People Believe It: It's entirely feasible that Vince McMahon and the WWF would want complete ownership of something. Vader was already a recognisable name across the globe, but the thought that the promotion would wish to change it to something they could solely market is not ridiculous. Should We Believe It: There's something off about the nickname, 'The man they call Vader'. Exactly who are 'they'? World Championship Wrestling? Some fans have theorised this, and stated it as the reason McMahon wanted 'Mastodon' as the name. Even so, it's still subjective whether or not the WWF actually sought out a trademark on the name change.