Yes, professional wrestling names are important; look at the fear surrounding him who shall ABSOLUTELY not be named. The former, and maybe current, Ricky Starks has not been named once since his NXT debut. This started a panic, which was made worse by a previously released list of names recently trademarked by WWE that appeared on social media.
Those names could be described best as, well, being in a list format. Not even a talent like Ricky could take the wrestling world by storm as Harley Riggins, Haze Jameson, or Drako Knox. Trill London will be a future world champion, though; the meme demands it. Surely, though, a talented enough performer can make anything work, right?
Right time, right guy. https://t.co/Xx05s3sEHU
— Ricky Starks (@starkmanjones) February 12, 2025
History shows that once-and-future superstars alike have seen their stock plummet or careers stall when shackled to a bad personal brand. Beyond just sounding good in arenas full of fans, which is important, names tell their own story. Lyra Valkyria is soaring to new heights, and Bron Breaker can crush another man to the stubs.
Where a person is from, what they believe in, and how they fight in the ring all start with the name shouted out by the ring announcers. With so many new and returning arrivals available in free agency, name recognition is going to be more critical than ever.
The Great One was a Fake One for a Family Name
Since becoming the physically and commercially biggest movie star alive, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has built his own sort of internal kayfabe. It may underline some future political ambition, but The Rock has spent a lot of time isolating his wrestling persona as an act far removed from his more thoughtful, generous, and wise nature.
It is almost a certainty that Dwayne Johnson is all of those things, sometimes. People, as they say, contain multitudes.
However, this friend-to-all and just-happy-to-be-alive person was his initial character in the wrestling space. It did not seem authentic, and it elicited some horrible responses.
When Rocky Maivia, Dwayne Johnson’s original ring name, switched to become a militant member of the Nation of Domination known only as “The Rock,” it came with an attitude change that aligned with the gimmick switch and heel turn. History would prove, though, that it was not the gimmick that made The Rock stand out.
Johnson ditched and switched the militant stuff pretty quickly. Soon, it was a brand of devil-may-care swagger that defined all versions of The Rock. The name fits so well with his skills as a cocky trash talker and brawler that he has now successfully made that his own man, opening the door for the Dwayne Johnson career mentioned before.
Fans wouldn’t have ever cheered “Rocky” if he kept the family name and legacy. Those connections probably made it worse for him in actuality.
A clean-cut blue chip prospect is an inexperienced nepotism higher by another name. By putting those expectations aside, he was his crass and sarcastic true self, and now “Rocky” chants ring out in every arena when the millions (and millions) of fans watch him return.
Changing Professional Wrestling Names Have a Cost
Sometimes, like for The Rock or Piper Niven (formerly Dewdrop), a name change is a welcome gift to audiences. However, the names you change to need to be better or at least neutral. Changes to a bad name are plenty in WWE, especially. Bearcat Lee, Shorty G, Butch, Nikki A.S.H, and The Viking Experience, the list goes on.
These are just a few horrible names that talented young stars received. Of the list, only a couple really recovered, and that is frankly using the term generously. It isn’t just new talent that can fall into this trap, either. The most notorious recent example is when we speak to a WWE Hall of Famer, Adam Copeland.
Adam Copeland wrestled as Edge to great success because it was easy to remember, fun to cheer or jeer, and engaging in an over-the-top industry like professional wrestling. When leaving WWE for AEW, he was Adam Copeland due to copyright and trademark considerations. That, without any significant gimmick changes, was fine with fans universally.
He had gone to an upstart company in need of some veteran leadership, and he wanted to reunite with his friends and colleagues also on AEW.
Then they changed it again to “Cope.” Coping was something his fans instantly needed to try because the name is awful. The goodwill of the Edge character evaporated with audiences despite no real change in the persona itself. The name alone significantly diminished an act that was working and had worked at a high level for years.
Professional Wrestling Names Should Matter to Wrestlers
One of the names on the list, Osiris Griffin, appears to be claimed by a WWE prospect who shared some posts that seemingly confirm as much. Upon first look, Osiris Griffin is not leagues ahead of Masyn Holiday on the cool scale.
That being said, the user, currently named Joshua Black with the handle containing his assumed WWE name, seems to really like this brand. His posts have outlined what it means to him and his background, and that is the last thing to consider.
Weird new @ for me 😳
— Joshua Black (@Osiris_WWE) February 12, 2025
If you care about your character, it shows. As a fan, you can tell when a performer is trying too hard to play somebody else. There is a constant piece of advice shared by the talents in the twilight of their career.
They always say take your personality up to 11, then make that your persona as a professional wrestler. Maybe Osiris Griffin is who that performer truly is.
A name can and will make the journey to the top more challenging and potentially impossible, but being who you truly feel most comfortable with makes it worth the attempt. Fans pick up on that, too, and it’s launched more than a few impossible careers.
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