During an appearance on the Handsome Genius Club podcast, former WWE Producer Ryan Katz talked about the process of talent being given new ring names:
“Ready? Here’s the secret. The talent are in on the names. They’re in on them. Like, there may be some people who get a list and have to pick something from it, but I would say a lot of times if that’s happening then I can’t say the talent’s not given, because there are times where talent may submit a lot of names and then there becomes a mix and match game and things that happen. But in the end, the talent is involved in that decision. Like, it is not – no one is just given a random gimmick. And maybe I shouldn’t say no one because, of course, there is going to be an exception to the rule and someone has been given a gimmick. But like, the talent is involved in creating their gimmick and that’s what I talked out with being undeniable is that those talent that show who they are and they express who they are and what they want to be will be that. When you’re trying to figure out a gimmick and presenting it, ‘What do you think of this?’ Then they’re going to be like, ‘Well, I don’t really like it.’ But if it’s like, ‘I’m doing this.’ Then it’s like, ‘Well, yeah. Let’s see what you got.’ Confidence is king.”
“I’m actually a fan of weird names. I like goofy things. I like things that just stick out and I don’t even mind cartoony names because I’m a firm believer that the talent makes the name, the name doesn’t make the talent whether you have a bland name, whether you have a cartoony name, whether you have the coolest name in the world. If you’re not cool talent, that cool name doesn’t mean anything.”
