20 DUMB WWE Gimmick Changes (That We Didn't Want To Admit Were GENIUS)
3. ‘King’ Bookah!
The buffoonish ‘King’ gimmick has been a creative noose for so many workers not-named Jerry Lawler or Randy Savage, but Booker T stands proudly as someone who made it click. Think about the failures here. There's some great talent: Harley Race, Haku, Sheamus and Wade Barrett all come to mind.
'King' Bookah and his beautiful 'Queen' Sharmell were different. They hurled themselves into a delusional royal world and delivered performances so over-the-top it was impossible to cast your gaze elsewhere. The way Booker went from respected worker to despotic royal ruler after winning the 2006 King Of The Ring tournament was stunning.
Not just any old worker could've pulled that off the way he did.
Becoming 'King' breathed new life into Booker's WWE career because he was willing to clown himself at the right times. Like only the best workers can, Book also knew when to dial down the silliness and get intense mid-match. He remains one of the best to ever adopt a typically-unwanted gimmick.