Sharp Dressed Man

[TheOneBigWill]

Credit to the name of this thread goes to the shitfest that was ZZ Top on Monday Night Raw.

This is basically your general thread asking you to name some Professional Wrestlers you've grown up to love, from the past or present, that you've more or less grown attached to - all because of the way they debuted, or looked overall.

I'm talking specifically about their ring gear, their tights. How many people have jumped on the band wagon of a Superstar, for no other reason than they just looked flat out amazing in whatever ring gear they had? (please hold the gay overtones)

I'll list 5 specific Superstars (because our images have been raised that high. lol) in which I felt they've gotten over by their ring gear, alone.

#5. Glacier

Point blank, this guy was flat out horrible. His gimmick was a rip off straight out of a Mortal Kombat video game. (Sub-Zero) He was a failed Superstar, whos gimmick to this day I'm still not 100% sure what it was. I think a martial arts expert. period.

Regardless, upon his debut you could've had me fooled to think he'd never make it. Holy shit was this guy amazing looking. Let me just drop the setting for you. The lights went out, snow begins to fall throughout the arena, a single spotlight shines on the entrance way as Glacier is suddenly there. As he slowly walks down the aisle, the snow falling now seems like its turned into a small blizzard all blowing into the face of Glacier.

As he enters the ring, he does so by the top rope, only to leap off into the center of the ring, once again into a direct single spotlight, where he puts on a small martial arts show for everyone. And thats that. And it was only just his fucking entrance!

As for the Wrestler himself, well obviously he wasn't just a failure.. he was a massive failure so much so, that I wouldn't be a bit shocked if he ended up on the Death of W.C.W DVD, as one of their all-time worst gimmicks created. He never got any type of huge push, outside of an on-going feud with Mortis (Kanyon) and Wrath. (Brian Clark) And before you knew it, just like a snow flake, he was gone.

His entire career put aside, I'm pin-pointing his exact debut, before he was known for a failure.. just based off his look, alone. He was absolutely amazing looking, and you could've knocked me over by telling me he wouldn't of gotten somewhere at least moderately successful via his look, alone.

#4. Se7en

Another creation by W.C.W that was dead before it truly had a chance to shine. This, similar to Glacier, won me over based on entrance ALONE! Once again, I'll give you a setting.. but better yet, I'll give you the video.

[youtube]K7RLzLXDsAI[/youtube]

Tell me that shit isn't perhaps the greatest entrance in all of professional wrestling! Minus Dustin Rhodes and more or less Vince Russo fucking this entire gimmick all to shit, this was a gimmick, a character I firmly believe 100% that could've been W.C.W's answer to the Undertaker.

Now, granted it was forever more Dustin Rhodes - aka Goldust - aka Mr. I'm never going to become anything like my Father. But had they of stuck with this gimmick, and perhaps even picked a better suited individual to play the role (Vampiro, perhaps?) this character could've been fucking amazing! I mean, by leaps and bounds amazing to the likes of which we'd be talking about wanting to see the Undertaker and Se7en going head to head at a Wrestlemania.

Without a doubt, this gimmick to me was amazing. The entrance was the best I've ever seen as far as gimmick entrances go, and the look was unbelievable.

#3. Hunter Hearst Helmsley

Say what you want, Triple H may be what he is today. The Game, The Cerebral Assassin, whatever. But when he was still unknown, it was Hunter Hearst Helmsley, the Blue Blood. And his entire look, from his entrance gear, to his ring tights, down to his music was all 100% amazing.

I could've pegged this guy to become a Heavyweight Champion back then, let alone a huge star like he is today. Granted, his gimmick isn't the same now as it was then, but this was the gimmick that truly helped keep his head above water. You can lay claim to fucking the Boss's Daughter. You can call fave's on being Shawn Michaels friend. But the fact is, you couldn't of picked a better individual to play a snob.

Not even William Regal played as great of a snob as Hunter did. This man made you want to hate him, and it all began before he even walked through the curtain with that music. Now, all of that aside this is once again a thread about looks.. and with the top 5th and 4th picks being failures, this one is the first in my list that wasn't.

Hunter Hearst Helmsley made an initial name for himself, defeating the likes of Bret Hart, Mankind and The Rock. All before ever switching over to a new gimmick. When I first seen him as the snob, I thought to myself he's going to be something huge. And low and behold, he's every bit of the word "huge" in the industry, today.

#2. Rob Van Dam

When I first caught a glimpse of this guy, it was via a Monday Night Raw, against Jeff Hardy. (Neither guy was even half as big as they'd go on to become back then, though) Van Dam, regardless, was still sporting the unique tights. And thats one of the first things I locked onto.

The story behind my love of Rob Van Dam is with his in-ring work, and more or less his "spot-to-spot" match fests. Its been said if you've seen one Van Dam match, you've seen them all because he does the same moves and even in the same order. But the fact is, the guy is like watching something explode slowly. Its just awe-inspiring to sit back and watch this guy work.

And one of the great things about watching him, is he rarely ever wore the same ring gear more than once within the span of a month. Each week, it seemed like he changed his look up from new tights to new tights. That was amazing, to me.

Especially when you get the likes of Hulk Hogan, with the plain old yellow trunks. Or Steve Austin with the plain black trunks. Or even guys like Goldust, who had a colorful look - but didn't change it up once in a while. Van Dam changed his look every other match, and it kept him fresh.

From the moment on Raw that I witnessed him work, to following him through E.C.W, I thought to myself that he'd be huge anywhere - all starting with the fact that he could get over with his tights. (as well as in-ring skills)

#1. The Ultimate Warrior

I would be very remiss if I did not mention the Ultimate Warrior as being a guy, who got over 100% and got every bit of the push he did - all because of the tights he wore, and the way he looked.

While this thread, once again, is about which Superstars you've backed from the beginning - all because you felt like they had an incredible look through their ring gear, that can also include face paint. And the Ultimate Warrior (as well as Sting) was one of the only individuals I've ever known in this sport, to get so high within it - all because of the way he looked.

Warrior was so colorful, so seemingly full of energy. I loved watching this guy, and mainly, only, because he looked amazing. He never bored me with his ring gear like so many others during that time period would. He changed his look almost as much as Van Dam would, as he'd have a different looking pair of tights on each match, and different colored face paint as well.

I recall his look at Wrestlemania VII, against Randy Savage, in which he had Savage's face on one knee pad, and his on the other.. with the Heavyweight title on his backside, and the saying "Bigger than this" above it. The match was a career match. It was one of the only times, I ever recalled a Superstar promoting the actual feud and match itself, on their ring gear!

All in all, Warrior would be my personal #1, because the guy had next to no talent if any at all. But to me, I never cared. I loved the way he looked and to this day, I'd love to see him return. Shit, I loved this look so much, I tried loving the rip-off Renegade from W.C.W.

SO.. all in all, those are my top 5. You don't have to do a top list of any kind, but more or less to everyone.. what Superstars do you recall seeing for the first time.. (doesn't have to be their debut, just in general, for the first time) and thinking to yourself that they were going to (or could) be huge, all because of the way they looked through ring gear??

 

[Mr. TM]

As a kid, two names are easy to remember for what they wore to the ring. Two men that are considered the best ever in the business, brought with them some great wardrobes.

1.) Macho Man Randy Savage- The man was dressed like he was fresh from a Bananarama concert, with shades that his his eyes. Bright colours, tassels, and a great ring entrance made people look up at the stage and down at the ring to him because of thise in ring design.

2.) Ric Flair- The man with a watch that costs more than my hairs, expensive shoes, jet liners, and a wardrobe filled with some of the greatest robes made. The Nature Boy never failed to impress. I remember seeing him enter the ring with an escort of women half naked, and thought to myself, that man has style.

 

[Freddy4190]

I'm gonna have to say Shawn Michaels. Albeit, he didn't NEED the clothing for people to be impressed by him, but since this thread is about that, he definitely had the look. He always came out in the sweet-ass vests, tights, whatever else. Especially him and Marty in the Rocker-Era. When the whole Heartbreak Kid thing was in full swing he always had the coolest outfits and ring attire. So definitely HBK.

 

[Mustang Sally]

When it comes to the "I Can't Stop Watching Until I Find Out What the Bloody Hell is Going On Here" category, no one ever stirred my interest more than the introduction of Goldust. I was so mystified by the character that it even took me a few weeks to realize that Dustin Runnels was playing the role.

The "sexuality" question, the unorthodox, yet effective wrestling style, the rainstorm of gold flecks from the ceiling, the weird "Shattered Dreams" video.....and, of course, the presence of the cigar-smoking Marlena had me tuning in each week to find out what the guy was going to do next.

Goldust's WM match against Roddy Piper was the reason I bought the PPV. It featured a car chase, a back-alley brawl......and women's underwear.

How do you beat that?

When Dustin later said that no one could have played the role of Goldust better than him......I fully agreed.

 

[jmt225]

What if I told you Raven instantly became one of my favorite wrestlers by just looking at him in a magazine? Nuts, huh? But it's true.

It had to be in 1996 when I first saw him in what I think was Inside Wrestling. You know, that was the magazine that was most known for having the computer generated tournament to determine who was the best (kayfabe) wrestler in the industry at the end of every year. Anyway, I believe it was that magazine where I first saw Raven, holding the ECW Title, and like I said... I INSTANTLY became a big fan. I fucking loved his look. The way he was dressed, his hair, and just that diabolical stare he had on his face. He was the coolest wrestler I've ever seen and I could not wait to finally see him on TV.

The first time would be on Raw, before Barely Legal, where he came out during Stevie Richards match against Little Guido I believe it was. All he did was walk out and stare at the ring for a minute or two, but oh man did I mark the fuck out. And then of course, I would see him at Barely Legal, where I sort of ended up getting disappointed at the length of his match, but that was okay because just a couple of months later, not only would I end up seeing what is today my favorite match of all time in Raven vs. Tommy Dreamer at Wrestlepalooza 1997, but also Raven would debut on WCW and I would have the pleasure of watching him perform every single week. Even as just a spectator in the audience for his first few months in the company, he was still the coolest motherfucker on the show and each and every week I anticipated him finally wrestling, and it was all just because of his look. I didn't realize how great of a promo cutter he was until much later on when I would finally get my hands on some ECW tapes from 1995-1996, so it was basically just his look alone that kept me a fan for that long. That alone should speak for itself on how awesome he looked in my eyes.

Honorable mention here goes to Sting's crow look. Before that, he was still my favorite wrestler, but as the crow character, Sting just looked spectacular, and in my opinion, it was because he looked so cool that kept him over for so long without saying and doing anything besides stand in the raptors.

 

[48.7 is Approximately 49 Times Better Than You]

The Great Khali

Take a moment to look at that picture, will you? I can't be the only one that isn't astounded at the size of that man. The Great Khali stands at 7 feet, 3 inches. He's the tallest wrestler in the history of the business. If that isn't enough, Khali was billed as 420 pounds. He looks like he's been cut from the side of a mountain, and weighs four-hundred and twenty pounds. There is not another man in this world that has been as muscular as Khali at that height. He's the single most intimidating wrestler to ever step through, or rather, over the ropes.

When Khali stepped onto the stage for the first time, I knew that I would be tuning in next week to see who he was. There is no way to not want to know more about a man who looks like that, and stands two feet taller than his manager. Khali dwarfed the Undertaker in the ring, physically dominated Kane, and made Rey Mysterio look like a kid in elementary school. If anyone could capture your attention solely off of look, it's Khali.

 

[Mantaur Rodeo Clown]

Is it just me, or is that se7en promo that Dustin Rhodes cut in your video one of the greatest things ever? Like following that entrance which was just great, you had his scathing promo about WCW. He's awesome, regardless of the fact that he can never escape the shadow of Goldust or his father. Feel good stuff right?

As far as the best dressed characters in wrestling, my first is a special case in that, I didn't come to love him due to his ring attire. That's not to say that his ring attire wasn't awesome, it's just that it was terrible. WCW had a knack for designing some sweet ass costumes though, as Will has shown us with Glacier. However my pick is...

Mortis. Played by the incomparable Chris Kanyon in what can only be described in a massive failure. Apparently the looks was supposed to be "10 times scarier than the Undertaker" from what I hear. Well, there's around 10 times more skulls than necessary on an outfit, Thats for damn sure. He had brilliant feuds with the aforementioned Glacier, again supposed to be a Mortal Kombat character. Not sure who, maybe Reptile? Then he sided with Wrath. Then the nWo came along and everyone thought that was better. What a great lifespan that gimmick had.
I don't even know how I remembered this. Neon Green Skeleton with a penchant for skulls. I mean really, who wouldn't wanna wear that to a halloween party? The gangrene onesie could really bring out your eyes.

I really only had one guy to talk about, so I began searching the wonderful world wide web to find other wrestlers with outstanding ring gear. Then a thought struck me that was altogether horrendus and illuminating. I thought of Wrestlemania IX and a certain Undertaker match.

Oh yes. Giant Gonzales. This guy was just ridiculous. I mean it's not like there was much to enjoy besides his outfit. Here's my 2 cents on the issue. The cloth has muscles and toning already printed on it, and that's understandable. Not everyone can have that perfect physique. I mean they even went all out and even did the knee braces in skin colour. But they glued fake hair onto it as well. I mean was that really necessary? You already have a goddamn wilderbeest thats twice your size in front of you, why did the hair need to be added? Was regular arm hair not enough? Plus a sweet AC Slater hairdo?

Thats all I got for now. Maybe I'll get onto some more later.

 

[klunderbunker]

I can't believe this hasn't been mentioned yet, but I'm going to go with the Deadman himself, the Undertaker. Think about it. This was an era where everything was bright and happy. Ultimate Warrior was world champion, Hogan was rocking the red and yellow, and Dusty Rhodes was the opposing team captain. Instead of someone bright and flashy, we get the Undertaker. A man that walks in all black, is slow as Christmas, and is just frightening. He was completely different from the norm at the time and to this day his presence is the stuff of legend. his presence is just amazing and a lot of it comes from the look. You almost feel like the grim reaper is coming for you. How can he not be on this list?

 

[RageBattle]

Bret Hart. The pink and black just looked surprisingly good,and wearing a leather jacket and pink shades made him that much cooler, especially because he could back it up in the ring.

 

[RVDgurl]

I can't believe this hasn't been mentioned yet, but I'm going to go with the Deadman himself, the Undertaker. Think about it. This was an era where everything was bright and happy. Ultimate Warrior was world champion, Hogan was rocking the red and yellow, and Dusty Rhodes was the opposing team captain. Instead of someone bright and flashy, we get the Undertaker. A man that walks in all black, is slow as Christmas, and is just frightening. He was completely different from the norm at the time and to this day his presence is the stuff of legend. his presence is just amazing and a lot of it comes from the look. You almost feel like the grim reaper is coming for you. How can he not be on this list?

Oh you know it! I was 10 years old when the Undertaker made his debut at the Survivor Series as the mystery partner on the Million Dollar Team. The minute I saw this man, I was awe struck and completely infatuated. He was my new favorite wrestler before he even made it into the ring. At the time, his ring attire was over the top in a grim way and he was pale as the snow (not like the nice tan Taker rocks today). He was simply amazing to look at.

 

[ShockTheMonkey223]

Aside from the guys already mentioned, some I would certainly put on the list would be...

The Boogeyman

I don't care what you think of the guys wrestling ability, The Boogeyman was an awesome fucking character. I remember the first time he showed up on Smackdown. I was watching with a bunch of people and everybody in the room was like "what...the...fuck?!". He was like Papa Shango (who also had a great look, by the way) on acid. His entrance with the mass amounts of red smoke, the worms in the mouth, the random spasms...seriously. I remember once me and my friend were watching Smackdown on mushrooms and King Booker was cutting a promo that seemed to last forever and I started crying. My friend was like "dude, why are you crying?" and I was like "I just want The Boogeyman to come out".

Gangrel

Being Goth, I've always had an affinity for the darker characters and Gangrel is one of my all-time favorites. The ruffled Romantic Goth-style shirt, the fangs, the blood spewing, coming up from a pit of fire...I couldn't ask for anything more.

Mankind (original)

The original Mankind character was quite possibly the creepiest, most demented persona ever. The "home-made" style outfit, the muzzle, the mangled hair he would pull out of his head...I had never seen anything like it. And talking about entrances and such, I always found it so cool that he had a different, mellow sounding theme for when he won a match, nobody had ever had that before. Years later, Mankind became a kid-friendly joke but the original version was the shit.
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