8 Wrestling Gimmicks Based On Serial Killers
3. 'The Zodiac' Bob Orton (The Zodiac Killer)
Between December 1968 and October 1969, a figure known only as The Zodiac Killer murdered throughout California, targeting victims ranging between 16-29 years of age.
It's therefore mind-boggling to think that Bob Orton Sr. lifted the name for use in wrestling just a few short years later; going under a mask (continuing the recurring theme of this list), Orton called himself 'The Zodiac', a direct reference to the serial killer who had been using that very name.
Under the hood for tremendous runs in Mid-Atlantic and Florida, the masked man would capture the Southern Heavyweight Title twice as The Zodiac. This gimmick got over despite being based on a grisly real-life situation.
Any wrestling character inspired by a murderer nowadays is tempered by the fact everybody knows the industry is pure fantasy, but that wouldn't have been the case back in the early-70s. A heel using the Zodiac name back then was probably terrifying to people, specifically those who lived in the San Francisco area the real-life killer frequented, so Randy Orton's grandfather was taking a risk with this one.