Enough of you have searched “women’s pro roller derby real names” to get to my blog, that — the thinker that I am — I figure you want to know about derby skater using their real names. Interestingly enough, my best friend, Mistress of the Knife — or, these days, Shevawn Innes* — recently joined Rose City Rollers’ Wheels of Justice and the home team the Heartless Heathers and plans to skate — get this — under both names.
She was kind enough to put up with me interviewing her:
You’ve been skating under Mistress of the Knife for, what, 8 years now?
I’ve been skating on and off for that long but I didn’t pick a derby name till I was with my second league. I avoided picking one in the early days of Detroit.
Why did you make a derby name?
I showed up in Nashville and they wanted me to register a derby name so they could put it on the roster. I distinctly remember saying “can I just be myself?” Man they thought I was weird. I was told I had to have a derby name. I picked Mistress of the Knife because that’s what my beloved former (ship) captain had jokingly introduced me to passengers the prior winter sailing. Then there was the awkward time of people trying to shorten it, “Mistress” felt regal and dirty at the same time — not for me. Knife… now that I can relate to.
Shevawn: “Baby, call me whatever you want” (hits jammer into infinity.)
But, to me at least, it’s always seemed that you haven’t cared what people call you. As your teammate I didn’t start calling you Knife until you moved here and then only because it’s confusing when people have two names.
I don’t care what people call me there is no difference between Knife and Shevawn. Turns out I’m the same person.
So why will you be skating under your birth name for the Wheels of Justice (travel team)?
Personally, I feel like the sport on a national — let’s also call this international — level has gotten so amazing that I’m taking huge pride in my years of hard work paying off, so much so I would like to put my family’s name on that. Am I trying to ligitamize the sport? Yeah. I want to do this for a living — for a paycheck. I wanna see derby in the Olympics. I want the “good people” and the huge sponsors to take this sport seriously and put a bunch of money into my friends’ pockets. Too legit? Too legit to quit.
So then why skate under “Mistress of the Knife” for your home team, the Heathers?
When I’m playing national derby I see myself as an ambassador for my city, my family and the sport of roller derby. I want to represent by being me. Shevawn Innes. When I’m home I’m home — I’m not an ambassador for my city if I’m in it. But I’m always an ambassador for the sport. When it comes down to it, I guess it just feels right.
What are your teammates saying about your choice?
No one has said anything. Well, except, “what should I call you?”
Do you think other people should skate under their real names?
If they want to. Everybody else can represent themselves however they want — that’s the beauty of this ever-evolving sport.
Do you think you have anything to lose by skating under your birth name?
Maybe some street cred. Maybe gain some.
*Innes rhymes with Guinness, announcers.
The Dashboard 
Shevawn’s choice makes total sense to me. If I were as great a skater as she is I’d want people to know my real name too.
With all due respect to the delight that is Shevawn/Knife, there have been a number of skaters in many leagues who have kept their derby names for home team play and used their “government” names for interleague competition. Denver (to whom you linked) is the prime example, but our friends down south at Emerald City are another.
As long as I know what to call people, I’m cool with whatever name they choose. I just gotta know so I don’t make an ass of myself when I talk to ’em.
With getting a name actually registered on two evils now taking over a year to process many of my teammates are moving to skating by their real names. after putting in for a name and waiting 7 months to see someone else get it on two evils I decided I want to skate under my real name. Plus as a kid I thought I was cursed with my last name being Slaughter but now with playing roller derby it just seems to fit.