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I read with great interest, a while back, on a site which shall remain nameless, a check-list of things a wrestler would need to be a sucess. One of the items listed was an 'original gimmick'. This got me thinking, just how important is an original gimmick to be succesful in wrestling? I've come to the conclusion, not very. For one thing original gimmicks, things that have never been done in the squared circle are so hard to come up with. This is just one of the reasons Paul Heyman is considered a genius. Who else would have come up with the original Dudley Boys? Raven? The Sandman? The list is almost (but not quite) endless. Whilst an original gimmick gives a young up and comer an edge, it's by no means a necessity.
Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair. Undoubtedly a pair of legends whose very names transcend wrestling and whose names will never be forgotten. Yet they made it to the top by ripping off another pair of legends. Hulk Hogan was Vince's re-packaging of the immensly popular 'Superstar' Billy Graham, right down to the over-use of 'Brother' and the tie-die ring gear. Slick Ric was even worse, 'borrowing' the monicker and look of 'Nature Boy' Buddy Rogers. At least Ric waited until Rogers was almopst retired, however Hogan was competing around the same time for the then WWF as Hulkamania was just getting started.
There are further examples in current, more active wrestlers. Chris Benoit has made no secret of his admiration for the Dynamite Kid and while his ring-style and move-set have the British legends hall-mark all over them, it is perhaps surprising to note how little gold Dynamite wore in America, meaning, as is the case with Hogan and Flair, that the gimmick was actually more 'over' second time around. So how necessary is an original gimmick? Obviously not as necessary as the so-called 'experts' claim.
The rest of the card is littered with similar comparisons, Triple H and Harley Race, Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels, Chavo Guerrero borrows from the entire Guerrero family. Then there are the more obvious gimmicks, how many times have you seen the 'arrogant french' the 'evil japanese' the loveable underdog (is Eugene the re-incarnation of George 'The Animal' Steele). Is all this an indication that promoters have run out of ideas? Or merely that the fans don't know what they like, but they like what they know?
Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair. Undoubtedly a pair of legends whose very names transcend wrestling and whose names will never be forgotten. Yet they made it to the top by ripping off another pair of legends. Hulk Hogan was Vince's re-packaging of the immensly popular 'Superstar' Billy Graham, right down to the over-use of 'Brother' and the tie-die ring gear. Slick Ric was even worse, 'borrowing' the monicker and look of 'Nature Boy' Buddy Rogers. At least Ric waited until Rogers was almopst retired, however Hogan was competing around the same time for the then WWF as Hulkamania was just getting started.
There are further examples in current, more active wrestlers. Chris Benoit has made no secret of his admiration for the Dynamite Kid and while his ring-style and move-set have the British legends hall-mark all over them, it is perhaps surprising to note how little gold Dynamite wore in America, meaning, as is the case with Hogan and Flair, that the gimmick was actually more 'over' second time around. So how necessary is an original gimmick? Obviously not as necessary as the so-called 'experts' claim.
The rest of the card is littered with similar comparisons, Triple H and Harley Race, Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels, Chavo Guerrero borrows from the entire Guerrero family. Then there are the more obvious gimmicks, how many times have you seen the 'arrogant french' the 'evil japanese' the loveable underdog (is Eugene the re-incarnation of George 'The Animal' Steele). Is all this an indication that promoters have run out of ideas? Or merely that the fans don't know what they like, but they like what they know?
Ant wrote:
> Sean O'Haire looked very cool...
>
> Shame that he was paired with Roddy Piper really.
I think if Roddy had stuck around, he would have helped get him over though. It was only after Roddy left that O'Haire got lost in the mix.
> Sean O'Haire looked very cool...
>
> Shame that he was paired with Roddy Piper really.
I think if Roddy had stuck around, he would have helped get him over though. It was only after Roddy left that O'Haire got lost in the mix.
Sean O'Haire looked very cool...
Shame that he was paired with Roddy Piper really.
Shame that he was paired with Roddy Piper really.
good original gimmicks get overlooked or ditched FAR too quickly..
both Waylon Mercy and Sean O'Haire suffered from this. their gimmicks had potential, but then each man was ill-utilised by the company.
both Waylon Mercy and Sean O'Haire suffered from this. their gimmicks had potential, but then each man was ill-utilised by the company.
To me, an original gimmick is pretty much impossible. The only way is to take a gimmick and use their own style to get that gimmick across, if that makes any sense at all.
I read with great interest, a while back, on a site which shall remain nameless, a check-list of things a wrestler would need to be a sucess. One of the items listed was an 'original gimmick'. This got me thinking, just how important is an original gimmick to be succesful in wrestling? I've come to the conclusion, not very. For one thing original gimmicks, things that have never been done in the squared circle are so hard to come up with. This is just one of the reasons Paul Heyman is considered a genius. Who else would have come up with the original Dudley Boys? Raven? The Sandman? The list is almost (but not quite) endless. Whilst an original gimmick gives a young up and comer an edge, it's by no means a necessity.
Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair. Undoubtedly a pair of legends whose very names transcend wrestling and whose names will never be forgotten. Yet they made it to the top by ripping off another pair of legends. Hulk Hogan was Vince's re-packaging of the immensly popular 'Superstar' Billy Graham, right down to the over-use of 'Brother' and the tie-die ring gear. Slick Ric was even worse, 'borrowing' the monicker and look of 'Nature Boy' Buddy Rogers. At least Ric waited until Rogers was almopst retired, however Hogan was competing around the same time for the then WWF as Hulkamania was just getting started.
There are further examples in current, more active wrestlers. Chris Benoit has made no secret of his admiration for the Dynamite Kid and while his ring-style and move-set have the British legends hall-mark all over them, it is perhaps surprising to note how little gold Dynamite wore in America, meaning, as is the case with Hogan and Flair, that the gimmick was actually more 'over' second time around. So how necessary is an original gimmick? Obviously not as necessary as the so-called 'experts' claim.
The rest of the card is littered with similar comparisons, Triple H and Harley Race, Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels, Chavo Guerrero borrows from the entire Guerrero family. Then there are the more obvious gimmicks, how many times have you seen the 'arrogant french' the 'evil japanese' the loveable underdog (is Eugene the re-incarnation of George 'The Animal' Steele). Is all this an indication that promoters have run out of ideas? Or merely that the fans don't know what they like, but they like what they know?
Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair. Undoubtedly a pair of legends whose very names transcend wrestling and whose names will never be forgotten. Yet they made it to the top by ripping off another pair of legends. Hulk Hogan was Vince's re-packaging of the immensly popular 'Superstar' Billy Graham, right down to the over-use of 'Brother' and the tie-die ring gear. Slick Ric was even worse, 'borrowing' the monicker and look of 'Nature Boy' Buddy Rogers. At least Ric waited until Rogers was almopst retired, however Hogan was competing around the same time for the then WWF as Hulkamania was just getting started.
There are further examples in current, more active wrestlers. Chris Benoit has made no secret of his admiration for the Dynamite Kid and while his ring-style and move-set have the British legends hall-mark all over them, it is perhaps surprising to note how little gold Dynamite wore in America, meaning, as is the case with Hogan and Flair, that the gimmick was actually more 'over' second time around. So how necessary is an original gimmick? Obviously not as necessary as the so-called 'experts' claim.
The rest of the card is littered with similar comparisons, Triple H and Harley Race, Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels, Chavo Guerrero borrows from the entire Guerrero family. Then there are the more obvious gimmicks, how many times have you seen the 'arrogant french' the 'evil japanese' the loveable underdog (is Eugene the re-incarnation of George 'The Animal' Steele). Is all this an indication that promoters have run out of ideas? Or merely that the fans don't know what they like, but they like what they know?