10 Real Inspirations Behind Current Wrestling Gimmicks

Routinely making headlines over on the blue brand as one of the most consistently entertaining forces in wrestling, Sami Zayn has undergone quite the transformation in recent times. Gone are the days of the Underdog from the Underground or even his manager schtick of not too long ago, in their place is the conspiracy obsessed, unkept, and all-round hilarious Zayn we see before us today.

When pushed on where the inspiration for this most recent change in gears both visually and in attitude originated, Zayn would reveal in a chat with FOX Sport's Ryan Satin:

"Bill Murray’s character in Kingpin and the big game when his hair starts going little by little. That was a bit of an inspiration for me. I wanted to have that look."

It wasn't just the iconic Murray's work as Ernie "Big Ern" McCracken that set the tone for Zayn's nutty shift following his return to WWE in August of 2020 as the former NXT Champion also referenced Bret Hart as another inspiration for his unstable look:

"Or Bret Hart from a more practical point of view, where he’d come out looking one way, but then as the match progressed he looked a different way."

A lot of time and effort goes into looking this scruffy, you know.