If it seems like The Undertaker is a gimmick that should never have succeeded, yet did- immensely- then what could top that? His brother, of course. To take something as over-the-top, a one-in-a-million shot as The Lord of Darkness was and say "here's another one"... there's just no way that should have worked in any sort of long term. And yet, here we are 17 years later, and Kane remains one of the most prominent presences in the business. Certain elements have been tweaked over time, of course, as he began to speak, then eventually lost his mask, and most recently, revealed a dual nature in Corporate Kane and The Demon Kane. Unlike Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, however, both sides of this persona remain evil- just in different ways. Regardless, he is still The Big Red Machine and still Undertaker's brother. Effectively having two Undertakers on the roster has served WWE well, and while Kane could easily have been a one-off feud along the lines of "The Underfaker," he has survived and even thrived well beyond any relation he has to his on-screen older brother. Add to this the fact he continues to appear week after week while Undertaker manages roughly one match per year (give or take), and one might even suggest that what Undertaker has in prestige, Kane may make up for in longevity. Of course, seeing as Undertaker had a considerable head-start, that remains to be seen. Nonetheless, in addition to his duration as a near-constant part of the main event scene, he has held numerous titles over the years as well. This includes one each of the WWE Championship, the WWE World Championship, the ECW Championship, the WWF Hardcore Championship, and the WCW World Tag Team Championship, twice with the WWE Intercontinental Championship and WWE Tag Team Championship, and a whopping nine times with the WWE World Tag Team Championships. These reigns have also seen to it that he is the eight Triple Crown Champion and third ever Grand Slam Champion. All in all, not too bad for a guy who was basically introduced as "The Undertaker, but with more red." ----- So there you have it, ten gimmicks that for one reason or another managed to defy the odds and prove that they not only had legs and got over with the crowd, but were even worthy of championship greatness. Of course, there are undoubtedly those that you might say are missing from the list, perhaps more deserving of a spot than one of those featured here. Hey, there are a lot of wrestlers out there- it happens. But by all means, feel free to share your own thoughts in the comments below on those gimmicks that seemed guaranteed to flop on paper, yet managed to captivate, entertain, and triumph.
Former Nintendo Power writer, current Nintendo Force writer. Wrote the book on Mega Man (The Robot Master Field Guide). Was once fired by Vince McMahon. Dabbles in video games, comic books, toys, and fast food curiosities. Once had a new species of exotic bird named after him. It died.
You can find more of his writings, musings, and other such things on his websites at Nyteworks.net.
