World Wrestling Entertainment has an interesting history of allowing certain wrestlers to use either their real names or the fake names that they were known by while working for independent promotions such as Ring of Honor, Impact Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Brock Lesnar has always been Brock Lesnar since his first stint on the main roster. Both Matt and Jeff Hardy used their real names once they became the first version of Team Xtreme back in the “Attitude Era,” and they have been able to do so while performing all over the world. More recently, Bobby Roode, Bobby Lashley and Shinsuke Nakamura were allowed to keep and utilize their real names wrestling underneath the WWE umbrella, probably because those names are so recognizable among fans who both follow the promotion and also watch other companies. In some instances, the WWE renaming a particular wrestler so that the promotion can sell merchandise that is tied only to that designation does not make a lot of sense. Imagine how weird it would have been in the late 1990s had Vince McMahon and the WWE tried to push Kurt Angle, a legitimate Olympic champion, using a weird create-a-wrestler name straight out of a video game.
With that said, the WWE has continued to give a majority of the organization’s new performers fake names as of the spring of 2018. Some stars and veterans who work main events of programs and even carry championships in the promotion use names that you may not know are fake. The same rings true for independent wrestlers, many of whom have only been known by names casual fans don’t realize are fake. While you don’t have to be an insider or somebody who subscribes to pro wrestling newsletters to understand names such as CM Punk, Ricochet, the Beer City Bruiser and Flip Gordon were created by promoters or those athletes, a variety of non-WWE wrestlers use names that appear real but are actually not what they were known as before they entered the wacky and wild wrestling business. The independent wrestlers featured in this piece have either spent a period of time in the WWE or could, in the future, perform for the biggest promotion in the world. Eventually, there may come a time when Triple H or somebody else who understands what is best for business in the long run realizes that allowing these wrestlers to keep recognizable names during their WWE careers should be the norm.
15 WWE Stars: The Usos
There are several interesting items of information about Jimmy and Jey Use using fake names as WWE stars. For starters, the company has not hidden their wrestling heritage and the fact that they are related to Roman Reigns, who also has something different than his birth name attached to his character. It is also common knowledge that former WWE star Rikishi is their father. Jey was born Joshua Samuel Fatu, while Jimmy was known as Jonathan Solofa Fatu before he ever entered a wrestling ring.
The Usos have been tag team specialists since they first debuted on the WWE main roster, but they found a new and needed spark after they were drafted to the SmackDown brand in the summer of 2016.
Turning heel did wonders for The Usos, as their promos and even their matches almost immediately improved.
In all, The Usos have probably been the best tag team on the main roster over the past two years, which says a lot about the duo but also speaks to how the company has wasted acts such as American Alpha and The Revival since they were called up from NXT. A three-way match between the Usos, Alpha and The Revival could headline a WrestleMania if booked properly.
14 Independent Wrestlers: Christopher Daniels
Daniel Christopher Covell has used several gimmicks throughout his lengthy WWE career. Fans have watched him play the Curry Man character and also Suicide. It is more likely, of course, that viewers have known him as “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels or just Daniels, both of which are fake tags taken from his birth name. Daniels first signed with the WWE all the way back in 1998 when the company was becoming the hottest promotion in the world and one that ultimately defeated World Championship Wrestling in the “Monday Night Wars.” Unfortunately for him, he was never given a real chance to thrive with the WWE or with WCW before the latter went out of business, but he finally found success and the opportunities he deserved in Ring of Honor and, later, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
With acts such as Samoa Joe and a different star who somewhat surprisingly uses a fake name having signed with the WWE, one could say that Daniels is the best wrestler of the past two decades to never receive a lengthy run in NXT and/or the WWE. He isn’t retired quite yet, and we could still see him have a five-star match working for the promotion before he calls time on his career.
13 WWE Stars: Cedric Alexander
Wrestling fans who were first introduced to Cedric Alexander, the current WWE Cruiserweight Champion as of the posting of this piece, may remember his time in the C&C Wrestle Factory tag team ahead of his days as a solo wrestler and singles star. The WWE chose to not give Alexander a different name before he was added to the Cruiserweight Classic tournament, and some may assume it’s not fake if only because it is not the most original label one could give to a wrestler.
Born Cederick Alexander Johnson, the entertaining high-flyer probably made the right decision by shortening his name even before he ever wrestled for a major promotion, although we are confident he could have made it to a WrestleMania card regardless of what we called him. Fans chanting “please sign Cedric!” after he was eliminated from the Cruiserweight Classic was one of the most memorable moments from that competition, and he has shown that he was worth the contract. As of May 2018, Alexander is the face of the division and of the 205 Live show that was floundering earlier this year until Triple H reportedly took control of that product and made it a weekly show fans don’t want to miss.
12 Independent Wrestlers: Matt Sydal
Evan Bourne is not the most imaginative name ever created by WWE minds, but it was also an inoffensive label to give to the high-flyer who, according to multiple reports, was probably his own worst enemy during his time with the promotion. Before he ever took flight as a member of the WWE Universe, Bourne was known as Matt Sydal, and that is the name he uses as an independent wrestler as also in Impact Wrestling as of May 2018. One may, understandably, assume that must be his real name, but Sydal was actually born Matthew Joseph Korklan.
The WWE, specifically Triple H, has been open about welcoming certain acts back to the WWE, and Sydal is not getting any younger heading into the summer months.
At 35 years old, Sydal could still be a positive for the NXT roster and, in time, 205 Live if he was interested in enjoying one final run. Were that to happen, we imagine the WWE would probably have him once again go by Evan Bourne, which wouldn’t bother viewers who only watch WWE shows and don’t pay much attention to independent promotions. Sydal may first have to show that he is prepared to be on his best behavior and avoid outside-the-ring problems.
11 WWE Stars: Titus O'Neil
Were you to take a look at the WWE star known as Titus O’Neil for the first time, you may assume his name is fake before rethinking things if only because one would assume the company could come up with something better. Apparently, WWE writers and creative types could not achieve that mission, so Thaddeus Bullard now wrestles as O’Neil and the man responsible for giving us Titus Worldwide and also that unfortunate slip at the Greatest Royal Rumble that is going to hover over him as long as he is performing for the promotion.
Things could have gone much differently for O’Neil if he was only a few years younger and if he had signed with the WWE in the mid-2010s rather than at the end of last decade.
He has a great look, a football background and an entertaining personality, and he could have been pushed as a big star and a monster heel in NXT. Looking at what Triple H and others have done with Lars Sullivan in NXT, it’s possible O’Neil could have received similar treatment. As things exist today, he is a mid-card act, at best, on editions of Raw, and the company is not going to let him forget about that infamous slip anytime soon.
10 Independent Wrestlers: Austin Aries
Outside of that brief amount of time when he went by Austin Starr in TNA Wrestling because TNA just couldn’t help itself for whatever reasons, most of us have known this talented performer as Austin Aries. “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived” was born Daniel Solwold Jr., a name that does not jump off the page of a wrestling card.
Aries, meanwhile, became an international sensation performing for ROH and TNA/Impact Wrestling, and WWE fans were predictably pumped to learn he had agreed to join NXT in early 2016. His run on the developmental brand stalled because of a legitimate orbital socket injury, but he was eventually added to the cruiserweight division and the 205 Live program. Depending on what stories you want to believe about the mater, Aries either asked for his release from the WWE or he was cut because he was unpopular in July 2017. Whatever really happened, it’s too bad fans did not get to see Aries at his absolute best on the main roster and in pay-per-view matches versus the likes of Neville, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe and Finn Balor. Just as in other businesses and personal lives, some relationships in the WWE and in wrestling end poorly.
9 WWE Stars: Eric Young
Some wrestling fans out there may not have realized that Eric Young’s real name is Jeremy Fritz until stories broke in June 2017 that his mother had died following a bout with cancer. Until then, Fritz routinely went by Young while working for TNA Wrestling regardless of if he was a babyface or heel at any given time. He was able to keep the Young name after he signed with the WWE and joined NXT, and it looks like he will continue to do so upon joining SmackDown following the Superstar Shakeup that occurred after WrestleMania 34.
The WWE has not always been kind to performers who made their names in TNA/Impact, and Young may never be given a push as a WWE Champion.
He should, nevertheless, become a great contributor to the blue brand starting on his first day on TV. Young could start out in the tag team division, and he could eventually enter feuds with Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy or Samoa Joe. There are so many possibilities for the unique character who is also a great worker and who probably should have been on the main roster several years ago. Better late than never, we suppose.
8 Independent Wrestlers: Chris Sabin
This is an instance where it is not an insult to say the wrestler in question could have used either his fake or real name during his career, and things probably wouldn’t be much different for him than they are today. Josh Harter is no better or no worse of a name that Chris Sabin, the label attached to the wrestler who is probably best known for his runs in TNA Wrestling and ROH.
Like so many others throughout the 2000s, fans may find themselves wishing Sabin had come along the scene five or even ten years after he actually debuted. Now, when the WWE is willing and even happy to acquire talented performers who are undersized compared to those who were Superstars in the promotion in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, a younger Sabin could be producing top-tier matches in NXT. At 36 years old, Sabin still has plenty to offer to younger wrestlers working through WWE developmental. He is a proven veteran who knows about ring psychology and who has experienced both highs and lows. Triple H and scouts should look to land guys such as Sabin to help bolster an NXT brand that has some promise but that is also lacking the quality it had even a couple of years ago.
7 WWE Stars: Jason Jordan
Unless you are a big fan of collegiate wrestling who watched national competitions via cable television, you probably never saw Nathan Everhart until he debuted on the WWE Network, specifically in NXT, as Jason Jordan, an athlete with a great look but also one who seemed on his way out of the company until somebody came up with the idea to team him with Chad Gable (born Charles Betts) and form American Alpha. The team of Jordan and Gable won tag team gold in NXT and, later, on the WWE main roster, but the duo were wasted thanks to some bad writing and a lack of a dynamic push on SmackDown.
Then, for reasons that still baffle weekly viewers, WWE split Jordan from Gable to create a storyline that involved the former being the son of Kurt Angle.
This backfired about as badly as anybody could have expected, but a neck injury that has sidelined Jordan for the majority of 2018 could be a blessing in disguise if he is able to fully recover from that setback and if the WWE just pretends the storyline with Angle never happened in the first place. We are all willing to play along if you are, Mr. McMahon.
6 Independent Wrestlers: Kenny King
Maybe you are a pro wrestling fan who enjoys watching reality television shows such as The Bachelorette, or maybe you only learned about Kenny King appearing on that program thanks to reading about it online or hearing about it on a wrestling podcast. Whatever the case, his taking part in that show may have been the first time you heard or saw him referred to as Kenny Layne, his birth name.
King, as he has been known throughout his wresting career, is a fascinating individual who has openly talked about his time as a Chippendale's dancer and who has won singles and tag team titles outside of the WWE. King turns 37 years old in July, but he is still going strong in ROH heading into the summer months. He is another wrestler mentioned in this piece who should be considered by the WWE for the NXT brand at some point in 2018. Once other names currently in NXT are added to WWE, potentially after SummerSlam or ahead of next year’s Royal Rumble, the company is going to need more bodies on that touring roster. King is over among fans, he can still produce great matches and he can be a mentor and locker-room leader.
5 WWE Stars: AJ Styles
Allen Neal Jones sort of sounds like the type of name one would have seen from a wrestler playing a heel back in the 1970s. We imagine he wouldn’t have a theme song, and he probably would have taken losses when facing bigger stars who were over among audiences. It is for the best, then, that this wrestler embraced the name AJ Styles roughly two decades ago. Up until Styles and the WWE put pen to paper on a contract that allowed him to appear at the 2016 Royal Rumble, Styles was, in the eyes of many fans and analysts, the best wrestler from the current century to have never worked for the promotion.
Reporters such as Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer have, on multiple occasions, suggested that the WWE did not originally intend for Styles to win the WWE Championship and perform as the “face that runs the place” on SmackDown, but his tremendous in-ring skills got him over among casual fans who weren’t familiar with him until his run on the blue brand. If rumors linking Styles with a move from SmackDown to Raw in a future shake-up are true, he could, one day, headline a WrestleMania card.
4 Independent Wrestlers: Briscoe Brothers
Jay and Mark Briscoe have done so well to live their gimmicks, as the saying goes, as independent wrestlers that fans naturally would assume their last names are Briscoe and not actually Pugh. Whatever you want to call them, all who have witnessed their extraordinary carers would have to admit they are a team and an act unlike any other that has wrestled in ROH, NJPW and other organizations.
There was a period of time when it felt as if the WWE was going to steal portions of the Briscoes’ act for the Wyatt Family, but viewers soon realized that wasn’t the case. That’s a good thing for the former family members and for the WWE, as the Briscoes cannot be duplicated even by such a major organization. In the past, the Briscoes have cut promos about not being given opportunities to sign with the WWE, in part because they were not “cosmetically pleasing.” It’s a different promotion and a different industry in the spring of 2018, and Triple H may want to think about adding the Briscoes while they can still go and are still over. The past is the past, and the WWE could use more tag teams for NXT and the main roster.
3 WWE Stars: Charlotte Flair
If you already didn’t know that “Nature Boy” Ric Flair’s last name was actually Fliehr before the ESPN documentary on his life aired in November 2017, that show broke kayfabe and showed a side of the all-time great those who only knew the wrestler never saw. Charlotte obviously shares her father’s famous and real last names, but she was born Ashley Fliehr. The former personal trainer did not originally intend to perform in the WWE, but the business is clearly in her blood. She quickly became a star and a top heel in NXT, and the WWE named her as one of the stars of the beginning of the supposed “women’s revolution” back in the summer of 2015.
It is clear the WWE sees Charlotte as the best of the bunch among the women added to the main roster at that time, as she became the first person to notch a victory over Asuka at WrestleMania 34.
That, according to reports, could lead to Charlotte wrestling against none other than former Ultimate Fighting Championship star Ronda Rousey. Depending on what occurs with their storylines and with Rousey’s development as a wrestler during the summer and fall months, that match could even headline next year’s WrestleMania.
2 Independent Wrestlers: Young Bucks
Matt and Nick using the last name Buck as a clever play on the Young Bucks tag team made sense, and those who watch the Being the Elite YouTube show created and produced by the duo probably know Jackson is a fake name. The Massie brothers are over among audiences all around the world despite the fact that critics and some former acts are not too fond of the way they perform in the ring, but even their biggest detractors have to admit what they are doing on the independent scene and with their "All In" show are incredible feats.
The Bucks have proven that one does not need to work underneath the WWE umbrella or the schedule followed by performers signed to that promotion to earn great money in the business or sell 10,000 tickets for an event.
It feels as if a new rumor linking the Bucks with the WWE emerges every other month, at least, but the brothers may feel that their lives are better working outside of the promotion ahead of the summer and fall of 2018. They are stars all on their own, and they have creative control over their characters and their YouTube program. Why would they need WWE contracts?
1 WWE Stars: Chris Jericho
Fans who first heard of this “Lionheart” during his stint in Extreme Championship Wrestling have only known Christopher Irvine as Chris Jericho, a Hall of Fame performer who continues to evolve his character even though he will turn 48 years old in November of this year. Whether he is putting foes on a list during a show such as Raw or playing the role of a villain in NJPW, Jericho is neither slowing down nor coasting on his reputation and going through the motions as he approaches his 50s. In fact, his match with Kenny Omega in January 2018 was given a five-star rating by Wrestling Observer editor Dave Meltzer.
As he always does, Jericho will make his way back to the WWE on his schedule, maybe to continue his feud with Kevin Owens or have a singles program with somebody such as Daniel Bryan. Whatever he does, we are sure Jericho won’t be the exact version of Y2J that he was the last time he performed in a WWE ring. Jericho has often boasted that he is the “best in the world at what I do.” It is getting harder and harder to argue with him about that claim with each passing year.