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Throughout the history of WWE, the company has made a habit of branding their superstars with new monikers. This is for business purposes, so the promotion owns the names of their superstars and can make money off the stars they create. However, some competitors have been able to come into the company with independent names.
As of late, the promotion has frequently allowed successful acts outside of WWE to keep the names that they have established and garnered a fanbase from. There have even been cases in the past where the company has had performers from outside promotions with signature personas keep them under their umbrella.
The company has changed quite a few names in recent memory from stars made under one of its brands. Stars like WALTER, Pete Dunne and Piper Niven have switched to GUNTHER, BUTCH and Doudrop over the past year.
In this article, let's take a look at five superstars who kept their ring names upon WWE.
#5. Former two-time WWE Champion AJ Styles has successfully kept his name
AJ Styles rose through the ranks of TNA (now IMPACT) in the early 2000s. He first became the face of their X-Division and then won the top prize for the promotion. Styles ended his run with the company as a three-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion and two-time TNA Heavyweight Champion.
After leaving, The Phenomenal One made his way to NJPW and rose through the ranks there.
Styles became the leader of the Bullet Club and immediately won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from Kazuchika Okada. He would win the title once again by defeating Hiroshi Tanahashi the following year.
His success as a top star in two separate promotions led to WWE allowing him to keep his name. It came as no surprise since Styles was one of the biggest names in the industry at the time he joined the company as an entrant in the Royal Rumble.
#4. Former NXT Champion Adam Cole also goes by the same name he did out of WWE
Adam Cole is currently going strong in All Elite Wrestling since debuting for the company last summer. In the four years prior to that, the former Undisputed Era leader ran roughshod on top of WWE NXT. He is still the longest-reigning NXT Champion in the company's history with a 403-day reign.
Before signing with the company, Cole had been a mainstay on the independent scene. He is the only man to win the ROH World Championship on three occasions.
The Panama City Playboy is also the longest-reigning PWG Champion with a 538-day reign. His name was synonymous with the independent scene and made it a no-brainer for him to keep it when he arrived at World Wrestling Entertainment.
#3. Former two-time NXT Champion Samoa Joe has always been known by this name
One of the earliest examples of NXT's willingness to allow independent stars to keep their monikers came in the form of Samoa Joe.
The Samoan Submission Machine was a pioneer on the independent scene, especially for Ring of Honor Wrestling. He is the longest-reigning ROH World Champion in the company's history, holding the gold for 645 days.
Samoa Joe then arrived in TNA Wrestling (now IMPACT) and went on an 18-month undefeated streak. He had countless epic showdowns with the likes of Kurt Angle, AJ Styles, and Christopher Daniels. Joe went on to defeat Angle for the TNA Heavyweight Championship.
Samoa Joe was well known before stepping in WWE, so it felt right for him to keep his name.
#2. Former five-time WWE World Champion CM Punk has been known by this name around the world
CM Punk is arguably the biggest wrestling star outside of World Wrestling Entertainment right now.
His current run in AEW has been exceptional with fantastic feuds and matches with MJF, Eddie Kingston, and Darby Allin in under a year. Some fans never believed that the Second City Saint would step back into the squared circle after leaving WWE.
For nine years, Punk battled against the powers-that-be and rose through the ranks. He earned the moniker of 'Best In The World' and became a five-time world champion under their umbrella.
Prior to signing, Punk traveled around the world and became a well-known figure in the independent scene. He is also a former ROH World Champion. It made no sense for Vince McMahon and WWE to change his name as he was a worldwide phenomenon when he joined.
#1. Former nine-time Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho was very famous even before joining WWE
Prior to his incredible debut for World Wrestling Entertainment, Chris Jericho also traveled the world from Canada to Mexico to Japan. He made a mark in Extreme Championship Wrestling, winning the TV title there before signing with World Championship Wrestling.
Jericho won the Cruiserweight and Television Championships for the company but felt frustrated with his direction.
This led to his arrival in WWE. With an epic countdown that hyped his debut, Jericho walked out on RAW, a popular figure in the wrestling business.
It was the right decision to allow him to keep the name that earned him a spot with every top promotion. Chris Jericho is one of the greatest examples of a superstar who kept their name in WWE.
Which other superstar do you think should have kept their name but didn't? Let us know in the comments section below.
