10 Ideas That WWE Stole From Other Companies
Vince McMahon has done his share of pilfering over the years.
It’s hard to be original in any creative medium these days, and professional wrestling is no different. The sport’s been going strong for so long that unique concepts and ideas are increasingly thin on the ground, and when they do come up, it’s close to a miraculous occurrence.
Almost everything has been done before. Recycling and rehashing have become commonplace in the industry, and while WWE are usually the victims, the company have themselves been guilty of blatantly stealing a number of big ideas over the years.
Vince McMahon will tell you that every single innovation that has made WWE an industry-leading company came directly from him and his creative team, but that’s simply not the case. Some of WWE’s greatest successes have come from taking another company’s idea, running with it, and making it their own, particularly during the Monday Night Wars, when WWE and WCW would steal from each other (and ECW) liberally and without shame.
The latest example came on this week’s Monday Night Raw, when the New Day travelled to the Wyatt Family compound for an unorthodox night-time showdown. Though lacking in The Final Deletion’s absurdist comedy, it was a clear aping of TNA’s attention-grabbing angle, and conclusive proof that WWE’s continued monopoly doesn’t mean they’re above stealing the odd idea or two every now and then.
Here are 10 ideas that WWE stole from their competitors...
10. Ripping-Off The Road Warriors
Known for their dominant, take-no-prisoners style and unique post-apocalyptic look, The Road Warriors are one of the most recognisable tag teams of all-time. Their 1980’s run through the AWA and NWA is legendary, and provides one of the earliest examples of Vince McMahon looking elsewhere for inspiration.
It started with The Powers of Pain, but peaked with Demolition. Ax and Smash would become a legendary tag team in their own right, but they borrowed heavily from Hawk and Animal. From the face paint and studded leather to their power-based wrestling game, everything about Demolition stunk of WWE attempting to recreate the Road Warriors in their own company.
Demolition were a prototypical 1980's tag team, and a great counterpoint to more technique-based units like the Hart Foundation and Brain Busters. They'd never completely shake off their "carbon copy" tag, but Ax and Smash were one of WWE's most popular tag teams in their heyday, and their combined 698-day Tag Team Title reign remains a a company record.