12 WWE Superstars You Forgot Debuted Under Different Names
3. Dolph Ziggler
Kerwin White's caddy or Nicky from the Spirit Squad, take your pick as to which of these characters was worse - but then again, the eventual name that the real-life Nick Nemeth was saddled with in WWE wasn't a huge improvement.
Everyone's just grown accustomed to it by now.
Dolph Ziggler, an obvious derivative of the 1997 movie Boogie Nights, made his WWE debut in September 2008. The supposed inspiration for Dolph Ziggler's name was a fictional porn star named Dirk Diggler, played by Mark Wahlberg, from the 1997 motion picture. Considering Dolph's lady-killer looks and arrogant swagger his character became known for, the pseudo-adult film star name was actually somewhat appropriate.
What wasn't appropriate were the first two gimmicks Ziggler had in WWE. Nemeth had legit chops as an amateur wrestler and was a three-time collegiate wrestling champion at Kent State University. Nick's debut as Chavo Guerrero's character's golf caddy - and then as a male cheerleader in the Spirit Squad - was a somewhat ironic characterization of a legit stud of an athlete.