10 Wrestlers Whose Careers Started In The Worst Way Possible
6. Luke Gallows' Gets Borderline Offensive As Festus
Another tenured performer saddled with a stinking gimmick upon arriving on WWE television, the wrestler currently known as Luke Gallows originally debuted as an imposter Kane in 2006. The angle was abruptly ended just a few weeks later, and returned to the DSW developmental territory, reverting to his Freakin' Deacon persona ahead of his full main roster call-up in May 2007.
He became Festus: a mentally-challenged, unresponsive brute, who transformed into a focused, dominant bruiser as soon as the bell rang. When the match ended, he reverted back to his original state, and that was the extent of this problematic character.
WWE's presentation of Festus was as off-colour as you'd expect from the company, and he stayed in the gimmick until the 2009 Supplemental Draft split him from partner Jesse. Afterwards, he became the Straight Edge Society's Luke Gallows. He wasn't long for WWE, and left the company the following year, but eventually returned in 2016, having rebuilt himself in TNA and NJPW.
It's hard to believe he's still only 34 years old after all this, and while him and Karl Anderson aren't a pushed SmackDown team, they've at least slotted into a consistent role.