5 WWE Superstars who had better real-life names than their ring names

#4 Former WWE Divas Champion Kelly Kelly (Barbara 'Barbie' Blank)

Starting her WWE career as a teenager, Kelly Kelly won the Divas Championship. However, her ring name wasn't anything special.

Her real-life name, Barbie Blank, would have been a far better fit for her character. The name is more catchy and would have been ideal to be turned into some memorable catchphrases.

Kelly left WWE in 2012 and has appeared sporadically on reunions and special shows. She last appeared in WWE's Watch Along during Survivor Series 2021.

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#3 Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Curtis Axel / Michael McGillicutty (Joe Hennig)

Michael McGillicutty was one of the most underwhelming names to promote a WWE Superstar, and Curtis Axel was undoubtedly an upgrade. He even received a mega push for a few weeks before descending the company ladder.

However, a star with the real-life surname Hennig need not use a different ring name. The surname promptly recalls the memory of the legendary Mr. Perfect. It would be far more poetic if Joe Hennig, not Curtis Axel, had won the Intercontinental Title his father was associated with.

While he won championships under both ring names, Axel was underutilized in WWE and was released in 2020.