"Wrestler A is Wrestler B! Holy shit!"

[Uncle Sam]

I've been watching all the Raws of 1996 in order and have watched Leif Cassidy, one half of the New Rockers, several times. It wasn't until he got a promo, and a close-up, that I realised it was AL fucking Snow. It was a genuine shock.

 

[Coco]

Santana Garrett worked a lesbian crush angle with Madison Rayne and was a valet during Orlando Jordan's ill-conceived feud with Rob Terry. The future of NXT is in good hands.

 

[Slash-LN]

Justin Credible > Aldo Montoya

I actually didn't know about Dustin Rhodes being Goldust or Issac Yankem being Kane back when they debuted.

 

[OYDK]

Hand to God, I didn't know JBL was Bradshaw... and I was like, 14 at the time. Thinking back, I don't even remember Bradshaw making that transition. I just remember JBL taking out Eddie and being all, "who the fuck is this old guy?" My brother had to convince me that JBL was indeed Bradshaw.

 

[@smarkmouth]

I was really young, but I did at one point say to my brother "How cool would it be if Mankind fought Cactus Jack?"

OYDK, in your defense, that dirty blonde hair made him look like a new man.

 

[Thriller Ant]

Santana Garrett worked a lesbian crush angle with Madison Rayne and was a valet during Orlando Jordan's ill-conceived feud with Rob Terry. The future of NXT is in good hands.

Legit had no idea about this.

 

[Nate DaMac]

OYDK, in your defense, that dirty blonde hair made him look like a new man.

He had transitioned to the blonde hair and shaved face before the character turn.

 

[SHAGAMANIA 3:16]

I didn't know that Umaga was Jamal from 3-Minute Warning until Umaga died.

 

[@smarkmouth]

He had transitioned to the blonde hair and shaved face before the character turn.

Someone got a rag for this egg on my face?

 

[Nate DaMac]

Someone got a rag for this egg on my face?

You're not alone in thinking that the look change happened when the character change did. I happen to have a very specific memory of reading Smackdown spoilers for the first time, back when they used to post them on WWE's website, and being stoked that the APA was returning after an extended absence. I was always a huge fan of the Bradshaw character and was stoked to see him. I was crushed when he came out looking like he does now and even more so when he turned heel.

 

[@smarkmouth]

Gotcha, Nate. I think beyond that, if I remember properly their 'return' was short lived, and in that time they didn't do anything as remarkable as in their hayday. Vis a vis, I don't remember a blonde Bradshaw in APA.

I also didn't realize that Earthquake was also Golga of the Oddities.

 

[Good Golly It's Ollie]

I didn't know Bull Buchanan was in Truth Commission until I re-watched a load of shows this year.

 

[Khalifa]

Hand to God, I didn't know JBL was Bradshaw... and I was like, 14 at the time. Thinking back, I don't even remember Bradshaw making that transition. I just remember JBL taking out Eddie and being all, "who the fuck is this old guy?" My brother had to convince me that JBL was indeed Bradshaw.

I didn't realize this could ever be a thing. I guess I was lucky enough that the only episode of smackdown I watched in a year or so was when him and farooq broke up, or farooq got fired.

I never knew Alex Wright and Berlin were the same until I read about how Alex Wright was buried during his career.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Smash to Repo Man. Forgive me, I was 6

 

[enviousdominous]

Savio Vega and Kwang.

Kwang was weird, I don't remember any promos announcing his debut. Todd Pettengill gave one of his usual long-winded plugs for the WWF Magazine and then was all "But up next, it's KWAAAANG!" He pronounced the name as though it was an intensely high-pitched bell being rung, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Out comes a portly masked man who would hiss loudly before every spot.

Not long after that we got Scott Hall's token Latino buddy Savio Vega, ten years later I had a week long "WTF!?" face when I found out that Savio and Kwang were the same person.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Fatu to The Sultan to Rikishi Phatu. The weight gain from headshrinking to dancing bamboozled me.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

Husky Harris and Bray Wyatt. I never realized that Harris became Bray until I read it online. Also I don't remember the crowd chanting "Husky Harris" at Bray Wyatt either.

 

[Hyorinmaru]

Mordecai to Kevin Thorn.

I didn't realize until I read it online after Thorn's debut.

 

[Stone Cold Tea]

R-Truth was K-Kwik which was pretty cool when I realised it. Rewatched all the 02 raws recently and realised Umaga was in 3 minute warning.

 

[Alex]

I guess Kaz and Daniels playing Suicide in TNA. I didn't know who was portraying him at the time but thought whoever it was was pretty cool

 

[Stormtrooper]

I didn't know Bull Buchanan was in Truth Commission until I re-watched a load of shows this year.

Hell I didn't know this until you said it right now.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

Fake Diesel to Kane.

Har har har!

 

[Барбоса]

Apparently Hulk Hogan was Mr America

 

[Gallops77]

Apparently Hulk Hogan was Mr America

False... The Lie Detector Test proved otherwise...

 

[Lee]

It was a good 6 months before I realised X-Pac was the 123 kid.