10 Characters WWE Gave Up On Way Too Soon
6. Sean O'Haire's Devil's Advocate
Pro wrestling is escapism. People tune in to see over-the-top action and characters so they can forget the real world, so maybe the devil's advocate gimmick Sean O'Haire started using in 2003 forced fans to be a little too honest with themselves. O'Haire was encouraging people to go ahead and break the law or cheat on their partners; they wanted to do it anyway.
The character was a breath of fresh air and crucially managed to avoid religious overtones. O'Haire threatened to usher in a new kind of heel, one who was actually telling the truth about the world. It would be people's own discomfort with the truth that had fans booing him. Mere months later, WWE ruined the whole idea.
O'Haire was put with Roddy Piper and made a pawn in Piper's never-ending feud with Hulk Hogan. It was a poor use of such a compelling new character and it turned O'Haire from interesting scoundrel to just another boring heel. So much for that then.