Vince McMahon’s Strict WWE Backstage Name Rule Revealed

Vince McMahon’s era in WWE differed significantly from Triple H’s era.

The Big Man maintained complete control over the creative process and would make last-minute changes to the script if he did not like it.

Furthermore, WWE Superstars who have worked both under him and The Game have claimed that they have much more freedom in the current era.

Vince McMahon had a strict name rule

Several of Vince McMahon’s rules did not sit well with pro-wrestlers, especially the rigorous schedule with very little time off.

Dutch Mantell revealed that McMahon had a strict backstage name rule where a superstar would be referred to by the character name.

No, she [Stephanie McMahon] called me Zeb. No, they weren’t allowed to call me anything. They couldn’t call me Dutch.

So, if my name had been Howard, they would have had to call me by uh strict personal orders by Vince. You call the character what we’re calling him on TV. That was that was a rule.

It’s unknown if the same rule is still followed in WWE or not. However, superstars have referred to each other by their real names on podcast and shows, and sometimes during backstage clips on documentaries as well.