12 WWE Superstars You Forgot Debuted Under Different Names
10. Bob Holly
On the subject of name changes without character changes, Bob Holly's first tweak ranks right up there with K-Kwik to R-Truth.
Although he made his biggest impact as "Hardcore Holly", a definite shift from his original persona, Holly was actually re-branded several times before hitting his stride in 1999. Some fans might remember Bombastic Bob of the New Midnight Express or Bob "Spark Plug" Holly the race car driver, but neither of those were the superstar's original name.
The first name given to Holly's NASCAR character when he debuted in 1994 was Thurman "Sparky" Plugg, or "Sparky" Thurman Plugg, so that WWE could utilize the initials STP, the same acronym as the major automotive products manufacturer. Thurman would close his early vignettes by saying, "My friends call me Sparky. You can call me Sparky, too." He's hardcore!
Shortly after STP's debut in 1994, the company dropped Thurman Plugg as his name, along with the "Sparky" nickname, and re-christened the character Bob "Spark Plug" Holly.