5 greatest stories behind WWE ring names

Some of the greatest WWE character names have come about in the most unorthodox and bizarre ways. Most of the time, we could easily place the blame on WWE’s creative team for coming up with a character name (for good or ill).

When it comes to the WWE Superstars in this list, they found ways to create their own successful gimmicks. This included little to no help from the creative department, as their names came from their own real-life inspirations or an idea sparked by others.

With that said, let's take a look at the five greatest stories behind WWE ring names.

#5 – Cactus Jack (Mick Foley)

Mick Foley’s idea for the character Cactus Jack was inspired by a film he saw in 1979 called “The Villain”, a parody starring Kirk Douglas that made fun of western films. Mick’s father, Jack Foley, would ironically use the “Cactus Jack” name when the family played games together.

Mick would go on to use this name starting in the late 80s when he got his big break with the AWA. While his original character may have been “Dude Love”, it was his Cactus Jack moniker that would kickstart a hardcore legacy that would never be forgotten.

Mick Foley is currently retired and recently signed a WWE Legends contract with the company.

#4 – Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens originally wrestled under his real name, Kevin Steen, on the independent circuit, where he gained fame in PWG and Ring of Honor. When Owens signed a contract with WWE in 2014, he was told to change his ring name.

Owens kept his first name but swapped Steen for Owens as a tribute to his son. What you may not know is that Kevin named his son Owen in tribute to Owen Hart.

Owen Hart passed away due to a tragic accident in 1999 at WWE Over the Edge. His name became a double tribute of sorts for The Prizefighter.

Kevin Owens is currently feuding with Austin Theory and The Bloodline on the RAW brand.

#3 – Alexa Bliss

Alexa Bliss has had many different monikers and personas over the years. We’ve seen her as a magical cheerleader, a Harley Quinn-esque character, and an evil yet playful sadist inspired by the powers given to her from “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt.

When Alexa was signed with the company, she was originally working on debuting a “Southern Belle” style character, a gimmick that was later picked up by Lacey Evans.

Alexa decided to use her first name, and the “Bliss” part came from a play on the Southern phrase “Bless your heart”, which sounded like “Bliss your heart” when spoken with the Southern accent.

Alexa Bliss is currently teaming up with Asuka in the Women’s Tag Division, feuding with Bayley’s faction, “Damage CTRL”. Speaking of Bayley…

#2 – Bayley

Prior to her WWE days, Bayley wrestled for the SHINE and SHIMMER indie promotions under the ring name Davina Rose. Upon signing with WWE, she was given several ring name options, which included “Davia” and “Bailey”.

Between the two names, she initially chose to go with Bailey, but wanted to put her own spin on the name. She told the creative department that she would like her ring name to be spelled as “Bayley”.

The name Bayley would be a tribute to the San Francisco Bay area that she grew up in. Plus, it was a unique way of making the name her very own.

Bayley is currently leading her own faction, Damage CTRL, who are running amok on RAW and SmackDown.

#1 – WWE's own Texas Rattlesnake, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin

When “Stone Cold” Steve Austin got his start in the wrestling business in the 80s, he worked for the USWA under “Dirty” Dutch Mantell. He wanted to wrestle under his real name, Steve Williams, but Mantell gave him the name Steve Austin to avoid any confusion with wrestling legend “Dr. Death” Steve Williams.

After a stint as "The Ringmaster" in Vince McMahon's company, Austin expressed to the creative department that he had an interest in mob hitman Richard Kuklinski’s character, “The Iceman”. In response, the company sent him a list of truly awful nicknames to choose from.

As Austin continued to struggle in coming up with a nickname, his wife at the time gave him a cup of tea at home. She told Austin that he'd better drink the tea before it got stone cold. The phrase clicked, and Austin decided that he wanted his ring name to be “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

Austin is a now a WWE Hall of Famer and currently hosts The Broken Skull Sessions on Peacock.

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Also Check Out: 5 most memorable "Stone Cold" Steve Austin moments in WWE history.