20 Wrestling Gimmicks That Got WEIRD Rip-Offs
1. Literally Everyone (WWF Tribute Shows)
Hahahahahaha.
Right, sorry for laughing, but...that poster. It's so wonderfully in your face. Where to start? "The Great American Bash" is a WCW nod, someone is dressed up as The Rock, Kane is there (but not Blue Kane), an unconvincing Undertaker is staring right through your soul, and "X-Pac" looks like he'd rather be anywhere else. You've got to love the minds who come up with this stuff and charge money for it.
That's not some po-faced internet writer throwing stones, by the way. Yours truly has been to some "WWF Tribute Shows" as a kid, and they were always tremendous fun. For example, on a small 2001 spot show in a tiny Scottish seaside town, this guy saw the same knackered indy wrestler work as Chris Jericho, Edge, Shawn Michaels, Christian and Kane all on the same card; he hurt his leg during a ladder match as HBK, then hobbled out with a bandage over his Kane Halloween costume for the main event Royal Rumble.
It was excellent.
However, it is a bit wild that promoters market shows like this and make a living from them. They must be clued up on their legal loopholes, and these spot shows do entertain hundreds of kids at a time. In essence, they're largely harmless if it's made clear that everything's parody. "Unofficial People's Champion" is ace banter too.
Nobody is safe from these "Tribute" nights. Seeing some scrawny indy guy looking for a break as he dresses up like John Cena is always going to get rave reviews here. They can deal with the legal fallout - we're just here for the foam fingers and cheap Rey Mysterio masks!
What other wrestlers had weird rip-off gimmicks elsewhere? For more WWE, check out 10 Untouchable WWE Stars Who Got Special Treatment and 10 WWE Wrestlers In Danger Of Missing Out On WrestleMania 41!