From @JustAndy59: How important do you think a wrestler's gear is to their overall success?
It matters a fair bit, but it's not like it is more important than the in-ring skill, promo ability, charisma and ability to connect with the audience. Those are the things that matter the most, but there's no doubt that how a wrestler's look is a big reason why that person is successful or unsuccessful. When people think of Hulk Hogan they immediately think of the red and yellow unless you're talking about his heel look, which was smart of him because it was a noticeable difference. It showed that Hulk understood how important the look was. A guy like Bret Hart stood out because he wore the black and pink. Not many guys ever wore pink, so for him to mix it in really worked. If you look at current guys, John Cena has a noticeable look with the bright colored shirts, the shorts and the running shoes that ultimately turned into Cena brand shoes. There aren't going to be a lot of wrestlers in the future that take his look. It's silly in a lot of ways, but it worked for him. People could argue against the look being that important because Steve Austin was just a bald headed guy with black trunks and boots (don't forget the knee braces), but again that was a look that worked for him. The Rock had black trunks too while also having his logo on it. It's not like he really stood out from the crowd in that department. It's important to have a look that is unique to each performer because it allows them to stand out, but there are definitely other things that mean more to the success of a wrestler.
John wrote at WhatCulture from December 2013 to December 2015. It was fun, but it's over for now. Follow him on Twitter @johnreport. You can also send an email to mrjohncanton@gmail.com with any questions or comments as well.
