10 Weirdest Ways Wrestlers Got Their Gimmicks

In the ‘90s, there were no four words more iconic than Stone Cold Steve Austin. As one of pop culture’s most recognisable anti-heroes, many would assume that the name was the result of hours of creative toil and effort, yet Austin’s moniker was derived by pure coincidence.

Austin debuted in WWE as ‘The Ringmaster’, and though he had the backing of Ted DiBiase and was awarded the Million Dollar Championship, Austin felt the gimmick was weak. He believed so strongly that he approached Vince McMahon with his concerns. The chairman posed the question that if he wasn’t ‘The Ringmaster’, then who the hell was he?

Austin’s inspiration first sparked watching HBO with a few beers. He remembered:-

“I was watching this special on HBO about Richard Kuklinski – he was called the Ice Man […] a hitman for hire for the Chicago mob. Totally remorseless, just a ruthless individual, a guy didn’t give a s**t about anything. He was very cold, no emotion about him, and I said, ‘Man, this guy… There’s something about this guy that’s really got my gears going…’”

The character’s name proved more elusive, with WWE Creative suggesting gems such as Otto von Ruthless, Ice Dagger, and Fang McFrost. It was Austin’s wife at the time, Jeanie Clarke, who saved the character from such a cringeworthy fate. While he was wrapped up in his frustration Jeanie made him a cup of tea. After he left his drink untouched, she cautioned that it would go "stone cold". Inspiration strikes in the weirdest places.