10 WWE Superstars Who Gambled On A New Look

9. Tazz Joins Slipknot

Triple H
WWE

Taz's original attire worked so well in ECW that it's impossible to look at the colour orange without thinking of the Human Suplex Machine.

His work was so good, and Paul Heyman did such an expert job of promoting it, that it looked like he had in fact been imported from a genuine combat sports discipline. Taz was a submission specialist, the proper pro wrestler in a company that gleefully bastardised what that meant, and therefore had to wear traditional wrestling attire.

In the WWF, Taz(z) looked more like an ECW wrestler than he ever did in ECW because he wore a boiler suit, and even if it wasn't, it looked like a typically puzzling Vince McMahon imposition. The gear change muddied the core appeal of his legitimate character, and fans were left with a brawler toiling in a bizarre, unflattering feud with Jerry Lawler in which he required Raven's help.

It only didn't work in WWE because they didn't seem to want it to work; the more-or-less faithful version of Tazz looked great, and convincing, choking out Kurt Angle on his debut.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!