10 WWE Wrestlers Who Survived Awful Gimmicks To Become Huge Stars

2. Batista

Awful Gimmick: When Batista showed up in OVW, it was clear that he wasn't going to be the type of guy that was going to be doing hour-long broadways or having scientific classics with Kurt Angle. No, he was going to have to be a gimmick. This was a guy that was a 'WrestleMania main event waiting to happen', according to then-OVW booker Jim Cornette. So big Dave was treated as such. He debuted in the development territory as Leviathan, a kind of supernatural, monster, vampire thing. It wasn't a winner but, with his imposing look (including fangs and a huge chain around his neck) he certainly looked the part and could always work a spooky feud with The Undertaker. Batista's best asset was his herculean physique, so guess what WWE did when they promoted him to the main roster? Stuck him in a suit and covered it up. Genius. Batista debuted in the WWE as 'Deacon' Batista, bodyguard/donation box carried for the unspeakably lame Reverend D-Von. How He Survived It: Triple H saved him, essentially. The two became pals after bonding over bench presses and bicep curls in the weight room and so Batista was moved to Raw and was managed by Ric Flair, before becoming a member of the modern day Four Horseman, Evolution. From there, Dave went all the way to the top, becoming