10 Ridiculous Wrestling Gimmicks Which Are Actually TRUE

3. T.L. Hopper

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WWE.com

WWE really plumbed the depths of desperation for something - anything - to get bored kids back onside with their outdated brand of sports entertainment in the mid-'90s, and they dredged up an absolute stinker in the form of wrestling plumber T.L. Hopper.

Another crap gimmick straight from the New Generation toilet, but believe it or not, unlike The Goon or Mantaur, this wasn't entirely one of Vince McMahon's whims. Dusty Rhodes famously fashioned himself into a working class hero based on his background as a 'son of a plumber', and Hopper's father also made U-bends meet to make ends meet. Except the man behind the plunger, Tony Anthony, thought The American Dream's story was "a bunch of garbage"; his father really was a plumber, and he too, could have been a blue-collar champion.

He wasn't. In fact, he wasn't even transformed into yet another Dusty Rhodes rib - some small wonder given his origin story. Instead, McMahon went as obvious as possible, and wrestling plumber it was.

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Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.