10 WWE Superstar Gimmicks That Nearly Turned Out So Differently

3. Diesel

In 1994, Vince McMahon took a big chance with €œBig Daddy Cool€ Diesel, who he very much saw as the new face of his company. He was the leader of the New Generation, a seven-foot tall former collegiate basketball player who had movie star good looks and the size the boss looked for in his mega stars. His victory over Bob Backlund just days after the Survivor Series pay-per-view shook the wrestling world to its core and established him as a giant in the industry, both literally and figuratively. While Diesel€™s in-ring gear mirrored the initial designs for the most part, there were several elements that never played out on television that could have helped further establish the star as WWE€™s brightest.

Everything from his workout attire to his red carpet apparel was dreamed up by creative. There was a special sweatsuit designed specifically for him, perhaps for a special fitness shoot that never materialized. A tailor-made tuxedo, with hints of silver that would tie into his ring gear, was brainstormed. Because WWE was so hot in €˜95 that they were walking red carpets...or something like that. The even bigger curiosity is the purple jacket and green pants that were drawn up for casual occasions. Why would someone even think it was a good idea in the first place? Neither purple nor green were even remotely related to Diesel and, more importantly, it looked like something Jack Nicholson's Joker from the 1989 film Batman would wear. It made no sense and, thus, it was not difficult to see why it never came to fruition.

While the idea of McMahon charging his marketing and creative division with drawing up outfits and apparel for Diesel from the squared circle is a bit ridiculous, it shows just how much forethought went into the production of Diesel as the guy in WWE. Even if he never materialized into the draw that McMahon would have hoped he would.