10 Worst WWE Gimmicks Of 2017

1. "I Don't Want To Hurt Anybody" Bayley

Jason Jordan Vegetables
WWE.com

Why become a f*cking pro wrestler, then?

After refusing to partake in a baffling and boring Kendo Stick On A Pole match opposite Alexa Bliss at Extreme Rules, Bayley offered a brain-melting explanation. She didn't want to use violence to make a name for herself - even though it was entirely within her remit. She wanted to succeed on her own terms as a pure wrestler, which compromised her entire persona of a sports entertainment superfan. Bayley, who grew up idolising violent TLC stunt shows and barbaric Hell In A Cell wars with a drive to become an elite sports entertainer, somehow never realised that she might have to use the weapons seen in one in every ten (at least) WWE matches.

It's not as if Bayley was a superfan of New Japan Pro Wrestling, or Ring of Honor. She loved WWE, back welts and all.

This gimmick not only cast her as a sap - she was antagonised into using weaponry and still didn't use it, misremembering also the classic turnabout-is-fair-play WWE trope - it was inflicted on her as a springboard for a boyfriend angle with Corey Graves. It never materialised.

So it was senseless and pointless.

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 surefire Undisputed WWE Universal 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!