10 Reasons Why DDP Was The Original People’s Champ Of Wrestling
4. The Everyman
When DDP first entered WCW, he was laced with every gimmick in the wrestling playbook. Adorned in neon colours with hordes of beautiful women by his side, Page had enough jewellery to make Mr T jealous and more gimmicks than a fancy dress shop.
Entering the ring smoking a cigar, chewing bubble gum, wearing shades and dressed in leopard print, DDP was a walking cocktail of gimmicks encapsulated in one man. The crowd didn’t understand it, couldn’t buy into him as a character and ultimately wouldn’t emotionally invest in the man behind the gimmickry.
At the suggestion of Eric Bischoff, DDP would lose the window dressing and cut back to basics. Simply entering the ring in jeans and a t-shirt, DDP would get over almost instantly. When Page nailed Scott Hall with a Diamond Cutter rejecting the offer of the nWo, his fate was sealed. Exiting through the crowd, DDP became one of the people and he never looked back.
A true grafter, DDP’s status as a hard worker was clear for everyone to see and his progression over time was proof of just that. His rap and self-belief made him both relatable and likeable and once he was over, he stayed over.