10 Wrestlers Who Visibly Hated Their Own Gimmicks

4. Greg Valentine

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Greg Valentine's constant expression of unadulterated disdain throughout his time in the Rhythm & Blues team was almost impressive, given that he was a gruff, miserable-looking prick by default. This worked, as part of his ornery heel bit, but it didn't work when he was meant to inject some pizzazz into his persona.

Greg Valentine looked even more miserable than usual here here.

This palpable loathing was barely concealed by an attempt at a cocky expression. Then again, 'attempt' suggests something active, when really, Valentine surveyed everything as if that everything stunk of sh*t. He looked more weary than anything else; Valentine was meant to be the snarling, attitude-laced rock n' roller, but in execution, he appeared like a bedroom miserabilist. 'Hunka Hunka Honky Love' was Rhythm and Blues' purported hit, but Valentine was playing 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now'. If Honky was the Rhythm, Valentine was certainly the Blues. He should have played Mick Mars in Netflix's adaptation of 'The Dirt'.

You'd have thought, given the deeply ugly early '80s promos Valentine cut against the Junkyard Dog, that he might enjoy an Elvis Presley-adjacent gimmick.

He did not.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!