WWE needed abilities to really feel empowered to take dangers with new gimmicks and character adjustments within the Perspective Period. The late Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s featured WWE taking issues in a bolder course with the product extra gimmick-based than ever earlier than. Names like Steve Austin, The Rock and Mick Foley led the cost to a time of huge success.
Sadly, not each wrestler to get an opportunity in WWE presently made it work as successfully. Fairly a couple of abilities had been even put able the place varied components restricted them. The period is price exploring a visit down reminiscence lane to look again at what may have been. Every of the next wrestlers had been held again by their gimmicks within the Perspective Period.
Dean Malenko Was Pressured To Play Boastful Girls Man
WCW Technical Wrestling Greatness Wasn’t Sufficient For WWE
WWE Wished To Make Huge Adjustments To Dean After WCW Womanizer Gimmick Turned Into Dangerous Comedy Act Feud With Lita Helped Her Manner Extra Than It Did His Profession
Vince McMahon was recognized for not believing in wrestlers with smaller physique sizes or people who lacked charisma. Dean Malenko sadly fell below each standards, and this led to his WWE tenure changing into a disappointment.
Followers had been excited when Malenko, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit and Perry Saturn all jumped ship from WCW to WWE collectively as The Radicalz. Malenko had the most important gimmick change as the women’ man that harassed Lita earlier than he misplaced tv time.
Justin Credible Enjoying X-Pac’s Sidekick Flopped
X-Issue Faction Failed To Damage All Names Concerned
Left Fundamental Occasion ECW Function For A Probability At WWE Success Turned Secondary Member Of X-Pac’s X-Issue Faction By no means Had One other Actual Probability As soon as WWE Ended X-Issue
WWE needed to reward X-Pac for his robust work when D-Era X ended. The brand new faction referred to as X-Issue noticed X-Pac main his personal trio with Justin Credible and Albert making up the opposite members in 2000.
Credible was coming off an awesome ECW tenure successful the ECW World Championship in a major occasion function. WWE simply made him X-Pac’s sidekick and gave him minimal character traits. All three wrestlers suffered from the group, as solely Albert rebounded for a greater WWE push after it ended.
Steve Williams’ Preventing Gimmick Backfired
Dropping Brawl For All Ruined All the pieces About His Character
Dr. Loss of life Was Meant To Be Most Intimidating Fighter In WWE Dropping Brawl For All Struggle To Bart Gunn Ruined Whole Gimmick Vince Misplaced Religion In Ever Pushing Williams As Related Star Once more
WWE needed to promote the true combating background of “Dr. Loss of life” Steve Williams because the final wrestler you’d need to meet in that scenario. It was the world’s worst saved secret that Williams was the identify that WWE needed to win the Brawl for All contest.
The idea was created to have wrestlers with combating backgrounds competing in actual contests to see who’d advance. Williams getting knocked out by decrease card expertise Bart Gunn ruined all of WWE’s plans. The gimmick now not made sense after followers noticed him getting decimated within the contest.
Haku Returned In Secondary Function To Rikishi
Followers Not Shopping for Rikishi’s Heel Flip Harmed Haku
Leaving WCW Led To Stunning WWE Return After A Decade Returned As Companion Of Rikishi In Feud In opposition to Undertaker & Kane Rikishi Not Getting Over As Heel Damage Each Of Their Characters
WWE signed Haku to return to the corporate after he had an extended WCW tenure as Meng. The detrimental momentum of WCW falling aside in late 2000 noticed Haku leaving the promotion when a WWE return alternative was supplied.
Rikishi’s heel flip noticed Haku returning as his tag companion and sidekick in opposition to the Brothers of Destruction. Haku struggled since followers rejected Rikishi’s heel flip, and the angle was shortly dropped. Most of Haku’s appearances after his first few months again featured him in backstage segments when the complete locker room was there.
The Blue Meanie Didn’t Get To Showcase Persona
Getting Casted As Bluedust Behind Goldust Was Pointless
WWE Employed Meanie Primarily based Off Success In ECW Function Bluedust Gimmick Did not Clarify His Obsession With Goldust Was Launched Quicker Than Anticipated & Went Again To ECW
The ECW success of the Blue Meanie triggered WWE to seek out temptation in his model of a personality. Meanie was the lackey to Raven and a part of the Blue World Order as his two greatest pushes getting over in group acts.
Nonetheless, WWE thought that pairing him with Goldust can be sufficient to work within the larger promotion. Bluedust performed the lackey function, however he didn’t get sufficient microphone time nor inventive reserving assist to recover from with this flawed gimmick.
R-Reality Virtually Missed His Probability At Success
Okay-Kwik Tenured Made The Rapping Gimmick Much less Enjoyable
Tag Crew Run With Street Dogg Ruined First WWE Stint Rebuilt His Profession In TNA To Get Again On WWE’s Radar Delivered Corridor Of Fame Worthy Profession With Second WWE Run
Many followers overlook or do not know that R-Reality was on the WWE roster through the Perspective Period. Okay-Kwik was the identify used when tagging with Street Dogg in 2000. The duo rapped their entrance tune to the ring, however followers by no means received totally invested.
Street Dogg misplaced all momentum after D-Era X ended, so the act had the percentages stacked in opposition to them. Okay-Kwik didn’t recover from and was barely on tv after Street Dogg was fired. The TNA success allowed R-Reality to get one other likelihood by WWE within the late 2000s, and he’s held that job since then.
Taz’s Nice ECW Gimmick Damage His WWE Profession
WWE Had Taz Peak In Debut & Misplaced Curiosity Rapidly
ECW Gimmick Went In opposition to WWE’s Storytelling Turned Annoying Heel Months Into Debut For Change Discovered Finest Success In WWE As A Broadcaster
The ECW character of Taz was a badass that destroyed all his opponents, like Goldberg or Steve Austin. Nonetheless, WWE was not going to push a shorter wrestler in that sort of a job to see the whole lot falling aside by proxy.
Taz noticed his push dying off after a couple of weeks and was slotted within the hardcore division. A conventional cowardly heel gimmick didn’t assist him a lot both. Taz’s greatest WWE success got here when transferring to the commentary desk for broadcasting work.
Taka Michinoku Was Turned Into Comedy Character
Kai En Tai Gimmick Restricted Legendary Japanese Expertise
Was Supposed To Be Face Of Gentle Heavyweight Division WWE Moved Him Into Comedy Group With Kai En Tai Hardly ever Had Nice WWE Matches Regardless of Being Nice Employee
WWE initially signed Taka Michinoku to be the face of their mild heavyweight division, since WCW was thriving with their worldwide cruiserweights. Sadly, the sunshine heavyweights didn’t recover from almost as a lot as WWE anticipated.
Taka finally moved right into a Japanese faction of Kai En Tai throughout a feud in opposition to Val Venis. The pairing of Michinoku and Funaki turned recognized for comedy greater than anything. WWE phased Taka out and by no means received essentially the most of his ability set.
Diamond Dallas Web page Acquired Worst Gimmick Of Profession
WWE Ruined Uncommon WCW Fundamental Eventer Coming Over For Invasion
Stalker Gimmick Prevented DDP From Utilizing WCW Character Undertaker’s Spouse Was Not Recognized Sufficient For Followers To Care DDP Getting Buried By Undertaker & Sarah Ruined His WWE Run
The expectations had been increased than ever for WWE to ship a powerful storyline after buying WCW. WWE dubbed it the Invasion when WCW and eventual ECW names had been making an attempt to invade and take over the promotion.
Diamond Dallas Web page and Booker T had been the one established major eventers coming over from the WCW facet immediately. WWE ruined Web page by having him debut because the stalker of Undertaker’s spouse Sara. DDP stalking Sara and different girls on the roster led to him truly fizzling out inside months.
Terry Funk’s Dangerous Thought Took Away From His WWE Return
Chainsaw Charlie Held Much less Relevance Than Terry Did As Himself
Signed With WWE After ECW Momentum Proved His Relevance Chainsaw Charlie Was Funk’s Thought For Tag Crew With Cactus Jack Was Too Late When Altering Gimmick To Go Again To Regular Self
WWE signed Terry Funk after his epic ECW run made him a noteworthy determine in wrestling once more. Funk labored with WWE administration to pitch the Chainsaw Charlie identify and gimmick. The thought was that Funk needed an alter ego when teaming with Mick Foley’s Cactus Jack persona.
Each hardcore wrestlers used weapons and added pleasure to their tag matches. Nonetheless, Chainsaw Charlie had no likelihood of working as soon as the tag run ended. Funk began wrestling as himself once more, however it was too late after the alter ego confusion stalled his particular person momentum.
