10 Hilariously Awful Career-Killing WWE Gimmicks From The 2000s

8. Momma's Boy

The WWE really missed the boat with Shelton Benjamin, didn't they? Shelton was one of the most athletically gifted wrestlers in the company's history, able to do things that were previously only thought possible in video games. For most of his tenure with the company Benjamin hovered around the mid-card and rarely knocked on the glass ceiling. A lot of people put this down to WWE not seeing something in Benjamin and, while that may be true to an extent, Benjamin certainly didn't help himself at times with his backstage attitude. According to online reports that circulated in late 2005, Benjamin openly dissed a veteran road agent in a very disrespectful manner. So how did WWE punish Benjamin for this breach of etiquette? By saddling him with an awful gimmick, of course! Benjamin was given his 'Momma' - a stereotypical heavyset woman who would browbeat her 'son' - as a manager. The gimmick sucked and seriously damaged Benjamin's career, which was going great after a breakout 2005. It only lasted a couple of months in early 2006 but a lot of people couldn't take Benjamin seriously after the whole Momma incident. Thea Vidale (the actress who played Momma Benjamin) caused a stir last year when she opened up about the alleged sexual harassment she received while working for the company.