10 Ridiculous Wrestling Gimmicks That Shouldn't Have Worked (But Did)
2. Damien Mizdow
Wrestling history is rife with gimmicks that have been imitated, parodied, or straight-up ripped-off from more successful acts. Damien Sandow took things a step further in become a full-on stunt double for The Miz in 2014, however, and the popularity he amassed through this gimmick marks his departure earlier this year as an immense missed opportunity for WWE management.
After his “Intellectual Savior of the Masses” gimmick fell-off, Sandow adopted his impersonation gimmick in April 2014. Appearing as Magneto, Abraham Lincoln, and a host of other figures every week, Sandow fell to enhancement-level comedy act status, it was clear that he was very, very good in this role.
The gimmick found legs when Sandow formed an alliance with The Miz that August. Hired as Miz’s stunt double, he took-on the “Damien Mizdow” monicker with aplomb, and would copy Miz’s every move and mannerism whenever he appeared. With an impeccable sense of comic timing, Mizdow’s impersonations were perfect, and the sight of him applying restholds and selling offense from invisible opponents became a regular sight at ringside.
The fans lapped it up, and his presence regularly drew deafening “we want Mizdow!” chants. Miz became increasingly annoyed with his sidekick’s growing popularity, and Mizdow was legitimately one of the company’s most popular acts by WrestleMania 31. After months of teasing, Mizdow looked set to finally split from The Miz after eliminating his now-former boss from the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, and with it, he was perfectly poised for a huge babyface run.
What happened? “Macho Mandow” happened, and that was it for Sandow’s WWE career. He’d continue to drift in and out of the lower card scene before his eventual release in 2016, and after organically getting over on his own, it’s a shame he was never given the chance to excel as a face.