10 Times WWE Got Babyfaces Wrong

7. The Honky Tonk Man

Honky Tonk Man
WWE.com

Believe it or not, Elvis Presley impersonator The Honky Tonk Man originally debuted as a Hulk Hogan-endorsed babyface who promised to "Shake, Rattle & Roll" all over the World Wrestling Federation's biggest baddies. According to Bruce Prichard, this was a role that Honky himself wasn't too comfortable with.

The rock n' roller believed fans would despise his Memphis look and dime-store Elvis routine so much that he had to be heel. Nonsense, thought McMahon; to him, this suspect Presley knock-off could become a mid-card hero to the masses, and he had visions of fans dressing up like Honky to show their appreciation at live events.

Not for long.

Fans did boo Honky Tonk, and that forced the WWF's hand. They'd tricked themselves into believing that the outlandish cartoon nature of the gimmick would make folks happy, but it actually left them crying out to see Honky take a kicking.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.