10 Wrestlers Who Went To Insane Lengths To Get Over (But Didn't)

6. Happy Corbin Lives The Gimmick

Orange Cassidy Jack Evans
WWE

In 2021, something quite unexpected happened: Baron Corbin started to draw rave reviews.

He found himself sh*t out of luck as fans returned. As silly as the premise was - Corbin losing his 'King' status and the prop crown somehow led to his entire life falling apart - it worked. Corbin evolved into a character actor of sorts, going full method for a couple of months there. He recorded lots of supplemental content, which was key; in WWE "digital exclusives" and on his own social media accounts, Corbin willingly made himself look like a complete joke. He grew out his beard and what was left of his hair, in a deeply unflattering look, and was exceptional value with his "Why me?" despondent deadpans. The way he couldn't reconcile what had happened to him was terrific for how understated it was. He deserved it, but he played it like he didn't.

The idea was to make him even more unbearable when he won big and learnt nothing, and WWE certainly did that: the broad strokes of the 'Happy' character were excruciating, and all of the organic charm faded in parallel with the acclaim. Corbin is now the guy that represents a demotion for Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania.

Yet again, the lesson is stark, ironic, insane: the best way of getting over as a WWE star is to not appear on WWE television.

Contributor
Contributor

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!