10 Wrestlers Who Couldn't Survive Without WWE's Attitude Era

5. Hardcore Holly

Speaking of men who were mired in unconvincing gimmicks, Bob Holly was once known as Thurman 'Sparky' Plugg. How such a name was ever supposed to convince people to part with their cash is unknown, but management were scraping the bottom of the barrel there. Holly's tenure as a race car driver turned wrestler fell right in the middle of a sea change for the WWF. Suddenly, 'real life' gimmicks were all the rage, which is why Holly had the racing driver tag. Like many others on this list handed horrendous creative ideas, Bob's failed to get over. By 1998, he was somewhat lost on the WWF roster, only working live events and rarely - if at all - appearing on television. The next idea in line for him was 'Bombastic' Bob, part of The New Midnight Express alongside 'Bodacious' Bart (Gunn). Naturally, just like all other 'New' incarnations of tag-teams, this failed to connect with audiences. Then there was the JOB squad... In 1999, Holly started going by the name Hardcore Holly. This was due to his involvement in the WWF Hardcore Title picture, but it proved to be a new lease on life for the man. Cutting his hair short and bleaching it blonde, Holly had a menacing aura to him which worked well. There's little doubt that he was struggling to maintain his position on the roster before rebranding himself and going 'Hardcore'. Without the Hardcore Title, he may have been finished.