Pro Wrestlers taking offense at using real names

[KEJB]

This practice is crazy ridiculous. It would be like meeting Charlie Hunnam and he introduce himself as Jax Teller. Why do people allow these dudes to over-inflate their self-worth? Kayfabe is dead anyways.

[Deleted]

Because you only know the Person by the characters they portray...You do not know the real individual (Raven/Scott Levy) so it offends them for you to act like you have a personal relationship with them...The ones that get offended by this are the ones that wish for their personal lives to remain just that and alot of smarks think they are being cool by calling someone by their real name

[Kevin Hamilton]

People can get too bent outta shape about it perhaps, but using their real names is goofy anyway. It comes across like you're trying to be 'insider and smart' and is usually just lame.

[Deleted]

Eh, it's their professional names. I doubt Nick Cage wants his fans to go around and call him Nick Coppola or that Tom Cruise wants to be called Mr. Mapother.

[The Summer of Muskrat XVII]

My name is Matthew, but I go by Matt. If anyone other then a select few people call me Matthew it pisses me off to no end.

Same sorta deal with the real names.

[KEJB]

It is the same for actors, isnt it? Nobody knows them on a personal level. Its a personal respect thing. I honestly think that some of these dudes have such an "elevated over their fans" idea of themselves. Now if someone is calling out their name for the purpose of a reaction, thats one thing.

[Lance Uppercut]

Also look at places like here.

Say, somehow I knew what u looked like and where you live, and what you're real name is.

Would you appreciate me calling you your real name in all my posts instead of KEJB? Or if I saw you in the street, approach you by your name like I know you.

Of course, if the wrestler in question had a ridiculous name, like MR. Ass, then yeah, I'd try to figure out the least embarrassing thing to call them in public.

[KEJB]

I can distinguish the difference between the real world and a messageboard. If I met you, I would introduce myself as my real name. From that point on, it would be up to you if you wanted to use it in coversation. If we were talking, wouldnt you feel awkward calling me KEJB instead of Kenny? I personally would never address another man as JMoney in the real world.

[Deleted]

Also wrestlers themselves do it to each other. People go by their stage names all the time. To this day, Terry Funk calls Mick Foley "Cactus".

[BlackoutCreature]

Look at it this way - these performers go out of there way to create their characters. The best ones put everything they have in them. Then some random fan comes along and calls them by their real name for no other reason then just to show how smart they are. I'd get pissed too.

[KEJB]

I am not saying some smart mark running off at the mouth. I am talking about pro wrestlers using their ring names when talking to other people.

[Deleted]

It is also a hold over from the Territory days. I mean, look at the Sheik. He kayfabed at home. That sounds extreme beyond words but imagine if fans saw him play with his kids or speak English. Totally would've ruined his career and his promotion.

[I *still* ✡ Johnny]

I hate it too.

Try calling Triple H "Paul"... if you're not CM Pun- I mean Phil Brooks.

[Dean-o]

I would never in my life imagine calling Hulk Hogan "Terry" if I ever met him. He is simply Hulk to me.

Same goes to HBK. His first name is Shawn, not Michael.

[derickyuki]

Sept 22, 2011 18:47:27 GMT -5 @irontyger said:

It is also a hold over from the Territory days. I mean, look at the Sheik. He kayfabed at home. That sounds extreme beyond words but imagine if fans saw him play with his kids or speak English. Totally would've ruined his career and his promotion.

Also why I rarely bring my wife and kids to any shows I do. My little girl doesn't know face and heel...all she knows is "This is my daddy, so I'm going to cheer for him".

[Deleted]

Sept 22, 2011 19:12:45 GMT -5 derickyuki said:

Sept 22, 2011 18:47:27 GMT -5 @irontyger said:

It is also a hold over from the Territory days. I mean, look at the Sheik. He kayfabed at home. That sounds extreme beyond words but imagine if fans saw him play with his kids or speak English. Totally would've ruined his career and his promotion.

Also why I rarely bring my wife and kids to any shows I do. My little girl doesn't know face and heel...all she knows is "This is my daddy, so I'm going to cheer for him".

See, I would say wear a mask so she might not know. But kids are smart and they'd say something like, "My Daddy wears a mask!" ;D and kill all your heat.

[cruiserfan]

I don't know, but I can say that when I was at a seminar being lead by Colt Cabana, he introduced himself as Colt, said his real name was Scott but since we're in the ring, or "wrestlers at work" or however you want to put it, we go by our work names as good practice. I think it's kind of a respect thing too.

[DJ Maniak]

For the most part, I'm referred to as either "DJ Maniak", "DJ", or "Maniak" whether I'm working or out socially. Only a handful of people actually call me by my real name, and it's only because they've known me long enough to. Also, how I introduce myself to people is generally how I want to be addressed, be it my real name or my alias.

[moneyman20]

Sept 22, 2011 18:29:41 GMT -5 Kevin Hamilton said:

People can get too bent outta shape about it perhaps, but using their real names is goofy anyway. It comes across like you're trying to be 'insider and smart' and is usually just lame.

[Larryhausen]

I think comparing wrestlers to actors is not the best argument.


But, would you walk up to Alice Cooper and call him Vince? Or Axl Rose and call him Will? I think not.