10 Wrestling Storylines Totally Ripped Off From Movies

10. 'Spin The Wheel, Make The Deal' Was Inspired By Mad Max

At some point in the early-90's, World Championship Wrestling decided that the best way to make their product really stand out was to produce mini-movies which would help promote their upcoming Pay-Per-View events and make them seem like a much bigger deal. The Mad Max movie series has influenced pro wrestling in a whole host of ways, including characters such as The Road Warriors, Demolition and even WCW's 'Thunderdome' match. That's not where it all stopped however, as WCW officials decided to borrow something else from the series to help promote their Halloween Havoc 1992 event. Jake Roberts and Sting were set to do battle in a match on the Pay-Per-View, and the infamous 'Spin The Wheel, Make The Deal' concept was thought up as an ideal way to add unpredictability and intrigue. Basically, a whole host of match types were listed on a big wheel, and the wrestlers had to spin it to decide how they'd square off. This seemed to be a direct link to Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome - released in 1985 - a movie which featured the character Aunty Entity encouraging Mel Gibson to "Bust A Deal, And Face The Wheel" to decide his fate.
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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood.