Gimmicks have been a key factor in wrestling for decades and have had a major impact on attracting a global audience to the industry. Legacies have been born purely down to gimmicks being placed on talented wrestlers; The Undertaker and Kane have had twenty year careers thanks to characters that went over with the crowd. However, gimmicks don't always gather the same credit or longevity as those mentioned. Take the Gobbledy Gooker for instance, he was a man dressed up as a giant cartoon-like chicken that hatched out of a giant egg live on TV. Surprisingly, he didn't gain a great response from the crowd. Which is a shame really; The Undertaker Vs Gobbledy Gooker at WrestleMania could have been a huge draw for the WWE. There were also suggested gimmicks that almost ruined some of the greatest wrestlers the business has ever seen. The biggest instance being Stone Cold; when discussing a gimmick for the Texan, Austin suggesting he should have a cold blooded persona. The writing team came back with the name Chilly McFreeze to fit the gimmick. Could you imagine if that suggestion had materialised? We'd probably all be watching WCW right now. We all like to look back at the terrible gimmicks of the past and laugh, but it is a shame when they are wasted on truly talented wrestlers with great potential. This list is a collection of wrestlers that have been held back at some point in their career due to woeful gimmicks.
A wrestling enthusiast, currently educating the youth of Taiwan English; there are now a bunch of Asian kids running around with Yorkshire accents. Read about that trip and others at dragonstravel.com.
