10 Best Gimmick Changes in Wrestling History
These superstars showed the importance of a spectacular second impression.
In professional wrestling, it is crucial to have a balance of in-ring skills and an engaging character. Without a character that resonates with the audience, a performer is likely to lose popularity and fall behind while other stars soar ahead. However, it's not always easy to create a winning character right off the bat. Coming up with a concept that will work in front of a live audience is a difficult task, with many ideas never even making it off of the drawing board.
Some of the most legendary wrestlers in history had difficult starts, faced with uninspiring characters or ridiculous storylines that held them back. While a few of them failed, others persevered and found success through a change of presentation.
The landscape of professional wrestling as we know it may have been completely different if these particular performers hadn't taken a chance on a new name. Some of the industry's biggest icons may never have reached the top, without these strokes of creative genius.
With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the most ingenious and career-defining character changes from wrestling history.
10. Jay Lethal's Savage Alter-Ego
Jay Lethal is a successful performer in his own right. A six-time TNA X-Division Champion, two-time ROH World Champion and fifth place in the 2016 PWI 500, Lethal has had a career that many would dream of. However, one criticism that Lethal had faced in the early years of his career was that he was a great performer, but lacked a great character. In April 2007, he sought to rectify this.
After Kevin Nash discovered Lethal's spot-on impression of the 'Macho Man', he pushed him to try it out on television. He didn't stop there though, as Lethal donned the ‘Macho Man’s iconic attire and imitated his “Oh Yeah!” catchphrase. This character breathed new life into Lethal’s on-screen presence, giving him a much-needed push into popularity. After adopting Savage's character, he also began to use his move set and entrance music, strutting to the ring as "Pomp and Circumstance" rang out over the speakers.
Although imitation stories can quickly outstay their welcome - take Fake Diesel and Razor Ramon, for example - Lethal's impeccable impersonation of Savage kept it from getting stale. His career grew to new heights thanks to this gimmick, and it proved so popular that Lethal also brought the character back for a one-off appearance at the inaugural All In event in 2018, with a huge pop from the Chicago crowd.