10 Times WWE Bastardised Wrestling Royalty

7. Terry Gordy

Dusty Rhodes Wwe
WWE.com

Terry Gordy was the Fabulous Freedbirds' bruising sh*tkicker - the man who legitimised the faction and elevated it beyond the realm of rock n' roll novelty.

There was no danger of being overshadowed by the innovative Freebirds gimmick in All Japan Pro Wrestling, wherein he established himself as one of the company's most fearsome and successful gaijin imports. Gordy was a behemoth who lived up to his literally lofty billing by helping to pave the famously brutal King's Road style. In the WWF, a broken-down Gordy debuted as The Executioner in 1996 - an anonymous Monster of the Week cast as fodder to the Undertaker, a masked update on such unflattering peers like Giant Gonzalez.

The gimmick was an affront to Gordy's legacy. Only nominally scary, the gimmick had long been indicted through its appropriation by the likes of the future Gillberg, Duane Gill. Conceptually, the gimmick may have had legs, irrespective of former ignominy, but in - ahem - execution, it was a non-starter. The hood was so poorly designed that Gordy could barely squint through the tiny eye holes, stumbling all over the place during his In Your House: It's Time singles debut.

Emblematic of the character's toothlessness was his plastic ax. Even an in-his-prime Gordy could not withstand such embarrassment.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!