In entertainment, they often say, "The name is the thing". When a star establishes an identity that can be emblazoned across the top of a marquee, they have the ultimate value. Professional wrestling and the WWE are no different. When blockbuster monikers like The Undertaker, Roman Reigns, or Triple H were spoken, the fans' ears perked up. It's as if their handle has a magical ring to it.

Unfortunately for many WWE performers, they are saddled with awful epithets. When the creative department handed out their names, they were nuked from the get-go. And while many of these monikers were bad because they were also associated with bad gimmicks, the worst of the worst seem to come from an incredible lack of creativity. Many weren't just tasteless; they were also flat-out stupid. It's a major reason why many World Wrestling Entertainment hopefuls flopped and floundered in the federation.

10 Beaver Cleavage

A Raunchy Take on a 1950s Television Series

As one-half of The Headbangers, Chaz Warrington found success under the punk rock gimmick under the name of Mosh. Alongside Thrasher, he would capture the WWE World Tag Titles in 1997, as the team appealed to a younger fan base and appeared to be on their way to stardom.

However, when Thrasher was injured, the powers that be decided to change Warrington's name to 'Beaver Cleavage', a play on the TV character from the 'Leave It to Beaver' series of the 1950s. However, the character was used as a sexually innuendo-laden way to portray that he lusted over his mother, Mrs. Cleavage. It effectively killed off Warrington's WWE career and left behind a moniker that has become the scourge of any fan unfortunate enough to have ever heard it.

Interestingly, when the incest angle became too much even for WWE, the creative had Warrington break character live during the show. Unfortunately, it did not catapult him to bigger and better things.

9 The Red Rooster

The Name Sidetracked Terry Taylor's In-Ring Career

This one goes into the Hall of Fame for some of the worst identity changes ever. After establishing himself under the name Terry Raylor, he arrived in WWE in 1988 full of promise. Vince McMahon came up with the idea to call him 'The Red Rooster' because (according to the storyline), he wasn't the biggest, strongest, or the most talented - but he would always fight back.

The identity got even sillier as the promotion pushed Taylor to play it up as much as possible. He would style his hair like a Rooster's comb, strut around the ring, and even cluck during interviews. Needless to say, the fans didn't go for it, and it left a black mark on Taylor's career.

8 Bertha Faye

Established Star was given a Ridiculous Re-Naming

Canadian Ronda Sing began her pro wrestling career in the mid-1970s and toured the world for 15 years, winning multiple titles internationally. As WWE began reviving their women's division around Alundra Blayze, they were looking for quality contenders. Sing was signed by the promotion in 1995, but she would not appear in the federation as herself.

Instead, she was given the moniker of Bertha Faye, the trailer park girlfriend of minuscule manager Harvey Whippleman. Not only was the name flat in of sounding like a star but it was also accompanied by some of the worst theme music of all time. Bertha Faye would capture the WWE Women's World title, but she wasn't long for the promotion. Within a year, she was back on the international circuit and using her original name and gimmick.

7 Who?

Jim Neidhart was Given a Name Based on a Worn-Out, Old Joke

In 1996, Jim Neidhart must have been in McMahon's doghouse when his name was taken away, and he was given the rather odd name: 'Who?'. He wore a mask and was intended to be a mystery man, but not much is known about what was planned with the awkward alias.

Within seconds of the commentary, it became obvious. Using lines that were lifted from Abbott & Costello's famous 'Who's on First' comedy routine, the announcers made Neidhart's new name a running joke. The action in the ring - and the man under the mask - were insignificant. It was merely a vehicle for McMahon and Jerry Lawler to laugh among themselves.

6 The Godwinns

A Traditional Hillbilly Gimmick, but with Awful Individual Names

WWE has always had some form of country-fried character on the roster - most notably Hall of Famer Hillbilly Jim. But when they looked to revive the same type of gimmick in the mid-90s, they went a little too far with the comedy. Pairing the duo of veterans Dennis Knight and Mark Canterbury, they invented a pair of pig farmers named the Godwinns.

Unfortunately, their own aliases bought the farm. They were repackaged as Henry O. Godwinn and Phineas I. Godwinn. In other words, their initials stood for 'HOG' and 'PIG'. At that point, despite winning the tag team championship on two occasions, they were considered a bad team with a pair of bad personas.

5 Meat

Second-Generation Star was Relegated to a 'Beefcake' Gimmick

Shawn Stasiak entered WWE as not only the son of former World Champion Stan Stasiak but a decorated amateur star, as well. He had the appearance of a main-eventer and a solid wrestling pedigree, so many could envision him as a top-tier player in the promotion for years to come.

Right out of the gate, Stasiak was saddled with the name, 'Meat', and played up as a combination of an underwear model and gigolo. He was accompanied by various women to the ring during this stint, but never really found any success. Perhaps it's because it just seems odd to announce to the crowd that their newest champion is a guy called Meat.

4 Sparky Plugg

Bob Holly's Race Car Character came with an Awful Name

When McMahon found out that Bob Holly had a background in auto racing, the creative wheels in his mind began to churn. Holly, who would go on to a long and outstanding career for 20 years with WWE, was still looking for his big break at the time. But being a stock car driver-turned-pro-wrestler wasn't it.

Perhaps it was because he was given the label, Thurman 'Sparky' Plugg, which sounded more like a Saturday Morning cartoon character. It never lit the green light on Holly's career, because the silly pseudonym stalled right away.

3 The Ringmaster

Austin's Original Alias was Awful

It's hard to imagine Steve Austin as anything but Stone Cold. He's become one of the most iconic images in pro wrestling lore and one of the greatest performers of all time. But upon entering WWE in 1996, he was originally dubbed, The Ringmaster, and given the Million Dollar belt by the legendary Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase.

It didn't work - for several reasons. Austin was not the technical wrestler he once was, as injuries were already starting to slow him down. He also disliked that the promotion let DiBiase do most of the talking for him, and he didn't feel like the name portrayed who he was at all.

Luckily, when he approached WWE management about his issues, they proposed that he come up with a new identity. With the help of his then-wife, the name Stone Cold was born, the Attitude Era was off to the races, and the rest is history.

2 Chad Gable Becomes Shorty G

Technician was Transformed into a Comedy Act

A repackaging in WWE can either go great (like Steve Austin) or they can go the route of Shorty G - the obnoxiously bad moniker that was given to Chad Gable between 2019 and 2020. Playing off the fact that he's only 5'8", McMahon gave the former Olympian a persona that fans rejected quickly.

Shorty G wore basketball gear - like he was one of the hoopsters who might be hanging out at the nearest court. But that never really played into the gimmick, and the alias sounded more like a rapper than a pro wrestler. It was not only demeaning to Gable, it didn't suit his skills in any way whatsoever. Thankfully, he reverted to his original name and has found greater success in recent years.

1 Dolph Ziggler

A Talented Star with a Troubling Moniker

If there is one wrestler in WWE history who had everything it took to be a megastar, it was Nic Nemeth. Often compared to predecessors like Curt Hennig or contemporaries such as Shawn Michaels, the terrific young star's athleticism and ring instincts were noticed right away by the promotion.

Sadly, Vince McMahon decided years ago to saddle Nemeth with one of the goofiest names ever for a guy with that kind of talent: Dolph Ziggler (a play on the 'Boogie Nights' character Dirk Diggler). So, essentially, this awesome talent was given a pseudonym that sounded like a porno star.

Fans didn't like the name but eventually grew to accept it, because they had to. As Ziggler continued to improve and achieve, it became harder and harder to 'switch' aliases. Nemeth had established himself as Dolph Ziggler and even acknowledged at one point that there was no going back - once the public knew him under that name. That still didn't change the fact that the original premise was completely absurd.