The Real Names Of These 8 AEW Wrestlers
Professional wrestlers very rarely use their real names, as real names often don't sound as cool when it comes to being announced from live stadiums. While some wrestlers, like Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, thrived when they used their real names many wrestlers choose to adopt a moniker for their in-ring identities. While many wrestlers can have multiple in-ring names, other wrestlers can go through their entire careers using only one name throughout their careers.
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Some wrestlers will even go by multiple ring names over the course of their career. WWE's Kane, whose real name is Glenn Jacobs, wrestled as Diesel and Isaac Yankem DDS while in WWE as well as Unabomb, Christmas Creature, Doomsdar, Spartacus, and Sid Powers while wrestling for various promotions in the US and Puerto Rico before establishing himself as Kane in 1997. While WWE traditionally changes wrestlers names, in order to own the copyright of the ring name, AEW gives more freedom to their wrestlers when it comes to their in-ring name.
8 Eddie Kingston - Edward Moore
Eddie Kingston made his AEW debut while challenging Cody Rhodes for the TNT Championship on an episode of Dynamite. Since his debut, Kingston has become one of the best workers on the microphone in the world of professional wrestling. Kingston is a veteran of professional wrestling, who has over 19 years of experience wrestling for a variety of promotions. Thanks to Kingston's promo skills, he has often tasked with talking to the crowd at the end of the show in off camera segments.
Eddie Kingston's real name is Edward Moore, and first began using the Kingston name while wrestling for the Chikara wrestling promotion and has continued using the name ever since. Eddie Kingston would also wrestle under the names King, or just Kingston, in CZW and Impact wrestling over the years.
7 The Young Bucks - Nick & Matt Massie
The Young Bucks, made up of real-life brother Nick and Matt Jackson have been one of the driving forces behind the creation of AEW. The pair would be a big part of the Bullet Club and their "Being the Elite" YouTube series would give them the name recognition that helped create the momentum behind All In and the subsequent creation of AEW. Outside of their roles as Executive Vice Presidents, the Young Bucks have also held tag team titles in a variety of promotions around the world, including Ring of Honor, New Japan, PWG, Triple A, and most recently AEW.
While many wrestlers will often maintain kayfabe by referring to themselves as their in-ring names, The Young Bucks have acknowledged their real names outside the world of wrestling. The Young Bucks have acknowledged their real names, and the real names of their families on episodes of their YouTube series, Being the Elite.
6 Darby Allin - Samuel Ratsch
Darby Allin is widely regarded as one of the four pillars of AEW's future alongside MJF, Sammy Guevara, and Jungle Boy. Allin was the first member of the group to hold a title after defeating Cody Rhodes for the TNT title at Full Gear in November 2020. Allin is known for his high risk style, including his Coffin Drop finishing maneuver. Allin would eventually drop the TNT title to Miro on an episode of Dynamite in May 2021. Allin was also the first person to face CM Punk following the latter's 7 year hiatus from professional wrestling.
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Allin's real name is Samuel Ratsch, and he reportedly came up with his in-ring name by combining the names of two musicians that he likes. The nickname is a combination of Darby Crash, the frontman for punk band Germs, and GG Allin, a punk musician who died after overdosing on heroin in 1993. Allin was also married to fellow wrestler Priscilla Kelly from 2018 to 2020, but remain on good terms despite their separation.
5 Chris Jericho - Chris Irvine
Chris Jericho was AEW's first high profile signing after the company was launched in 2019.Prior to signing with AEW, Jericho had wrestled around the world and was a multiple time WWE World Champion. Jericho would become the inaugural AEW World Champion after defeating Adam Page at All Out in 2019. During his time in AEW, Jericho has also gone on to become the leader of a stable called the Inner Circle which includes former WWE wrestler Jake Hager, as well as Sammy Guevara, Santana, and Ortiz.
Jericho's real name is Chris Keith Irvine, and adopted the Chris Jericho ring name while wrestling in Canada in the early 90s. Jericho has also wrestled as Super Liger in Japan and Corazon de Leon, or Lionheart in Mexico. Jericho is also the son of former professional ice hockey player Ted Irvine, who played for the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, and the St. Louis Blues over the course of his career.
4 Thunder Rosa - Melissa Cervantes
Prior to joining AEW, Thunder Rosa had already been wrestling for NWA, Lucha Underground, Stardom, and Ring of Honor as well as her own promotion Mission Pro Wrestling. Thunder Rosa officially signed for AEW in 2021 despite making several appearances for the promotion in 2020. Rosa, considered one of the top stars in the growing AEW women's division has already had well received matches against the likes of Serena Deeb, Hikaru Shida, and current AEW Women's Champion Britt Baker.
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Rosa's real name is Melissa Cervantes, and is married to Brian Cervantes. Rosa and her husband would run Mission Pro Wrestling together until Brian stepped down from the promotion in 2020.
3 Jon Moxley - Jonathan Good
Jon Moxley, formerly known as Dean Ambrose in WWE, has been one of the biggest names to cross from WWE to AEW alongside the likes of Daniel Bryan and Adam Cole. Moxley first appeared at AEW's Double or Nothing pay-per-view in 2019 interrupting the main event between Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega. Moxley would challenge and defeat Jericho to become the AEW World Heavyweight Championship at the Revolution pay-per-view in February 2020. Moxley would then lose the title to Kenny Omega at a special edition of Dynamite.
In real-life, Moxley is married to former WWE on air personality Renee Young and Moxley will often appear alongside Young on her podcast called "Oral Sessions". Moxley's real name is actually Jonathan Good, something that was occaisionally brought up when Renee Young was on WWE's reality show Total Divas. Young and Moxley were dating while Young was a cast member of the show and she would frequently refer to Moxley as "Jon", despite the fact that he was still being booked as Dean Ambrose with WWE at the time.
2 Kenny Omega - Tyson Smith
Kenny Omega has held the AEW World Champion since defeating Jon Moxley the Winter is Coming special event in December 2020. Omega has been one of the leading figures in AEW behind the scenes, as Omega serves as an Executive Vice President alongside Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks.
Omega's real name is Tyson Smith has wrestled under the ring name of Kenny Omega since his in-ring debut back in 2000 for Canadian promotion TRCW. Omega would continue to use the ring name as he began working for RoH, PWG, and NJPW where he would reach peak popularity.
1 Adam Cole - Austin Jenkins
Adam Cole is one of the many wrestlers who left WWE to join his friends in AEW, prior to leaving WWE, Cole held the NXT, NXT North American, and NXT Tag Team Championships making him the second-ever Triple Crown Championship. Cole, who was a member of The Bullet Club and the Elite stable prior to joining WWE, has since rejoined the Elite and has already become involved in The Elite's feud with Jungle Boy and Christian Cage.
Adam Cole began using the Adam Cole since his in-ring debut in 2008, however that isn't his real name. Cole's real name is Austin Jenkins, and he shares a first name with Xavier Woods, whose real name is Austin Watson. On an episode of Table for Three, Cole spoke about how he received an email from WWE Talent Relations for a tryout for FCW, however, the try-out was actually for Xavier Woods, and Cole was compensated for the confusion by being cast in a skit with the Straight Edge Society.
