10 Gimmick Changes That Saved A Wrestler's Career
7. 1-2-3 Kid To Syxx
Sean Waltman made his WWF debut as a jobber on Raw way back in 1993. Jumping from Kamikaze Kid to Cannonball Kid, Waltman settled on simply The Kid by the time he squared off with Razor Ramon on the 17 May 1993 edition of Raw. After shockingly upsetting 'The Bad Guy', Waltman adopted the 1-2-3 Kid name and became a fixture of the WWF's mid-card.
Clean-shaven with a slight build, Waltman was a natural underdog; however, these attributes didn't translate well when he turned heel in late '95. After a stint in rehab, the 1-2-3 Kid was gone from WWF by mid-'96.
By the time Waltman reappeared in WCW in September, he was sporting a totally new look, complete with goatee beard, bandana, and shades. Sat in the front row on WCW Nitro, Waltman looked like a badass - a stark contrast to his 1-2-3 Kid persona. Waltman was soon revealed as the sixth member of the New World Order. As such, he was renamed Syxx and went on to become one of the most memorable members of the early nWo.
By the time he returned to WWF 18 months later, 1-2-3 Kid was dead and, in his place, X-Pac was alive and well. Still using the look and attitude of his Syxx persona, X-Pac was a key ingredient in D-Generation X and the WWF's Attitude Era.