El-P Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 The Quebecers : Jacques & Pierre. I swear it sounds so amazingly dull and ridiculous in French. The tag team champion of the world : Pierre ! Wait ? Pierre who ? At least he had a whole name when he became a pirate (I loved the pirate gimmick and vignettes). Eugene was a first name only guy. Want to ponder why ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Redman Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 Sheamus seems to be the most notable example nowadays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingus Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 Kinda continuing to prove the point, since Sheamus is seen as being exotic foreigner as opposed to just a Normal Guy with a Normal Name by the cultural attitudes of the WWE universe. The Irish guy has a single first name, the French guys have single first names, the Puerto Ricans have single first names, but the ordinary Americans are seemingly never named just James or Jacob or Peter or Joshua or Joseph or Michael, which are the direct English equivalents to all those guys' names. As for Eugene, the water is a bit muddied there by the fact that the character was named after a real-life handicapped kid named Eugene, an old superfan who was constantly in attendance at the shows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cross Face Chicken Wing Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 Eugene and Sid come to mind as first-name guys.....but I can't think of anyone else. If I ever become a pro wrestler, I will refer to myself only by a first name. "Coming down the aisle, from parts unknown.....JIM!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlet-Left Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 Eugene and Sid come to mind as first-name guys.....but I can't think of anyone else. When was Sid ever a first-name only guy? It was Sid Vicious, Sid Justice, Psycho Sid, and so on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 It was Sid Vicious, Sid Justice, Psycho Sid, and so on. He was Sid only in 1997. But at this point like you said, it was because he was such a huge star that he could be referred as his first name only. Well, there was also the infamous Sycho Sid. That spelling was brutal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 There was talk of Nakamura losing the Shinsuke and it was even presented that way on the program guide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 As for Eugene, the water is a bit muddied there by the fact that the character was named after a real-life handicapped kid named Eugene, an old superfan who was constantly in attendance at the shows. He was a superfan in the 80s. The character debuted in 2004. So someone who had been with the company for a long time had to come up with that name for Dinsmore. Vince, Patterson, Dunn *maybe* Steph. That irked me when they did that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohtani's jacket Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 I don't see a problem with Nakamura losing his first name. How often do people refer to Misawa as Mitsuharu Misawa, etc? Japanese wrestlers are commonly refereed to by their family names. Also Shinsuke is tough to pronounce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luchaundead Posted May 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2016 Spirt Squad all went by just plain first names and it could be said that was meant to be dismissive similar as it is to the women Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted May 9, 2016 Report Share Posted May 9, 2016 What about "Billy & Chuck" being called, well, Billy & Chuck ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gutenberger Posted May 9, 2016 Report Share Posted May 9, 2016 On a related note, what do you think of the decline of "gimmicky names"? I got a feeling almost everybody who is new to WWE today are referred to be their rl names, or something sounding like it COULD be at least. The only recent example for a non-name would be No Way Jose, not counting names like The Miz, who has been around for a long time, or Kane who, well, is around since 1883. Does this add to the realistic feel for you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlet-Left Posted May 9, 2016 Report Share Posted May 9, 2016 On a related note, what do you think of the decline of "gimmicky names"? I got a feeling almost everybody who is new to WWE today are referred to be their rl names, or something sounding like it COULD be at least. I'm pretty sure most are referred to as a first-name/last-name combo that, quite explicitly is not their real name for trade mark purposes (and to, essentially, screw them over if they leave and try to make it somewhere else). I hate the practice, personally, just for that aspect, but also I hate the fact that the names they tend to come up with, usually, sound like the protagonists in some white-collar failure-in-life's unfinished novel. Names like Braden Walker, Curt Hawkins, Solomon Crowe and so on. As it stands, I certainly don't think it adds to the realism of the product. I, personally, find it more believable that some borderline psychopath would enter the wacky world of pro-wrestling calling himself "Kane" than that an accomplished amateur wrestler would want to break continuity with his old career when he turned pro and change his name to something so obviously fake as "Dolph Ziggler". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingus Posted May 9, 2016 Report Share Posted May 9, 2016 The aggressively-phony names in the Braun Strowman category are SO terrible that I'd almost prefer a solo first name over that bullshit. (Almost.) What about "Billy & Chuck" being called, well, Billy & Chuck ? Their entire gimmick was literally being a couple of effeminate cocksuckers, so this is another case where the solo name is clearly meant to demean and diminish them. Once again: the "standard" of heterosexual American usually-white men are considered the default, what we should come to expect, and it's everyone else who is given a gimmicky personality which is entirely based on the fact that they're not a heterosexual American usually-white man. (Also, Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo were both referred to by their full names both before and after the Chuckabilly phase.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted May 9, 2016 Report Share Posted May 9, 2016 Pretty much what I thought. Remember Lenny Lane, cruiserweight jobber in WCW becoming just Lenny as soon as he became effeminate ? Same thing. And yeah, the amazingly fake non-gimmicky names are awful for the most part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
van_Fair Posted May 9, 2016 Report Share Posted May 9, 2016 The Quebecers : Jacques & Pierre. I swear it sounds so amazingly dull and ridiculous in French. The tag team champion of the world : Pierre ! Wait ? Pierre who ? At least he had a whole name when he became a pirate (I loved the pirate gimmick and vignettes). Eugene was a first name only guy. Want to ponder why ? Neville is another example of this. It just sounds incredibly mundane. Not helped by the fact that it can be both a first and a last name in Britain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luchaundead Posted May 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2016 The Quebecers : Jacques & Pierre. I swear it sounds so amazingly dull and ridiculous in French. The tag team champion of the world : Pierre ! Wait ? Pierre who ? At least he had a whole name when he became a pirate (I loved the pirate gimmick and vignettes). Eugene was a first name only guy. Want to ponder why ? Neville is another example of this. It just sounds incredibly mundane. Not helped by the fact that it can be both a first and a last name in Britain. In his case though it was originally his character's surname just like Rusev. Speaking of this what about Big E WTF am I meant to take away from that one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohtani's jacket Posted May 9, 2016 Report Share Posted May 9, 2016 Some of these names kind of grow on you with time. I remember thinking The BIg Show was a ridiculous re-branding of the Giant in '99 but who doesn't think of him as Show these days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted May 9, 2016 Report Share Posted May 9, 2016 Some of these names kind of grow on you with time. I remember thinking The BIg Show was a ridiculous re-branding of the Giant in '99 but who doesn't think of him as Show these days? Maybe, but it's still a ridiculous name. You just get used to it. Can't help translating it and saying it with a quebec accent, it's even funnier : "Le grand spectacle !". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zenjo Posted May 9, 2016 Report Share Posted May 9, 2016 I have wondered before whether the Eurovision Song Contest has provided the template for Diva names through the years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Sorrow Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 Rusev on its own sounds bad ass. Neville on its own sounds the opposite of bad ass. And The Big Show is definitely better than The Giant. I remember when he debuted as "The Giant" and thinking that it was THE most unimaginative name ever. It'd be like calling Lord Littlebrook "The Midget". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fakeplastictrees Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 Why do the majority of female talent go by only their first name and nothing else? I believe it comes down to two things: 1. Some of the most famous female celebrities of our time only go by one name. Cher, Madonna, Adele, etc. Even those who 'have a last name (i.e. Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, etc.), usually mark their 'coming out' and 'milestone albums with just their first name. It's a statement that there is only one. If you are an A&R of a music company and your receptionist tells you 'Mariah's' agent is on line one and wants to talk shop...you would automatically assume "Mariah Carey" as she has branded herself both ways.Kleenex is a brand of tissue, however people use the brand as a synonym for tissue. It is incorrect, but the branding is so strong it has slipped into out lexicon.This is what promoters are trying to achieve with the one word names. It sounds very "Diva","Diva" in this case being viewed as something strong and empowering. 2. The flip side to all of this is, of course, the stripper name. Women are only in pro wrestling because the male audience needs some eye candy between the big matches. This is of course what some promoters truly believe and whether or not the audience agrees means absolutely dick because these women are going to get the stripper treatment. "Now coming down the aisle...Naomi!", "From Australia...Emma!", etc. In WWE, TNA, and ROH (thought WWE is the bigger offender) we see these women wrestling matches in full makeup and ridiculous amounts of hair extensions. The expectation of the presentation is started before the women hits the curtain, and while it doesn't play heavily into the perception of women in wrestling, it does play a factor. Trish Stratus sounds like a real person. Jazz sounds like a stage name someone is using as it most likely her nickname (as "The Fridge" became Perry's nickname). "Cameron" on the other hand, just sounds too plain and because it has no real significance based on the commonality of the name, people associate no value and are left with the default thinking of 'eye candy'. When women named "Cameron" are booked to do nothing, then it just exemplifies this point even further. If these women are considered strong and empowering characters, then that's all fine and good-- but being and sounding 'sexy' is first and foremost hence in a lot of cases no last name.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Sorrow Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 As a former strip club DJ, I can tell you that two word names stunk because: 1. They didn't roll off the tongue. 2. The girls created personas based on one name. It was easier to get them over with one name for the marks to recognize and refer to.As well as giving the marks the feeling that they already knew them personally cause they knew their "name". 3. And a one word name was far fucking easier to write on the board in the booth to determine order of stage work. Pro Wrestling and Strip Clubs are so fucking similar, I've said it ever since I worked at one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judy Bagwell Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 Bull Nakano was incredibly sexy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judy Bagwell Posted May 10, 2016 Report Share Posted May 10, 2016 As a former strip club DJ, I can tell you that two word names stunk because: 1. They didn't roll off the tongue. 2. The girls created personas based on one name. It was easier to get them over with one name for the marks to recognize and refer to.As well as giving the marks the feeling that they already knew them personally cause they knew their "name". 3. And a one word name was far fucking easier to write on the board in the booth to determine order of stage work. Pro Wrestling and Strip Clubs are so fucking similar, I've said it ever since I worked at one. Miss Elizabeth, Stacy Keibler, Torrie Wilson, Judy Bagwell etc etc. Youre generalizing again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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