Like Buju/BNXN: 5 legendary sportsmen who changed their names

Nigerian afrobeat star, popularly known as Buju announced an unprecedented name and brand change to BNXN, pronounced as 'Benson' in a move that has left many people surprised. 

So in honour of BNXN's move, here are five famous sportsmen who changed their names as well in descending order of popularity. 

Metta Sandiford-Artest was born Ronald William Artest and was known for most of his basketball career as Ron Artest until he surprised everyone by legally changing his name to "Metta World Peace" in 2011.

He chose "Metta" as his first name because it is a traditional Buddhist word that translates to loving-kindness and peace towards all while his last name "World Peace" was pretty self-explanatory. 

Metta said in 2011 "Changing my name was meant to inspire and bring youth together all around the world," but I guess he got tired of spreading peace because he changed his name again in 2020 three years after his retirement. 

He now goes by Metta Sandiford-Artest, combining his wife's last name, Sandiford with his own original last name Artest to form one long unpronounceable surname.

It's no surprise that most WWE superstars are known more by their stage names rather than their birth names, but there is something that feels so wrong about learning that Hulk Hogan's real name is indeed Terry Eugene Bollea.

Hulk Hogan was more than just a stage name. It is world-famous, familiar to even those who detest pro-wrestling, and has become a more real name than "Terry Eugene Bollea" to Hulk Hogan.

Hulk's immediate family, his children and ex-wife all adopted the last name 'Hogan' and the wrestler even had to pay Marvel royalties for 20 years between 1984 and 2004 for the right to keep bearing the name because of its similarities to Marvel's "Incredible Hulk".

Eldrick Tont Woods is the most famous golfer that ever lived and one of the all-time greats in his prime. I know what you're thinking, "Don't you mean Tiger Woods?" Yes, they are exactly the same person.

Of course, it is surprising to find out Tiger's real first name is Eldrick but, to be honest, you most likely always suspected that name was too good to be true. I mean, who in 1975 was naming their son after a cool predatory animal?

Tiger was his nickname, one that stuck a little too hard and eventually overtook the real name, Eldrick will forever remain in the shadow.

Another case of the nickname catching up and overtaking the real name, Pele is renowned worldwide as one of the greatest football players in history but very few people know Edson Arantes.

He reportedly got the name Pele from his friends making fun of him for mispronouncing "Bile", the name of his favourite player at the time.

Sadly there are not many people left from the 1940s to validate the authenticity of that story, but it does not matter too much because everyone knows who Pele is and what he has done in football.

Arguably the most famous sportsman in the history of the world Mohammad Ali's controversial name change from Cassius Clay was very well publicised.

Countless articles, stories, books and even movies have captured the full story of the then-World champion's decision to change his name from Cassius Clay to Mohammed Ali upon taking up the Islamic faith.

There were fears at the time that the name change would harm his career but if anything it made Ali even more famous and renowned.