Inspired by a conversation with a friend after watching GOTG 3 about how far Batista has come from being a Deacon for D-Von Dudley's dumb and short lived preacher gimmick to star of a billion dolar franchise. What other wrestlers had shytty gimmicks early in their career and ended up being huge in spite of them? Nash as the fictional land of OZ immediately comes to mind. Three count too, although none of the members went on to have main event level careers, Shane Helms did pretty well for himself and will probably be in the HOF eventually. I'd say maybe Hollywood Blonde Steve Austin, but he actually seemed cool at the time. Aldo Montoya the Korean manowar would be a good example if Justin Credible didn't also fukking suck. I'm sure there's plenty I'm forgetting, who you got?
Bad first gimmicks
- Thread starter 907
- Start date
Riley Escobar
GOAT
Oz
Ringmaster Steve Austin
Isaac Yankem
Max Moon
Spirit Squad Nicky
Diamond Studd Scott Hall
Sexual Chocolate Mark Henry
Dingo Warrior
Master Blaster Sting
Rockabilly
The Roadie
Ringmaster Steve Austin
Isaac Yankem
Max Moon
Spirit Squad Nicky
Diamond Studd Scott Hall
Sexual Chocolate Mark Henry
Dingo Warrior
Master Blaster Sting
Rockabilly
The Roadie
Hall is basically my GOAT, but I thankfully never had to see him as yhe Diamond Studd. As far as Road Dogg and the Assman, I'd argue that they always sucked. shyt, my favorite Billy Gunn run is his current one in AEW. Isaac Yankem is a great pick that I somehow forgot, maybe because it's so far removed from what he ended up becoming with Kane. Max moon? Nah I disagree, Konan was never over pre joining the NWO. Take away the Wolfpac association and his catchphrases and dude would have been a Saturday Night midcarder/ Thunder jobber/ Nitro security guard.
I'd argue that Rocky Miavia to The Rock was more tweaking an existing gimmick on the fly over time than a whole ass different gimmick (same deal with Corporate Rock to Hollywood Rock), but I definitely can't argue that one worked and one didn't. He was still using Miavia after he joined the NOD though, and basically narrated the change himself week by week. Most wrestlers, at least the ones I'm thinking of for this thread, had to pretend to be a whole ass different person. It's not like Diesel came out and clowned the OZ gimmick, or The Godfather acknowledged being Papa Shango or Kama the ultimate fighter or whatever his name was. shyt, even DX Billy Gunn was presented as a different dude than Smokin Gunns Billy was, same with "The Roadie" Jesse James. They may have kept the names, but their entire presentation changed instantly and their past work in the fed was never mentioned, as far as I remember.
Triple H debuted in WCW as Terra Ryzing.
Not sure how I forgot this, other than not having seen it that I can remember. I DO remember Haitch as the sidekick to Regal in the Blue Bloods though, that's plenty bad enough for me.
Riley Escobar
GOAT
Fair, I guess I was thinking about his runs on TV in the states.
Is he really that big down there though, or is that who he portrays himself to be? I've spent time in Mexico and talked wrestling with a couple dudes I bought Lucha masks from, his name never came up when we talked Mexico's GOATS.
Cattle Mutilation
Superstar
Whatever the fukk TNA did with Okada
CBoz
We Are NXT!
Batista was Leviathan before he was even Deacon Batista. But that was OVW so it wasn't main roster.
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Tres Leches
Empire Business
Before Kane was Isaac Yankem, he was the fake Diesel when WWF made a fake Razor and Diesel after Hall and Nash went to WCW
Wild how Gorilla was name dropping Kevin Nash on WWF tv like that
Na I think Isaac yankem was before fake diesel but not 100% sure