10 Fake Versions Of Popular WWE Superstars

Tom Brandi had a tepid run in the WWF as Salvatore Sincere in the mid '90s. While that spell was never going to get him a Hall of Fame ring, it was a respectable run nonetheless and gave him lifetime bragging rights to be billed as “Former WWE Superstar” at indie shows across the world.

All of which makes it infinitely more confusing that he simply decided to steal Del Wilkes gimmick and begin appearing as The Patriot instead. Brandi has been appearing as The Patriot since Wilkes retired in 1998 and continues to do so to this day. In fact, over a quarter of all recorded matches in Brandi's entire career have been under the eagle emblazoned mask of the American hero.

Wilkes has insisted that he never sold the rights to the gimmick over to Brandi and that his successor has used the gimmick without his permission. To add insult to injury, Brandi uses photos of Wilkes' Patriot as part of his appearances and has even done an RF Video shoot with a picture of Del Wilkes' Patriot on the cover.

To make the situation even more bizarre, the Honky Tonk Man has also come out and claimed ownership of The Patriot gimmick, making a confusing situation almost mind-blowing. HTM has even used his son under a mask as “The Patriot” for fan fests and independent shows across the US.