10 Lost Gimmicks WWE Should Bring Back
3. Magician
Phantasio sucked.
Yes, it's true. The 1995 magician act tanked on 'C' level programming and infamously almost set fire to the Gorilla Position backstage before his match. So, why the heck would anybody want to mimic some kid's party-esque magic man who failed to get the job done? To do it properly, of course.
WWE's use of props and ye olde 'smoke and mirrors' stuff has moved on significantly since the mid-90s. If carefully handled and well thought out, a Phantasio rip off could do the magic gimmick justice. That's especially true assuming Trips tacked on some darker/creepier vibes that also reminded fans of classic Doink The Clown hijinkery (not a real word, but roll with it).
It just seems like practioners of the magic game got a bad name after Phantasio's flop. WWE has played around with illusion and magic with several characters since, but they've never had an out and out magician. Time to change that?