The WWE Half-Year Awards 2018
9. Best Gimmick: Elias
Wandering minstrel Elias' transformation from insufferable to engaging seemed about as likely as King Jong-un's sudden U-turn earlier this year. Similar questions remain about whether it'll stick.
Contrary to most WWE personas, who are quickly ran into the ground as soon as the company alights upon a single marketable trait (if they even get that far), the songster has maintained his allure, largely thanks to his act remaining untouched.
Effortlessly entertaining and utterly oozing charisma, Elias is the rarest of hen's teeth: a main roster gimmick fans are actually prepared to play along with. They boo him when they're supposed to - paradoxically, a sign of his popularity, belied by the cheers which slip through when he first appears. A face turn seems inevitable before the year's out. Hopefully, it won't result in the usual Flanderisation.
Runner-up: Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe is the polar opposite of Raw's Samoan Joe, Roman Reigns: totally real. Unlike the put-upon Big Dog, you buy everything he says, and then he backs it up in the ring. It's everything a wrestling character should be: exaggerated, but believable.