15 EXACT Moments Failed WWE Attitude Era Gimmicks Actually Got Over

14. William Regal (September 18, 2000)

‘Steve’ Regal didn’t get over at all under the baffling Real Man’s Man gimmick, in which he squeezed his own orange juice and made his own lumber. Even if the man behind the persona wasn’t struggling badly with an addiction to painkillers, the gimmick was simply too bad even for a healthy and motivated Regal to pull off. It was a bizarre New Generation-coded thing at least two years out of date - which in 1998 might as well have been 20. 

When he returned, clean and with a reputation rehabilitated by a cult gem against Chris Benoit on the 3rd annual Brian Pillman Memorial Show, the WWF simplified his presentation. Regal was always sensational playing a smug posh idiot, and the character worked to even better effect against the backdrop of the sleazy Attitude Era. Regal was able to do a Right To Censor-style bit, only it was actually entertaining watching him attempt to play Pygmalion with the horny, uncouth, male-dominated WWF audience. They loved watching the snooty Brit getting his butt kicked and drinking piss. While not quite to the same extent, much like Kurt Angle, Regal got the bit over on night one. He returned as William Regal in late 2000 and, on Raw, performed a reading of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In a phenomenal idea, classical music played over the top - which proved an awesome contrast to the interrupting Steve Austin’s reworked Disturbed entrance theme needle drop. 

Regal was immediately brilliant, wearing a wonderfully besmirched facial expression as Austin walked down the aisle. This grumpy version of Austin was a bit of a vibe-crusher, but he was so great here, blasting Regal with the Stunner like it was the easiest thing in the world and immediately walking back up the aisle.