10 Storylines WWE ENJOYED Ruining

9. Eugene

Ted Dibiase Randy Orton
WWE.com

WWE were never ever ever ever going to make a character with undefined additional needs work, not least in a far less accepting, understanding and informed time than thankfully exists today. But when they gave the joy of the persona a shot, it was predictably the best thing on the show.

Nick Dinsmore's portrayal was obviously somewhat patronising, but the worker in him managed to extract an enormous amount of sympathy and support for the character. He had an earnest charm that the rest of the "Rrurrrrhtlesssh Aggressshrrrshhion" d*ckheads and dudebros couldn't muster in a month of Mondays, and was thus was one of the most over babyfaces on the show as a result.

Enter Triple H and his f*cking talons.

'The Game' saw something getting over and wanted a bit of that, thanks very much, even if it made little sense for him and his cronies to use the savant skills of the new star. The plan failed because of course it did, resulting in the group and Hunter specifically abusing Eugene for his involvement. This was Dead Man's Shoes without the violent redemption, and became a trope as a result. Mohammad Hassan, Kurt Angle and even Vince McMahon tortured the poor soul for cheap heat in a coarse reminder that the bullies in this organisation always get to win.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett