10 Worst WWE Gimmicks Of 2016

8. The Titus Brand

Karl Anderson Luke Gallows
WWE.com

Titus O’Neil has had a rough year. It looked like he was being pegged for a minor push before he decided to grab Vince McMahon’s arm and get himself suspended in February. That was that, and when he returned, Titus was obliterated by Rusev in front of his son, then turned heel and engaged in one of the worst feuds of the year with Darren Young.

The Young nonsense looks to have been forgotten about, but Titus has been treading an odd path lately. The 2016 Celebrity Dad of the Year introduced the “Titus Brand” midway through the feud with Young, but it’s done nothing to revive his ailing fortunes. The gimmick largely consists of Titus throwing-out a bunch of irrelevant marketing terminology and hosting desolate press conferences to an audience of Tom Phillips, then inevitably losing every single match he’s booked in.

WWE obviously see something they like in O’Neil. He’s got a great reputation off-screen and is always used prominently in WWE’s PR campaigns, but his current character isn’t going to get him over. The August 22nd edition of Raw saw him cut one of the most unintentionally hilarious promos you’ll ever see, and while this took place before the Brand’s birth, it’s a perfect encapsulation of his struggles in 2016.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.