10 Ways WWE Are Still Stuck In The Past

10. Derivative Gimmicks

WWE have produced some pretty horrendous gimmicks over the past few decades. From the paper-thin occupational gimmicks of the mid ‘90s all the way through to Mordecai and The Spirit Squad, a number of abominable characters have passed through the company’s quality control filters. They’ve left some even worse ideas on the cutting room floor (see: Baron Von Bava), but there’s no excusing some of the lame gimmicks WWE have inflicted upon their audience.

The worst WWE characters are those that play on tired tropes and derivative, uninventive ideas that have never gotten anybody over. Rusev started life as a textbook pro-Russia/anti-USA heel, The Ascension’s LOD/Demolition knock-off act is as simplistic as it gets, and Akira Tozawa continues WWE’s longstanding tradition of being completely unable to book a Japanese wrestler without making “he can’t speak English” a defining character trait.

You’d think that after so many years on top of the business that WWE wouldn’t have to rely on such laziness, but apparently not. For all the great work they’ve done with characters like The Miz and Chris Jericho, WWE Creative still fall into bad habits from time to time. Such gimmicks only hold the performers back, and prevent the company from being taken seriously.