10 Worst Supernatural Gimmicks

9. Mordecai

Boogeyman Jillian Hall
WWE.com

This list won't be consumed with hurling abuse at Kevin Fertig, but the man behind Kevin Thorn was also guilty of another howler when he rocked up on SmackDown's featherlight 2004 roster as potential Undertaker foil Mordecai.

A victim of WWE's typical sledgehammer-like subtly, Fertig was decked out in an all-white variation of 'The Deadman's attire to portray his disdain for sin, complete with hooded robe, broadly religious iconography, and slow, meandering entrance that gave announcers time to question what on earth viewers were supposed to be looking at.

Therein lay the main issue with the gimmick. Unlike The Undertaker's intense, believable style and an inexorable link to the undead via his ostensible profession, Mordecai's ties to the occult were left intentionally vague.

It was thus impossible to fear, hate, or even understand the gimmick outside of snap judgments on a overblown aesthetic that collapsed into itself when he removed the klan-like ensemble to reveal pasty wrestling gear and an over-enthusiastic blonde dye job.

The traditionally safe method of having him go over midcarders didn't help either, with victories over Scotty 2 Hotty and Hardcore Holly doing little to combat the growing malaise for the character. Dropped in short order, Fertig would return to the developmental system before his vampire-themed 2006 comeback.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett