It's no secret that WWE enjoys changing the names of their workers. Obviously, they prefer a name they can trademark and use for merchandising more than a worker using the name they had on the indies. While some stars are good with names, WWE insists they have to change some, from shortening a name to just one word to stuff like "Happy" Corbin or "Madcap" Moss. But it can be pretty awful when they try to change the entire name.
Some name changes are so strange that it's incredible they were invented in the first place. Unfortunately, it seems to have gotten worse in the last few years as WWE has been obsessed with altering perfectly good names into bad ones. Even if the workers are talented enough to make a character work, these bad names are harder to take.
9 Wendy Choo
We all know WWE had some issues with packaging Asian wrestlers, but this is pretty bad. Mei Ying has a good look, and her gymnastics in the ring are promising. She also had a name that can work well for her character, but now she's Wendy Choo.
It's bad enough WWE has her showing up backstage sleeping in pajamas and a sleep mask. But then she's given a name that sounds like the wacky sidekick from a 1990s sitcom. It's another case of a promising worker being saddled with a bad name and character, a common issue for WWE these days.
8 Reckoning And Retaliation
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It's tempting to simply say everyone in Retribution had an awful name change, but Mace actually isn't too bad as a wrestler name (and more intimidating than Dio Maddin).
But taking two talented women like Mia Yim and Mercedes Martinz, both of whom already boast great wrestling names, and calling them Reckoning and Retaliation was awful. It ruined the drive of both women, unable to break out on their own. Also, the masks didn't help. As soon as the group disbanded, they were both lost in the shuffle before being cut, so this name change cost WWE two talented wrestlers.
7 Slapjack
A slapjack is a low-level weapon that hasn't been popular since 1930s gangster movies. Naming a modern-day wrestler like this is bad, and even worse when it's a promising talent like Shane Thorne. Under a Jason Vorhees style mask, Thorne was part of the terrible Retribution stable with name that reminds one of Jeff Jarrett's lame WCW insults.
It's no wonder Thorne's stock fell fast and after Retribution split, it was hard to take him seriously. Thorne was part of the wave of layoffs in late-2021 and that name change is a key reason why WWE's current talent bosses ruined him.
6 The Viking Experience
It's really bizarre when WWE thinks a perfect name has to be altered. War Machine was already awesome on the indies but adding a Viking theme as The War Raiders was good too. In NXT, they won the Tag Team Championship.
But on the main roster, they were saddled with The Viking Experience, which sounds like the name for a cruise line tour group. The backlash was so huge that it had to be altered to The Viking Raiders, which is still a bit rough.
5 Nikki A.S.H.
To be fair, she's done far better with this gimmick than anyone would have expected. Having the psycho Nikki Cross transforming into a superhero should have flopped, but instead, it has earned Nikki A.S.H. a run Raw Women's Champion, and she and Rhea Ripley became a surprisingly good tag team.
Still, that name is off-putting. "Almost a Super Hero" wasn't bad when she was starting out with it in a comedic sense, but it's harder to get into now that she has had a few titles. It's actually not a bad act but still a weird name change for a very talented worker.
4 Doudrop
Piper Niven worked in NXT UK, and was a promising wrestler. She was a woman who could come over to the United States and add a spark into WWE's women's division. She seemed destined to succeed. So WWE's moniker for her on the main roster?
A name that instantly brings images of Willy Wonka and candy factories to mind. Piper Niven is a good talent that can be utilized right, but it's hard to imagine fans chanting "Doudrop" all the time. It's almost like a bad joke on her and no one is laughing.
3 Shorty G
This was a name change so awful even WWE had to backtrack on it. Chad Gable and Jason Jordan had been terrific as American Alpha, and even after they split, Gable looked promising. He and Bobby Roode had a run as Tag Team Champions, and it appeared Gable would be doing well. Then he was given the name of Shorty G, and it was impossible to take him seriously after that.
It wasn't helped by his outfit and goofy demeanor combined with a long losing streak. Thankfully, WWE addressed it with Gable declaring he was sick of the name and returning to his old one. It's paid off, as now, Gable and Otis are Raw Tag Team Champions.
2 Gunther
The frustration that comes along with changing WALTER's name to Gunther is enormous. First, WALTER is already a great name, it rolls off the tongue, and he has used it for years in NXT UK, so there's no need for a change. Then there's the fact Gunther sounds like that minor character from Friends.
Worst of all is the historical implications of the name already summarized by fans on social media. To take one of WWE's most respected workers and change his name in any way was the wrong move, as WALTER would have been just fine. Now there's no telling if he will reach the level of success fans had hoped to see for him.
1 T-Bar
Granted, Dominik Dijakovic can be a bit of a mouthful for some announcers, but T-Bar? There's no reason for that name at all. It's been holding him back since he debuted with the Retribution stable, and while his talent has allowed him to escape it for a bit, it's still holding him back.
It sounds more like the name of some energy drink or a form of a bicycle rather than a serious wrestling name. Going back to his old one might be better as T-Bar is an F with many fans.