20 DUMB WWE Gimmick Changes (That We Didn't Want To Admit Were GENIUS)
1. Mick Foley Is Dude Love
Speaking of huge risks.
Few in WWE history took a bigger one than Mick Foley in 1997. He'd found fame as Cactus Jack elsewhere and Mankind after signing with the promotion, but Mick loved the thought of bringing his goofy teenage creation to flagship programming like Raw Is War. Thus, Dude Love was born.
Looking back now, this was quite the gamble. It could've backfired too, and theoretically killed off his more established Mankind character. How could fans ever accept Mankind again if the Dude bombed spectacularly? Foley didn't need to worry about that, because everyone accepted Mr. Love with open arms.
It was dumber than dumb in '97, but playing Dude Love actually let Mick showcase more of his naturally likeable personality behind the mask he'd been wearing on TV. That, in turn, evolved the Mankind gimmick into more than it arguably had any right to be.
Genius.
What other WWE gimmick changes were genius in retrospect? For more wrestling, check out WWE 2K24: 15 CAWs You Must Download Immediately and HORRIBLE Matches WWE Forced On Fans!