During the early 2000’s, Stephanie McMahon was featured in a prominent role on WWE television on a regular basis. From the love triangle angle involving husband Triple H and Kurt Angle to being revealed as the new owner of ECW during the Invasion or a spell as SmackDown General Manager, Vince McMahon’s only daughter was never far from the action.
But it wasn’t just on screen that Stephanie played an intergral role. In November 2020 she took on the role of head writer for the company, eventually moving on to roles as Senior Vice President of Creative Writing and Executive Vice President Of Creative. And it was during this spell in a creative capacity that she declined the request of one former WWE Superstar to change his in-ring name.
Stephanie McMahon denied name change request
Tank Toland made his WWE debut in October 2005 as part of the long forgotten chippendales inspired heel tag team The Dicks. Toland, real first name is John, was not keen on his new given name of James Dick, instead wishing to use the first name ‘Tank’.
Speaking on a recent edition of the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast, he revealed that his request was swiftly denied by Stephanie McMahon:
“I was like, ‘Steph, can we at least spell it Dix?’ and she’s like, ‘No, it’s gotta be the correct spelling.’ I was like, ‘All right.’ She’s like, ‘It’s gonna be Chad Dick and you’re gonna be James Dick.’ I was like, ‘All right, I guess I’m gonna be James Dick.
“It wasn’t John Dick, which is my real name, because there’s already John Cena, John Bradshaw. My whole thing was why couldn’t you have called me Tank Dick? I just don’t get it. Tank Dick would have at least been cool, like Tank Dick, you know? But yeah, so it is what it is.”
The tag team finished their short run with the company in February 2006 following a handicap match loss to The Boogeyman on SmackDown.
H/T: Sportskeeda for the above transcription