10 Most Shameless Wrestling Ripoffs Ever

6. Eugene

Ultimate Warrior Renegade
WWE

Ripped Off: Evad Sullivan

One of the most insensitive characters in modern WWE history is Eugene, who was Nick Dinsmore's heavy-handed take on a mentally-handicapped grappler introduced as Eric Bischoff's "special" (WWE's words, not ours) nephew. For those who missed his run, Eugene's portrayal was as thoughtless, clumsy, and irksome as expected from a promotion who has never handled material requiring sensitivity well, adding further evidence to the argument that they should just leave such topics alone.

Dinsmore wasn't the first wrestler to play such a character in a major American promotion though. No, that would be Dave Sullivan, whose short-lived Evad Sullivan gimmick provided an obvious inspiration.

Here's what Dave had to say when interviewed by World Wrestling Insanity:-

“The guys in [WWE] that I still know, Finlay and those guys, I still talk to them. They said the idea came from my character. Eugene, yeah, they thought it was a good time to do it. So yeah. They ran with Eugene. They recycle stuff. You know that. That’s just part of the game.”

A wild decision, given WCW were rightly shredded for the Evad character when he debuted in 1994.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.