10 WWE Gimmicks Saved By The People Playing Them

6. John Cena

Perhaps it was only a matter of time before WWE, right at the tale end of their most successful period (the Attitude Era), tried to introduce a character parodying Eminem on TV. What nobody could have guessed would be that such a gimmick was born out of John Cena pretending to be 80's laughing stock Vanilla Ice instead of 'Slim Shady'.

Right there, the idea should probably have bombed. Cena, already struggling to find direction after a hot introduction as WWE's newest rookie sensation, turned a throwaway 2002 Halloween party skit on SmackDown in his favour and simultaneously convinced creative he could turn the 'white rapper' schtick into a workable gimmick.

Take a look at WCW's P.N News or even Bull Buchanan's portrayal of Cena-sidekick 'B2' as examples of caucasian hip-hop stars done wrong. There were never any guarantees that Cena would succeed either, but his knowledge of hip-hop culture, affinity for rapping and exaggerated approach all melded perfectly.