History LastNameBasis / ProWrestling

Examples of LastNameBasis in ProfessionalWrestling.
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* It's very common for wrestlers to refer to each other by last name, and for commentators to use surnames 90% of the time.
* A lot of examples involve a two-part ring name (may or may not be their real name) which had the first name taken out of official billing but was still referenced on-screen by other performers at times:
** [[Wrestling/{{Batista}} Dave Batista]] and Dave "Fit" Finlay, whose respective ring names are their actual last names (Batista's with a minor spelling change from "Bautista"). Batista gets a "Dave" every now and then, however, a bit more frequently than Finlay would even get a "Fit" in WWE in fact.
** Then there's Ken Anderson/Kennedy, who insisted on being referred to as "Mr. Kennedy" - and insisted on referring to himself as "Mister Kennedy....Kennedy!" Since his jump to TNA, he's gone by 'Mr. Anderson'.
** [[Wrestling/VinceMcMahon Vince [=McMahon=]]]'s name on the official WWE website and on most official WWE products such as WWE magazine is listed as simply "Mr. [=McMahon=]."
** Bill Wrestling/{{Goldberg}} dropped his first name during his monster push in WCW.
** TNA's Kazarian used to be called Frankie Kazarian, but dropped the first name.
** Inexplicably, during his 2009-10 run with Wrestling/{{TNA}}, [[Wrestling/ChristopherDaniels "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels (aka 'Curry Man')]] was billed simply as 'Daniels'.
* Bobby Lashley was often referred to as "Mr. Lashley" or simply "Lashley". Teddy Long always called him "Bobby," though.
* Before he was JBL, Wrestling/JohnBradshawLayfield was known as Justin 'Hawk' Bradshaw. He dropped his first name and his nickname when he was paired up with [[Wrestling/RonSimmons Faarooq]] to form 'The Acolytes'.
* This is almost completely subverted with the Characters/WWEDivas. So infrequently does Last Name Basis occur, that many Divas don't even ''have'' last names. Sometimes it's a first and last that are rarely separated (Wrestling/GailKim, Rosa Mendes) or a last name that is [[CanonName only used extremely rarely]] (Jillian Hall, Wrestling/EveTorres) or simply only being known by their first name (Melina, [[Wrestling/{{LayCool}} Layla]], Maryse). [[Wrestling/{{LayCool}} Michelle [=McCool=]]] seems to be the one exception to this, but in her case, it is a 50-50 basis.
* When a wrestler's last name is that of a major wrestling legacy, such as [=McMahon=], Hardy, Hart, Guerrero, [=DiBiase=], or Rhodes, they are often referred to by their first name, especially when two people are involved at once.
** This is especially used in the case of Wrestling/VickieGuerrero, probably because she is a woman.
* Nowadays, the only male wrestler (who doesn't fit the "family" example above) better known by his first name than by his last name is Wrestling/SantinoMarella.
** He did have last name basis in the earlier parts of his career, but when his gimmick became a comedy gimmick, this was swapped.
** Wrestling/KofiKingston may also be an example, but that is nowhere near the extreme of Santino's case.
** Wrestlers with unique first names like Wrestling/DolphZiggler, Wrestling/WadeBarrett, or Wrestling/CodyRhodes are more likely to be called by just their first name than those with common first names such as Wrestling/JackSwagger or Wrestling/JohnCena.
* Parodied with Wrestling/ShawnMichaels, [[Wrestling/BryanDanielson Daniel Bryan]], and Wrestling/ChristopherDaniels whose actual names are flipped in reverse and slightly changed.
* Wrestling/{{Ryback}} is this and OnlyOneName (or at least for now).
* [[Wrestling/{{Raven}} Raven's Flock]] in Wrestling/{{WCW}} were all over the map with this one. Billy Kidman and Scotty Riggs were increasingly referred to by their {{Kayfabe}} last names after joining the group. Reese (Ron Reis, aka the Yeti of the Wrestling/DungeonOfDoom) used an altered version of his real last name. Horace Boulder, however, was referred to generally as "Horace" until he joined the [[Wrestling/NewWorldOrder NWO]] and started using the name Horace Hogan.[[note]]Horace, real name Mike Bollea, is Wrestling/HulkHogan's nephew.[[/note]]

** Wrestlers with unique first names like Wrestling/DolphZiggler, Wrestling/WadeBarrett, or Wrestling/CodyRhodes are more likely to be called by just their first name than those with common first names such as Wrestling/Jack Swagger or Wrestling/JohnCena.

Examples of LastNameBasis in ProWrestling.

** Dave Batista and Dave "Fit" Finlay, whose respective ring names are their actual last names (Batista's with a minor spelling change from "Bautista"). Batista gets a "Dave" every now and then, however, a bit more frequently than Finlay would even get a "Fit" in WWE in fact.

** VinceMcMahon's name on the official WWE website and on most official WWE products such as WWE magazine is listed as simply "Mr. [=McMahon=]."
** Bill Goldberg dropped his first name during his monster push in WCW.

** Inexplicably, during his 2009-10 run with TNA 'The Fallen Angel' Christopher Daniels (aka 'Curry Man') was billed simply as 'Daniels'.

* Before he was JBL, John Layfield was known as Justin 'Hawk' Bradshaw. He dropped his first name and his nickname when he was paired up with Farooq to form 'The Acolytes'.
* This is almost completely subverted with the WWE Divas. So infrequently does Last Name Basis occur, that many Divas don't even ''have'' last names. Sometimes it's a first and last that are rarely separated (Gail Kim, Rosa Mendes) or a last name that is [[CanonName only used extremely rarely]] (Jillian Hall, Eve Torres) or simply only being known by their first name (Melina, Layla, Maryse). Michelle [=McCool=] seems to be the one exception to this, but in her case, it is a 50-50 basis.

** This is especially used in the case of Vickie Guerrero, probably because she is a woman.

* Wrestling/{{Ryback}} is this and OnlyOneName (or at least for now).

* Nowadays, the only male wrestler (who doesn't fit the "family" example above) better known by his first name than by his last name is Santino Marella.

** Kofi Kingston may also be an example, but that is nowhere near the extreme of Santino's case.
** Wrestlers with unique first names like DolphZiggler, WadeBarrett, or CodyRhodes are more likely to be called by just their first name than those with common first names like Jack Swagger or JohnCena.
* Parodied with Wrestling/ShawnMichaels, Wrestling/DanielBryan, and Wrestling/ChristopherDaniels whose actual names are flipped in reverse and slightly changed.

* This is almost completely subverted with the WWE Divas. So infrequently does Last Name Basis occur, that many Divas don't even ''have'' last names. Sometimes it's a first and last that are rarely separated (Gail Kim, Rosa Mendes) or a last name that is only used extremely rarely (Jillian Hall, Eve Torres) or simply only being known by their first name (Melina, Layla, Maryse.) Michelle [=McCool=] seems to be the one exception to this, but in her case, it is a 50-50 basis.

* Dave Batista and Dave Finlay, whose respective ring names are their actual last names (Batista's with a minor spelling change from "Bautista"). Finlay was also known as "Fit Finlay" in WCW, and it's rare for anyone to call him by his first name. Batista gets a "Dave" every now and then, however.
* Bobby Lashley was often referred to as "Mr. Lashley" or simply "Lashley." Teddy Long always called him "Bobby," though.
* Then there's Ken Kennedy, who insisted on being referred to as "Mr. Kennedy" - and insisted on referring to himself as "Mister Kennedy....Kennedy!" Since his jump to TNA, he's gone by 'Mr. Anderson'.
* VinceMcMahon's name on the official WWE website and on most official WWE products such as WWE magazine is listed as simply "Mr. [=McMahon=]."
* Bill Goldberg dropped his first name during his monster push in WCW.
* TNA's Kazarian used to be called Frankie Kazarian, but dropped the first name.
* Inexplicably, during his last run with TNA 'The Fallen Angel' Christopher Daniels (aka 'Curry Man') was billed simply as 'Daniels'.

* Parodied with ShawnMichaels and DanielBryan whose actual names are flipped in reverse and slightly changed.
* Wrestling/Ryback is this and OnlyOneName (or at least for now).

* Parodied with ShawnMichaels and DanielBryan whose actual names are flipped in reverse and slightly changed.

* In the case that a wrestler has a last name like [=McMahon=], Hardy, Hart, Guerrero, [=DiBiase=], or Rhodes, they are often referred to by their first name, especially when two people are involved at once.

* In the case that a wrestler has a last name like {=McMahon=], Hardy, Hart, Guerrero, [=DiBiase=], or Rhodes, they are often referred to by their first name, especially when two people are involved at once.

* In the case that a wrestler has a last name like {=McMahon=], Hardy, Hart, Guerrero, {=DiBiase=}, or Rhodes, they are often referred to by their first name, especially when two people are involved at once.

* In the case that a wrestler has a last name like Hardy, Hart, Guerrero, DiBiase, or Rhodes, they are often referred to by their first name, especially when two people are involved at once.

* This is almost completely subverted with the WWE Divas. So infrequently does Last Name Basis occur, that many Divas don't even ''have'' last names. Sometimes it's a first and last that are rarely separated (Gail Kim, Rosa Mendes) or a last name that is only used extremely rarely (Jillian Hall, Eve Torres) or simply only being known by their first name (Melina, Layla, Maryse.) Michelle {{McCool}} seems to be the one exception to this, but in her case, it is a 50-50 basis.

** Kofi Kingston may also be an example, but that is nowhere near the extreme of Santino's case.