10 Crazy Proposed WWE Gimmicks We Never Got To See
After Vince McMahon's rumoured plan for The Revival (prior to their release) was revealed, let's take a look at some more gimmicks we ALMOST saw...
When it comes to ridiculing ill-fitting wrestling personas of years gone by, we all skew toward the usual suspects - why is Ric Flair pretending to be a a sorcerer with a spaceship? Who thought sticking Typhoon in a bedazzled Stormtrooper helmet (one without an apparent chin strap) was a good idea? Who looked at young and imposing Glenn Jacobs, and decided he needed to pull teeth?
The creative process, if that's what you want to call it, can be arduous and nerve-wracking, as the characters we see on our TV screens often went through a lengthy period of tooling and retooling (and certainly, The Black Scorpion was definitely a tool). In some cases, the finished product may look far different than was originally intended. Sketches from WWE's creative services department have surfaced over the years, showing us some radically different looks for WWE stars.
In this article, we'll examine some of those iterations in which life didn't imitate art, as well as other instances in which a promising wrestler was intended to have a very different gimmick than what we got.
After Vince McMahon's rumoured plans for The Revival before their recent release were revealed, let's take a look at some more gimmicks we ALMOST saw...
10. Open The Gate
When Dustin Rhodes returned to WWE in 1995, he was a seven-year pro whose character history was very simple - he was a tall and lean good ol' boy with short blonde hair and infectious energy. In other words, he was Dusty's son, and there wasn't much else that differentiated him from his old man, aside from the fact that he was taller and more athletic.
Becoming Goldust shocked a lot of people, but there's no denying that it was a necessary change - it's the role he's most identified with now.
But when Rhodes was getting set for his WWE comeback, different ideas for his look and presentation were bandied about, before they settled on the golden bodysuit and face paint.
One idea from the collection of sketches is labelled "Stargate", which seems to borrow liberally from movie of the previous year. In the sketch, Rhodes' look appears to be based on the Goa'uld, these alien overlords based on the Egyptian Gods, complete with boots designed like sandals, and hieroglyphics adorning his clothing. Perhaps this is where Dustin's brother got the idea to name his dog Pharoah?
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.