The Contentious Ten 01.16.12: Top 10 Gimmicks That Beat the Odds

Hello, and welcome to The Contentious Ten! My name is Nick Bazar, and I thank you for clicking.

Brodus “The Funkasaurus” Clay debuted last week to extremely mixed results. Some think the gimmick is a nice change of pace that should provide some fun television; others think it will be bad for his career in the long run. For what it’s worth, I LOVED the debut, and look forward to watching what kind of feuds they involve him with. It also got me to thinking about my column this week. Some gimmicks just feel destined for failure right out of the gate. Hmmm, Mantaur for example. In that case, the gimmick never worked and it was scratched right away. Other times, the wrestler behind the gimmick somehow makes it work. They take what could be a potentially career-tarnishing character, and turn it into something they and everyone watching can be proud of. This list looks at such gimmicks. Gimmicks that made it despite serious doubts. And so, the Top Ten Gimmicks That Beat the Odds…

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“Adorable” Adrian Adonissize=6>

Here is a man whose wrestling career is largely defined by one gimmick. That’s not a knock at all- just the opposite, it’s a testament to how memorable that one gimmick became. When most fans think of the name Adrian Adonis, the first thing that comes to mind is the pink attire, the makeup and the accessories. They think of “The Flower Shop” and his feuds against guys like Junkyard Dog and Roddy Piper. Good for him too, because the “Adorable” gimmick is one that could have gone either way. Would the fans accept him as a heel and respond with boos at the mere sight of him? Or would they not buy into his act, finding it a waste to the product? Fortunately, the former proved to be true, and the company got quite a bit of work out of the gimmick. Not only that, but his quirky, over-the-top approach to the androgynous character obviously inspired several other gimmicks that came after him such as Rick “The Model” Martel and Goldust.

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Rikishisize=6>

Rikishi is a man that came to the minds of many wrestling fans this past week when Brodus Clay made his highly anticipated debut on Raw. In this past week, I’ve read differing opinions on what that comparison means for Clay. Some remember Rikishi in a positive light as a very popular character during the WWF’s most popular era. Others remember Rikishi as a wasted mid-card act whose comical dancing gimmick left him damaged for a main event run. That second opinion is overly negative the way I see it, and I easily side with the positive view of Rikishi’s career. You have to keep in mind- not every character that gets TV time on any wrestling show will be a main eventer. There’s nothing wrong with being a consistently entertaining mid-card attraction- some aren’t even lucky enough to get that, so it all depends on how you execute what you’re given to work with. In the case of Rikishi, he was handed a light-hearted, high-energy dancing gimmick. What did he do with it? Well, he became a memorable figure in the Attitude Era that people still remember today. He took what could have potentially been a career dagger and turned it into a character that always managed to get a reaction out of fans.

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Doink the Clownsize=6>

Imagine this: After years of building your wrestling résumé in smaller organizations across the country, you finally make it to the WWE. You’re excited about the thought of entertaining millions on a weekly basis, and eagerly anticipate the wrestling persona that will be pitched your way. Then, you come to find out that you will be a clown with green hair who annoys his opponents and fans with gags. And it’s not a family friendly clown that can get you over with little kids and win you merchandise sales; it’s an evil clown. In the hands of many wrestlers out there, the results likely wouldn’t be very favorable. However, for Matt Osborne- the man who was originally handed the Doink the Clown gimmick- it became a way by which to leave his name on the industry. The Doink gimmick could have easily flopped and been on its way out the door in a matter of weeks. Instead, Osborne perfected the character to the point where it became a big part of the product at the time, earning him a couple of memorable Wrestlemania appearances, and some big time matches against the likes of Bret Hart and Mr. Perfect.

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“Doctor of Thuganomics” John Cenasize=6>

If I were to come up with a list of wrestling gimmicks that I thought would be instant successes, a “hip” rapper from West Newbury, Massachusetts would certainly be nowhere near it. How is it possible that a Vanilla Ice wannabe character would catapult the career of the biggest star in wrestling today? Well that’s exactly what happened when John Cena adopted the “Doctor of Thuganomics” gimmick shortly after his debut on Smackdown. This is another gimmick that could have easily sunk just as far as it ended up swimming, yet somehow, Cena made it work. For whatever reason, after initially being introduced as a heel, crowds started to connect with his personality and the way he carried himself. Instead of quickly dismissing him as a poser, they accepted him and began to make him a star. If it had been any other guy behind the gimmick, like say Bull Buchannan, his career would have been dead in the water after a couple of appearances. Instead, he grew to the point where he was awarded with the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 21, and the rest is history.

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Zack Rydersize=6>

When Zack Ryder first introduced his fist pumping, Jersey Shore-ish gimmick on ECW, the first reaction of many fans was a collective groan. One of the main complaints- and it’s a complaint that some fans still hold today- was that it wasn’t a character that had the opportunity for any long-term success. It was too “gimmicky,” too over-the-top and not serious enough. After a few months, the WWE seemed to begin to think the same thing, and he was quickly made a non-factor in the brand, appearing here and there on random episodes of Superstars. What followed was a YouTube show where Ryder continued to work on all aspects of his character. Slowly but surely, fans started to hop on the Ryder bandwagon; they started to accept the gimmick. The catchphrases, his personality, the fact that he was a complete nerd and goofball- it all came together for those watching and they became diehard Ryder fans. He was their guy. Now he represents the WWE as its United States champion. Ryder became the character, connected with fans in a way no one else had before him and saved the gimmick from a short and forgettable existence.

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“Common Man” Dusty Rhodessize=6>

Dusty Rhodes’ “Common Man” gimmick in the WWF is another character that came to the minds of wrestling fans when Brodus Clay debuted. It’s also another sign that Clay obviously still has hope. You know that imaginary list of golden wrestling gimmicks I brought up before? Let me tell you, a big fat guy in yellow polka dots sure as hell wouldn’t make that list either, but damn did Dusty Rhodes make it work. It just goes to show you that pretty much any gimmick can be successful if given to the right person. Thanks to Dusty’s undeniable charisma and his highly likeable personality and charm, he pulled it off. Don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t going to become a main eventer in the WWF with the Common Man character, but he did take the gimmick as far as it could possibly go, including a notable feud with Randy Savage which culminated in a showdown at Wrestlemania VI. Not bad for a gimmick that could have bombed.

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Dolph Zigglersize=6>

Remember when the Dolph Ziggler gimmick was first introduced? This bleach blonde haired guy would walk around backstage and randomly present himself to various wrestlers with “Hi, I’m Dolph Ziggler.” That was it. I know my first reaction was something along the lines of “Man, I doubt this guy lasts longer than Rob Conway.” I mean, it was pretty bad. Then he finally got in the ring and my tone changed a little bit. The guy could actually go. Still, he stuck around in limbo for quite some time, but you could tell he was developing the character along the way. His mannerisms, little details he would add to his matches to stand out- he was carefully trying to find out who he was. The WWE didn’t give up on him, and began using him more and more as the months went along. It was refreshing to see how successfully his development was coming along. In fact, it was coming along so well that fans began to compare him to Mr. Perfect- a huge compliment to be sure. Then in 2011, he had a breakout year where he really separated himself from the pack with some consistently great and unique mic work, and phenomenal in-ring performances. Simply put, he saved this character through meticulously hard work.

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Umagasize=6>

It was an absolute joy to watch Eddie Fatu perform as Umaga. What could have, and probably should have, ended up as a standard stereotypical “Samoan monster” wrestling gimmick was elevated to heights many doubted it would ever reach when he first debuted in 2006. As with other gimmicks on this list, I didn’t really have much long-term hope for the Umaga character in the beginning. But then I began to really watch him take on that role. The way he would spout out a made up foreign language; the creepy way his eyes would stalk his opponent as if he was looking at a piece of meat; and the incredible agility he displayed in the ring for a man of his size- it was fascinating. He immersed himself in the Umaga character whenever he was out in front of the audience, and the payoff was one of the best Samoan gimmicks in the history of wrestling. When you consider the number of Samoan/Islander gimmicks we’ve seen throughout the years, that’s quite the accomplishment. It’s hard not to respect the impact he had on the industry for the relatively short time he was in it.

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Goldustsize=6>

Earlier, I mentioned the name Goldust when talking about “Adorable” Adrian Adonis. I’ll say it right here: no one has done a better job with an eccentric, androgynous wrestling gimmick than Dustin Rhodes did with Goldust. Perhaps more so than any other gimmick on this list, the Goldust gimmick could have equaled a ruined wrestling career. Had it not gotten over the way it did, I don’t think any kind of repackaging or makeover could have gotten the strong scent of the Goldust character off of him. And considering the time period during which the gimmick was introduced, it could have easily been aborted within weeks. However, Dustin knew exactly what he was doing; he didn’t show any signs of being apprehensive about the drastic gimmick change. Really though, with a character like that, there is no way you can hold back or be apprehensive. You have to go all out with it, and that’s exactly what Dustin did. It was a bold move on the part of both the WWF and Dustin, but it proved to be a smart one. It’s the reason Goldust has had so many different and successful runs with the WWF/E during such different times and eras. It’s pretty extraordinary that he managed to make the gimmick work pre-Attitude Era, during the Attitude Era and well into the 2000s as well.

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The Undertakersize=6>

At best, The Undertaker gimmick should’ve been a short-lived, mid-card heel act that was around for a couple of feuds to put over upcoming babyfaces. Seriously, on paper, it’s the same kind of campy gimmick that did guys like Nailz and Duke “The Dumpster” Droese in quickly. Luckily, he was presented in a bit more serious light than some of his failed colleges, and he himself had something that they obviously lacked. Since his debut all those years ago, he’s always had that “it” factor. It’s something you can’t calculate, something you can’t teach. It’s what made a 20+ year run possible without fans getting burned out on him. There is no reason that a gimmick like “The Undertaker” should have lasted as long as it did and as successfully as it did other than for the fact that they gave it to the right person. Here we are in 2012, and Taker is still the most well-liked and respected performer in the business. That’s an amazing accomplishment, and gets my vote for the number one gimmick that beat the odds.