20 Original WWE Character Concepts You Won’t Believe

The Rock, Shawn Michaels and Triple H go back to the drawing board...

Goldust Concept
WWE

Chilly McFreeze. Ice Dagger. Fang McFrost.

Everybody knows these names - if they can generously be referred to as such - from the times Stone Cold Steve Austin has told the story of WWE's responses to his request for a brand akin to serial killer Richard Kuklinski's 'Ice Man' nickname. Though pleased with the company taking the time to invest in his future, he sat at home depressingly mulling over what the next few years would even look like when his wife told him to drink his "stone cold" tea.

It was the first of three crucial acts of happenstance in mid-1996 that changed his life. Austin wasn't supposed to win the King Of The Ring, and wasn't supposed to draw comparisons to the bible in his victory promo but one begat the other thanks to Triple H's 'Curtain Call' naughty and a Michael Hayes nod that Jake Roberts had invoked the bible in his own promo.

Austin's story isn't unfamiliar. There are many that don't get the best from the creative machine and still manage to prosper in spite of it. Stars of tomorrow can be assured that the first draft doesn't have to be the final one...

20. Yokozuna

Goldust Concept
WWE.com

Like several others on this list, WWE were remarkably close to their end product with the first drafts of the Yokozuna gimmick, but the mawashi-only look wasn't trotted out until Rikishi donned the gear permanently in late-1999.

Even at his largest in the role in the mid-200s, the former Headshrinker never approached Yoko's 800lb frame - the added tights protected the future WWE Champion's integrity as well as adding a splash of colour to his ultra-serious original persona.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett