WRESTLING NEWS
The Real Meaning Behind These Wrestler Names Explained
By MARIA SCINTO
Adam Cole
The wrestling industry has a lot of "Austins," so Adam Cole, real name Austin Jenkins, picked a different first name. His ring surname, "Cole," is what his parents originally planned to name him; as for "Bay Bay," Cole got the idea from Chris Jericho, who used to stand on the chests of his opponents and yell "C’mon, baby."
Alexa Bliss
In her NXT days, Alexa Bliss (AKA Alexis Kaufman) was billed as a southern belle, and she’d often say "bless her heart," but her fake accent made it sound like "bliss her heart." She turned the name into a play on words, saying she was “blissed off” and doling out "Bliss slaps"; her NXT days have passed, but the name stuck.
Bayley
When Pamela Rose Martinez signed with the WWE, she had to choose from three names, one of which was "Bailey." She tried to suggest more unisex names, but was rejected, and ultimately chose Bailey; however, she did get to change the spelling to "Bayley," a shoutout to her hometown of the Bay Area.
Cactus Jack
One of Mick Foley’s most famous ring aliases, Cactus Jack, was originally meant to be a placeholder name; it originates from a 1979 movie called "The Villain" starring Kirk Douglas. Also, "Cactus Jack" was the name Foley gave to his father's character in a wrestling-themed board game they used to play.
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine initially chose the name "Jack Action" as his in-ring persona, until someone pointed out that it’s a pretty dorky name. When the future Chris Jericho came across German power metal band Halloween’s album "Walls of Jericho," he got the inspiration for his ring name and his signature move.