10 Great Wrestling Careers Ruined By Bad Gimmick Changes
4. Mike Awesome Becoming The Fat Chick Thrilla
WCW had no idea what they had in Mike Awesome. Widely regarded as one of the most athletically impressive big men in wrestling history, Awesome was nicknamed the “300lb Luchador” during his time with ECW, where his spectacular matches with the likes of Masato Tanaka saw him become a wildly popular athlete. He lacked the charisma to succeed as a true main event level wrestler, but with the right manager, Awesome could have been a star.
Signing for WCW in 2000 looked like his big break, and he made a promising start as “The Career Killer.” Debuting in an attack on WCW Champion Kevin Nash, Awesome famously threw Chris Kanyon from the top of a cage, and aided Billy Kidman in his feud with Hulk Hogan. His legitimacy was shot to pieces that summer, however: Awesome became obsessed with “heavier” women, and “The Fat Chila Thrilla” was born.
His slide was spectacular, and his star power was eradicated. Where Awesome once looked like a fantastic acquisition, he became a no-good comedy character, and nobody could take him seriously. WCW attempted to repackage him as “That ‘70s Guy,” but the gimmick was only slightly less ridiculous than the one that came before it. Awesome’s career never truly recovered from his drastic character changes, and he lasted just a year with WWE after eventually signing in 2001.