7. D-Von Dudley To Reverend D-Von
Sometimes, gimmicks are based around real life. Some work fantastically well, as the wrestler is able to draw upon their real life experiences to portray the character. The most famous of these would be former mortician Wiliam Moody, who became Paul Bearer. However, sometimes, they dont work. The Reverend D-Von was one such example. Both of D-Vons parents were in the clergy. His father was a bishop and his mother a pastor. So when the WWE were looking for a new singles gimmick for him, they settled on the heel preacher character with the imaginative name of Reverend D-Von, accompanied by the equally successful Deacon Batista. While America is a largely very religious country, wrestling and clergy gimmicks never really work. Remember Friar Ferguson? Exactly. Many religious fans felt uncomfortable with the gimmick. Booing a man of God did not seem right. What also didnt help was that D-Von had been part of one of the most successful tag teams of all time The Dudley Boyz. Along with partner Bubba Ray Dudley, they had won multiple tag team titles and had been involved in some of the most memorable matches of recent times. But in 2002, the WWE split their roster into two: the Raw brand and the Smackdown brand. Bubba went to Raw and D-Von went to Smackdown. They were lost without each other. The fans didnt want to see them split up either, and so they were always swimming against the stream. The WWE saw the error of their ways and The Dudley Boyz were reunited just six months later, which thankfully revived D-Vons career.