6 AEW stars wrestling under their real names
AEW allows their wrestlers sufficient freedom to choose their names, and that has led to several wrestlers working under their real names in the company.
A wrestler's name is often their first impression and goes a long way in defining fan perception. Names like Kane or The Undertaker immediately pop an image in one's head even if they might not know the wrestler. Same with names like The Big Show and The Great Khali which give an impression of a wrestler's possible look.
At times, original names don't go with the wrestler's personality. Imagine Kane debuting as Glenn Jacobs instead or The Great Khali showing up as Dalit Singh Rana. It's clear to see the difference kayfabe names make to add gravitas to the characters.
However, sometimes a wrestler's birth name is good enough to be carried forward, as seen in multiple cases in AEW. In this article, let us explore 6 wrestlers in AEW who use their original names.
#6. Bryan Lloyd Danielson (AEW Name: Bryan Danielson)
When you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. Thank you to the incredible fans in NY last night, thank you to @AEW and it’s wrestlers for putting in the work to make last night possible. #gratitude https://t.co/ojIBb9FEsP
The biggest entry on this list and AEW's latest big-name signing, Bryan Danielson, is finally wrestling under the name that made him famous in the first place.
There's no denying that Danielson rose to superstardom in WWE under the ring-name of Daniel Bryan, so much so that many perhaps forgot that his real name wasn't that. But before his stint with WWE, he wrestled as Bryan Danielson in various promotions.
The YES man also wrestled as the American Dragon for a short while, and the name became his gimmick during his indie days. During AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam, we saw Bryan Danielson unleashed from the shackles imposed by WWE and, hopefully, we get to see him create magic in AEW many, many times.
#5. Jade Cargill (AEW Name: Jade Cargill)
Its only the beginning 🙏🏾💪🏾 #blessed twitter.com/AEW/status/132…
Jade Cargill is a fitness model turned pro-wrestler who holds a master's degree in child psychology. She made her pro-wrestling debut in AEW under her original name.
Jade Cargill, although still green from an in-ring perspective, is unbeaten in AEW and has all the tools to become a top star in the women's division. She's among the top five ranked women in the company, and we could be seeing her challenge for the AEW Women's Championship soon.