10 Gimmicks So Bad They Didn't Even Make It To WWE TV

6. The Female Shield

HBK Biker
WWE

"The Shield, but with women? That's f*cking stupid, the tactical vests cover up the best part fnar-fnar!"

- Kevin Dunn, explaining why a female Shield wouldn't work.

The official reason why the gimmick never made it to WWE TV is actually apparent, not that they'd have pitched a female Shield in 2013. As it turns out, this wasn't footage from a pilot, but rather a filmed NXT promo class project that was somehow leaked into the public domain.

But it might also have something to do with the fact that this was really quite awful, as you'd probably expect from a group of development talent in the process of learning their trade. Promo class is designed to determine what works and what does not, and this...didn't. Paige looked uninterested, and Summer Rae couldn't play menacing convincingly.

"What injustice are you saving us from, exactly?" Paige said. "[REDACTED] is still in the Performance Center and worryingly, he thinks I'm doing a good job!"

Having female performers rise against injustice in 2013 would have opened up lots of narrative avenues, at least.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!