While some wrestlers end up being able to use their legitimate names in the ring, that isn't the case for the vast majority, especially those who work for WWE. The company likes to give wrestlers brand new names to signify their time in WWE, and so that they can own the rights for them.
This makes it easier for licensing agreements, and that often means that talent can't then use the names that people are most familiar with if they part ways with the company at a later date. Because of this, the vast majority of wrestling fans have no clue what the real-life names of many wrestlers actually are on the WWE roster.
10 Butch (Peter England)
Certain wrestling names give fans clues about what their true identity is, as they often use similar names, which is the case here from when he was Pete Dunne. However, those who only know him as Butch don't have much to go on when it comes to cracking what his real name is.
However, Peter England is a fantastic name that could easily have worked in the wrestling industry had he wanted to tap into that. Unfortunately, that has never been the case and instead, fans aren't aware of this great name.
9 Angelo Dawkins (Gary Gordon)
Angelo Dawkins is a great wrestling name, and that is something that has served him well since he joined WWE. However, few people are aware of his real name, Gary Gordon, which is one that few people would likely have predicted for The Street Profits star.
Gary Gordon is a name that sounds straight out of a comic book, and is certainly another great one. However, Dawkins didn't tap into that with his wrestling career, which is why most fans aren't familiar with it.
8 Drew McIntyre (Andrew Galloway IV)
Most wrestling fans are aware of the fact that Drew McIntyre's legitimate last name is Galloway, because this is what he used as his wrestling name for a long time. He worked as Drew Galloway outside the WWE bubble, whether that was for Impact Wrestling or on the independent scene.
However, his first name being Andrew isn't something that a lot of fans will know, which is interesting. But, the big part about his name that nobody would ever guess is that he has an IV at the end of it, which few people would predict.
7 Bayley (Pamela Martinez)
Most wrestling fans who do not know Bayley's real-life name would likely presume that Bayley would be her legitimate first name, but that isn't the case. Instead, her real name is Pamela Martinez, which is something that plenty of fans aren't aware of.
Bayley has never tapped into that when it comes to her wrestling career, as even on the independent scene she was known as Davina Rose. Therefore, the majority of fans wouldn't have guessed that her name was Pamela Martinez.
6 Dakota Kai (Cheree Crowley)
Another member of the Damage CTRL faction that has a real name that people aren't aware of is Dakota Kai. She is one of the newer members of the main roster overall, and because of that audiences haven't fully learned about when it comes to her real name and other facts.
Kai's real name is Cheree Crowley, which a lot of fans would likely not be able to guess simply because it is completely different from the name she uses in WWE.
5 Sheamus (Stephen Farrelly)
Throughout his entire WWE career, fans have known the Celtic Warrior as Sheamus. It's something that people now associate with him because of that, therefore it's no surprise that most people don't know his actual name as the majority of the audience simply thinks about him as Sheamus.
However, his real name is Stephen Farrelly, which isn't the most over-the-top wrestling name. That's likely one of the reasons he didn't tap into that to use it, but is one that many fans simply do not know.
4 Maxxine Dupri (Sydney Zmrzel)
Maxxine Dupri is one of the newest stars on the main roster, and because she is someone that hasn't been properly pushed by the company it is impossible for people to truly know too much about her. Neither of the names she has are anything like what her legitimate one is either, making it very tough for people to simply guess.
Her name was created to tap into the faction that she is part of, with the second name having to be that as she was the sister of LA Knight's previous gimmick, which is why it's so far away from the reality.
3 Luke Gallows (Andrew Hankinson)
Luke Gallows has worked under a variety of names throughout his career, whether that is in or out of WWE, but none of them have ever tapped into his real name which is Andrew Hankinson. Most fans know him for the Gallows name, as this is something he has kept in several different promotions.
But he was also known as Festus for a period in WWE, which also gives no clues as to what his real name is. Because it is so different from Hankinson most fans would struggle to guess this one without knowing it already.
2 Sami Zayn (Rami Sebei)
Sami Zayn is the talk of the wrestling world at the moment, but that doesn't mean that everyone is aware of what his real name is outside of the WWE world. Considering the fact he used to work as El Generico, there is a lot of mystery when it comes to what Zayn is truly called.
The answer to that is Rami Sebei, with his first name being something that he clearly took inspiration from with the Sami touch. His parents are both Syrian and immigrated to Canada, and that is where his name comes from, which some people may not know.
1 Rey Mysterio (Oscar Gutierrez)
Few names are more iconic in the wrestling world than Rey Mysterio, and after so many years of using that whether it is in or out of WWE, most wrestling fans have accepted and believed that it is his shoot name. However, that isn't the case, with this very much being a gimmick.
Because of that, very few fans are aware that his real name is Oscar Gutierrez. It's another great name that would easily have worked in the wrestling business, but ultimately he didn't go with that.
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