10 WWE Gimmicks That Started Elsewhere

5. Fandango

10 WWE Gimmicks That Started Elsewhere
WWE.com

Look, did Alex Wright really benefit from dancing to techno during the early days of his WCW career? Was Disco Inferno ever realistically in line to become a headliner even when he started using the Stone Cold Stunner? Was the 'Big Wiggle' really a turning point in Norman Smiley's mainstream North American career?

Well, the last one might actually be the case, but dancing gimmicks have a shelf life, even if the music itself becomes a cult classic that temporarily tops the charts. Such was the reality for Fandango as he tried to pair a WrestleMania victory over Chris Jericho with everybody hammering iTunes so they could do the finger dance with their bewildered non-wrestling fan friends.

Unfortunately for the perpetual boy-popper himself, it wasn't meant to be. WWE assumed control of the organic movement and sucked the fun out of it in the process. Nearly a decade later and Fandango remains a feature, but the rug-cutting has taken a back seat to mild and comedic weirdness.

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett