10 Best WWE Gimmicks Of 2017

3. Elias

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WWE.com

"Who wants to walk with Elias?!"

Seemingly everybody, if recent weeks are any indication.

Elias occupied the top reaches of last year's inverse list because his musical act was pitched in entirely the wrong key. In the over-familiar Full Sail environment, he was unable to antagonise local crowds with the delicious low-hanging fruit of cheap heat. Moreover, the tone was too po-faced and miserable to really connect with a crowd conditioned to expect either the unadulterated fun of Blue Pants, or the awesome thrill of the brand's pure wrestling product.

One of few talents to work within the context of RAW's broadly comedic undercard ranks, Elias in 2017 used the main roster gloss to find himself as a fabulously irritating troubadour, antagonising crowds into a reaction via bait and switch retakes, a winning call and response catchphrase, and the smug facial expressions of a performer revelling in his role.

Localised heel work is something of an eye-roller in this digital age, and has been for years - but Elias' delivery is so aloof and so deliciously deadpan that the admiration of the comedic timing trumps the unknown frame of reference.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!