5 WWE superstars who changed their names and became legends

#1 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin

Steve Austin may be the most popular star in WWE history

Steve Austin didn't have much luck in WCW and when he came to WWF, he was known as "The Ringmaster" Steve Austin, the hand-picked Million Dollar Champion. While he had a decent run with that persona, his real potential was nowhere close to being fulfilled.

In early 1996, he would shave his head, keep a goatee and changed his name to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. His rise to the top would be an organic two-year affair, where his real a**-kicking persona got to shine.

In an era where WWE was transitioning into more adult-oriented content, Stone Cold Steve Austin represented the perfect foil for the antagonist that was Mr McMahon. Austin would be the main star of the company by the time the Attitude Era ushered in and at the time, there was nobody bigger than him and there was nobody that got bigger reactions than he did.

His role in wrestling was a vital one and he too, became an icon of the industry. Before that, he had to go through the "Stunning" and "Ringmaster" names, neither which favoured him.