Where have all the gimmicks gone?

[jontabs]

Looking at the WWE today, some may like it, some may not. I do prefer the pre-Attitude and the Attitude eras, but then again, it's pro-wrestling, I still watch it on occasion.

One thing I've noticed about the latest WWE product, would be the lack of true gimmicks. Really, I can only count a handful of original, unique gimmicks being used today. A good gimmick, for me, would encompass, the look, the mannerisms, and of course, the finishing move. Everything has to tie up for the gimmick to work. Undertaker is the perfect example for this.

For example, back in the day. You had gimmick's like Bret "THE HITMAN" Hart. As "the Hitman", he had the leather jacket as part of the entrance attire and the original all black, round shades. He had a finisher called "The Sharpshooter" which fit in with the The Hitman gimmick. So you see, the gimmick back then was encompassing. From the look, the music, the finishers, everything.


What about today? Let's take everbody's favorite topic of conversation, The Miz. What is the Miz's gimmick? If you say "arrogant heel", that's not a gimmick, that's a role which he plays. What does "Skull Crushing Finale" have to do with being "an arrogant heel"? I'm not bashing the Miz or anything, i just fail to see his gimmick.

Another example is Randy Orton. What is his gimmick right now? The cool anti-hero? Once again that's the role. What's his gimmick exactly? And Wade Barret? Why is his finisher called "The Wasteland" again? That's right, nobody knows.

As a contrast, King Seamus has a great gimmick with the Celtic Warrior/King, plus his finishers fit in with it (Brouge Kick, High cross). CM Punk HAD a great gimmick with the SES as the straight edge messiah, but now, I;m not so sure.

There are still a few interesting gimmicks in the WWE don't get me wrong. Most of them are rehashed or forced though. Cody Rhodes, Alberto Del Rio, Ziggler, all have good gimmicks but they're rehashed in some way or form.


I guess what I'm trying to say is, where are all the gimmicks? Everybody is starting to look and act like each other. Pro wrestling has always been about faces and heels, but the individuality of said faces and heels is getting lost. Everybody acts cocky or heroic and they all wear the same generic black or colored tights. No one stands out anymore, except for the established stars.

I dunno, but i miss the days of unique gimmicks for almost all wrestlers, even though some gimmicks were downright ridiculous (Man Mountain Rock, Duke The Dumpster Dorese, The Repo Man, goodtimes, goodtimes hahahaha) What do you guys think?

 

[sXe_Factor]

I agree entirely. I think that a good gimmick can be the thing that elevates a star to the top.
The best example I can think of, would be The Undertaker.

Someone like Tyler Reks could easily take on a gimmick and become a big star... have him be a huge metal-head, or something... Rename his finisher the "Driving Riff", or "Power Chord".

One point I would like to disagree with you on, though,
Randy Orton does have a gimmick, albeit rehashed from Jake Roberts. and a little from Stone Cold.
The Viper. He's quick to anger, and quick to strike, and most importantly,you can never trust a snake.

 

[Ultra Awesome]

I don't see what you are talking about. All the gimmicks are right there in front of you. You said Randy Orton has no gimmick—that’s wrong. Or have you forgotten that Randy Orton is the Viper? Randy Orton’s gimmick is that he’s a demented maniac and will do anything to get what he wants.

Then there’s Edge, the Rated R Superstar/Ultimate Opportunist. He will do whatever it takes to get what he wants and upon seeing an opportunity, he will grasp it and take it. Rey Mysterio—the ultimate underdog who always manages to come out on top. Alberto Del-Rio, the cocky Mexican who’s better than you. Dashing Cody Rhodes who’s more dashing than you’ll ever be. Ted Dibiase, an incredibly rich asshole. The Undertaker, the deadman. Goldust, the insane freak. And who could forget, our hero--John Cena: Hustle, Loyalty, Respect.

Yea, I seriously do not see what you are talking about. At the top of my head, I already named about 7 gimmicks. I know I could go on, but that should be enough proof that the gimmicks are there and that they've always been there.

 

[jontabs]

Point well taken, Mr. Awesome. All those you mentioned do have gimmicks. But if you noticed my OP, I acknowledged them as well. Taker, Alberto Del Rio, Cody Rhodes, Goldust, nice of you to point him out.

However, since when was "Hustle, Loyal, Respect" a gimmick? That's the guys tag line. And for Randy Orton. He's "The Viper" I get it, but really, is what he's doing now any different from his "Legend Killer" days?

I think most people tend to misconstrue "gimmicks" with "monikers" and "roles". So Rey Mysterio's gimmick is "being the underdog"? Really? That's more like his ROLE as I've previously stated.

You want an example of a gimmick? Chris Jericho back in WCW, was the man of "1,004 Holds" That was a great gimmick. But his role was arrogant, cowardly, heel.

Most of the established stars don't need gimmicks really, or they can stray away from their gimmicks given how over they are with the crowd. However, I'm talking about the new guys. The McIntyres, Barrets, Miz, Daniels, of the WWE. Sure they get monikers like "must see champ", "chosen one", "internet darling" but do they act within that gimmick? They all act the same in the end.

 

[jontabs]

I agree entirely. I think that a good gimmick can be the thing that elevates a star to the top.
The best example I can think of, would be The Undertaker.

Someone like Tyler Reks could easily take on a gimmick and become a big star... have him be a huge metal-head, or something... Rename his finisher the "Driving Riff", or "Power Chord".

One point I would like to disagree with you on, though,
Randy Orton does have a gimmick, albeit rehashed from Jake Roberts. and a little from Stone Cold.
The Viper. He's quick to anger, and quick to strike, and most importantly,you can never trust a snake.

Hahahaha a metal-head gimmick would be somewhere along the lines of Man mountain rock. I like the finisher names though.

Point taken sir. See my previous post about my thoughts on Orton, I never did get what the WWE did with him after the "Legend Killer" days

 

[daddyJ_t]

actually the man mountain rock reference would be way off, more like an old heavy metal van hammer from the old dubya c dubya days. i truly do miss the old days when jake actually had a snake, and the mdm ted dibiase shoved money in peoples mouth. i believe the last real gimmick was muhammad hussan and he was pulled due to the terrorist tactics over seas. and when i mean real gimmick, i mean jus as the thread starter posted, dressed the part, acted the part and everything. i mean who actually would have believed the guy was actually italian? pardon the sensitivity, but great gimmick, it was classic all the way back to iron shiek, the bolshiviks, traitor sgt slaughter. its corny yes, but very timeless. you jus dont see that shit anymore. you get john smith portraying steve brown with the nickname "flavor of the week" or whatever crap is trying to be forced on us. some of the rehashes r kinda cool. dashing cody rhodes= rick the model martel rehashed but he plays the part well. bad example... jeff hardy=the rainbow haired warrior? or charismatic enigma? get a flippin clue. that shits not a gimmick. so yes, i agree, give me the blue blazers, and headbangers, and hell even the oddities. at least they were fun to watch.

 

[Lykkekage]

Actually most of those guys have gimmicks

McIntyre - He is the chosen one, the guy that Mr. McMahon thinks is gonna be a world champion some day, he showed that gimmick in his feud with Teddy Long/Kofi Kingston/Matt Hardy, where he had the power backstage, to suspend Matt Hardy and change decisions that Teddy Long had made. He also had the power to take the IC title back from Kofi Kingston during that feud

Barrett - He has a gimmick as well, he is (was) the leader of Nexus, a stable that wanted to take over the WWE, because they hated the WWE officials backstage, that is his gimmick

Daniel Bryan - His gimmick is basically a nerd, who likes to read books, he is a vegetarian and so on. But the girls still like him (The Bella Twins) and he is an internet darling, who Michael Cole believes only has success because he has fans on the internet. Im not saying its a good gimmick, but its a gimmick


Randy Orton - What he is different from his Legend Killer days, is that he is more aggressive, when he goes into that "zone" where he gives you the scoop slam, the ddt, the backbreaker and finally the RKO. And like someone already said, you cant trust a snake

Cena - His gimmick is simply a rolemodel for kids, that you can make your dream come true and all that crap. Another part of his gimmick is that he has a passion for the US soldiers and likes to compete in front of em

 

[DForce]

Yeah, where have the gimmicks gone? I agree. Everyone is basically the same, wearing the same black tights. These days it seems to be all about the performer's actual personality, but quite honestly, not many have personality. Cena has personality and a bit of acting skill, so he's good. What makes The Miz's personality work is that he's simply being himself--a whiney nerd getting back at a society that's been tough on him.

Now, let's discuss the existing gimmicks and their flaws. Let's start with R-Truth. He's so generic, almost more so than Crime Tyme was. What'll make Truth's gimmick work is to make him a true street thug heel. (By the way, hire more black writers WWE.) Now, Drew Macintyre is the "chosen one"; his music and entrance oozes with chosen oneness. But his gear is boring; lame tights and boots attire. Come on. At least adorn him lavishly. Cody Rhodes gimmick is cool; I guess. But hell, he should wear one of those goofy basketball mask to the ring to protect his face.

In closing, I think gimmicks are cool. What doesn't make sense to me is that WWE has moved into this PG erra, yet they've done away with the most childish, yet necessary, part of prowrestling--the gimmick. Furthermore, look at this world we currently live in. There's so much material out there. But you know what? A drug dealer doesn't care about the addict: although the addict pays the dealer's bills, the dealer slaps and spits on the addict because the dealer knows that the addict is coming back for more. That's Vince's mentality. Let ratings drop, and then we'll get what we want.

 

[Mizfit444]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Zack Ryder, a obnoxious, loud-mouth, ladies man, moronic, douchebag. Thats not meant to be critical, i'm actually a big fan of Ryder and the gimmick. Yea you can say its a role being played, but thats true of all gimmicks, from the Undertaker to Duke Droese the Garbage Man, as awful as that was. I think differentiating between gimmick and role is a mistake here, in fact i think whats being missed here is the obviousness of gimmicks. Lets face it this isn't the mid-ninties, we don't have Garbagemen, Washed-up hockey players, Clowns, and and homeless street thugs (Brooklyn Brawler in case anyone's wondering who i'm talking about). The fact is the gimmicks are less cartoony, and in this pg era i'm thankful for it. So i say the gimmicks haven't gone anywhere, in fact the there but you have to look a little deeper, and put the cartoony gimmicks of past in the rear-view mirror. Maybe i'm wrong, if anyone disagrees fine, tell me why, i'll listen.

 

[TheRKOViper]

I agree that most all gimmicks have disappeared. More wrestlers are becoming more and more alike.

Randy Orton is my personal favorite, but the "Viper" is not a gimmick. It is more like a personality. That is what everything is turning into. All of these wrestlers get over based on personality.

When I was growing up everyone had gimmicks. There were tag matches between the Legion of Doom, the Headshrinkers, Smoking Gunns, Demolition, the Godwinns, Headbangers, Oddities. All of these teams had GIMMICKS. THEY ALL PLAYED A PART. Now people just play personalities which has really killed off gimmicks.

Being angry and snakelike isn't a gimmick. It's an emotion and a part of a personality.

I do miss gimmicks.

 

[Mr_billy]

I get what the original poster is saying, I was looking to get into wrestling once upon a time, (I was hit by a car and my knees never were right since) But i came up with several gimmicks that would have been awesome. Gimmicks are gone, there are roles, but not any really good gimmicks. I would like to see a gimmick like "The DUde" a laid back guy who naps and grills in the parking lot, and wrestles when he is forced to. Or a Scandinavian metal guy who just likes pain, or a "SUperfanesque" guy from Chicago. Then when someone has a Gimmick, "Super Cena" people complain, eventhough it is his gimmick as superface.

 

[Rasha]

You want an example of a gimmick? Chris Jericho back in WCW, was the man of "1,004 Holds" That was a great gimmick. But his role was arrogant, cowardly, heel.

That wasn't really Jericho's gimmick. He only used that "1,004 Holds" nickname briefly as a mockery of Dean Malenko during their epic feud. His actual gimmick was the "Lionheart" monicker with the finishers like "The Lionsault" and "The Lion Tamer" (old name for Walls of Jericho). But once he he turned heel, even though he keps those move names, he really transcended any gimmick and was simply Chris Jericho the cocky, whining heel with a conspiracy victim complex.

That's one point that I think your post has to give attention to; some guys have a gimmick but grow out of it to become just an entity of their own making. Look at Triple H; started as the snobbish "Hunter Hearst Helmsley," then adopted the DX gimmick, then really just became his own man as Triple H. There's been no real gimmick to him for over a decade now. He's had different nicknames like "Cerebral Assassin," "King of Kings," and of course "The Game," but none of those are a fully-packaged GIMMICK like you've talked about.

Just as an observation, I think this whole movement toward a less gimmicky wrestling really began with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. They left the "Diesel" and "Razor Ramon" stuff behind when they went to WCW and simply used their real names while adding a whole new element of "reality" to wrestling.
"Buying tickets" to bypass security, the massive backstage beatdowns, the genuine fear/shock that the whole Outsiders angle was presented with... just seems like this is where it began. Of course you could argue that "The Outsiders" was their gimmick which eventually blended into the nWo, but they just strike me as the pioneers of this new age of characters.

 

[Shakin' Abe]

As wrestling has evolved, so have the fans. Gimmicks are a thing of the past. The cartoon era of wrestling is long gone. Now when you see a gimmick wrestler come in, he/she is not taken very serious and just fades away and has to be re-packaged. Undertaker and Goldust are just a few examples of what's left in mainstream wrestling. Could you imagine how these characters would be mocked right out of the ring if starting today? Look at Robbie and Cookie. They won't mean dick until they are re-packaged or let go by TNA.

 

[FreezeIzGAWD]

Just as an observation, I think this whole movement toward a less gimmicky wrestling really began with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. They left the "Diesel" and "Razor Ramon" stuff behind when they went to WCW and simply used their real names while adding a whole new element of "reality" to wrestling.
"Buying tickets" to bypass security, the massive backstage beatdowns, the genuine fear/shock that the whole Outsiders angle was presented with... just seems like this is where it began. Of course you could argue that "The Outsiders" was their gimmick which eventually blended into the nWo, but they just strike me as the pioneers of this new age of characters.

I actually miss Gimmicks... Did U guys forget when RICKY STEAMBOAT actually came 2 the ring BREATHING FIRE as the DRAGON! "MR. PERFECT" was a Gimmick! DEMOLITION was a Gimmick!!! COOL! I actually agree with this reader though! I honestly think HALL and NASH ended gimmicks... In all honesty if U reamember VINCE himself said that once! He told the WWE he had dropped the ball with guys such as MINOTAUR and MAX MOON and was going 2 go more REALISTIC to adjust with the times. The funny thing is if he is going PG then he should go back 2 GIMMICKS! That is what sold in the PRE-ATTITUDE era and since we are now in an era even more conservative.. (EVEN HOGAN BLED IN MATCHES) then we need the return of GIMMICKS!!!

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

Maybe gimmicks have changed, now its more about the superstar themself.. It's all about the type of character each superstar has.. Gimmicks back in the day were good, and they stood out more because they were like cartoon characters e.g. Gangrel and we had more use of face paint head bangers, mideon.. (sorry my heads kinda blank ryt now!).. But I think this way its kinda better because we get to see the real character behind the superstar..

 

[Matisyahu]

The days of gimmicks are gone and have been since Vince McMahon made the speech on a mid 90's Monday Night Raw declaring the inception of the Attitude Era saying that the days of "good guys vs bad guys" and "over the top characters" were over.

I dont think we will ever see a return to the days where the wrestlers played characters with costumes and moves that fit into a particular theme. For example look at The Undertaker he has the funeral dirge music, Tombstone Piledriver, etc. that all ties into the Deadman theme I mean granted his character has evolved over time but you get the point. Other than Taker and guys like Goldust and Kane there are really no others who play on a theme to this extent.

Most of the guys now look like just regular everyday guys with more realistic personalities which isnt necessarily a bad thing.

I have been watching wrestling for damn near 25 years and I can honestly say that I dont see a problem with todays product and sure I loved the Attitude Era and may like it more than todays product but thats just because of the nostalgic value.

 

[jontabs]

Thanks for the great feedback guys.

Now that most of you have mentioned it, Cody Rhodes does have a great rehashed gimmick. Albeit, he doesn't have the atomizer with him in the ring, I love the mirror bit during his entrance plus the fact that he sells not having his face touched during matches.

Zack Ryder has a great gimmick, and many thanks to those who brought him up. I love his catch phrase, and I love the fact that he comes across as all cool and aloof despite the real life position he's put in. He really sets himself apart because he doesn't need to be portrayed as a main eventer, or as a mid carder to pull it off.

In response to Lykkekage, with regard to McIntyre, that's the point with the Chosen One "gimmick". Back when he was the IC champ, he was pulling strings, forcing title changes, rematches, etc. but right now, what about him screams "chosen one" at you? Same for Daniel Bryan. Sure, we of the IWC know he's a nerd and all that, but has there been anything on TV that shows the casual fan that he is one? As for Barrett, being the leader of the nexus isn't a gimmick per se, it's more of an angle really, Undertaker was a leader of a stable in the Ministry and his gimmick was a "cult leader" with sacrifices and what not, and even, CM Punk has the "Straight edge messiah". Barrett on the other hand never really lived the fact that he hated the WWE. Or maybe the Nexus angle isn't done with just yet, so we have to wait and see.

As for Mizfit444 , point well taken about the "obviousness" of the gimmicks. But that's the point. It's the "PG Era" as we like to call it. It's the best time as any to be obvious and literal with gimmicks. It;s PG, meaning geared to kids. And most kids won't have the ability to read into characters like we of the IWC do. Most kids won't know Daniel Bryan is a vegetarian, nerd, etc. Most kids won't know that Randy Orton is a viper and that "you don't trust a snake". Heck, even John Cena isn't as obvious as Hogan who actually preached "say your prayers and take your vitamins". In fact, I don't think Cena ever actually said something geared towards children, except for "keep your word". If the WWE truly wants to gear itself towards a PG audience, I think gimmicks have to be a bit more obvious.

Now I'm not saying we go back to the campy obvious gimmicks of the 90's. Though a few of them would be a breath of fresh air during this era. Let me point out some realistic, non-campy gimmicks. Al Snow and Head. That was a great gimmick. A wrestler who lost his mind because of years of jobbing. That even led to the JOB Squad gimmick. Genius.

Another example, would be the APA. These guys would do anything for a price. And they acted like it. Playing poker, drinking beer, and smoking cigars in their "office" in the back.

Gimmicks don't have to be campy. I guess I'd just like to see more individuality with the wrestlers (I refuse to call them superstars) nowadays. More and more it seems to be the same personalities and looks every time, with the only difference being how over they are with the crowd.

 

[jontabs]

That wasn't really Jericho's gimmick. He only used that "1,004 Holds" nickname briefly as a mockery of Dean Malenko during their epic feud. His actual gimmick was the "Lionheart" monicker with the finishers like "The Lionsault" and "The Lion Tamer" (old name for Walls of Jericho). But once he he turned heel, even though he keps those move names, he really transcended any gimmick and was simply Chris Jericho the cocky, whining heel with a conspiracy victim complex.

That's one point that I think your post has to give attention to; some guys have a gimmick but grow out of it to become just an entity of their own making. Look at Triple H; started as the snobbish "Hunter Hearst Helmsley," then adopted the DX gimmick, then really just became his own man as Triple H. There's been no real gimmick to him for over a decade now. He's had different nicknames like "Cerebral Assassin," "King of Kings," and of course "The Game," but none of those are a fully-packaged GIMMICK like you've talked about.

Just as an observation, I think this whole movement toward a less gimmicky wrestling really began with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. They left the "Diesel" and "Razor Ramon" stuff behind when they went to WCW and simply used their real names while adding a whole new element of "reality" to wrestling.
"Buying tickets" to bypass security, the massive backstage beatdowns, the genuine fear/shock that the whole Outsiders angle was presented with... just seems like this is where it began. Of course you could argue that "The Outsiders" was their gimmick which eventually blended into the nWo, but they just strike me as the pioneers of this new age of characters.

Point taken sir. Great post, props to you for that.

Maybe, the 1,004 holds was more of an angle during that time, given that it was done during a program with a single wrestler in mind with Dean Malenko. Still, I loved seeing Jericho demonstrate his 1,004 holds only to repeat an armlock with new names every other move.

As for Triple H. I agree. But then again, these " Cerebral Assasins" "King of Kings" etc etc came about during the Attitude Era. They've carried over to the current era. For those established names, they can get away based on reputation and past accolades. I guess I miss the gimmicks for the new guys trying to set themselves apart.

As for the Outsiders, that was their gimmick, being "outsiders" to the WCW. And you've acknowledged that. They HAD to use their real names because that was part of it. "Kevin Nash" and "Scott Hall" during their initial debuts were made out to look like employees from the "other company" trying to invade WCW. I get your point though, they were the pioneers for the "real name" wrestlers of the Attitude era.

 

[JDX]

I agree but only because people wanted "realistic" fake gimmicks as opposed to cartoon fake gimmicks. For WWE there are really only 4 left:

Undertaker- Dead man wrestling
Kane- Brother of dead man wrestling
Golddust- Over the top mean spirited weird gay parody to just plain weird guy in PG
Rey Mysterio- masked wreslter, without it he's chavo except even smaller

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

Look I'll try to keep it as simple as I can. The guys who matter have a gimmick. Cena is a hero and if you look at it its not really all that a different gimmick from what The Rock had back in the Attitude Era. Seriously tell me is there much of a difference between "Cenation" and "The People's Champ". Not much, they both imply two wrestlers who are so loved by the fans that the fans want them to be the champion. Now yes Cena cannot match up to Rock's popularity because Rock was much more charismatic than Cena but you cannot deny that they do not have a gimmick.

Moving on, the guys who matter do have a gimmick. Randy Orton is a Viper, a psychotic guy who likes to hurt people; Edge, the ultimate opportunist; Rey Mysterio, the underdog; Miz, the guy whom everyone thought was shit but he proved everyone wrong and that has gone to his head. You also have Daniel Bryan who is a nerd and CM Punk who is a freaking cult leader. What else do you want?

Seriously I mean are you complaining why someone like Tyler Reks does not have a gimmick? Its because he does not matter a lot currently. He'll get one when he begins to matter a bit. And I do not know why people have this fascination with gimmicks? I mean in the Attitude Era guys like Gangrel and Headbangers and Scotty 2 Hotty had a gimmick. They were still shit, though and no one gave a damn about them. Same is the case today. It does not matter if a bunch of lower midcarders have a gimmick or not because no one watches wrestling to watch a Scotty 2 Hotty. Its all about the main eventers and they all have gimmicks just as the case was back in the Attitude Era, the Golden Era or any other era.

 

[jontabs]

Look I'll try to keep it as simple as I can. The guys who matter have a gimmick. Cena is a hero and if you look at it its not really all that a different gimmick from what The Rock had back in the Attitude Era. Seriously tell me is there much of a difference between "Cenation" and "The People's Champ". Not much, they both imply two wrestlers who are so loved by the fans that the fans want them to be the champion. Now yes Cena cannot match up to Rock's popularity because Rock was much more charismatic than Cena but you cannot deny that they do not have a gimmick.

Moving on, the guys who matter do have a gimmick. Randy Orton is a Viper, a psychotic guy who likes to hurt people; Edge, the ultimate opportunist; Rey Mysterio, the underdog; Miz, the guy whom everyone thought was shit but he proved everyone wrong and that has gone to his head. You also have Daniel Bryan who is a nerd and CM Punk who is a freaking cult leader. What else do you want?

Seriously I mean are you complaining why someone like Tyler Reks does not have a gimmick? Its because he does not matter a lot currently. He'll get one when he begins to matter a bit. And I do not know why people have this fascination with gimmicks? I mean in the Attitude Era guys like Gangrel and Headbangers and Scotty 2 Hotty had a gimmick. They were still shit, though and no one gave a damn about them. Same is the case today. It does not matter if a bunch of lower midcarders have a gimmick or not because no one watches wrestling to watch a Scotty 2 Hotty. Its all about the main eventers and they all have gimmicks just as the case was back in the Attitude Era, the Golden Era or any other era.

Good points sir, but I have to disagree regarding what you've said. I've said this numerous time in my replies that the "viper" "underdog" "ulitmate oppurtunist" are all ROLES. Let's be honest, what's the difference between the "Legend Killer" and "the Viper"? Nothing really expect one is a heel, one is a face. A gimmick would be "deadman", "king sheamus", "mexican royalty". Those are all acted out by the wrestler,in look, moves, music, demeanor.

With regard to your point about Tyler Reks not mattering. That's the point of giving him a gimmick. Make him matter. Even if he is a mid-carder or lower end carder, make people want to see him and not just wait till the main event. I guess I just want to see some individuality from the wrestlers now a days and not just everybody in tights acting all the same.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

Let's be honest, what's the difference between the "Legend Killer" and "the Viper"? Nothing really expect one is a heel, one is a face.

Oh boy you cannot see the difference or were you not watching WWE during the time Orton started out. When he was a legend killer he was this cocky guy who wanted to make a name for himself by taking out legends. He became a Viper after he had been screwed over the years by Triple H and finally he could not take it anymore and snapped. Also he was a heel when the Viper gimmick started out. It is a very understandable evolution in his character.

A gimmick would be "deadman", "king sheamus", "mexican royalty". Those are all acted out by the wrestler,in look, moves, music, demeanor.

And how is a legend killer or a Viper or an Ultimate Opportunist gimmick not played out the same way. Check for yourself. Orton had a different look, music and even his moveset was a bit different in those days. His demeanor has totally changed from a cocky smug guy to a deranged psychotic person. Same with Edge. His music, moveset and demeanor have all changed from when he was in E&C and even when he was starting out as a face. See you got nothing there. Everyone's got a gimmick here and everyone plays it out in moveset, moves, looks and the rest of the things that you mention.

With regard to your point about Tyler Reks not mattering. That's the point of giving him a gimmick. Make him matter. Even if he is a mid-carder or lower end carder, make people want to see him and not just wait till the main event. I guess I just want to see some individuality from the wrestlers now a days and not just everybody in tights acting all the same.

Go read my post again. Did Scotty 2 Hotty matter even if he had a gimmick? Or Rkishi, Gangrel or the Headbangers? No. They sucked irrespective of what you might think. Same deal with Reks. He has to prove himself first not neccesarily to the audience but surely to the WWE management. If they see it fit they will give him a gimmick. No one, except for a smark, goes to a show to see two lower midcarders slugging it out. They go to see the Cenas the Ortons and the Triple Hs. The rest just of the roster ie the midcarders and the lower mids go out there to prove themselves so that someday they might reach the level of the Cenas and the Ortons.