15 WWE Gimmick Changes That IMMEDIATELY Backfired

Even the most hardcore WWE fans out there might know next to nothing about 'Billy Graham: The Karate Expert Years'. The celebrated heel champion who had carried the company on his giant back for years returned to the WWF in August 1982, but he wasn't quick the slick-talking 'Superstar' of before. No, Graham had evolved into a martial artist.

Admittedly, he did briefly feud with Bob Backlund for the WWF Title before leaving in April 1983, but nobody was invested enough in the character change. It was far too drastic, and it barely made a lick of sense anyway. Maybe explaining why Graham was radically different would’ve been an idea, but the federation chose to just roll with it and hope fans would too.

No dice.

This karate idea was bizarrely tag-teamed with some fetching camouflage outfits. So, was Billy an army veteran who had learned the martial art to up his game whenever he was at war? People didn't get it, and it wasn't long until Graham started to come across as a wonky, ill-advised reimagining of his old self. Does he deserve credit for trying someone completely different? Absolutely, but it backfired on him.

Billy continued using the karate guise when he joined the AWA and NWA post-WWF, but eventually brought his old tie-dye 'Superstar' look back in 1985. By then, it was too little too late for him as a must-see headliner housed on top of cards around the country. The whole martial arts thing had been a failed experiment for Graham, and it lessened his star power almost overnight.