Shane Helms was one of the WCW contracts swallowed up by the WWF when the latter company purchased their main competition in March, 2001. A celebrated part of the WCW Cruiserweight division, Helms surely must have wondered where he'd fit in on the WWF roster, which was bursting at the seams with new talent. Some outside the box thinking was needed. After a few brief appearances as himself, Helms made the decision to change things up entirely. In August, 2001, the character of 'The Hurricane' was born. Claiming to be a superhero, Hurricane was popular from the very start. Helms played the gimmick perfectly, and put everything he had into the goofy persona. That resonated with the audience, who started to enjoy his performances. In late-2005, Helms was booked to move away from the gimmick. That proved to be a mistake, because he'd been far more effective in the faux-superhero guise. Fans struggled to really embrace 'Gregory' Helms, even though the man did have a lengthy run with the WWE Cruiserweight Title. It's as The Hurricane that the man is best-remembered, and for good reason.