10 Brilliant Wrestling Moments Clearly Inspired By Iconic Movies
10. Waylon Mercy & 'The Fiend' Vignettes - Cape Fear
The original cult leader Bray Wyatt character was based largely on Waylon Mercy's old WWE gimmick in the mid-90s with a similar style of speech and overall tormented demeanor.
In 1995, Dan Spivey joined WWE under the ring name of Waylon Mercy. Mercy was based on Max Cady from the 1991 remake of Cape Fear, borrowing both his look and calm, sinister personality.
Waylon went on to give Wyatt his blessing, and even after transforming from 'The Eater of Worlds' to 'The Fiend,' traces of Waylon Mercy can still be found in Wyatt's act.
Mercy the Buzzard is named directly after Spivey's character. The contrasting behaviors of the Firefly Funhouse host and demonic clown beckon to the way Waylon Mercy handled himself around the squared circle. Often, he would speak calmly, no matter how dark the content of his promos. He would smile and shake hands leading up to the match, snap when applying a Sleeper Hold, and then resume going back to a kind-spirited soul.
Whereas WWE didn't borrow a singular movie moment from Cape Fear, Waylon Mercy and both of Bray Wyatt's recent personas capture the overall feel of a memorable character from a Martin Scorsese box office hit.