10 Real Inspirations Behind Current Wrestling Gimmicks

Another gimmick that has veered into the superhero sphere as of late caught many a wrestling fan off-guard in 2021 as Nikki Cross unexpectedly donned a super suit on Monday Night Raw.

Far from just being another questionable Vinnie Mac out of the blue concept, though, this wholesale change-up was actually completely pitched and conceived by Nikki and a number of other creatives. The sight of a superhero character gracing WWE television isn't exactly anything new, with The Hurricane perhaps acting as the most notable example of the gimmick getting surprisingly over.

Unsurprisingly, Cross has confessed that Shane Helms' work provided the blueprint for her own excursion into the super-world whilst under the WWE banner. Speaking on Instinct Culture with by Denise Salcedo, the superhero in training would explain:

“The Hurricane left such a valuable great blueprint and I wanted to pay respect to that path and pay respect to what came before me but also carve my own path and have my own message for our younger audience and just be a positive role model and a positive inspiration."

Nikki also cites her love of the X-Men and and Spider-Man cartoons as a youngster as the beginning of her super obsession; a love that ultimately paved the way for her blue and yellow presentation today.