10 Real Inspirations Behind Current Wrestling Gimmicks

The ThunderDome era wasn't exactly a period of time dripping with career-rejuvenating switch-ups. But for every soul-crushing instance of a paint-by-numbers promo being played out in front of lifeless LED screens, there was actually the odd moment of inspired playfulness.

In the case of Seth Rollins, that aim to have a little fun in an otherwise dark and often laborious time resulted in a fresh hybrid shift for the one-time Architect. Channelling his inner Macho Man, Nature Boy, and Gorgeous George, the former Universal Champion set out to make his Visionary the ultimate "love-to-hate" personality of his time.

Before long, the shamelessly flamboyant Rollins could frequently be found peacocking down to the ring in outrageous get-ups, adopting mannerisms that weren't too dissimilar from a certain well-known Batman villain. As Rollins would put it when explaining his most recent step in his gimmick's overall evolution to Josh Martinez:

“If the Joker were a narcissist going through a midlife crisis. I guess that’s the best way to really put it. I don’t really know any other way to really do it, it’s a lot, there’s a lot happening."

How long before we see this Visionary busting a move down a set of steps?