WWE: 8 Wrestlers Whose Gimmicks Were Totally Ripped Off From Movies

6. Sting Basically Became The Crow

Sting The Crow Now we're gettin' to it! No more subtlety or stretching the theme, Steve Borden is the rip-off extraordinaire. Having began his career under the name Flash Borden (see what he did there??) he went on to tag with the future Ultimate Warrior in a team known as The Blade Runners before changing his name to Sting in '86. Presumably after the guy from The Police. That's three rip-offs straightaway, and I haven't even mentioned the picture yet! Throughout the remainder of the '80s and early '90s, Sting kept a look of short, bright blonde hair and simple facepaint in a gimmick known as "Surfer" Sting. But all that changed in 1996 when he took on the NWO, and brought with him a brand new look inspired by 1994 cult classic, The Crow. Apparently suggested to him by Scott Hall, Steve adopted Brandon Lee's look of long dark hair, black and white face paint and leather trenchcoat, and began carrying a black baseball bat. For months, he hung around with crows and vultures in the rafters above WCW rings, observing all like some form of whingey goth Batman. And when he finally descended to clean house, the pop from the crowd was enormous. Sting has flirted with other gimmicks over the years (hint: this might not be the last time he makes this list) but the Crow look proved so successful that its never truly gone away.
Contributor
Contributor

Stephen Maher has been a rock star, a bouncer, a banker and a busker on various streets in various countries. He's hung out with Robert Plant, he was at Nelson Mandela's birthday and he's swapped stories with prostitutes and crack addicts. He once performed at a Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras by accident. These days, he passes the time by writing about music, wrestling, games and other forms of nerdery. And he rarely drinks the blood of the innocent.