WWE: 8 Wrestlers Whose Gimmicks Were Totally Ripped Off From Movies
4. Road Warriors Owe Mel Gibson Money
Whether you know them as The Legion of Doom or The Road Warriors, Hawk and Animal are commonly regarded as one of the best tag teams in wrestling history. They wrestled for nearly every promotion in America throughout the '80s and '90s, as well as a few stints in Japan, and their gimmick was always the same; two big guys with mohawks and facepaint. Its a look that'll be familiar to anyone who's ever seen Mad Max 2 For the uninitiated, Mad Max 2 (known in some countries as Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior.... heyyyy, wait a minute!) is the second film in an Australian action series, set in a post apocalyptic world where travelling settlers are hounded constantly by bands of marauding bikers until they're saved by brooding antihero "Mad" Max Rockatansky, played by Mel Gibson before he lost his marbles. It's been a long time since I've seen the film, so I'm working from memory here, but it was basically a John Wayne-type Western set in the Borderlands universe (come at me, internet!) To be fair to Hawk and Animal, they weren't the only ones "influenced" by this film. Fellow tag team Demolition also took stylistic tips, as did a character in the Memphis territory called Lord Humungous. Even Chris Jericho took his "Ayatollah of Rock-n-Rolla!" nickname straight from it. But the Road Warriors are the ones who are best remembered for it. It might even be fair to say that more people remember The Road Warriors than they do Mad Max 2. BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, MEL!
Stephen Maher has been a rock star, a bouncer, a banker and a busker on various streets in various countries. He's hung out with Robert Plant, he was at Nelson Mandela's birthday and he's swapped stories with prostitutes and crack addicts. He once performed at a Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras by accident. These days, he passes the time by writing about music, wrestling, games and other forms of nerdery. And he rarely drinks the blood of the innocent.
To be fair to Hawk and Animal, they weren't the only ones "influenced" by this film. Fellow tag team Demolition also took stylistic tips, as did a character in the Memphis territory called Lord Humungous. Even Chris Jericho took his "Ayatollah of Rock-n-Rolla!" nickname straight from it. But the Road Warriors are the ones who are best remembered for it. It might even be fair to say that more people remember The Road Warriors than they do Mad Max 2. BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, MEL!