Jeff Cobb almost walked into WWE with one of the most ridiculous ring names imaginable, and Drew McIntyre apparently thought it was hilarious. Before WWE settled on JC Mateo, the company handed Cobb a massive list of possible names, including one that already belonged to another wrestler on its own roster.
During his interview with Chris Van Vliet on INSIGHT, Cobb looked back on his arrival in WWE in May 2025 and explained how the company handled his name change. Cobb initially hoped to continue wrestling under his real name, but about a week before his debut, he started receiving messages asking whether he had considered something different.
Cobb admitted he tried putting off the conversation because he wanted to remain Jeff Cobb. However, WWE eventually handed him two pages of possible names when he arrived backstage at Backlash.
“Um the day that I flew into St. Louis. Um, well, actually the day of the PLE, uh, Backlash, uh, I went backstage and met everybody, met the writers, and then they gave me two pages of names, and I haven’t I haven’t released them yet, but I think it’s pretty funny.”
The first page contained approximately 60 names inspired by Cobb’s background in Guam and Hawaii. He didn’t have much of a problem with those suggestions, but things got considerably stranger when he reached the second page. One name immediately caught his attention because WWE was essentially suggesting he use a name Bronson Reed had already made famous before returning to the company.
“One that stuck out made me giggle because it was it was all caps Jonah.”
When Van Vliet pointed out that Bronson Reed had already used that name, Cobb couldn’t believe WWE had included it.
“Yeah. And I was like, ‘Wait a minute. Are you guys even trying now?'”
But that wasn’t even the funniest part. Cobb eventually brought the list into the WWE locker room, where Drew McIntyre asked to see it. McIntyre spotted another name on the second page that he absolutely loved, even though Cobb had no intention of using it.
“He on the second page he saw one he’s like I like this one and I was like well we’re not using that and he’s like oh he signed it so it’s a Drew McIntyre authentic signature which I’m not going to sell cuz it’s funny but it was uh Jafar Smash.”
Yes, Jafar Smash. Cobb had no idea where WWE came up with that name, especially since it had nothing to do with his background. The situation got even funnier because McIntyre refused to let the joke die. Cobb said the former WWE Champion started calling him Jafar whenever they crossed paths.
“Without hesitation he just like I was like, ‘What’s up, J?’ He’s like, ‘What’s up, Jafar?'”
Cobb also questioned why that particular name was even considered.
“Wait, Jafar is neither a Polynesian name, a Hawaiian name, a Guam name. I don’t know where that came from.”
McIntyre even signed the name sheet, which Cobb kept as a souvenir. Cobb joked that he wouldn’t be surprised if McIntyre had saved his contact information as Jafar Smash. Ultimately, WWE chose JC Mateo, a name Cobb confirmed he didn’t come up with himself. As Ringside News covered at the time, WWE introduced the name during the May 16, 2025 episode of SmackDown, shortly after his surprise appearance at Backlash.
Cobb may not have gotten to keep his original wrestling name, but at least he avoided becoming Jafar Smash on national television. The fact that WWE actually included JONAH on the same list makes the whole process even harder to understand, and McIntyre clearly wasn’t going to let Cobb forget about it.
What do you think about WWE’s rejected names for Jeff Cobb, and what would you have called him instead of JC Mateo? Let us know your thoughts and leave your feedback in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
