Adrian Adonis was a tough, rough, ragged wrestler early in his career with WWE. In fact, he teamed with Hall of Famer Jesse "the Body" Ventura to capture the promotion's tag team championships. But as his time in the company dragged on, Adonis' physique became softer and softer. He was incredibly out of shape by the time 1986 rolled around and to punish his talent, Vince McMahon saddled him with a blatantly homosexual character. Gone was the leather biker jacket and plain black tights. In their place was a pair of hideous pink tights, face paint and feathered blonde hair. His histrionics were over the top and, quite frankly, stereotypical. In hindsight, the "Adorable" character was definitely something one could find offensive but, at the time, the only thing offensive about its assault on the eyes of the audience. After all, Adonis in his new outfit was hardly appealing. At WrestleMania 2, Adonis battled Uncle Elmer in a match that ranks among the worst in event history. One year later, he redeemed himself with an incredibly entertaining match against Roddy Piper, the result of a tremendous rivalry. Adonis was a great performer, one who deserves Hall of Fame consideration. But the Adorable gimmick, some three decades later, is so out of touch with society that one has to wonder what McMahon was thinking when he conceived it. That the Chairman of the Board went back to that same well with Billy and Chuck, among others, only proves that the so-called "creative genius" does not necessarily learn from his mistakes.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
