The Creed Brothers Give Insight To Meaning Behind Their WWE Ring Names

The Creed Brothers, Brutus and Julius, haven't been in WWE long, but they've already become a household name on the "NXT" brand, racking up a "NXT" Tag Team Title reign and the coveted win in the 2022 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament. Speaking with James Varsallone, the duo revealed where the inspiration came for their names, citing a popular movie franchise and one of the founding fathers of the English language.

"Growing up, we were definitely big Rocky fans. I can remember vividly driving to Florida from Ohio in our 1992 Dodge Caravan with red interior, and my dad had an AC adaptor so we could play VHS tapes on the entire ride down," Julus recalled. "We watched the entire Rocky series; we are big fans of Rocky, big fans of Creed – Apollo Creed and what he stood for."

The influence of Shakespeare and antiquity on the duo's first names is something the real-life brothers don't shy away from. Even though they were inspired by popular literature, the brothers sought out attributes and characteristics that fit with the people they are, ultimately deciding on the names of Julius and Brutus. "Drew – Brutus growing up would break things on accident even when he wasn't trying to. He would grab the handle of a sweeper, he'd grab the handle of a microwave, of a door, and he would just rip it clean off. He was just a brute, a bruiser, an enforcer ... Maybe egotistically, I see myself as a little bit of a conqueror, a little bit of a leader. I identify a little bit with Julius, and the backstory of history that goes with those two names and how they are synonymous together, it felt like the right thing."