10 Wild Wrestlers Who Oversold Throughout Their WWE Careers

8. The Genius

The Genius
WWE.com

Often times, when wrestling fans think of the great over-sellers in WWE, Lanny Poffo is not at the forefront of their minds.

Many of the talents that displayed their selling abilities would do so by acting as a human superball, ping-ponging and flying all over the squared circle. Conversely, what makes Poffo, in his portrayal of The Genius, a classic over-seller is that almost every move he took was exaggerated to the nth degree.

A good example of this came at the 1990 Royal Rumble against Brutus 'The Barber' Beefcake. Aside from prancing around the ring, skipping and flailing, The Genius's facial expressions and defensive strategies were among the most over-the-top performances seen in a WWE ring. Clearly channeling his inner-Gorgeous George (and future Goldust), Poffo sold common clotheslines, atomic drops, and bodyslams like they'd never been sold before.

Lanny's wild facials and exaggerated movements made for a great manager in the early '90s, with his longest stint being with The Beverly Brothers.

He's not a bouncy-ball nor was he showing off incredible athleticism, but The Genius's in-ring selling made sure that every fan in the arena, from front row at ringside to the last row in the nosebleeds, could see him work.

Contributor
Contributor

A former stuntman for Paramount Pictures, Matt enjoys sports, water skiing, driving fast, the beach, professional wrestling, technology, and scotch. At the same time, whenever possible. Having attended many famous (and infamous) shows including WrestleMania XV, In Your House: Mind Games, and the 1995 King of the Ring, Matt has been a lifelong professional sports and wrestling fan. Matt's been mentioned in numerous wrestling podcasts including the Steve Austin Show: Unleashed, Talk Is Jericho, and Something To Wrestle With Bruce Prichard. As a former countywide performer, Matt has been referred to as Mr. 300 for his amazing accomplishments in the world of amateur bowling. He is also the only man on record to have pitched back-to-back no hitters in the Veterans Stadium Wiffle Ball League of 2003.