10 WWE Attitude Era Stars & Their 80s Counterparts

10. Val Venis / Ravishing Rick Rude

Let's start with one of the most obvious character reprises, dare I say rip-off, from the days of old with The Big Valboski and The Ravishing One. With Rick Rude having done such a great job as the sexually-charged, arrogant, ladies-man, the gimmick was updated and presented to the real-life Sean Morley as Val Venis. The Val Venis character was a natural evolution of the Ravishing Rick Rude persona if Rude had portrayed it in the late 90s during the time of the WWF's switch to a more risque' product. From the long, curly hair and signature hip-swiveling to the pre-match promo, Venis started off as a carbon copy of Rude in nearly every way, but Morley found a way to make the gimmick his own. He certainly had the right look and he had been in the business working for several years, include some group training sessions with Bret Hart, that by the time Val Venis made his WWF debut, his work was ready too. Similary, Ravishing Rick Rude was a very talented in-ring performer who had a shredded upper body that was the best in the business. If you've ever seen the 1987 Slammy Awards when Rude performs a Chippendale-esque strip dance, you could tell the definition on Rude's skinny legs didn't quite match that of his upper body, Because this, Rude wore long tights and to dress it up, they usually contained an airbrushed design of some sort. Some of his better tight designs included the face of Cheryl Roberts (Jake The Snake's wife), the Ultimate Warrior, and arguably the best was the Intercontinental Championship belt. The gimmick was a sure-fire heat magnet that was played perfectly by two different men, creating two distinct and very memorable characters.