For an aspiring professional wrestler, having the right look and name makes all the difference. Performers in the business are often told to come up with catchy nicknames, so that the audience remembers them. However, in the past there have been superstars who’ve either had generic nicknames, or were given rather unflattering ones.

Having a “cool” or a noteworthy nickname builds to the aura of a superstar. Today, we take a look at fifteen of the coolest nicknames in professional wrestling.

The Alpha Male

Monty Brown was one of the hottest stars in TNA over a decade ago. His physique, strength and his agility made him a unique individual, and what made him stand out from the rest of the pack was his finishing maneuver called “The Pounce”. Monty was signed by WWE and was sent to the newly resurrected ECW brand.

Everybody believed Monty Brown would soon be called up to RAW or SmackDown, as his unique identity, coupled with his nickname of being “The Alpha Male” made him an intriguing performer. However, Monty never really got anywhere in the company, and soon requested for his release from the organization.

The Bad Guy

Razor Ramon’s character, which was taken from the movie Scarface made him one of the most popular stars in the early 90s in WWE. Greasy hair, oily torso and to top it off, a toothpick completed Razor’s image, as he walked around with a swagger and a bad attitude. Razor was the “anti babyface”, and he made being bad cool in the company.

Razor found great success in WWE, winning the prestigious WWE Intercontinental title and was involved in a memorable feud with Shawn Michaels. But before Razor could get a run with the title, he jumped ships along with Kevin Nash to WCW.

The Falcon

Hayabusa is considered to be a pioneer when it comes to high flying wrestling. The Japanese legend set the world on fire during the 90s with his innovative high-risk offense and became the heart and soul of FMW – a promotion in Japan. Hayabusa performed mostly in Japan, but was also brought to the United States for a few shows.

The man who paved the way for future high flyers such as Neville and Evan Bourne, Hayabusa was aptly called the “Falcon” due to him soaring in the sky before executing his maneuver. While Hayabusa has sadly passed on, the “Falcon” will forever remain the innovator of high flying wrestling, and one of the greatest high flyers of all time.

The Cleaner

Kenny Omega is currently one of the best talents in the world. Ever since he started wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling, Kenny has taken things up a notch, and has been highly successful in Japan. Kenny is also the current IWGP Intercontinental Champion and one of the three members of the NEVER Openweight 6 man Tag Team Champions.

Omega has taken up the nickname of “The Cleaner” since his arrival to NJPW, signaling the “cleaning up” of the Junior Heavyweight division. A few fans speculate that the nickname was taken from the series La Femme Nikita, with Omega being the hitman of the Bullet Club group. Omega himself credited Albert Wesker’s character from the Resident Evil series and Marion

Omega himself credited Albert Wesker’s character from the Resident Evil series and Marion Corbetti’s character from the film Cobra as his inspiration for coming up with the gimmick.

Demon of Death Valley/ The Reaper

The Undertaker is one of the greatest living legends in the business. For nearly three decades, The Undertaker has been at the helm of the industry and has faced the who’s who of professional wrestling. During his two and a half decade stint in WWE, The Undertaker has gone through several transformations, but none more iconic than “The Deadman” persona.

Often performing satanic rituals, The Undertaker served the dark forces during the Attitude Era and called himself the Demon of Death Valley, as well as “The Reaper”, often claiming that he would collect the souls of his opponents.

While The Undertaker is known by several other nicknames, the two that emphasize the dark nature of The Undertaker’s gimmick also happen to be the coolest nicknames in the business.

Latino Heat

When Eddie Guerrero jumped ships to WWE, he was sidelined for a while and later released. But when he made his way back to the company, WWE needed to let Guerrero shine, and the writers on SmackDown at that time gave Eddie the freedom he needed. That was when they came up with the now classic “Latino Heat” gimmick.

With Eddie’s hot head and fiery character inside the ring, the Latino Heat gimmick worked wonders for Eddie. He soon integrated his own personality into the character, making him one of the most entertaining and beloved superstars in company’s history!

The Macho Man

At a time when gimmicks were becoming redundant, along came the charismatic Randy Savage. With his flashy attire, raspy and loud voice, his unique entrance theme and mannerisms, Randy was one of a kind. Moreover, “The Macho Man” moniker worked for Savage, with him becoming the new alpha male in WWE.

“The Macho Man” became one of the most popular stars in the late 80s, and in his heyday rivaled Hulk Hogan in terms of popularity and cross-border appeal. Savage was known as “The Macho Man” till the end of his career, and true to his nickname, Savage always held himself in high regard, and never backed down from a fight.

"100 Nen ni 1-ri no Itsuzai" – Once in a century talent

Hiroshi Tanahashi is considered to be one of the best talents in the world today, and the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion is one of the top draws in Japan. Ever since his rise to stardom, Tanahashi has won the IWGP Heavyweight title on seven different occasions and has been constantly linked with a move to WWE.

Tanahashi has wrestled in North America before, working for CMLL as well as TNA on a couple of occasions. While TNA was unable to successfully use the services of Tanahashi and Okada, Tanahashi is rightfully called a “Once in a century talent”, or the “100 Nen ni 1 – ri no Itsuzai” in Japanese. Tanahashi has also put on numerous 5-star matches against the likes of Shibata, Okada and the current NXT superstar, Shinsuke Nakamura.

Real Rock ‘n’ Rolla

The former NXT Champion Finn Balor initially created shockwaves during his time with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Then considered to be one of the brightest young talents in the world, Finn ended his association with longtime partner and friend Ryusuke Taguchi by turning on him, ending their 4-year association. Balor then created the Bullet Club, while calling himself the “Real Rock ‘n’ Rolla”.

Balor immediately found great success, winning the Best of Super Juniors Tournament in 2013. Finn had an amazing run in New Japan Pro Wrestling before he eventually signed up with WWE and decided to move on to greener pastures. While Balor is also called “The Demon” and “Real Shooter”, his nickname of being the Real Rock ‘n’ Rolla stands out from the rest.

Homicidal, Genocidal, Suicidal, Death Defying maniac

Throughout the 90s, Sabu earned a reputation for being one of the most blood thirsty superstars in the industry. Known for his high tolerance for pain and putting his body through unimaginable torture, Sabu soon found himself competing in extreme matches, which often included barbed wires. At a time when Terry Funk and Mick Foley earned a reputation for being hardcore legends, Sabu wasn’t far behind.

Tales of Sabu taping himself up after suffering nasty gashes have gone down in wrestling folklore, and Sabu soon became a legend in his own right. Dubbed as the “Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal, Death Defying Maniac”, Sabu found himself in the top North American promotions, even competing for WWE. While Sabu didn’t find great success in the company, he will forever be remembered for his outrageous stunts, and for putting his body on the line every week.

Voice of the Voiceless

Back in 2011, the product was once again stagnant with John Cena at the helm. Something needed to change, and as it seemed CM Punk was on his way out of the company due to frustrations over his role in the organization. However, Vince McMahon decided to pull the trigger with Punk, which resulted in the now infamous “Pipebomb” promo, and the subsequent Summer of Punk storyline.

It was during this time that Punk started talking on behalf of the superstars in the back who never received their moment under the sun. Punk started calling himself the “Voice of the voiceless”, giving a voice to the WWE Universe, as well as the disenchanted talent in the locker room. While Summer of Punk faded before it really took off, Punk became the locker room leader, and truly represented the locker room and the fan base.

The Crippler

When Chris Benoit made his way to the United States from Japan, he brought along a penchant for technical wrestling, along with great expectations. Benoit needed a menacing nickname, but few would’ve thought his nickname of “The Crippler” would ring true early in his career. During his bout with Sabu in ECW, Benoit went for a back body drop, but Sabu couldn’t turn in mid air, and instead landed on his neck.

With the injury, the nickname of “The Crippler” stuck with Benoit throughout his career. While he was later known as the Rabid Wolverine, the irony of the situation makes it one of the coolest nicknames in professional wrestling.

The Man That Gravity Forgot

On the independent scene, Neville created a name for himself as the greatest high flying wrestler in the world. While signing up with WWE comes with its restrictions, Neville has been able to captivate the audience with his agility and incredible athleticism. On NXT, he became one of the biggest stars and at one point was the longest reigning NXT Champion in history.

Part of his aura came with his nickname of being “The man that gravity forgot” – a testament to Neville’s ability as a high flyer. While Neville is currently injured and on the sidelines, his high octane high-risk offensive style has gone down well with the WWE fans, and one can expect great things from the man formerly known as Pac once he returns from the injury.

The Gentleman Villain

William Regal has a touch of class about him, and even when he played the role of a devious, heinous villain, one couldn’t help but respect Regal. In the wrestling fraternity, very few men are as respected as William Regal is, and Regal is known to be a gentleman through and through. Perhaps this is what earned him the moniker of being “The Gentleman Villain”.

Much like in the old movies where the bad guy came from a well-educated background, William Regal portrayed himself to be a Gentleman Villain. Also, given Regal’s history with bare-knuckle boxing, it rings true, making him one of the more intriguing bad guys in recent memory.

Hot Rod

Roddy Piper was one of the most entertaining superstars in WWE history, and what made Piper so entertaining were his sudden bursts of anger. From attacking superstars to breaking coconuts over the heads of his peers, Roddy Piper’s temper was legendary. This led to Piper being called “Hot Rod”, highlighting Piper’s issues with anger management.

Sometimes, the nicknames make all the difference. Piper being dubbed “Hot Rod” went a long way in establishing Piper’s character, and defining his gimmick. Besides, “Hot Rod” was an interesting nickname for a superstar, at a time when all other performers had generic names.