10 Ridiculous Wrestling Gimmicks That Should Never Have Worked

8. Kurt Angle

Nobody can argue that Kurt Angle hasn't been one of the most natural talents to ever grace a pro wrestling ring. Taking to the industry like a duck to water, he was an overnight success story for WWE, going from opening match baddie to main event heel in less than one calendar year. Strangely though, the geeky, sanctimonious Angle character didn't have a lot going for it and likely would have failed for most wrestlers. There was just something endearing about Kurt's performances, and his constant assertions that he was a good guy, whilst rubbing his Olympic Gold Medal success in the faces of all who would listen, made him easy to hate for fans. When looking at the top heels of 2000, they were all strong, serious personalities: guys like Triple H and Chris Benoit were a million miles away from the dorky Angle, but he somehow made it work. And of course it didn't hurt that he was a machine when the match started.