10 Real Names Of WCW Wrestlers That Will Surprise You

WCW brought in a new era in professional wrestling with its meteoric rise in the 90s. The Ted Turner-owned company became a direct competition for Vince McMahon's company, creating the Monday Night War. With the backup of a billionaire businessman, the company managed to sign some of the greatest names of the business.

Most ex-WWE wrestlers of WCW were already known faces, but the company also created their stars with unique ring names that were notably different from their real names. In fact, a lot of those real names of some WCW wrestlers are quite surprising.

10 The Barbarian (Sione Vailahi)

The Barbarian had a couple of different stints in WCW, and he also wrestled in WWE at the peak of his career. He was known as a tag team specialist, becoming one half of the tag team known as Faces of Fear.

He, however, never won a title in WCW. The Barbarian is certainly a catchy and terrifying name. The real name of The Barbarian is Sione Vailahi, which is pretty good on its own.

9 Ultimo Dragon (Yoshihiro Asai)

Ultimo Dragon was one of the underrated wrestlers in WCW. The Japanese wrestler was a high-flyer and was an asset to the WCW Cruiserweight division. Although he had only a two-year run in WCW, he still attained significant success as a mid-carder, capturing the Cruiserweight Championship twice and the World Television Championship twice.

Ultimo Dragon's birth name is Yoshihiro Asai, and he is still an active wrestler in Japan. His real last name is where the Asai moonsault was born from.

8 Disco Inferno (Glenn Gilbertti)

Disco Inferno was an intriguing character in WCW who had a run of six years in the defunct company. He had a gimmick of a disco dancer, and he would randomly dance while making entrance or wrestling in the ring. He had a stupendous run as a mid-carder, as he won the Cruiserweight Championship, Tag Team Championship, and the World Television Championship in WCW.

Who would have thought that a charismatic disco dancer could have a normal name behind the screen? His actual name is Glenn Gilbertti, which he would use later in TNA.

7 Arn Anderson (Martin Lunde)

Arn Anderson was one of the greatest names to grace the WCW and he had a long run there. Wrestling for NWA or WCW, he was part of the Four Horsemen, one of the most popular stables in wrestling history. While Anderson never won the World Title in WCW, he grabbed the Tag Team Title multiple times, making him a tag team specialist. Moreover, he was also a four-time WCW World Television Champion.

Even though Arn Anderson's ring name sounds like his real name, it's not his actual name. That is actually Martin Lunde.

6 Raven (Scott Levy)

Raven's captivating gimmick made him a popular name in WCW, where he had significant success. However, Raven, the character, caught eyes first in ECW, especially after an awe-inspiring feud with Tommy Dreamer. In his two-year WCW stint, Raven won three titles, including the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship once.

Raven has also wrestled in WWE and TNA with the same gimmick. Raven's real name is Scott Levy.

5 The Giant (Paul Wight)

Billed as Andre the Giant's son, The Giant was a big deal in WCW when he made his debut. He made an instant impact by winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship from Hulk Hogan in his first match. He won the WCW World Title twice, and the Tag Team Titles thrice before departing for WWE in 1999.

The Giant, who is popularly known as Big Show in WWE now, has a contrasting ring name from his real name, which is Paul Wight. He used it for a bit in his early WWE run.

4 Big Van Vader (Leon White)

Big Van Vader was one of the most popular heavyweights in the '90s, and he wrestled in both WCW and WWE. Vader wrestled in WCW for five years, signing with the company in 1990. Initially, he was a main event Superstar in WCW and captured the World Heavyweight gold three times.

Vader fought in different promotions all over the world under the same name, but his real name was Leon White.

3 Daffney (Shannon Spruill)

Daffney had notable accomplishments in an era and a promotion that was a male-dominated one. Daffney enjoyed a two-year run in WCW. She not only managed a couple of wrestlers but showed her wrestling skills as a performer. She won the WCW Cruiserweight Title once, entrenching her name as the only second woman to achieve the feat.

She has also wrestled as Daffney in TNA. However, Daffney's actual name is Shannon Spruill.

2 Sting (Steve Borden)

Regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers of any generation, Sting was a primary reason for the success of WCW in the '90s. With face paint and dark character, Sting was a big draw in WCW, where he spent fourteen years to create a perennial legacy. The Icon won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship a record six times in his career.

While watching Sting on the TV, a myriad of fans certainly wondered who was the man behind the black and white face paint. Sting's real name is Steve Borden.

1 Hulk Hogan (Terry Bollea)

Besides WWE, Hulk Hogan was arguably also the biggest name in WCW, spending six years in that company. Hogan turned heel for the first time in WCW, and he dominated the company as a bad guy and the leader of nWo. He was a six-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion with the most number of combined days as a champion.

It might not be believable but Hulk Hogan isn't the real name of the legendary Superstar. The birth name of the 67-year-old is Terry Bollea.

NEXT: The 10 Worst Matches In WCW Clash Of The Champions History