10 Great Wrestlers Who Started Out With Terrible Gimmicks

10. Dolph Ziggler As The Spirit Squad's Nicky

Dolph Ziggler’s had an up and down WWE career, but if his run were to end tomorrow, he’d be held in high regard by most of WWE’s fans. Often under-utilized, Ziggler has established himself as a tremendous athlete and one of WWE’s more exciting in-ring competitors. He’s an incredibly easy character to get behind, and while more comfortable as a heel, his recent babyface resurrection has made him one of WWE’s most popular stars.

It’s hard to forget his origins, however, particularly in his ongoing feud with The Miz. Recent months have seen the Intercontinental Champion recruit Kenny and Mikey as two ghosts from Ziggler’s past, and while Ziggler initially fended them off with ease, they played a big role in his IC Title loss a few weeks ago.

The Spirit Squad were an obnoxious group of cheerleaders that had fans reaching for the remote every time they were onscreen. Loud, brash, and immensely annoying, they split-up in 2006 after losing a five-on-three handicap match to Triple H, Ric Flair, and Shawn Michaels. The Squad scattered to all corners of the wrestling universe shortly after, with only Ziggler (or Nicky, as he was originally known) enjoying any kind of longevity in WWE.