10 Worst WWE Gimmicks Of The Ruthless Aggression Era

Halfway into the Ruthless Aggression Era, WWE saw there was more to squeeze out of the ECW brand name after successes such as One Night Stand.

Unfortunately, the same triumphs led to WWE introducing ECW as its own show under their umbrella. At first, ratings were strong, but it wasn’t long before diehard ECW fans started to sneer at the invasive rebranding of their once-favorite hardcore wrestling product. What didn’t help retain fans was the lack of consideration WWE gave the acts it introduced to the show, which was evident as early as the debut episode on the Sci Fi network.

The ECW Zombie (R.I.P.) was a character that existed for no other reason than to please the Sci Fi network big wigs. In 2006, The Zombie appeared only once, had no motive, and lost to The Sandman. Although fans popped when he disposed of The Zombie, there were many better ways to make use of the hardcore veteran’s time, such as by placing him in a real match with an established talent.

On commentary, Tazz summarized everyone’s thoughts by stating, “I spent a lot of time in ECW, but what the hell is this?”