Titus O'Neil's WWE Ring Name Is Influenced By NBA Star

Titus O'Neil is the only name Thaddeus Bullard has used since arriving in WWE, using two Ls instead of one earlier in his career prior to his main roster call-up. Under this name, O'Neil found himself holding WWE Tag Team Championship gold alongside Darren Young — WWE's first-ever openly gay champion. WWE Hall of Famer O'Neil discussed how he came up with the ring name that has seen him go on to help change lives outside of it.

"My youngest son's name is Titus and Shaquille O'Neal was my fraternity brother, but he's also one of my favorite like, all time sports entertainers," O'Neil said appearing on "The Dad Edge Podcast." "He did more than just okay basketball, you know? Shaq was rapping, he was in movies, he was in every other commercial you could make, pushing every other product you could name, and I felt that I wanted to be the Shaquille O'Neal of WWE where I didn't want to just be known as a professional wrestler — I wanted to be known as a superstar that could do any and everything."

O'Neal was a dominant professional basketball player in the NBA for years, winning multiple championships and making the All-Star team on multiple occasions. However, many people also know O'Neal for his post-basketball work, as he has transcended the game and become a household name to those who do not even watch the sport. Wrestling fans may know O'Neal for his work in WWE and most recently AEW. In WWE, O'Neal only competed once, that being in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32. O'Neal's most recent match took place in AEW, which saw him team with current TBS Champion Jade Cargill, in her in-ring debut, against Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet.