Have we seen the End of Good Gimmick Wrestlers?

[Midgetmania619]

And I mean new good gimmick wrestlers.
The only new one with an actual gimmick I can think of is Zach Ryder, Radio DJ or something and it's slowly getting him nowhere... (you know it). But even still his gimmick isn't that great or well played out.

The only wrestlers with good gimmicks are older or skilled wrestlers. Although opinions are debatable, Punk has a good gimmick, Undertaker definitely has the best gimmick around, one of, if not the best in history, Orton's gimmick is good but he doesn't play it well, Kane's is also a great gimmick, and so forth. There are many great gimmicks that belong to older wrestlers, not young wrestlers.

A great gimmick can get new stars into main event quicker because they'll be more entertaining to fans but we really haven't seen that yet.

(New stars in WWE, I'd say since 2008. Since they don't higher that many who they actually use).

 

[The Suplexer Perfecter]

Undertaker's gimmick is the most "How the hell did that work and become so successful?" one. He debuted wearing a tie and gardening gloves. But he made it work.

It's usually said that a great gimmick would be yourself turned up on the volume which is what they said about Austin for example.

 

[shadowmaster9000]

I think it could be a touch of WWE creative as well as some wrestler's just not being able to pull off what they are given. For example, look at Daniel Bryan, before he came to the WWE he was known as the American Dragon, one of the best known indy stars and technical wrestlers on the indy scene. Now look at him. I don't even know what his gimmick is and quite frankly it makes him look stupid. Instead of going with what could work, WWE gave him something stupid that doesn't make sense. I think that some wrestlers should have a say in what sort of character that they portray. For instance, Steve Austin came up with his own gimmick and ran with it. Same thing with the Rock. And the both of them exploded onto the wrestling scene. Though there are some wrestlers who probably couldn't pull of any gimmick that they are given, they are the ones who have to portray the character on screen. And you don't want them half assing it either. At the very least, they have to enjoy what they are being given. But finding the right balance between what WWE Creative has and what the wrestler can do is the right solution.

 

[CelticCorey]

I would say no. The reason why?

"Dashing" Cody Rhodes. Some say it isn't original. Maybe it isn't; but the guy plays it so well. It's my favorite gimmick in professional wrestling today. The gimmick on paper sucks; but because Cody makes it so entertaining and is so damn good at playing the gimmick, that's why I love it.

 

[Rulk25]

No an amazingly i think NXT had a chance to have a kinda kooky but interesting one with Rat Boy Connor
Sadly the fans voted him out before boring Curtis and lame-o Saxton

I think they could have done something with him. He could have been a modern day Goldust...not modern joke Goldust but Goldust where he first appeared with the mind games and the people not even wanting to wrestle him.
Have him enter from under the ring. Do disturbing things. Mess with people's heads and pick up a mid card title along the way

But I do think in general ECW/NXT has hurt gimmicks. I mean as copy cat as they may be I so could have seen Joe Henning pull off a Perfect Gimmick, Kaval could have been a ninja bad guy just off the top of my head but instead too many are put out as
So and So generic name guy and expected to get over...how.
I mean in he 90s as stupid as a Hog Farmer or a Race Car Driver were they still got pops or heat as approp

 

[CelticCorey]

I seem to disagree. The gimmick might not make him world title worthy; but I can see him being World Title worthy if you know what I mean. I think he has shown he can play a gimmick really well. His temper tantrums when he got hit in the face, his dashing promo tips and some say he is generic on the mic; but the promo he cut on London tells me otherwise. He has the makings to be a star; and if people are going to hold are against him that he doesn't wear kneepads then seriously people have ridiculous standards.

 

[Midgetmania619]

The gimmick might not make him world title worthy; but I can see him being World Title worthy if you know what I mean.

Yes I do and it was the same with Benoit, he didn't have a world title gimmick (although he also had bad mic skills) but he was world title worthy and he just stayed in the mid card. If Cody's gimmick were one that the (near) majority of the crowd could connect to then he would be pushed faster.

Look at Dolph, he's a full-heel so despite his gimmick connecting to the crowd his characters goal is to get them to hate him. The crowd hate him in a way that they like his gimmick, if that makes any sense.

 

[manstis1804]

I would say no. The reason why?

"Dashing" Cody Rhodes. Some say it isn't original. Maybe it isn't; but the guy plays it so well. It's my favorite gimmick in professional wrestling today. The gimmick on paper sucks; but because Cody makes it so entertaining and is so damn good at playing the gimmick, that's why I love it.

I agree, that is what I came into post. He even integrates the gimmick into his matches, with his freaking out over getting hit in the face. Cody Rhodes is gold, I can't wait to see what he's doing now that Misterio destroyed his face!

 

[JohnnyAvi]

I think it depends on how gimmick you want to go? I mean...look at the ultimate warrior..his name! ultimate warrior?! if he surely was the worlds most ultimate warrior..surely the russian government would have him work for them...I do like the normal but eccentric over the top personalities though. I think with daniel bryan..he's got that no gimmick benoit just awesome wrestler thing going on and it works. However.....my personal fav is CM PUNK messiah...genius!!

 

[litarock82]

i think that vince is focusing on the modern times, in todays world no one is gonna believe in a cannabalistic man or a new deadman or a superhero, come on its all modernised, but if hhh gets into it i think he will revive it

 

[fredstephenson]

i think that vince is focusing on the modern times, in todays world no one is gonna believe in a cannabalistic man or a new deadman or a superhero, come on its all modernised, but if hhh gets into it i think he will revive it

ive never really understood the logic in that the wwe have been aiming primarlily at children for a while now and as i said in a similar post the wwe has been promoting generic oily men instead of larger then life slightly ridiculous giimicks which children would love i remember when i was a little un it was guys like the undertaker that got me hooked on wrestling i personally miss all the dumb gimmicks

 

[Alastor]

Alberto Del Rio says hi. Yes his rich arrogant gimmick is nothing new but the added touch of a personal ring announcer plus his mannerism such as his annoying smile and wink is getting him over. Kofi Kingston got over with his Jamaican gimmick before they realized he cannot fake his accent throughout his career and ditched it.

However there is some truth in that it is no longer possible to use an out of this world gimmick like the deadman anymore. The audience has moved on from that era. Gimmicks nowadays have to be based on exaggerated stereotypical personalities instead of a comic book character, hence the 'dashing' Cody Rhodes and the dangerous 'Viper' Orton.

 

[BTLion1990]

The gimmicks seem to be long gone, and new wrestlers debuting have names such as Mike Tennessy and shit like that. I want an interesting name, such as Kane, The Undertaker, The Rock, Triple H but it seems its more real sounding names instead. Therefore the gimmicks will not work.

Could you really see The Big Red Machine, Glen Jacobs. The Dead Man, The phenom Mark Calloway? It seems that gimmicks work with themes and names. It also raises questions about nicknames. ''Stone Cold'', The Texas Rattlesnake, Toughest S.O.B etc..... The Rock, The Peoples Champ, The most electrifying man in SPORTS entertainment.. Now-a-days its Kofi Kingston full stop. Alberto Del Rio full stop. Dolph Ziggler full stop. They need to go back to basics and create originals and not generics.

Take entrances for example. Kane comes out, slams his hands and fire comes from the turnbuckle. HHH with his water. Austin on four corners. The Undertakers< Enough said. Now they just come to the ring without really putting their own signatures on their entrances that make them stand out it seems. Maybe if they didn't all have rocksongs too it would make a difference, as a custom song with no words has more impact then a song that just anybody can have.

It is important to note also that there are some wrestlers who have certain different apsects of what I have mentioned, however, only one or two of them and not enough wrestlers overall have them. I realise this would cause everyone to then have the same crap which is why I am not suggesting ALL do it, just the certain few to help be an original.

Sorry to go off tangent, however, I believe with a character and gimmick more needs to be looked at.

 

[Midgetmania619]

i think that vince is focusing on the modern times

If so why haven't we really had a gadget guy? Some wrestler who's always up to date in his technology, iPods, phones, games, consoles and other crap. It would be something people could relate to and could heat up feuds, say he were recording something secretly or he rigged matches, promos or quotes?

Cody Rhode's dashing gimmick seems more 90's... maybe 80's, he's always grooming his hair. Backstage, during his entrance. It's like he's a greaser. Nobody just starts to groom their hair with a comb in that style unless they live in the past too long.

 

[DethMetal]

In WWE, people complain about superstars such as JOMO, Danielson, & Kofi's "lack of mic skills." To me, this is just absurd. We've seen that Morrison and Kofi CAN cut a promo, and does Danielson really need to talk? But for those who are as green as grass like Tyson Kidd, could the problem be that WWE doesn't have gimmicks anymore?(I won't mention TNA. They have a multitude of gimmicks, most of them just suck or don't work.)

Some guys can't talk because they're a carbon copy of everyone else(personality wise). The only gimmicks really left in WWE are Taker and Kane(and I guess if you go to his heel mannerisms, Orton). Back in the day, you had The Purity of Evil, The Undertaker... Hell, Fire, and Brimstone, Kane... the psycho, Mankind, Doink the Clown, Steve Blackman, Vampiro, Gangrel, The Immortal, Hulk Hogan, The Crow, Sting. You don't see characters like that anymore. Now every face just panders to the crowd, and the most a heel will do is a low-blow and badmouth whatever city the're in.

So is the problem not the mic skills, but the fact that we don't have characters anymore??

 

[Jason Scene]

I think WWE have realized that they have to stay with a sense of realism these days. I'd imagine even having a "Deadman" is a bit of a stretch for them, but even still, the thing I think with WWE now is they're handing these guys their gimmicks, but instead they've reverted them and they're now more known as personas.

John Morrison's persona is that he's the "Prince of Pocuar(sp?)" He can do that crazy shit, like climbing onto the roof of the cell or what he did to stay in the Royal Rumble.

Bryan Danielson's gimmick, is what its always been, he has an in-ring gimmick. He capitalizes on peoples mistakes and makes them tap-out, Dave Laguna posted a blog about this not too long ago, that's how WWE want him to be perceived.

Then you get the odd character stuck in there. I mean, Tyler Reks is a psycho, just not a very good one. Randy Orton has "The Viper", 'I hear voices in my head' thing going on for him. We had the super narsisstic Chris Jericho, and the Mexican Artocrast, Alberto Del Rio. Santino Marella is the comedy guy, but he has a foreigner gimmick on him.

So, I think that the gimmick are still there, but their just personalities. I don't think WWE actually want to have goofy shit going on anymore, they want everyone to have a personality but realism always there in everyone.

 

[@smarkmouth]

I wouldn't call WWE's distance from the traditional gimmick a bad thing. They haven't just stepped away from gimmick, they've also stepped toward character.

Take CM Punk for example. Yes, he falls into a "better-then-you" heel archetype, but his character has evolved into something unique now, and you can't just pigeonhole him into the straight edged savior anymore. The same evolution can be noted in Cena, Orton, Triple H, The Rock, JBL, and many others. In fact, JBL is another great example. Debuting his recognized gimmick as an over the top capitalist, eventually turning into the 'wrestling god'.

Following these lines, consider Alberto del Rio. If anything, I'd call what he has a gimmick. It works for now, but if he is to stick around, WWE will need to evolve his character as well.

The thing about the gimmick is, on paper so to speak, they can be switched up between wrestler A and wrestler B. Meanwhile a character is something developed, nuanced, and truly belongs to the performer. And ultimately, it makes money.

 

[MaxSteel]

Well, the first thing I wanted to say is that Randy Orton is quite a "new" superstar. While he may look like a seasoned veteran, remember he's not even 30 yet. He's quite young, and even younger is his current gimmick which started just 1.5 years ago or so (when he returned to WWE, "Viper" was his new gimmick replacing the older "Legend Killer").

Second, Punk is has also only been given a real gimmick relatively recently - before his heel turn, he didn't make any emphasis on "Straight End", and didn't really show any personality, even during Championship reigns. Yet at his heel turn he had the "Straight Edge means I'm better than you" gimmick, and went on to have many extremely good gimmicks since than. Remember, his first meaningful gimmick was born only ~1.5 years ago, not earlier.

Third, for the most recent gimmicks..
Daniel Brian actually does have a solid gimmick, and in my opinion he's executing it to perfection. Daniel Brian's gimmick eventually comes down to "You dont have to be cool to be a good wrestler" - he is a nerdy personality (keyfabe), yet he's still great in the ring, has charisma and (keyfabe) has the girls interested in him. You may not like his gimmick, but I think it's a pretty good gimmick compared to many others I've seen.
Alberto Del Rio - "Mexican Aristocrat" is a very, very good gimmick. His gimmick a mix of what JBL and (RIP) Eddie Guerrero, and hell, it's one of the most successful gimmicks I've seen in quite some time. I'm not going to say it's just the gimmick who makes Del Rio a great wrestler, but it certeinly helps making him more interesting.
Finally, "Dashing" Coddy Rhodes has (or had) a pretty good, and he was certeinly entertaining with that gimmick.

So no, I don't think the gimmicks died out at all at the current age. The gimmicks are more realistic, but it by no means mean they are worse than some old "super heroes", "cannibals" and etc.

 

[MrPierrini]

@litarock, I couldn't agree more, that wrestling gimmicks have adjusted to the modern world and they have become much more believable. I think the change is also partly because we all now know it is fake whereas back then a lot of people thought it was real.

 

[Mr. HD]

No an amazingly i think NXT had a chance to have a kinda kooky but interesting one with Rat Boy Connor
Sadly the fans voted him out before boring Curtis and lame-o Saxton

I think they could have done something with him. He could have been a modern day Goldust...not modern joke Goldust but Goldust where he first appeared with the mind games and the people not even wanting to wrestle him.
Have him enter from under the ring. Do disturbing things. Mess with people's heads and pick up a mid card title along the way

But I do think in general ECW/NXT has hurt gimmicks. I mean as copy cat as they may be I so could have seen Joe Henning pull off a Perfect Gimmick, Kaval could have been a ninja bad guy just off the top of my head but instead too many are put out as
So and So generic name guy and expected to get over...how.
I mean in he 90s as stupid as a Hog Farmer or a Race Car Driver were they still got pops or heat as approp

Sounds like The Boogeyman lol

But I would like to see another Pirate Character. I don't know how creative messed up Pirate Paul, but I'd like to see a Pirate gimmick back in the WWE. A Captain, his first mate, his wench, even a little parrot on his shoulder. It's the little things that get people into it.

Hell, I'll even tolerate a Spirit Squad 2.0

 

[Disaster Master]

I would agree that most of the gimmicks are dead but i think a few new stars have some good gimmicks that they need to better work on and some with potential.

Sheamus=Celtic Warrior= NEW TRIPLE H - So ya Sheamus is pretty much the new Triple H (Im sure people will have their thoughts on that) He does it well so far and is rising with it even tho he is currently on a downfall because of Kevin Dunn doesnt like him which is BS, hopefully in time he will rise again and he could have a really great gimmick, being King of the Ring Celtic Warrior (HMM? Triple H is King of Kings also Cerebral Assassian)

Dolph Ziggler has a Mr.Perfect gimmick he could work on considering his entrance theme is "I AM PERFECTION!" He is on the rise although he is currently in a "FIRED" storyline (yea its obvious he will be back)

Those are the only 2 new stars right now i cant think of with a solid gimmicks, Drew McIntrye DID go with the Chosen One but thats pretty much been destroyed, something needs to be done there, idk. Dashing Cody Rhodes is OK i just dont care for Cody Rhodes and would rather see Ted Jr getting his push. But yea, nobody else new really has a gimmick to work off of