5 Names John Morrison can use when he returns to WWE
It was recently reported that John Morrison had signed a new deal to return to WWE, the company that made him a star. He hasn't been in the company for about eight years and with SmackDown's big move to FOX and the impending draft, right now is the perfect time for a return. Morrison came out to publicly deny the rumor, thanking reporters for the heads up and asking to be told when he signs with AEW or Ring of Honor.
The issue with Morrison's comment is that what he did is the hallmark response for wrestlers who are, indeed, set to return. Two of the biggest denials came from Goldberg and The Hardy Boyz, all of whom vehemently denied that they were coming back to WWE, only to 'shockingly' appear very soon after.
Denying a report simply gives it more credence, these days. Why give the reporters attention, anyway? In short - chances are that Morrison is, indeed, on his way back to WWE. Instead of showing up on the already packed debut of SmackDown on FOX, he would likely show up on either the October 11th episode, or the October 14th RAW - the two WWE Draft episodes.
If, and when, he returns, what name should he go by? Will he go with John Morrison, or will WWE do something fun with it?
He began his career in WWE under his real name, John Hennigan. When he arrived on RAW as the apprentice to General Manager Eric Bischoff, Hennigan became "Johnny Blaze". The next week, after that name wasn't a hit, he decided to call himself "Johnny Spade". That still didn't work out for him, so, in an effort to properly suck up to his boss, he changed his name to "Johnny Nitro", an obvious nod to the brainchild of Bischoff, WCW Monday Nitro.
Johnny Nitro is a name that stuck from 2004 until he became ECW Champion. In July 2007, he begame John Morrison, the name that would define his career until his departure at the end of 2011.
Since then, Morrison has wrestled all over the world. After spending some time on the independent scene as John Hennigan, F.K.A. John Morrison, he started using some different names. He became "Johnny Mundo" when he debuted for Lucha Underground.
Upon his debut for Impact Wresting, He started going by Johnny Impact. He wrestled as Johnny Blackcraft any time he wrestled for the Blackcraft Wrestling promotion. Most recently, Morrison wrestled at the biggest event in the history of Beyond Wrestling, the 2019 edition of Americanrana.
The event was held at the Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Connecticut. As you may have guessed, he wrestled under the name "Johnny Foxwoods" that night.
With that in mind, why not have some fun with this? Upon his return to WWE, instead of being John Morrison, what other names could the man born as John Hennigan use?
#5 Johnny SmackDown
This is the first, and maybe the most obvious. With the debut of SmackDown on FOX just around the corner, the new home of SmackDown is likely to want as many big stars as possible. If Hennigan becomes a Friday Night SmackDown Superstar, why not have some fun with it and call him Johnny SmackDown? They can even go one step further, and pull the old RVD gimmick. Call him Johnny SmackDown, and give him the nickname Mr. Friday Night.
It's fun, it's stupid, and, most importantly, it is very pro wrestling. On top of that, let's say he gets drafted to Friday Night SmackDown. If he shows up a few days later on RAW, he can be Johnny Mondays. I'd say Johnny RAW, but that's too on the nose, and could be construed as a little bit crass for the PG Era.
It would be even funnier, too, if he was drafted to SmackDown on the 11th and was announced as Mr. Friday Night, Johnny SmackDown, and then showed up on RAW on Monday the 14th and they announced him as Mr. Monday Night.
Just once, though. It's an overkill joke if they do it more than just once.