10 Worst Anti-American Wrestling Gimmicks
6. Crush
Short on ideas in the wake of Hulk Hogan's June 1993 exit and Bret Hart's perceived failure as a headline draw months earlier, Vince McMahon positioned monster samoan star Yokozuna as an evil Japanese WWE Champion and Lex Luger as the human equivalent of an American flag.
It was Crush who looked primed for the huge babyface in run in the summer, but a failure to slam the champion during his July 4th 'Body Slam Challenge' triggered a chain of events that would see the Hawaiian abandon his fans, his closest allies and even his country.
Luger's ascent was transparent and saccharine, but Crush's return from an injury ostensibly caused by his ineffective slam attempt on the mammoth Yoko lit a fire previously unseen in the belly of the formerly mild-mannered babyface.
Returning with Mr Fuji by his side, a heel goatee beard and a love of Japanese culture, Crush abandoned all his core principles. The segment lead to a spectacular turn on former friend Randy Savage, with his new Japanese-themed gimmick calling for martial arts to be added to his lumbering repertoire.
The one dimensional turn sunk fast, and following his WrestleMania 10 defeat to Savage, Crush was reduced to waving the Japanese flag alongside Yokozuna in 1994's wretched tag division.