5 WWE Superstars who'd benefit from reverting back to using their old ring names

While the right ring name doesn't determine a WWE Superstar's career trajectory, it doesn't hurt to have a name fans are favorable of.

From Lita to Stone Cold Steve Austin, from The Undertaker to John Cena, and from Shinsuke Nakamura to Ric Flair; having a memorable name with a ring to it further legitimizes a wrestler as a bonafide WWE Superstar.

With that being said, this article is dedicated to all the men and women who've had their names modified for the better or the worse. Not to mention the poor, unfortunate souls whose aliases went from classy to trashy.

For the WWE Superstars who lost a little bit of their dignity along with part of what made them special, let's pay our respects and hope that these 5 gladiators are allowed to revert back some time soon.

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#5 From IYO SKY to Io Shirai

Well, whether she's Io or the Y is in between, there's no denying that Sky is far from your average run-of-the-mill superstar. Before her newly formed alliance with Bayley and Dakota Kai, she was arguably the biggest thing on NXT circa 2018.

Back then, The Master of the Sky merely served as a nickname for Io. Nowadays, the last word of her sobriquet serves as her storyline surname.

As Shirai, she put on 5 star classics with the likes of Sasha Banks, Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, Tegan Nox, and her current tag team partner in crime; Dakota Kai.

In all honesty, it's not a bad name change, but for all the Black and Gold era NXT fans, Iyo's previous name would certainly be a plus.

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#4 From Theory back to Austin Theory

Believe it or not, there was a time when Theory wasn't as loathable as he is in the present day on WWE programming.

While he was still very much a heel during most of his stint in NXT, there was a brief period of time when Theory was a member of The Way. A group that consisted of Indi Hartwell, Candice LeRae, Johnny Gargano, and the previously mentioned Theory. Of course, he had a first and last name at the time.

As he was known back then, Austin Theory played the type of character that would best be described as someone's little brother who you kind of wanted to root for despite the fact that he was a total dweeb.

To put it another way, he was like Ross from Friends, but 10 times more annoying, and like 100 times more unlikable.

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#3 From just Ciampa back to Tommaso Ciampa

NXT may be known as the breeding ground for the future stars of tomorrow, but as history has shown, the brand isn't exclusive to newcomers and rookies.

In what most would describe as one of the greatest runs in NXT history, Tommaso Ciampa's rise to the top of the mountain is something of legend.

He ruled the tag team division as a member of DIY with Johnny Wrestling before eventually turning on his partner and establishing himself as a bonafide bad guy. He'd go on to win the NXT Title in the summer of 2018, as his feud with his former friend intensified.

Shortly after that, Ciampa would turn face and act as pretty much the "last old guard" of the Black and Gold era during the end of his run in NXT. He helped establish new talents such as Bron Breakker and Tony D'Angelo on his way out the door.

... and then "Tommaso" was cut from his ring name, he randomly aligned himself with The Miz, and all hope seemed lost for this well-respected veteran. Well, until his recent WWE US Title Match with Bobby Lashley, anyway.

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#2 WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther to WALTER

Besides a shotty change to his ring name, the man we once referred to as WALTER is on quite a roll. In some cases, when a wrestler gets a name change, their previous gimmick becomes a thing of the past.

In Gunther's case, this sentiment doesn't ring true.

The current WWE IC champion is known for being a ring general, both in storyline and non-kayfabe. He's yet to be made to look like a complete buffoon or blubbering oaf. To sum things up, Gunther has yet to take an L.

In fact, at this point, the only asterisk next to Gunther's name is his name itself.

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#1 From Butch back to Pete Dunne

He was Pete Dunne. The Bruiserweight. The guy you didn't want to look at the wrong way on a bad night at the bar. He struck fear into the hearts of all foes, big and small. A mean dude with a sadistic knack for snapping fingers.

Nowadays, the former Dunne goes by Butch and most of the aforementioned things don't apply. On the bright side, he's still someone you don't want to mess with on a bad night at the bar.

If you haven't figured it out yet, Pete Dunne wasn't a caged animal, locked up in a cell, thirsty for blood. He was a beast without a leash who no one held control over. Point blank... he was nobody's Butch.