10 Wrestlers Who Modelled Their Whole Style On Other Wrestlers
The looks, the moves, even the hair colour - it's all got to come from somewhere...
Pro-wrestling history is littered with the real-life blood feuds that came about over stolen gimmicks. One wrestler, usually enjoying a bigger stage than most of their peers, lifts something straight from someone else's playbook and passes it off as their own creative brilliance. In the '80s these were settled in fistfights, in the '90s they were settled in court but, today, they usually just play out on Twitter. What a time to be alive.
Now stealing a move, slogan or gimmick is one thing, but basing your entire style on another wrestler is something else entirely and, often, not even that much of a problem. Where your signature move and catchphrase is marketable - and thus, someone else pinching it almost literally takes food off your table - your ring style is actually something you probably hope gets shared around.
If it happens while you're still working then you're a trendsetter, an influencer, and one of the most prominent figures in your industry. If it happens after you've retired, then you're an icon, a legend, and one of the most important performers to ever lace up the boots.
Imitation is often said to be the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness, but when it comes to a wrestler's in-ring style it's more often a case of adding new chapters to an already storied book. Let's take a look at 10 such individuals who tried to take something that came before them, and build on it.