4. The Devils Advocate Was One Of The Best Gimmicks In WWE
In January 2003, WWE began airing vignettes for a newly debuting character the returning Sean OHaire, under the guise of the Devils Advocate. For forty seconds or so, OHaire would expound upon a hot button issue, essentially persuading the WWE faithful that it was perfectly okay to do bad things: that it was normal, acceptable. That they deserved it. Dressed in a sharp suit, devilish pointed beard and wide piratical grin on full display, OHaire was on top form in all of these promos, lovingly reproduced for you below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTbWI7iDt6M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfnOU1gkeZY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84fAEmrTWmU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hO9ELioCAw OHaire would be the Mephistopheles to the WWEs Faust, tempting poor babyfaces with their secret desires and, you know, beating the crap out of them when they resisted. These are some of the best-written and performed vignettes in the companys history, and with the tag line Im not telling you anything you dont already know as a ready made catchphrase, OHaire looked to be on fire as a singles competitor for the first time in his career. The gimmick had fantastic legs, OHaire was a gold mine, and the best part was that, as a giant slab of man muscle after Vince McMahons own heart, his supporters felt sure that hed get the push that his talent and the character deserved. Finally, something created by the company that the IWC could get behind! So of course, the whole thing fizzled out. OHaire was placed with Rowdy Roddy Piper as his mouthpiece and entered into a program against Hulk Hogan as McMahons stooge not necessarily a demotion, as the angle was still incredibly high profile, but not the character he was set to play. Some reports have it that OHaire himself was to blame, that he couldnt keep a straight face when delivering those promos to a live audience. Whatever the case, the Devils Advocate remains a fascinating missed opportunity for WWE and fans alike and certainly for the late Sean OHaire.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
