10 Terrible WWE Gimmicks That Were One Tweak Away From Perfection
2. Fake Razor Ramon & Diesel
This isn't an effort to defend the indefensible.
But...
Presented entirely without context, the idea of sending out fraudulent versions of old gimmicks was patently absurd. Even with a broad explanation it's still quite ridiculous, but had WWE committed to the original concept with the same vim and vigor of Jim Ross on Night One, it might have stood a chance.
JR's scathing assault on WWE owner (but, in kayfabe, babyface commentator) Vince McMahon was one of the promos of the year, instantly creating a heel persona that was more than willing to destroy his employers from the inside. His first method of attack - pure embarrassment. "Razor" and "Diesel" were intended to be laughable - mockeries of both the company's plight and the charmingly cheesy picadillos of Vince McMahon's promotional style.
Rather than simply parodying the men, Ross' narrative that he was a star-maker could have resulted in Vince and his fanbase fuming at the sight of this imposters. Enraged at the flagrant arrogance of a man he'd accidentally allowed into his organisation who was now revelling in wrecking it via these humiliation tactics.
Instead, the pair somehow just became part of the roster. Commentators that once fumed over the fakery just started...calling them Razor Ramon and Diesel. Embracing the act legitimised it, despite the illegitimacy being the beating heart of what was supposed to work to begin with.