10 Famous Wrestling Gimmicks That Ripped Off Real People

2. 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin ('Ice Man Killer' Richard Kuklinski)

Arriving in the then-WWF in 1995, Steve Austin was known as 'The Ringmaster'. The name was very uninspiring, quickly leading to Austin becoming frustrated. Looking to launch a new character, the wrestler was captivated by the idea of serial killers, feeling the idea to be perfect. Infamously, when Austin pitched the new gimmick to creative, the names they came up with were horrendous. 'Chilly McFreeze' was one of the most notable, hitting way wide of the mark. Needless to say, that's not what Austin was going for, he wanted something ultra-serious fans could sink their teeth into. Whilst studying various shows related to the criminals, Austin was himself chilled by the exploits of Richard Kuklinski. Known as the 'Ice Man Killer', Kuklinski would freeze his victims to try and stop authorities from determining their time of death. Feeling this to be unbelievably evil, Steve Austin studied the man's facial expressions and general mannerisms. At least in the early months of 'Stone Cold', some of these were prevalent. Austin had a cold, vacant look in his eyes, and yet carried himself with an ice cool arrogance, showing no remorse for his actions. Shaving his head and growing a goatee were both designed to make him closer to Kuklinski's menacing persona.