Are We Having Fun Yet…? 04.19.08 Gimmicks R’ Us

Posted by Gary Traverson on 04.19.2008

Join us as 411’s Gary Traverson lists the goofiest gimmicks to grace the squared circle. What are the strangest gimmicks in wrestling history? What effect have they had on the business through the years? Well don’t just sit there, click and read all about it!

Most of us who have been around the wrestling business for a while have seen them. Every so often a gimmick comes around that simply defies all logic. There are the ridiculous ones that make us question whether or not we should spend anymore of our free time watching; and there are the ones that pay off in a big way. Love them or hate them, the ridiculous gimmicks test the waters to see just what the fans will go along with and what will be forgotten the next week. Honorable 411 readers, may I present to you my favorite wacky
gimmicks. My hope is that some of you will remember these fondly, as they were at least good for a few laughs along the way.

Now remember fans, this list is not by any means all-inclusive, they're simply my favorites. Next week, however, I want to hear from you guys. In a special section of my column I would like to showcase a weekly over the top gimmick sent by 411 readers. Drop me a line at [e-mail], and I'll feature the most popular selections in a new column section in the coming weeks.


The Good Ones

I am going to start with the over the top gimmicks that have worked over the years. These are the men who made their gimmicks successful with an almost unheard of level of charisma. You know there is something special about a person who can take a totally unrealistic character and pave their own path through wrestling history with it. So here's to you…

Warrior "Ultimate Warrior" Warrior






Leading up to Wrestlemania 6, Warrior was one of the most over superstars out there. His outfit was the epitome of over the top, with bright pinks and greens and a painted on facemask. Warrior would run out to the ring, flatten most of the competition in less than two minutes, and then run right back up the ramp and out of sight. His energy was amazing, and his charismatic matches in the ring made most fans fall in love with him. That is until he picked up the microphone.

I personally think that most wrestlers ham it up on the mic, but Warrior was something special. If you want to see something totally out of control, YouTube any of his promos. Quote the warrior: "Dig your claws into my organs!" The warrior was THE over the top wrestler of the federation years. Both WWE and WCW made the mistake of giving Warrior creative control over his character which resulted in some of the most forgettable story lines in wrestling history. Does anyone remember the "One Warrior Nation" that used magic gas to knock out members of the "nWo?"

The fun doesn't stop in the ring, however, because in recent years Warrior has blurred the line between gimmick and reality. The man is almost certifiable, starting fights with other wrestlers at autograph signings as well as making inflammatory remarks during speeches at prestigious universities. How is it that a man who gave some of the most incoherent promos of all time can work as a motivational speaker? Love him or hate him, The Ultimate Warrior has been keeping things interesting since 1987.

I can't resist one more quote "HOW MUST I PREPARE… SHOULD I LAY ON THE LAWN AND LET THEM RUN ME OVER WITH LAWNMOWERS?!"


The Undertaker







Let's face it fans, in the very beginning Taker was about as campy as a Vincent Price movie. The Undertaker gimmick was modeled after morticians in old Western movies. The original gimmick debuted at Survivor Series in 1990 as "Cain the Undertaker." The character was said to be immune to physical pain and could use strange powers like teleportation. With the use of some very interesting special effects, the Undertaker was also said to have control over fire and lightening. Overall, the character was completely unrealistic, and seemed to have come out of a B-style horror movie. But this didn't stop the fans from embracing the character.

One of the best things about professional wrestling is that sometimes even really goofy ideas can be forgiven. This Undertaker gimmick WAS goofy, but since a great number of Taker's matches are so great, we can get into the story. Undertaker's career has been chock full of classic matches. Whether it be the first ever inferno match (come on, you thought it was cool at the time) or the absolutely off-the-wall insane Hell in a Cell Match against Mankind at King of the Ring (still my favorite to date), Taker has given us so much to remember. So yes, the gimmick was a little out there, but we all owe a lot to the Undertaker for so many exciting matches.

Though, I will admit I wish they would bring back the purple hats and gloves. Right now Taker looks like he is just a regular guy with a funny hat and a black wife-beater. Bring the old look back!


The Less Memorable
When we're talking about goofy gimmicks, it has to be said that every so often the companies are going to miss the mark. These are the few that are forgotten, and yet still merit mentioning for their ridiculousness.

Mantaur








To start off my list, I present to you the legendary Mantaur. This is one of my absolute favorite bad gimmicks; I have even been known to make CAW characters of him in my video games, for good measure. Mantaur was played by wrestler Mike Hallick who also went by the name Bruiser Mastino in WCW and ECW, and his gimmick saw him charging and mooing at his opponents. His costume was a large brown onesie with black face paint in the area of his eyes.

His stint with the WWE was very short as he only wrestled in about five matches (though he was a lumberjack in one, so you could say six). Mantaur was a rare big man jobber, as he lost the good majority of his matches. Though the always-entertaining Jim Cornette managed him, the Mantaur gimmick never picked up with…well anyone.



Papa Shango







Papa Shango was another supernatural character in the WWE. Shango was played by Charles Wright who was later known as the studliest pimp in wrestling, "The Godfather." Shango was a character that closely resembled the famous James Bond villain Baron Samedi. The character was a voodoo practitioner who could make strange things happen to his in-ring opponents. Some of the highlights of this gimmick include a feud between Ultimate Warrior and Shango that saw Shango inducing the Warrior to vomit up substances that closely resembled his face paint. Wright wrestled under many gimmicks in his career, but none were as strange as Papa Shango and his amazing Technicolor vomit spells.



The Worst Gimmick of All TIME!!!!!









In the weeks preceding Survivor Series 1990 the WWE plugged the crap out of a giant egg that would hatch at the PPV. Wrestling fans were all talking about who or what could possibly be in the giant egg. While the legendary debut of the Undertaker took place at this PPV, a different, less-than-stellar debut also took place. From out of the egg emerged the worst gimmick of all time – Ladies and Gentleman may I present to you…

The Gobbledy Gooker







The worst part of the gimmick isn't the let down of the fans and the worst hype job in history. No, it wasn't even the fact that we were all watching a man in a giant Turkey suit prance around the ring. The absolute worst part of the Gobbledy Gooker was that inside that awful suit was a great wrestler who was made to make an ass of himself. Legendary wrestler Hector Guerrero was underneath that mask. Hector who tagged with brothers Gory and Chavo Sr. was to be known forever as the "fool in the turkey suit." The gimmick was awful, and the fans let him have it. The Gobbledy Gooker was almost immediately retired and was not seen for over a decade until Wrestlemania 17's gimmick battle royal. The suit of the Gooker was different in this later appearance, and rumors abound that Vince McMahon personally destroyed the suit.

And here is an interesting tidbit. It seems that at the end of the 1990 Survivor Series VHS there is a special message with the Gobbledy Gooker and the Bushwhackers. But hey, good luck finding that.

As wrestling fans we have seem some very strange things over the years. These gimmicks "good" or "bad" have kept things interesting for years and add to the wrestling equation that final "E." We watch wrestling to be entertained and the antics of these gimmicks make story lines worth watching. Sometimes they strike out, but at the very least, we can look back at them fondly and laugh at what could have been.

411 readers it's been another great week bringing you this column. I hope you have enjoyed this and will see you next week.