10 DUMB WWE Name Changes (That We Didn't Want To Admit Were GENIUS)

Yeah, pro wrestling fans were WRONG about these "stupid" and "ridiculous" WWE name changes.
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[@anthonyadams1325]

Imo Gunther's name change works partially because of Samantha Irvin.

[@Lfceva]

I was literally about to say the same, she’s amazing but I don’t think she’d be able to make Walter sound as good as when she announces Gunther

[@hollowfox]

teh ring general

[@TheThird1977]

Same for Kaiser's (not Vinci's) introduction of him.

[@RenewedAurora]

@@TheThird1977 doesn't Kaiser introduce him? Either way, I totally agree with all of this. I didn't agree with it when he first debuted but as time has gone on I've gotten more happy they changed it

[@ShaggyFox]

​@@Lfceva pressing X to doubt.

[@juansanchez209]

Gunther himself said it best: “if I was named Gunther first and they changed my name to Walter, people would still be complaining about it”. Wrestling fans pretend they want something new, but they actually hate change. Kinda like comic book fans lol

[@anthonylucero6650]

You’re a mook😒

[@anthonylucero6650]

Oh give me a break ya mook😒

[@ShaggyFox]

That's kind of the overall point because it's fucking stupid. Nothing changed about Walter besides his name. The name change itself wasn't just the issue for him as well. They were originally gonna call him Gunther Stark, trademark was in process and then it was revealed that Gunther Stark was the name of a real Nazi Commander from WWII

[@jl4872]

Because the name isn’t the issue?

[@wrestlefestivalent9144]

Perfect comparison, actually. 😂

[@0PhillMC0]

Another thing with Rey Mysterio: I think removing the JR helped him to get his mask back. Since one could argue that counted as a new character and thus able to get the mask.

[@dragonballbw3]

At the time, that is what I heard as well. Though as a dumb American, I didn't know how much of the family lineage...

[@night6724]

He still wrestled in Mexico as Rey Mysterio Jr. but TBF I think his uncle spelled it Rey Misterio

[@dubbmoon]

Yup this is true.

[@miguelnewmexico8641]

i just saw it as him moving companies, who cares what dumb stipulation WCW made about his mask when WCW didn't exist anymore?

[@0PhillMC0]

@miguelnewmexico8641 lucha libre/mexico cares a lot. In lucha libre, if you lose your mask then you are unable to put it back on unless you change gimmick. They have a governing body. Vince Mcmahon had to go to them and talk them into allowing Rey to wear a mask again.

[@Patcheoli]

They should return Big E's last name and change Xavier Woods to Xavier WoodSTON for laughs. Imagine New day being Big E LangSTON, Kofi KingSTON, and Xavier WoodSTON.

[@cyberpsykoh6686]

What are you? 7years old?

[@TimedRevolver]

@@cyberpsykoh6686 I could see The New Day doing a single bit out of it then dropping it. That would work best.

[@certified__mv]

That would actually be hilarious lowkey, especially for thier characters 😭

[@Matt101Vgettio]

I hope one of them sees this I know they would think it's hilarious

[@tonyluengas8160]

Honestly why drop the Langston and not the Kingston I mean besides trouble in paradise he basically abandoned the Jamaican character.

[@aybanpali]

The Master of the 619, the Ultimate Underdog, the Greatest Luchador ever to step foot in the WWE, 2-time world champion, Royal Rumble winner….. CHARLES DINGBAT!

[@TrocaTheNero]

One-half of the WolfDogs*, two-time NXT Champion, current NXT Tag Team Champion, the last man to pin Gunther... PETE MCGEE! *Name pending

[@BadenAW]

I'd love to have Bron Breakker become Bron Steiner and recreate the Steiner Maths promo

[@Hardc6reStra5tedge]

Wrong Promo. He's the heritage of the N*-word at Wrestlecons part of the Steiner Brothers

[@siegfriedc2332]

I'd rather he just used the Steiner name, as Bron Steiner, or even Bron "The Breakker" Steiner, or something like that. Everyone knows he's a Steiner anyway.

[@d.k.t.3380]

He can change his name to "Bronson Steiner" later and redo the "Steiner Maths" promo to explain it to the people (the Bronson instead of Bron makes it sound just pretentious enough for him to think he's pulling it off).

[@jonathanmaldonado2499]

When it comes to legacy names, I kind of understand WWE thought process here The main idea of being that they want that superstar to tell THEIR OWN STORY. It also removes the pressure of them having to live up to their predecessors in case things don't work out.

[@kidz4p509]

Or “Rex Steiner”.

[@ajaygraham8161]

Big E asked for his last name back on the New Day podcast numerous times lol

[@Triplebrc]

I only accepted the name change to Gunther because his physique changed drastically too. When I say Gunther, I mean the wiry guy who currently holds the intercontinental championship, when I say Walter I mean the big brawler who had some of the best and most brutal matches on the indies and in NXT.

[@zlinedavid]

Agree 100%. Gunther and Walter became entirely different people, it wasn’t just changing a name. I wasn’t a fan of it initially either, but it works.

[@Shadow_Gamer12012]

Gunther sounds more menacing

[@BrokenSaintRW]

@@Shadow_Gamer12012 I joked that Walter, just reading it out, sounded like the manager of the produce department of a Supermarket (in my part of the country, it was Bi-Lo).

[@Aguzman0077]

Leviathan to Dave Batista to Bastia was a major upgrade

[@brentton2]

Leviathan to Deacon Batista to Batista rather

[@j4yexe]

bastia my goat

[@thesupernaturals1070]

Bluetista was the final form

[@BrokenSaintRW]

Honorable Mention: Tommy End to Aleister Black Heidi Lovelace to Ruby Riott.

[@ich6654]

Talking about Gunther, the change from Marcel Barthel to Ludwig Kaiser also was pretty good

[@omegaman6494]

Barthel and Aichner were going nowhere under their real names. As Kaiser and Vinci they've flourished.

[@stevencisneros9306]

I mean it’s not like their original names make ‘em feel recognizable tbh

[@ich6654]

@@stevencisneros9306 to be honest, I think Fabian Aichner was a pretty decent name. Giovanni Vinci has alot more character though

[@jamesarnold7253]

They've clearly just thought of the most generic Italian and German names possible. It's like when they made Kofi Kingston Jamaican so obviously his surname has to be the capital of Jamaica to drive that point home They aren't actually real names from the countries they're from but what Americans would think of as real names from those countries

[@stevencisneros9306]

@@jamesarnold7253 of course

[@wikkiddeathlord7372]

Actually with Dolph, it went from Nick Nameth to Nicky to Dolph Ziggler

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Nicky

[@wikkiddeathlord7372]

@@claymathewselevator8121 thanks for the correction

[@supersasukemaniac]

Now back to Nic Nemeth.

[@wikkiddeathlord7372]

@@supersasukemaniac true. Hope things go better for him than in WWE. I believe he deserves it for sure

[@brentton2]

Nic Nemeth > Kerwin White’s caddy > Nicky > Dolph Ziggler

[@ChrisJerico2]

Ludwig Kaiser is to this day, one of the best name changes WWE’s done. Marcel Bartel is an extremely generic name. Not only does Kaiser alone sound like the name of a Villian. It also fits his holier than thou character like a glove.

[@hollowfox]

kaiser roll

[@krispinwahsghost5999]

Sounds like a Die hard villain

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Love that name

[@jacobsteele1191]

The way Samantha Irvin announces his name is absolutely perfect for him too!

[@Clyde-S-Wilcox]

Same with Gunther.

[@DNoelProductions]

Big E would disagree with you about his last name, bro 😅😅😅

[@Shunter86]

Yeah it was funny mentioning "who really misses their last name?" during the Big E entry. He has explicitly said that he misses having a last name for his character. 😂

[@siegfriedc2332]

Same. I preferred it when he had a last name too.

[@griffinkelly8694]

Finn Balor is an awesome name. I’m honestly impressed WWE creative was able to tap into his Irish background in a clever and not corny way. Fionn mac Cumhail was a warrior hero and the Balor was an evil demon. Totally fits for his two personalities.

[@KoolKeithProductions]

I think everyone is forgetting the real number 1: Bianca Blair to Bianca Belair. They literally only added an "e" and said "yup, our work here is done" 😂

[@space_ace_1]

Butch will always be a terrible name change though

[@romxxii]

It worked for the role at the time, the scrappy ankle biter of the Brawling Brutes. But yeah, it doesn't exactly come across as "The Bruiserweight." Although Butch The Bruiserweight sounds like a Rock n' Wrestling era name.

[@tbonejenkins8807]

@@romxxii Also, there was already a Butch in the Bushwackers way back in the day.

[@MiladAhmed3]

Big E complained about losing his surname. You should hear the rants he used to have on the New Day Pod.

[@brandonadk2711]

for some reason, I feel like Gunther is a much more intimidating name than Walter.

[@giovanniaroca5755]

Carlito was Triple C 😂

[@c.m.christie2114]

I am 100% making a "Charles Dingbat 619" t-shirt.

[@BoogalooBartholomew]

Also "Rey Mysterio Jr." lost his mask so the name change evaded some (some) controversy of the performer putting the mask back on as "Rey Mysterio" can be seen as a different character as "Rey Mysterio jr."

[@paranoidpixie95]

Honestly, I'll stand by my opinion that having his name changed to Gunther was the best thing that ever happened to him. Honourable mention to his Imperium tag team members Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci getting upgrades as well (even if the latter took a detour with a ridiculously over-the-top repackaging).

[@Fdatubeofyou]

When Walter gets pronounced like “Valter” I still prefer it. When you legit say Walter, really pronouncing the W, it sounds pretty bad.

[@cijmo]

Same with Gunther though. When I hear "Goooooonnnnthurrrrr", it sounds like someone from the Ozarks. The real name (Gun-tah) sounds more prestigious.

[@zlinedavid]

“Valter” sounds like an old Olympic powerlifter or an Eastern European mob boss. “Walter” makes you think of Jeff Dunham’s dummy.

[@cijmo]

@@zlinedavid Yes but he is closer to being the weight lifter than he is to being a dummy l o l.

[@LiftandCoa]

​@@cijmoIts g Ü nther and certainly not a presigious name

[@kidz4p509]

In Germany and Austria, the “W” makes the sound a “V”.

[@pinkparodius]

7:06 Paul Wight is an ironic name. Paul means small and Wight means man. So this huge guys name literally means "small man".

[@Matt101Vgettio]

How do you not mention Bryan Danielson to Daniel Bryan like that one is the most ridiculous change cuz they just switched the names around

[@_youngkoala]

Antonio Cesaro to Cesaro was a winner too

[@NickolasNameolas]

I still miss the Langston. Big-E has even joked about wanting it back.

[@Acerthorn]

What about changing "Toadstool" to "Peach?" I personally think that name change worked out really well!

[@nodnarbleahcim5097]

She was always Peach in Japan. America just got with the times a decade later.

[@miguelnewmexico8641]

her name is Peach Toadstool. it's the same name.

[@tomseville2345]

Same with 'Eggman' to 'Robotnik' over at Sega; though he'll always be 'Dr. Robotnik' to me...@@nodnarbleahcim5097

[@punisheranimations6807]

I remember when peach lost her wwe title against waluigi at wrestlemania.

[@Acerthorn]

@@punisheranimations6807Classic match! Easily 5 stars!

[@justflavio3260]

Shorty G to Chad Gable was also really good. Every since that change people take him more seriously

[@tmobeygee5351]

But he was Chad Gable to begin with.

[@JimmyStevens]

0:53 Mostly because Rey Mysterio was his UNCLE, Not his Father...

[@kidz4p509]

Misterio*

[@JimmyStevens]

Whatever... It's pronounced the same

[@jjjj8644]

Big E should have had his original name back when he became WWE champion. Big E Langston sounds more intimidating

[@zachoo7765]

I felt like I was the only one that remembered Big E was called Big E Langston back in the day 😂 To be honest I never really stopped calling him that, because I always found that name a bit funny

[@ChampagneGars]

Gunther sounds more menacing than Walter, y’all were just overreacting lmao

[@night6724]

Breakker should change his name to Rex Steiner

[@zlinedavid]

Rex Steiner or Bron Steiner. Either one works.

[@night6724]

@@zlinedavid I like Rex Steiner because it sounds like their real name Reichsteiner and rex is like T-Rex

[@yellowsnowman9157]

What a dumb idea

[@brandongordon5626]

It's crazy how i cant even imagine him being called Walter now. Lol!

[@dlewis1701]

We Want Radiator Man!

[@chrisbuttonshaw2088]

huh. I always thought the "Caribbean Cool" thing was like nickname or motto.

[@CMChunk79]

Vince isn't a Jr. because his middle name is different from his father's.

[@paulweston8408]

Glad I looked because I was going to post the same thing. Vince's middle name is Kennedy, while his father's was James.

[@night6724]

@@paulweston8408Wrestlers called him Jr when he worked for his dad. Roddy Piper always called him Jr. so did Billy Graham

[@okyep]

I'm pretty sure his dad in the Jr and grandpa is sr

[@night6724]

@@okyep No his grandfather was Jess McMahon. Then there was Vincent J. McMahon and then Vincent Kennedy McMahon

[@zlinedavid]

Lou Albano called him “Vinny Junior” and McMahon HATED that 😂

[@wriththing9489]

When Batista was moved to RAW in 2002 he was Dave Batista for a few weeks and then WWE changed to just Batista

[@Seanworden1219]

The change from Fabian eichner to Giovanni vincci was a good choice. I forgot who he was when became Giovanni.

[@marcohavokkhaos]

Dropping Alexander from Rusev and Antonio from Cesaro, was brilliant. #2 & #1 for me

[@rh9477]

Imagine taking a full 619 from Lil Charlie Dingbat 😵

[@travismcmillen3485]

Once again Simon nailed it😂😂

[@Bumchats]

Gunther Stark - WWE filed a trademark application for the name “Gunther Stark.” One major issue: that was the name of a Nazi U-boat commander, who was sunk in the English Channel in 1944.

[@SkunkApe407]

Gunther Stonk, then? 😂

[@okyep]

The character is supposed to be a nazi even without the name sake it doesn't take very much to figure that out. He's like the German guy from human centipede

[@SkunkApe407]

@@okyep or the German guys in the Lego Indiana Jones games.😂

[@LiftandCoa]

Nah that person was called Günther, not Gunther. Also, if thats the real reasoning they smoke what to much of that PC pot.

[@miguelnewmexico8641]

@@LiftandCoa grow up. that is the most stupid turn of phrase i've ever heard.

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Big E Langston always made me think of TJ Lang from The Green Bay Packers

[@cgmshow1871]

Wrestling fans won't be honest about it but if Gunther sounds a hell of a lot more like a wrestling name than just Walter Don't get me wrong I didn't mind Walter but I don't know how that name would have gone on the main roster

[@zachjohn3217]

And don't forget his body figure then and now.

[@ItsAssFace]

Fr I honestly think if he started out as Gunther and Vince changed it to Walter the fans would've had the same reaction

[@kaimanthelizardwizard1248]

Yeah but have you considered that fed bad?

[@boutdatstrenuouslife9747]

Gunther is waaay better, actually sounds like a general. Walter sounds like a butler

[@_jonaldjames]

Gunther has the added bonus the German origin to the name is basically "Battle Warrior"

[@IamPondo]

You can't stop Larry Lamppost

[@mattw6993]

In case anyone thinks that WWE is the first to change people's names for no reason, remember that the pioneer of women's wrestling, Mildred Burke, was born as Mildred Bliss. She was born "Bliss," married "Wolfe," and still went by "Burke."

[@shawnzorf]

The point regarding Finn Balor returning to the indies (or AEW) as Prince Devitt is a perfect example of what occurred with Dean Ambrose/Jon Moxley too!

[@sah4128]

House of Stark lmaooooo I’ll never forget the original Walter plans 🤣

[@kennymessias1928]

Io Sharai to Iyo Sky is a really good name change too. It fits her character better as she is called the "Genius of the SKY"

[@charliem9831]

How many times did you add and remove and add and remove Goldust?

[@TheJaguar1983]

I love the way Axiom often lampshades the fact that he was A-Kid. "I wonder what happened to that guy" 🤣

[@deansheets]

Caribbean Cool Carlito makes more sense than vice versa.

[@jefferyjones8399]

Yeah his logic doesn't ring true either. Like, you can still call him Carlito. No one calls a person by their full name every single time they're addressed.

[@stingrey1571]

rey mysterio isnt the only one. there was chavo, ted dibiase, cowboy bob orton, carlito, are all juniors.

[@deejay_n_va]

I’m I the only one who remembers the big show being called the giant in WCW

[@tbonejenkins8807]

no

[@cypher515]

I always thought that Rey Mysterio changing from Rey Misterio Jr. to ... Rey Mysterio was because Rey Misterio Jr. lost his mask, but his uncle Rey Misterio did not, so the Box y Lucha Commission allowed his uncle to retire and hand _his_ mask to Rey-Rey. And the i-to-y thing is because people were idiots.

[@jarrettjordan]

I'll give you Gunther. I thought it was dumb in the beginning, but I think this long run as IC Champ really got "Gunther" over. Walter would've been fine, too, but Gunther works just the same.

[@justin_whitewolf2538]

The theme song for Gunther brings it all together imo lol

[@patrickmilner4149]

I never had a problem with Walter being changed to Gunther in the first place.

[@supersasukemaniac]

Rey started as Rey Misterio Jr. They changed it to Rey Mysterio.

[@Dont-Ask-Me-My-Name]

That Big Show name change beef was real, I remember that people were pissed

[@tbonejenkins8807]

I don't. But I do remember thinking it was weird when he became Big Show after a week or two of being the Big Nasty.

[@jonathanmaldonado2499]

The Carlito one will always be funny to me because in the indies he wrestled with the entire Carlito Caribbean cool name.

[@teamtim87]

Lol "Hey, Big Show, your real name sucks"

[@SkunkApe407]

It was at that moment he knew he fucked up...😂

[@alftuvik3820]

I personally have always had an issue with Gunther's name but that's mainly because the mental image I get is of the singer with the same name so it makes it harder to take it seriously.

[@nathanglennie]

Prince Devitt is such a cool name and gimmick. He needs to leave WWE so he can be a world champ in whatever promotion he’s in

[@MrKyGuy]

I thought Dolph Ziggler was a play on Dirk Diggler from Boogie Nights. I think I heard Freddie Prinze Jr mention that.

[@BradPrichard]

Uh, A-Kid is the worst name I've ever heard. And I've seen Berlyn.

[@Merlangpoo]

1:10 I like Axiom because his mask! When he performs in the ring, I feel like "Yeah! Power ranger is in the ring!".

[@johndelzoppo1366]

Alexander Rusev to Rusev... Antonio Cesaro to Cesaro... so many ridiculous shortenings that would have made no difference to begin with. So many of the names are just goofy now and I wish some of them would just act as labels. Valhalla is cool and all but the formal ring name should be Sara Logan for Chrissakes.

[@zlinedavid]

Why give Cesaro/Claudio a gimmick name to begin with. “Claudio Castagnoli” is a badass sounding name on its own.

[@zthebeast]

Beards throwing me off 😂😂😂

[@kidz4p509]

I would’ve made “WG Hahn” for WALTER/Gunther. “W” for “WALTER”, his original name. “G” for “Gunther”, just to stay on WWE’s good side. And “Hahn” being his real-life surname.

[@jessexmartinez1332]

The ones that will forever suck are KENTA into Hideo Kitami and Chris Hero into Kassius Ohno...

[@FariqSniff]

I have tuned into whatculturewrestling after 2 years and sins have changed

[@KingKrakenSports]

Simon had a case of the giggles

[@Chapolinho316]

The name changes weren't genius, they were stupid. We just got used to it. This is only so WWE can own the name if said wrestler decides to leave

[@MidnightChillsYT]

What exactly is this Steiner controversy?

[@DonDeLem]

It's funny how things grow on you. I thought "Dolph Ziggler" was a stupid name for like 3 years straight. Now I don't even think about it. I have definitely never met a person named Dolph tho

[@sunilesh]

Wasn't Rey's name change also to do something with the unmasking and the original the Mysterio (his uncle?) giving his blessings to Rey to use the name and re-mask?

[@brennanmason1973]

Gunther’s name change is good because he is a completely different person than what he was in NXT UK. WALTER with all caps was just goofy

[@heatbetter]

I didn’t know that about Gunther’s name!

[@alexelmuratov5242]

This made up names for wrestlers from the host are killing me. Charles Dingbat😂😂😂

[@AliFrankTheTank]

Gunther best name change in WWE history…. Bron Breakker/Big E w name changes for chargers, less real name.

[@coryshannon3815]

I always thought Vince McMahon hated being called "Junior" because he really isn't a junior, since his dad's middle name was James, and the younger Vince's middle name is Kennedy.

[@danaerys9621]

I suppose people forgot about the whole Gunther Stark accident (he was an U-Boat commander)

[@popetaytv]

Of course because nobody actually cared about the U-Boat captain.

[@WrestlingCompilations]

Some wrestling name changes end up becoming nothing more than a meme

[@syria0110]

Shorty G

[@SkunkApe407]

​@@syria0110Gregory (aka The Hurricane) Seriously, who is scared of Gregory? Insert the obligatory "Get Him to the Greek" Jeffrey reference wherever you like.😂

[@tomseville2345]

Because they thought fans would confuse Shane Helms with Shane McMahon. Seriously...@@SkunkApe407

[@992porter]

The name changes upset people because most of the time it’s no need for it. We loved those guys with the names they had and so it’s wild to do it just because

[@labbaby189]

Where I'm from, "gunther" is a derogative. I'm just gonna keep calling him Walter to avoid getting my soul chopped out of my chest.

[@SkunkApe407]

Um, what?!? Where are you from? I just spent a solid 20 minutes Googling, and can't find anything that says "Gunther" is a derogatory term. Is this maybe something unique to your friend group or some obscure subculture thing? ETA: I found an UrbanDictionary entry for Gunther, but that's hardly official. Nobody with a mortgage or a retirement fund cares what UD says. Call him Gunther and avoid hanging around people who think juvenile slang is a reason the get violent.

[@labbaby189]

@SkunkApe407 I'm from Brooklyn. It's Coney Island slang for "punk" or worse. It just hits my ears different... same reason I don't call overzealous wrestling fans "marks".

[@SkunkApe407]

@@labbaby189 Brooklyn? Just yell "I'M WALKING HERE!" and run like hell. They'll be too pissed to worry about the "gunther" comment!😂 My buddy from Jamaica Queens convinced me to yell that shit in the middle of Long Island, and I almost died!🤣 I still have to get him back for that.

[@MrSotero123]

I’m a 30 year old man, and even I was like “damn he looks cool” when I first saw Axiom 😂

[@kaimanthelizardwizard1248]

Imagine ever thinking "A-Kid" is a better name than "Axiom"

[@MrSotero123]

@@kaimanthelizardwizard1248 When did I say that?

[@kaimanthelizardwizard1248]

@@MrSotero123 I'm talking about whatculture

[@MrSotero123]

@@kaimanthelizardwizard1248 My bad. I used to people being haters on here. Lol

[@samroelke8097]

No one can topple Larry Lamppost's reign of dominance

[@berserkronaut-chemnationfa3431]

you forgot the worst change since WWF became WWE. Sarah Logan becoming Valhalla.... Valhalla is the hall in Asgard. That would be like Sasha Banks coming back and changing her name to Pearly Gates. Its stupid and doesnt make sense.

[@stevencisneros9306]

To this day….I’m still firmly on the side of WALTER instead of Gunther, though the way Samantha Irvin pronounced it, was much than what others said it normally pronounced!!!

[@rusnikfromtranscarpathia]

You tell 'em, Derek Man Strong! Lol

[@CarliVala]

Derek Manpower

[@lastdayonearthmysteryman4849]

I still call him Walter!

[@heinhtetaung8721]

Get over it

[@lastdayonearthmysteryman4849]

@@heinhtetaung8721 No! I just like the name better and I don’t care what anybody says about it!

[@jrtrujillo6901]

They need to have Simon doing all the top 10s

[@POWERHOUSEFiteClub]

Gunther and Walter is like the exact same to me like that never bothered me, people acted like they changed his name to Dirk Dickbutt or something

[@glendubsadventures801]

Pete Dunn to Butch was horrible. I'm glad they changed it back