In the modern age of professional wrestling the line often gets blurred between fact and fiction. Backstage news often becomes part of storylines in an attempt to make people question what’s real or not. It’s a fun dynamic when it comes to wrestling nowadays but one area where we really don’t want to break the illusion is the names of the professional wrestlers we admire.
A bad ass name can take a professional wrestler a very long way which is why most of them don’t use their real names. When you pull the curtain back and expose their real names it makes them a little too human. With that being said, proceed at your own risk.
#7 – Arn Anderson – Marty Lunde
Arn Anderson is one of the most bad ass wrestlers of all time. There’s a reason why he’s known as The Enforcer and that’s because back in his prime he inflicted pain on many pro wrestling legends. It certainly breaks the illusion when you find out that he shares the same first name as Back to the Future’s main character.
#6 – Hardcore Holly – Bob Howard
Hardcore Holly has certainly proved that he can hang with the most hardcore performers in the business. He has a reputation for working stiff in the ring but he’s also proved he can fight through the most severe injuries. Hardcore Holly is indeed the perfect ring name for this individual but there’s something about the name Bob Howard that just makes you think he works at a hardware store.
#5 – MVP – Alvin Burke Jr.
MVP has got swag and not the kind of swag that annoying white kids who wear overly baggy pants have. This guy’s got class, attitude, style and his in ring skills make him look legitimately tough. MVP has a certain degree of street cred thanks to a stint in jail and a pretty decent rap music catalog. But we’re willing to bet if we asked you what you thought someone with the name Alvin Burke Jr. did for a living you would assume they designed pocket protectors.
#4 – Shawn Michaels – Michael Hickenbottom
Shawn Michaels’ real name is Michael Hickenbottom. No, this is not a joke. On TV Shawn Michaels is Mr. WrestleMania, The Heartbreak Kid, The Showstopper but at home he’s…Michael…Hickenbottom. This is one of those times where we would rather not blur the lines between reality and fiction. It’s still real to us DAMMIT!!!
#3 – Big Boss Man – Ray Traylor
When it comes to in ring names you can’t really pick a more bad ass name than Big Boss Man. The name just screams intimidation. Even if your opponents had never laid eyes on you the chances are pretty high they would be intimidated by your name alone if it was Big Boss Man. Although the name Ray Traylor isn’t quite as bad ass as the Big Boss Man, the irony of it is that the name still sounds like the moniker of someone who could be a cop. Big Boss Man was one tough son of a bitch and that’s how we will always remember him. Rest in peace.
#2 – Kane – Glen Jacobs
When Kane debuted he was one of the most feared WWE superstars of all time. His mask was terrifying and the mystery behind him was enough to give you nightmares. Over the years Kane has evolved more than any other superstar on the roster. He’s gone from masked terrifying demon, to unmasked psychopath, to wearing a business suit as the Director of Operations for The Authority. Kane now seemingly has more in common with Glen Jacobs than his original character. If you think he looks like someone who should be selling insurance, you aren’t far off at all, because he owns his own insurance company.
#1 – Triple H – Paul Levesque
Triple H is one of the most bad ass wrestlers to ever step foot in the squared circle. He’s got a long history in the pro wrestling business and an endless list of accomplishments. From a character standpoint he is a destroyer, someone that has completely decimated his opponents in the ring but behind closed doors, he’s Paul Levesque. We don’t really need to go into detail here, the name Paul Levesque doesn’t sound nearly as bad ass as Triple H. This is just another situation where we would much rather keep it kayfabe.
