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Being a WWE Superstar is extremely difficult. From traveling to putting their bodies on the line, it has to be considered one of the toughest jobs out there.
On top of everything else, the WWE roster often takes on changes to their persona and their names. There are some independent wrestling stars who sign with the company under one alias and it gets changed upon their debut.
It is pretty rare that WWE allows someone to keep their real name, but it gives the performer the opportunity to continue building their brand after their careers are done.
In the early days, Bob Backlund became the face of the promotion and was a two-time WWE Champion. All of that was accomplished under his real name.
Using your birth name at any level of professional wrestling helps to keep your identity close to the vest and make things under your terms. Various stars have been able to rise to superstardom without making that change.
In this article, let's take a look at the five greatest WWE Superstars who used their real names.
#5 Former Four-Time WWE Champion Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle debuted for WWE at Survivor Series 1999 as a world-renowned Olympic Gold Medalist. It wouldn't make too much sense for the company to change his alias for his debut. Angle was one of the most decorated athletes to ever grace the squared circle in the promotion.
Angle had one of the most remarkable rookie years in WWE history. He went on to hold the Intercontinental and European Championships at the same time. He won the King of the Ring tournament and finished up his first 12 months by defeating The Rock at No Mercy 2000 to win the WWE Championship.
After such a spectacular maiden voyage in WWE, it wouldn't be surprising if the rest of his career came up a little short. However, Kurt Angle went on to achieve even more accolades, winning five more world championships and being a top star for the promotion during his entire run.
Angle also continued his wrestling career following his departure from WWE. The Olympic Gold Medalist won every title available to him in TNA, now known as IMPACT Wrestling. Following a successful near-ten year run with the company, Kurt Angle returned to Vince McMahon's promotion and was inducted into the 2017 Hall of Fame class.
#4 10-Time WWE Champion Randy Orton
The Ruthless Aggression Era was WWE's way of finally attempting to move on from the infamous Attitude Era. With this dawning of a new period, there came an influx of fresh talent debuting on the main roster.
One of the major rookies that were introduced was Randy Orton. Billed as a second-generation superstar, The Viper was the son of Cowboy Bob Orton and came in with plenty of hype.
Because of his lineage, WWE allowed Randy to keep his name and go on to become the Legend Killer. He is one of the most decorated competitors of all time with 14 reigns with the top prize of the promotion.
Orton is still currently with the company as one half of the RAW Tag Team Champions with Riddle.
#3 Five-Time WWE Champion Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar is one of those rare WWE Superstars who has been able to have two phenomenal runs with the company. When he debuted in 2002, the promotion decided to allow him to keep his birth name because of his background as a former NCAA Heavyweight Champion. He parlayed this into a marvelous rookie year.
Brock Lesnar became the youngest WWE Champion of all time after beating The Rock at SummerSlam 2002. His first run was cut short early, but Lesnar made his return in 2012 and went on to new heights.
Lesnar defeated The Undertaker to end his WrestleMania undefeated streak and went on to win more gold. His success outside the company with UFC further adds to his legend.
#2 Five-Time WWE Champion Bret "The Hitman" Hart
Bret "The Hitman" Hart was the kind of WWE Champion that the company needed the most following the Steroid Trials. No superstar was quite as authentic as the Excellence of Execution.
Hart had humble beginnings with the Hart Foundation and went on to achieve singles success, becoming a triple crown winner for the promotion.
Due to Bret being the son of Stu Hart, Vince McMahon decided to let him keep his birth name. That called for the respect that Vince had for Stu and the Hart family. Bret, using his real name, added to his connection with the audience in a lot of ways because it felt like you always got the real Hitman.
Bret Hart went on to become the headline inductee in the 2006 WWE Hall of Fame and even became the first wrestler to be inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame. The accomplishments and the in-ring excellence that Bret was able to achieve may never be duplicated.
#1 13-Time WWE Champion John Cena
As previously mentioned, the Ruthless Aggression Era is often not talked about as much as other time periods for WWE. However, this era may have the honor of bringing the one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time.
John Cena is another competitor who had humble beginnings, but he somehow overcame it all to be one of the biggest megastars to ever step between the ropes.
John Cena is a former 16-time world champion, sharing the record with Ric Flair. He has also been apart of some of the most memorable feuds, promos and matches of the past two decades. Whether it be against Triple H, Shawn Michaels, AJ Styles or Roman Reigns, they have all crossed paths with the Cenation Leader.
Cena was known as "The Prototype" during his run in developmental for Ohio Valley Wrestling. After a fun run there, he went on to debut in a loss against Kurt Angle under his birth name. It was strange for this change back to the competitor's real name, but it has definitely benefitted John Cena.
He is currently one of Hollywood's biggest stars, now with his success as the Peacemaker in Suicide Squad 2 leading to his own television series. Cena also made his return to WWE in an entertaining feud against Roman Reigns that culminated at SummerSlam 2021. That's why John Cena is the greatest WWE superstar to use their real name.
