14 Wrestling Gimmicks Blatantly Stolen From Hollywood

11. Pirate Paul Burchill - Pirates Of The Caribbean

Alexa Bliss Harley Quinn
WWE.com & Disney

Paul Burchill was "repackaged" shortly after his debut as a swashbuckling pirate who was an incredibly thinly-vieled facsimile of Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

The gimmick quickly got over with fans (because honestly, who doesn't love pirates?), yet was oddly nixed after just a few short months with no explanation, and Burchill's WWE career never recovered.

It's a shame because the gimmick was such an easy sell to audiences (most of all kids), and Burchill was a supreme talent regardless of his character.

Perhaps Vince felt the hot breath of Disney's lawyers on his neck? Who knows? Either way, WWE left a ton of money on the table with this guy.

Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.