However, as long-term WWE viewers will appreciate, the men and women that appear on RAW and SmackDown need to boast more than just in-ring talent if they are going to connect with fans and fulfill their potential in WWE.
Having a strong move set and the ability to cut compelling promos is obviously important, but it is also just as vital that a WWE Superstar gets the basics right – and that, of course, involves their WWE gimmick name.
While a select few Superstars have been allowed to use their real names on WWE television, the majority of people who appear on our screens use the fictional names that were given to them at the start of their WWE careers.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the real names of the 101 WWE Superstars who are currently on the RAW and SmackDown rosters.
#5 WWE Superstars’ real names (A-B)
Followers of behind-the-scenes WWE news will probably know that Bray Wyatt (Windham Rotunda) and Bo Dallas (Taylor Rotunda) are the sons of former WWE Superstar IRS (Mike Rotunda).
Wyatt is named after former WWE, NWA and WCW star Barry Windham, who is also his uncle.
Asuka (Kanako Urai) is another standout name in this list. The Empress of Tomorrow, previously known as Kana before joining WWE, still uses her real name on her KanaChanTV YouTube channel.
Further down in this category, Brock Lesnar is one of the few Superstars who has been allowed to keep his real name throughout his WWE career. Although he is technically a free agent right now, The Beast is still listed among the current Superstars on WWE’s website, hence why he is in this list.
The Big Show’s real name (Paul Wight) was used by WWE’s commentators when he made his WWE debut at St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in February 1999. The seven-foot Superstar was then given the gimmick name that he has been known as for the last two decades.
AJ Styles - Allen JonesAkira Tozawa - Akira TozawaAleister Black - Tom BudgenAlexa Bliss - Alexis KaufmanAndrade - Manuel Andrade OropezaAngel Garza - Angel Garza SolanoAngelo Dawkins - Gary GordonApollo Crews - Sesugh UhaaAsuka - Kanako UraiBayley - Pamela MartinezBecky Lynch - Rebecca QuinBianca Belair - Bianca CrawfordBig E - Ettore EwenBig Show - Paul Wight IIBillie Kay - Jessica McKayBo Dallas - Taylor RotundaBobby Lashley - Franklin LashleyBraun Strowman - Adam ScherrBray Wyatt - Windham RotundaBrock Lesnar - Brock Lesnar
#4 WWE Superstars’ real names (C-I)
Nowadays, WWE Superstars share updates about their personal lives on a regular basis in media interviews and across various platforms on social media.
The days of Superstars staying in character outside of the wrestling business are long gone, as we saw with The Undertaker (Mark Calaway) and his Last Ride docuseries on the WWE Network, and WWE fans know more about their favorite Superstars now than ever before.
That is with the exception of one person – Gran Metalik.
While almost every other WWE Superstar in this article has provided fans with lots of information about themselves – including their real name, at the very least – Gran Metalik has stayed true to lucha libre tradition by never publicly revealing his real name.
Elsewhere in this category, it is interesting to note that Dominik Mysterio’s real first name is actually spelled Dominic, which explains why there has been so much confusion over WWE’s spelling of his name.
Carmella - Leah Van DaleCedric Alexander - Cederick JohnsonCesaro - Claudio CastagnoliCharlotte Flair - Ashley FliehrDana Brooke - Ashley SeberaDaniel Bryan - Bryan DanielsonDolph Ziggler - Nicholas NemethDominik Mysterio - Dominic GutiérrezDrew Gulak - Drew GulakDrew McIntyre - Andrew Galloway IVEdge - Adam CopelandElias - Jeffrey SciulloEmber Moon - Adrienne ReeseErik - Raymond RoweGoldberg - William GoldbergGran Metalik - ???Humberto Carrillo - Humberto Garza CarrilloIvar - Todd Smith
#3 WWE Superstars’ real names (J-L)
Lana (Catherine Perry) and Liv Morgan (Gionna Daddio) are among the WWE Superstars who have used their real names on social media, while the real names of John Morrison (John Hennigan) and Kane (Glenn Jacobs) are also widely known outside of WWE.
Like Brock Lesnar, John Cena is another high-profile Superstar who was able to use his real name throughout his WWE career. His father, John Cena Sr., has made sporadic WWE appearances over the years, but his son’s on-screen character was never referred to as John Cena Jr.
WWE director Bruce Prichard has said multiple times on his Something to Wrestle With podcast that he cannot explain why some Superstars are allowed to keep their real names and why others have to use a gimmick name.
Keith Lee, for example, uses his real name, but Kevin Owens does not perform under his real name (Kevin Steen) in WWE.
Jaxson Ryker - Chad LailJeff Hardy - Jeffrey HardyJey Uso - Joshua FatuJimmy Uso - Jonathan FatuJinder Mahal - Yuvraj DhesiJohn Cena - John Cena Jr. John Morrison - John HenniganKalisto - Emanuel RodriguezKane - Glenn JacobsKeith Lee - Keith LeeKevin Owens - Kevin SteenKing Corbin - Thomas PestockKofi Kingston - Kofi Sarkodie-MensahLacey Evans - Macey Estrella-KadlecLana - Catherine PerryLars Sullivan - Dylan MileyLince Dorado - José CorderoLiv Morgan - Gionna Daddio
#2 WWE Superstars’ real names (M-R)
Mandy Rose is one of the few WWE Superstars who has appeared on WWE programming under her real name (Amanda Saccomanno) and her gimmick name.
The WWE RAW Superstar used her real name during the 2015 Tough Enough competition. However, unlike some of her fellow Total Divas stars (Naomi/Trinity, for example), she was known by her gimmick name on the fifth season of Total Divas.
Roman Reigns’ real name (Leati Joseph Anoa’i) has been common knowledge among WWE fans since he referred to himself as Joe during his leukemia announcement in October 2018. His surname is also frequently mentioned whenever his family’s wrestling legacy is brought up in WWE storylines.
As for Randy Orton, his RKO finisher contains the same letters as the initials of his full real name (Randal Keith Orton).
The Miz - Michael MizaninMVP - Hassan Hamin AssadMandy Rose - Amanda SaccomannoMatt Riddle - Matthew RiddleMickie James - Mickie James-AldisMojo Rawley - Dean MuhtadiMontez Ford - Kenneth CrawfordMurphy - Matthew AdamsMustafa Ali - Adeel AlamNaomi - Trinity FatuNatalya - Natalie Neidhart-WilsonNia Jax - Savelina FaneneNikki Cross - Nicola GlencrossOtis - Nikola BogojevicPeyton Royce - Cassandra ArneillR-Truth - Ronnie KillingsRandy Orton - Randal OrtonRey Mysterio - Óscar GutiérrezRicochet - Trevor MannRiddick Moss - Michael RallisRobert Roode - Robert Roode Jr. Roman Reigns - Leati Joseph Anoa’iRonda Rousey - Ronda RouseyRuby Riott - Dori Prange
#1 WWE Superstars’ real names (S-Z)
In the same way that Mandy Rose appeared on WWE programming as Amanda Saccomanno, Sonya Deville initially used her real name (Daria Berenato) on Tough Enough.
It is unclear why some female WWE Superstars use their real name on other shows, including Total Divas, and why some stick to their gimmick names. In Deville’s case, she uses her WWE name when she appears on Total Divas.
Much like Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler had already established her name in the world of MMA before she swapped the octagon for the squared circle, hence why she is allowed to use her real name in WWE.
Similarly, Shinsuke Nakamura was widely regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the world before he joined WWE in 2016, which might explain why he was not given a gimmick name.
The Undertaker appears in this list because, like Brock Lesnar, he is still listed as an active Superstar on WWE’s website.
Sami Zayn - Rami SebeiSamoa Joe - Nuufolau SeanoaSasha Banks - Mercedes Kaestner-VarnadoSeth Rollins - Colby LopezShane McMahon - Shane McMahonShayna Baszler - Shayna BaszlerSheamus - Stephen FarrellyShelton Benjamin - Shelton BenjaminShinsuke Nakamura - Shinsuke NakamuraShorty G - Charles BettsSonya Deville - Daria BerenatoStephanie McMahon - Stephanie McMahon LevesqueSteve Cutler - Steven KuprykTamina - Sarona Snuka-PolamaluTitus O’Neil - Thaddeus Bullard Sr. Triple H - Paul LevesqueTucker - Levi CooperThe Undertaker - Mark CalawayWesley Blake - Cory WestonXavier Woods - Austin WatsonZelina Vega - Thea Trinidad
0 votes
