Thought of the Day: What’s In A Name (I think I’ve Used This Title Before)

I got this one from an old TNA PPV.Back in 2002 there was a tag team called the Hot Shots.  They weren’t a great team, but they could only go so far with a name like that.  It’s so generic and uninteresting that people aren’t going to care about it all that much.  That’s the case with any wrestler.  Look at a guy like Ziggler for instance.  Great look, talented, over…..but his name is Dolph Ziggler.  When you hear that name, it’s not something you picture as intimidating or interesting.  Odds are it would make a lot of people chuckle and crack a joke about how pathetic it sounds.

There are some names that are going to work no matter what because they just sound cool or strong or intimidating. The name John Cena for example works this way. No it doesn’t describe him or give you a mental picture, but it’s a solid name that doesn’t make you laugh or write him off because you see him. The same is true for someone like Randy Orton. Not great, but it’s not bad enough that it makes you roll your eyes. Adding The Viper to it helps a lot.

Then there are names like Edge or Batista or Undertaker. THose names are enough to catch someone’s attention or make them think that someone is cool just because of their name. Imagine if Undertaker had this entrance:

Coming down the aisle, from Death Valley. Weighing in at 327 pounds…….DARREN YOUNG! It just doesn’t work well at all, because Darren Young sounds like a name you would see on an accountant’s office at tax time. The name Darren Young doesn’t make me think of a wrestler or someone intimidating. It makes me think of an average guy, which isn’t what I watch wrestling to see.

A name needs to be interesting instead of something generic. It can make a huge difference in a career.