10 Things You Learn Binge Watching Every WWE Raw From 2004
7. Eugene Was On Fire
No, not literally. Eugene wasn’t feuding with Kane.
Seriously though, history hasn’t been kind to this character. Many view it as an offensive caricature of undisclosed disability, which it definitely was. Nick Dinsmore played Eugene to the hilt though, and he did strike up a good rapport with fans rallying behind his underdog cause.
Some of 2004's best segments involved Eric Bischoff's "special nephew". Go back and watch The Rock ride to his rescue on the 17 May Raw for some loud crowd reactions, then listen to the pop on 11 October when UK fans thought he and William Regal had won the World Tag Team Titles.
WWE's motivations for creating Eugene should be questioned, but Dinsmore somehow made the role work better than anyone expected. His interactions with Triple H, the rest of Evolution, Bischoff, Jonathan Coachman, The Rock and countless others are almost charming to study today.
Christ knows how far Nick could've gone with a different gimmick - he was some worker.