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Aring name[1] is a type ofstage name ornickname used by anathlete such as aprofessional wrestler,mixed martial artist, orboxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting the wrong image. Since the advent of theInternet, it is relatively easy to discover a fighter's real name.[2]
Ring names are much more common in professional wrestling than any other sport; famous examples include Terry Bollea becomingHulk Hogan, Shawn Hickenbottom becomingShawn Michaels, Christopher Irvine becomingChris Jericho, and Phillip Brooks becomingCM Punk. A number of wrestlers adopted their real name or a variation of it, sometimes modifying the spelling to better fit theirgimmick, such as Dave Bautista becomingBatista (later reverting to his real name for his Hollywood acting career), Patricia Stratigeas becomingTrish Stratus,Bryan Danielson becoming Daniel Bryan (when he wrestled in WWE), and Richard Fliehr becomingRic Flair. Others simply use part of their name, such as Bill Goldberg usingGoldberg, Mike Mizanin usingThe Miz, and Michael Wardlow usingWardlow. While not as common now, female wrestlers have been known to go by just a first name for their ring name. An example of that would beMaria Kanellis being simpley known as Maria during her first stint in WWE. It is also common for wrestlers of all genders to use a nickname in addition to their real name for marketability and other reasons.Ricky Steamboat is an atypical instance of a wrestler adopting a ring name to sound less intimidating, as his legal name of Richard Blood was considered unfitting for hisbabyface persona.[3]
Some (mostlyindependent) wrestlers still go to great lengths to ensure that their real names are not publicly known. It is a highly respected tradition in Mexicanlucha libre for performers to hide their true identities, usually wrestling under masks, and revealing a luchador's identity without their permission is considered a serious offence with real-life consequences. Professional wrestlers are often referred to by their contemporaries by their ring name. In interviews,Bret Hart regularly referred to Mark Calaway, Curt Hennig, and Kevin Nash by their ring names (The Undertaker,Mr. Perfect, andDiesel). Ring names are often trademarked by thepromotion that creates a character or gimmick for a performer. It is common to see one performer use a variety of ring names throughout their career, even if their overall persona remains similar.
This is especially true inWWE, which has largely forced most wrestlers that have debuted since 2006 to use a WWE-owned ring name instead of a ring name that they used on the independent circuit or, such as withDaniel Bryan and a few others, their real name. One notable exception was made forDavid Otunga because of his real marriage to singerJennifer Hudson at the time, which gave WWE some mainstream exposure.
Low Ki used the alias "Senshi" during his secondTNA stint to reserve his primary ring name for other use. A similar example is the team known asThe Dudley Boyz inECW and WWE and Team 3D elsewhere. WWE trademarked the "Dudley Boyz" name, leading them to have to change their name when they went to TNA. The members' individual names were also trademarked by WWE, forcing them to have to change their names. WWE partially repealed the policy in 2015, allowing wrestlers who were well known in other promotions such asSamoa Joe,A.J. Styles,Shinsuke Nakamura,Austin Aries,Bobby Roode, andEric Young to use their long-standing ring names (or, in Nakamura's and Roode's cases, their real names) as well as wrestlers who sign "Tier 2"NXT brand contracts such asJohnny Gargano andTommaso Ciampa, who wrestle both on NXT and the independent circuit to keep their ring names (or, in Gargano's case, his real name). Gargano and Ciampa have since signed exclusive WWE contracts. "In-house" WWE wrestlers still use WWE-owned ring names.
In rare cases, the rights to a wrestler's ring name may be owned by a company with little or no connection to professional wrestling, such asMarvel Comics' ownership of the nameHulk Hogan until early 2003, which was due to Hogan being advertised as "The Incredible Hulk Hogan" early in his career, while Marvel owned the trademark for their comic book character. Sometimes, a wrestler will buy the rights to their own ring name; for example, Steve Borden owns the rights to the nameSting and licenses it to themusician of the same name.[citation needed] The wrestler formerly known asTest took this one step further and legally changed his name to "Andrew Test Martin". Jim Hellwig, known asThe Ultimate Warrior, had his name legally changed to simply "Warrior".
In many cases, ring names evolve over time as the wrestler's gimmick changes, either subtly or dramatically. After debuting in WWE as the "Connecticut Blueblood" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Paul Levesque's character later morphed intoTriple H. A more drastic change sometimes occurs when a wrestler turnsheroic orvillainous, such as when Hulk Hogan joined the villainousnWo (New World Order) and became "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan. His new attitude was enhanced by changing his costume color scheme from his famous red and yellow to nWo's black and white. Steve Williams adopted the ring nameSteve Austin to avoid confusion with the then-more established performer"Dr. Death" Steve Williams. Austin would wrestle under that name for several years before signing with the WWF and being given the name "the Ringmaster". This gimmick failed to catch on, and Austin reverted to his established name, reaching his greatest level of success with the prefix "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
Numerous boxers have used ring names or nicknames as their mode of identification during their professional boxing careers, particularly during the late 19th century and the early 20th century. The ring name "Kid" was particularly popular, indicating the boxer's comparative youth. Since the mid 20th century, ring names for boxers have typically been less common, although nicknames have become more popular in recent years. Famous examples of boxers who used ring names include:
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