10 Gimmick Changes That Saved A Wrestler's Career

10. Spirit Squad To Dolph Ziggler

If there's one gimmick that will probably never get over as a badass wrestling character, it's that of a male cheerleader. Which is exactly what Vince McMahon was looking for in 2006, when The Spirit Squad made their debut on Raw.

Consisting of OVW standouts Ken Doane, Nick Nemeth, Nick Mitchell, Johnny Jeter, and Mike Mondo, the green-clad group became a weekly addition to WWE's Monday programming. The five-man team even became a key part of the Vince McMahon/Shawn Michaels feud after WrestleMania 22 and held the Tag Team Titles for seven months.

Nevertheless, the group's feud with the reunited D-Generation X ultimately led to their downfall. After losing a 5-on-3 handicap match to D-X and Ric Flair, all five members of the Spirit Squad were placed in a crate, labelled "OVW - Louisville, KY". The unceremonious exit saw them written off TV immediately.

While Ken Doane would find a modicum of success on SmackDown, he and the rest of the squad would be gone from WWE the following year. All except Nick Nemeth that is, who returned to the main roster in late 2008 under the name Dolph Ziggler.

As the bleach blonde heel, 'The Showoff' has become an asset to WWE and is widely regarded as one of the best in-ring performers today.