10 Times Wrestlers Got Away With Ripping Off WWE
5. Abyss
The idea was a sound one, on paper.
In the summer of 2003, TNA took the faded promise of the Kane gimmick - freshly-shagged by Katie Vick shenanigans - and repurposed it via Joseph Parks. Parks was also indebted to Mick 'Mankind' Foley; his slant on the demon was as kayfabe-powerful but more hardcore, more sadistic. This Kane - Abyss -wasn't going to be saddled with a manipulative female (obviously) love interest. TNA wasn't about to retcon a convoluted familicide storyline.
It worked, for a while. Abyss was key in allowing the LOLTNA league to become just credible enough to attract the likes of Christian and Kurt Angle - and, despite murmurings of nonsense, his legit violent monster aura was once so strong WWE reportedly courted Abyss for a WrestleMania date with the Undertaker.
Then, the fatalism of the folly revealed itself. Abyss was saddled with a manipulative female (obviously) love interest. TNA retconned a convoluted familicide storyline. TNA booked the WWE ripoff to fall for a WWE prop, and booked him to take part in the dumbest gimmick match in wrestling history.
Abyss went full Kane.