WWE Gimmicks That FAILED The HARDEST Every Year (1985-2025)

WWE history is littered with gimmicks that'll make you scream, check the calendar to see if it's Halloween or April Fool's, then scream again. The company, whether it's been fronted by Vince McMahon or Triple H, has burned through some of wrestling's worst ideas since the Hulkamania boom of the mid-1980s.

The goal here is to spotlight one specific gimmick from each year between 1985-2025. That covers a ton of ground - we'll be going from the bright lights of WrestleMania's advent/Hulk Hogan-led hysteria and the subsequent 'New Generation' lull, to the cherished 'Attitude Era' days, 'Ruthless Aggression' tweak, PG influence and right through to the TKO takeover of modern times.

Something hasn't changed since '85: A bad character is still a bad character, and fans can smell it coming a mile off; typically before weary writers in the office know they're pushing failure in front of the cameras. Somewhat incredibly, it's often WWE itself that's the last to find out that something just isn't going to work.

By that point, fans have derided debutants/repackage jobs until they're hoarse. Then, McMahon/Triple H catches up and WWE likes to pretend that they were always in control. "We make movies", 'That was the plan all along' etc etc.

These gimmicks don't need to be the outright worst from their respective years (honourable mentions shall be slotted in throughout to keep tabs on that nonsense), but they do need to have bombed spectacularly in relation to pre-debut hype or expectations behind the scenes.

3...2...1...FLOP!

This guy seemed to be the perfect fit for an increasingly cartoonish WWF landscape. The Missing Link had a zany gimmick that'd be ideal for posters, toys, lunchboxes and more, and he was going to be managed by the legendary Bobby Heenan into the bargain. Coming in, ol' Link looked like a can't miss prospect who'd shine in the federation.

He didn't even see out 1985.

Link's erm...link with Heenan failed to click. Hilariously, in shoot interviews years later, the 'Brain' revealed that his charge believed Bobby was going to handle all of his flights, travel arrangements, food and hotels. That's when Heenan pulled Missing Link aside and clued him in on exactly what a pro wrestling manager is - he'd cut your promos and be at ringside, but that was it.

During his brief and fairly uneventful time in the WWF, Link almost got the company banned by the state athletic commission in New York for flinging chairs around the place during a show in Buffalo. By the year's end, he was doing the job for higher profile stars like Paul Orndorff in mere minutes.

Generally (and correctly), he's considered to be a real bust. Vince McMahon probably thought he could take the wild man and turn him into a fed-based sensation in line with some of his bigger gimmicks, but it wasn't meant to be. The fact he came in after the original WrestleMania but didn't even march into 1986 and 'Mania II really says it all about how unsuccessful an experiment Link was.