5 WWE superstars who made it big with their real name

Probably the best thing that separates Professional Wrestling from any other forms of sport is the development of a storyline that creates an intrigue and gives meaning to any match on the ring. And to enhance that, we have various superstars with unique gimmicks that pack a punch to their appearance and popularity amongst the fans.However, one of the most important things for any superstar is a proper ring name and getting one that connects with the people. The importance of this could be highlighted in the difference between ‘Rocky Maivia’ and ‘The Rock’; the former was quite bland and without much firepower while The Rock went on to become one of the biggest WWE superstars following his change of name and gimmick.Some of the more vicious and intense names include The Undertaker, Kane, while in recent days Bray Wyatt and former members of The Shield have some amazing ring names.But, there have been superstars who haven’t had to go through the ordeal of finding a new name for themselves and instead chose to go with their real-life names. And let’s take a look at five such wrestlers who went on to dominate the business that way.

#5 Randy Orton

As many of you know the etymology behind his finisher RKO, it is indeed an abbreviation of his full name – Randy Keith Orton. One of the foremost third-generation wrestlers, Randy continues to keep the Orton lineage in prominence in the WWE. Randy’s accomplishments in the business speak for themselves and his career has been nothing short of stellar.

A 13-time World Champion and the first ever WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Orton is a sure Hall-of-Famer in the future. If not for John Cena’s unassailable position at the top, Orton may have well and truly become the face of the company over the past few years.

He has always thrived on an edgy and dangerous gimmick while his recent face turn has also shown how comfortable he in that role.

#4 Kurt Angle

You could describe him as the perfect WWE superstar who had everything in him. He could cut excellent promos, was an amazing wrestler in the ring, and had an outstanding gimmick. Angle’s entry into the business and subsequent rise was seen by many as the fastest ever as he picked up the nuances of professional wrestling very fast following his transition from amateur wrestling.

Kurt Steven Angle was his birth-name and he had a pretty big background for himself by the time he came into the WWE in 1998 as the only WWE superstar yet to have won a gold medal in the Olympics.

And that set him up with a perfect ‘American Hero’ gimmick which he made the most of even in his first year. By the time Angle quit the WWE, he had established himself as one of the best technical wrestlers thus far and left a great void to fill in, even after returning.

#3 Brock Lesnar

In a few days, Brock Lesnar will headline WrestleMania after a long gap of 11 years, where he’s become one of the most popular wrestlers in the World. Just like Angle, Lesnar too has a strong NCAA Amateur Wrestling background, from where he was handpicked by the WWE. Lesnar’s inital push was considered one of the strongest such in history and it was quite disheartening to see him leave the WWE back then.

But, his return now and eventually ending The Undertaker’s streak made him one of the most important wrestlers in the history of the WWE. Lesnar’s meteoric rise to the top will perhaps never be matched by anyone and his ‘Beast Incarnate’ gimmick has worked wonders.

However, beyond all this success, he has remained with his real-life name which is ‘Brock Edward Lesnar’.

#2 Bret Hart

"The Best There Is, The Best There Was and The Best There Ever Will Be". There is no better way to describe Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart than quoting his own words. Arguable the greatest technical wrestler to have been in the WWE, Bret Hart’s excellence of execution was matched by none.

He had some of the best matches during his time at the company some of which include the Iron Man match against Shawn Michaels, and the WrestleMania XIII match against Steve Austin.

Perhaps the most famous member of the Hart Family in the wrestling business, Bret Hart did use his real name in the WWF. Following his recoup with the WWE in 2006 after the Montreal Screwjob, Hart has made appearances occasionally since then.

He had a good run towards 2010 and even made it to WrestleMania against Vince McMahon. Since then, he has appeared only sporadically but his legacy shall continue to live forever.

#1 John Cena

At the end, it does come down to him. There is no person more polarizing in the WWE Universe than Cena yet none can claim to have done more for the business in the past decade. The true face of the WWE, John Cena will always be the go-to man for WWE in any case.

Often criticized by the IWC fans for playing the same gimmick for years, Cena has no choice but to go with it. He is the one person that draws the most money and that ensures that he remains at the pole of the business.

And all this by using his real-life name ‘John Felix Anthony Cena’. Initially, he had some different names such as ‘The Prototype’ but he saw fit to go with his name and it turned out to be one of the best decisions for Vince McMahon’s company.

Cena has often drawn criticism for not putting over budding superstars, but since 2015, all that criticism has gone away, to the point that by 2018, people such as Dave Meltzer claimed he was losing too much. Now those were words you never thought you'd hear about Cena!

Let’s look at WWE Superstars and their real names: