Thread: Why doesn't Michael McGillicutty wrestle under the name Joe Henning
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Old 11-10-2010, 06:55 PM   #39
Tom Guycott
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Quote:
Originally Posted by XL View Post
Wait, wait, wait. WWE can't own Elijah Burke's real name, cos, well, it's his real name.

That's the very reason that Joe Hennig isn't using "Joe Hennig" because they can't trademark it. You seem to be counter-arguing your own point. I'll put it down to using Burke as a bad example.
I don't mean he can't use his birth name in everyday life, smarty-pants. I meant business-wise, it falls under the "marketable image" thing. It's kind of like when they instituted the non-compete clause so people couldn't go elsewhere with the rub they got from WWE and help another company out. That's my Joe Henning* argument... if he starts using his real name with his real spelling as his stage name, and then he won't be able to go somewhere like TNA if he gets future endeavored or leaves and use the name WWE will still be making money off of for t-shirts and audio/video usage where they don't have to blank out commentary on 24/7 when an "Oh, my God, we can't use that name" comes up.

Never said it was a "Perfect" argument, but I don't see it as one that counters itself. They're admittedly trying to move to the company owned marketable trademark, but they haven't drawn a line and said "anyone on this side of it has to change their name, sorry." There are people who come in with what they got, and then there's guys who get their name changed multiple times like the man now known as Wade Barrett.

Admittedly, I don't know the ins and outs of how they sign guys. The total name-change has come up A LOT more than it used to even a couple of years ago. I mean, Kaval has been in developmental for quite some time before being called up, and his name was changed pretty much day one. Punk strolls in fresh off the indy circuit minus a major image change aside from the non-blonding. (Also, I don't think CM Punk would care about image rights... do you really see this guy "losing his smile" and leaving Stamford or becoming future endeavored?)

Maybe they get paid less if they decide to keep what they rolled with. Some of it might have to do with tenure and when their contracts were written up. Maybe it might even have to do with some performers being savvy business people as opposed to others having the "I'll do whatever, I made it to WWE" mentality and signing anything. I think it was Mysterio (whose name is slightly different than it used to be by using the "RhYno Y", by the way) said something before about them trying to draw up contracts that greatly advantage them and not so much you, and that being the nature of the beast, and with his history and marketability he has put himself in a lot more of a position to bargain than someone just coming into the company. Maybe anymore the name is part of the power struggle deal.
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