8 Wrestling Gimmicks That Wouldn't Work In 2016
2. The All-American Super Hero
For sure, there are some arguments for this gimmick today, but I stand by my original assertion The good old American Super Hero gimmick doesn't work in the way that the company wants it to in 2016, and recent attempts to force feed Roman Reigns down the throats of the audience show this. Sure, he isn't being pushed as an All-American, but the point stands.
Hulk Hogan gained a whole host of traction and became the biggest wrestling star on the planet with this gimmick in the 1980s, but that is because it was the 1980s. Thirty years ago. In many ways, the idea of a super hero in that sense is no longer relevant, as darkness must push its way into the psyches of our heroes in 2016; the audience demands it.
A professional wrestler that makes superhuman comebacks from every possible situation will only lead to a backlash from fans and rejection of them as a hero. We know this from John Cena and Roman Reigns. Vulnerability is key to a babyface getting face support, and being invulnerable is a death-knell for a good guy.