Gimmicks Dropped After Wrestler Debuts ..

[SilverBullet1929]

Hey all... Los Matadores got me thinking of something I've always noticed and wanted to see if anyone else has ...

I like Los Matadores for what they are but damn I think they're entrance is wayy too long. I immediately said "give it a month and they'll walk right out without the slow motioning waves and without the bull's THREE runs."

This reminded me ... who can think of gimmicks, ideas, even clothing that was added to a debuting superstars character but eventually dropped. These are things that I see Vince and creative planning the character and going "hey this idea would be awesome ..." then down the line someone goes "eh let's drop it for tonight " and eventually it disappears.

Here's my first off the top of my head :

Tensai's elaborate Japanese robe and mask

Brodus Clay's entrance beginning with the lights out and the girls voices saying "ladies and gentlemen the only living breathing funkasaurus in captivity ..."

Mankind's brown wrist guards

Kane's red lighting during his matches

Max moon's jet pack

Chris Jerichos extended entrance where between the countdown and the Pyro there's darkness except for some pulsating colorful lights, check his debut for this...

Others?

 

[supernatural1981]

How about when the undertaker used to put people into body bags after his match??

I cant remember how long he did that for and did he only do it to jobbers but it sticks out in my mind

 

[Jaffa]

In more recent years for someone who is still on the rise "Hi I'm Dolph Ziggler" although that was more start of match or just before rather than entrance.

 

[Matty~!]

Dustin Rhodes completely burying the Seven character in WCW on its in ring debut night after weeks and weeks of vignettes.

The Shockmaster going from supposed superstar to bumbling buffoon when he fell through a mock wall on his debut.

 

[justtxyank]

Well there is a difference between a gimmick being dropped and the entrance being shortened.

Dustin Rhodes as Seven is the perfect example of someone who just dropped their gimmick right after debuting it. That wasn't by choice obviously, but it's still a good one.

The Giant dropped the "Son of Andre seeking revenge" aspect of his character pretty quickly, though I don't quite remember the timeline.

Barry Darsow in WCW returned under his real name in 1998 or 1999, changed to a golfing character, quickly had the name changed I think two more times in the span of 3 months.

 

[bioshock]

One that comes to mind for me is Yokozuna, early in 1993 he would have a few women standing in the ring with flowers for him, and he would throw around some salt. That all didn't last long.

 

[Matty~!]

Well there is a difference between a gimmick being dropped and the entrance being shortened.

Dustin Rhodes as Seven is the perfect example of someone who just dropped their gimmick right after debuting it. That wasn't by choice obviously, but it's still a good one.

The Giant dropped the "Son of Andre seeking revenge" aspect of his character pretty quickly, though I don't quite remember the timeline.

Barry Darsow in WCW returned under his real name in 1998 or 1999, changed to a golfing character, quickly had the name changed I think two more times in the span of 3 months.

Wasn't the whole son of Andre thing dropped before his first PPV match?

The reason I went for the Seven thing was the vignettes were obviously building to something that was going to be somewhat prominent, then Russo apparently just pulled the plug. Although I've always heard conflicting accounts on whether it was Russo canning or it was Turner higher ups that thought it was pushing the envelope too much.

 

[lil bitch Kid]

Yeah, one of the best examples, as stated, was Giant being Andre's son. A couple of others that come to mind were Austin dropping the Ringmaster, Kerwin White being dropped by Chavo right after Eddie's death, and the Majors (Hawkins and Ryder) not being brothers. The last one is really funny because they were on TV for weeks and then Vince figured out that they weren't actually brothers and scrapped the gimmick.

As stated, this is about gimmicks being dropped, not entrances changing or post match things being dropped. Taker not using body bags didn't change the gimmick. Yoko not having the Geisha girls didn't change his character.

 

[Matty~!]

Just thought of another one after justtxyank mentioned WCW in 98 and 99 was the original premise of Sandman going into WCW as a yuppy type character that was a neighbour of Raven who had turned into a spoiled brat after the break up of the flock. Just completely bizarre from WCW creative. Then ending up just inexplicably turning up as the Sandman character instead.

 

[sanefan_har]

Drew McIntyre's first 25 seconds in his entrance theme, thus solidifying his transition from superstar to superjobber

 

[SilverBullet1929]

As stated, this is about gimmicks being dropped, not entrances changing or post match things being dropped. Taker not using body bags didn't change the gimmick. Yoko not having the Geisha girls didn't change his character.

Well when I meant gimmicks I didn't mean characters totally changing. (Extreme example but to say Godfather stopped using Papa Shango's voodoo isnt what I meant)

And in this sense, entrances being shortened and/or changed can apply in some instances thought not all.

Anyways, some others I thought of today... Hunter Hearst-Helmsley's accent, Kofi Kingston's Jamaican accent, Jamie Noble and Nunzio being cousins, Carlito's name being shortened from the original "Carlito Carribbean Cool", Fandango getting upset at people pronouncing his name wrong, Dolph Ziggler introducing himself, and here's a rare one... when Shawn Michaels first dropped Jannetty and became a solo heel, his original catchphrase was "I Don't Think So!" ... he said it on the Barber Shop after destroying Jannetty and also at the 92 Rumble in a backstage interview. It was also on the sleeve of his first HBK ring jacket.

Funny note about Ziggler and the name introduction. For his first few months he had a generic stock theme with no lyrics. When he finally got a theme around June of 2009 it immediately began with "I am Perfection!" ...that both made me laugh and upset me that he spent like 7 months telling everyone he's Dolph Ziggler and suddenly his song tells me he's actually perfection. Silly thing but it made me laugh...

Also, thanks for all the great responses, glad I could bring up these memories. Keep it up!

 

[DetectiveZelix]

Chris masters elaborate entrance as the Greek God with the rob thingy and fireworks.

MVPs ridiculous bouncy house thing and countdown and fireworks.

I think that's it for now but I'm sure they'll eventually start doing it with Bray Wyatt

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

I've seen some awful things in my time, but is beyond comparison. Worst gimmick in wrestling history.

At least equal to Kizarny.

 

[Jstrike]

well the ace's and 8's no longer walk out from the back,
kane no longer has the silver mask over his ring mask,
jack swagger's push ups
justin gabriel's wings
the light's completley cutting off for jericho's entrance.
the lights use to go out before kane came out,
the shield no longer comes out when lights cut out,
sin cara dont jump over the ring anymore.
suicide/manik doesnt swing on a rope before entering the ring.

hopefully one day we can say that the uso's stops shouting before their entrance song comes on,