Now I know pro-wrestling recycles everything, but lately it really seems like the creative staff hasn't come up with an original idea for a gimmick in forever. Reverend D-Von? Chuck and Billy? Brock Lesnar? These aren't even new variations on old gimmicks, they're just old gimmicks. So what was the last moderately-original gimmick that's come along in the WWF?
I thought heel Austin was fairly new for the WWF. The level of paranoia and gladhanding and politicking was the kind of thing that usually they saved for the backstage area :)
"You used it to shove your miserable daughter down our throats week in and week out...not anymore!" - Ric Flair gives me hope, Raw 3/18/02
"I thought it was cool how HHH just tossed Jericho out of the ring and made him vanish, possibly into another dimension, at the end of the match." - Dr. Unlikely says the funniest thing I've ever read on Wienerville.
I think when Kurt Angle came in back in late '99 his gimmick was pretty original. They took the typical American Hero, and turned it 180 degrees. I may be wrong, but I can't remember any other flag-waving Americans that were supposed to be heels.
I've always wanted to see a heel wrestler with the gimmick of a wrestling statistician. Somebody who knows all the title histories, win-loss records on PPV and TV, even particular one-on-one records for certain wrestlers against other guys (i.e. Hogan always beats Savage). He could recruit people backstage for tag matches with stuff like "You're unbeaten on every SmackDown that has taken place during the 14th of the month, so I need you tonight." If they lost the match, the heel could attack his partner claiming that he broke statistical probability.
(edited by Big Bad on 12.4.02 1430)
I was born in a manger, like that other guy. You know, he wore a hat?
Big Bad - That is one of the coolest gimmick ideas I've heard in a really long time. The stats they could pull out for those types of things could be awesome. Then again, with WWF "revisionist history," some situations would probably get sticky.
The Godfather -- Wrestling Pimp DDP -- Wrestling Inspirational Speaker Jeff Hardy -- Wrestling Club Kid/Raver Kane -- Wrestling freak recovering from horrible burns, traumatic childhood events, and evil influence of father/manager/mortician Kevin Nash -- Wrestling non-wrestler Perry Saturn -- Wrestling weirdo engaged in a serious relationship with household cleaning supplies
Big Bad: They did something like that in WCW with the York Foundation. Alexandria York (Terri) used her laptop (a word processor) to compute strategies for how her men would win. It didn't go over to well, but then agains WCW did job them all the time.
"Hahaha.. Yeah, trust the fuckhead." Spider Jerusalem
Originally posted by EradicatorI think when Kurt Angle came in back in late '99 his gimmick was pretty original. They took the typical American Hero, and turned it 180 degrees. I may be wrong, but I can't remember any other flag-waving Americans that were supposed to be heels.
Sgt. Slaughter ring a bell? But you're right, there is a big difference. The Slaughter/Iraq thing sucked uber ass.
Bubbles? Oh come on Sharon! I’m Ozzy Osbourne the Prince of Fucking Darkness. Evil, evil, more fucking evil not a boatload of fucking bubbles man.
I'd say there is very little parallel between Sgt. Slaughter and Kurt Angle. Slaughter was an American hero who turned into an Iraqi sympathizer (thus going AGAINST the US). He started wearing Iraqi colors, wore wrestling boots that were "a gift from Saddam Hussein" and waved the Iraqi flag.
Angle has remained red, white and blue all the way and has constantly reminded us for the last two years that he won an Olympic gold medal for the US at the Atlanta Games in '96.
Yeah, I get your point, but they were still both American heroes that sold out (Sarge to Iraq, Angle to Vince -not sure which is worse). I guess we could add Hogan to this list too.
Bubbles? Oh come on Sharon! I’m Ozzy Osbourne the Prince of Fucking Darkness. Evil, evil, more fucking evil not a boatload of fucking bubbles man.
Actually , one gimmick that I haven't ever seen recycled is a gimmick I have only seen used when I was a kid . A team called the Bounty Hunters and their manager Jimmy Kent . ( this was a Nashville/Memphis team in the mid 70s )
I've always wanted to see this gimmick brought back , only with the manager role to be a bail bondsman , a more modern day twist . The original version of the Bounty Hunters was an old west type portrayal .
" You say heaven's for you , but I think it's hell that I see . You tell me your god is true , but I tell you MY devil is me ! " MSD 2002
For all you kiddos out there, Sgt. Slaughter was a heel for quite a while even before his "Iraqi" period. I don't know if he really did any flag-waving then, but he had a "sadistic drill instructor" heel gimmick that lasted until he and the Iron Sheik began their feud. He didn't beomce a patriotic face until then. I believe he was a heel both in the NWA and WWF during the very early 1980s.
Wasn't Nova sort of a superhero gimmick?
Kane is really just a variation on Mankind, also the Missing Link, George "The Animal" Steele [as a face] and a few others.
The original Undertaker was a pretty original gimmick at the time. About the only thing I can compare it with is "Satanic Kevin Sullivan", but about the only thing they have in common is that I don't think either have been done before or since. Even Papa Shango came after a wrester in Global who had a voodoo gimmick.
But unoriginal gimmicks aren't a bad thing, they're a good thing... In these days when everything else about wrestling's past is thrown out the window, using the same gimmicks from decades past is one of the few positive things about today's wrestling.
God, I feel old right now... I remember the Bounty Hunters! The APA is sort of a repeat, without the manager and the legal right to tie someone up and kick their asses.
One "new" gimmick I'd love to see is a high-flying martial artist in the mold of Heero Yuy (Gundam WING fame). You know sullen, brooding, and completely silent except when he grabs the mic and says those three litlle words to his opponent, "Omae o korosu (translation from Japanese: I'm going to kill you)".
"I hate motherfuckers claimin' that they foldin bank But steady talkin shit in the holding tank First you wanna step to me Now your ass screamin for the deputy They send you to Charlie-Baker-Denver row Now they runnin up in ya slow You're gone, used to be the Don Juan Now your name is just 'Twan Switch it, snap it, rollin your eyes and neck You better run a check..."
One "new" gimmick I'd love to see is a high-flying martial artist in the mold of Heero Yuy (Gundam WING fame). You know sullen, brooding, and completely silent except when he grabs the mic and says those three litlle words to his opponent, "Omae o korosu (translation from Japanese: I'm going to kill you)".
Well, except for the "high flying martial artist" part, Sting did that in WCW w/ his Crow persona.
Matthew: You would've loved it, David. A week in a foreign country, strange people, strange customs... Dave: Oh, I know what you mean. I've been to Canada.
This Spoiler report is not complete without including... Dawn Marie, Sable and Torrie Wilson were all there in some form of a bikini type contest which Wilson was voted as the winner.