It's different today with kayfabe dead, but before the last 10-15 years, wrestlers were almost always in character when they went on talk shows. The results were mixed. Some wrestlers didn't know where the line was, but the ones who did were able to get their characters over with some really awesome promotional appearances. Later on, when they were less likely to appear in-character, the wrestlers with the most engaging real-life personalities were the ones who excelled. Some would just play their characters to the hilt as the host reacted. Someone like Arsenio Hall was especially good at doing that when he had wrestlers on. Others would tone it down, depending on what exactly their gimmicks were. Eventually, as the '90s went on, more wrestlers went in that direction since there was not much of a point to appearing in character when it insulted viewers' intelligence more than anything. This list is not about the most famous or most memorable talk show appearances, meaning Hulk Hogan lying on The Arsenio Hall Show won't be here. This is all about the wrestlers who had the most fun during and made the most of their talk show bookings. In a business where it was traditionally difficult to get mainstream attention, these were golden opportunities.
Formerly the site manager of Cageside Seats and the WWE Team Leader at Bleacher Report, David Bixenspan has been writing professionally about WWE, UFC, and other pop culture since 2009. He's currently WhatCulture's U.S. Editor and also serves as the lead writer of Figure Four Weekly and a monthly contributor to Fighting Spirit Magazine.
