3 WWE gimmicks that were created by Triple H and 2 that were created by Vince McMahon

As every WWE viewer knows, the in-ring performances of a Superstar will only get them so far. What really matters to the audience is how well the men and women of WWE can connect with fans and make people truly care about their characters.

Right now, for example, there are several Superstars on the main roster who have plenty of ability inside the squared circle, from Apollo Crews to Bo Dallas to Chad Gable, but they have been unable to make it to the next level due to the stop/start character arcs of their careers so far.

Other performers, such as Bray Wyatt and Lacey Evans, created their own over-the-top personalities early on in their careers and they are currently reaping the rewards by being showcased in prominent roles on WWE programming after WrestleMania 35.

In other cases, some Superstars are given a character idea by WWE’s decision-makers and, often with differing outcomes, they simply do their best to try to make it work.

In this article, let’s take a look at three WWE gimmicks that were created by the patriarch of NXT, Triple H, and two that were created by WWE owner Vince McMahon.

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#5 Created by Triple H: SAnitY

The three male members of the SAnitY faction were called up to WWE’s main roster following the 2018 Superstar Shake-Up.

Despite picking up a victory early on against The New Day in a tables match on the Extreme Rules kickoff show, they hardly featured on SmackDown Live for the next nine months, leading to their separation in the 2019 Shake-Up.

Two years prior to Eric Young, Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe parting ways, Young revealed during an interview with ESPN that Triple H had been looking to introduce a faction like SAnitY for the last decade.

"The group is Hunter's brainchild -- I guess he's had this idea for, I think, going on 10 years now. He's tried it in a couple of different kind of ways, and it never really made it on TV because it didn't feel right."

Young added that, although members of SAnitY were able to suggest ideas for their characters, everything in NXT goes through Triple H first.

"I've had a chance to give my input and a lot of things I've suggested have been used. But Hunter's definitely the captain of the ship, and he steers the boat with all things NXT. If you see something that you like on NXT, it came from him. He's one of the smartest people in wrestling."

#4 Created by Vince McMahon: Isaac Yankem

Before Glenn Jacobs debuted as the demonic Kane character in 1997, he was first introduced to the WWE Universe as an evil dentist, Dr Isaac Yankem, in the summer of 1995.

Yankem appeared sporadically on WWE television over the next year, notably facing Bret Hart in a losing effort at SummerSlam 1995. WWE was often criticised in the mid-1990s for its over-the-top cartoonish characters, so it was no surprise when the dentist gimmick was dropped within a year.

Speaking on The Steve Austin Show in 2018, Jacobs recalled the hilarious story behind Vince McMahon explaining the Yankem character to him.

“Everything is going well [in a meeting] and then Vince asks me, ‘Glenn, have you ever been afraid to go to the dentist?’ and I think this is one of those things where I’m going to a personality test or something. I’m like, ‘No, sir’ and he’s like, ‘You know, I’ve always had this idea for a wrestling dentist: Isaac Yankem… I yank ’em!’ and then he starts doing the Vince laugh, right?

“I’m looking at this one individual in this business to break into the big leagues and I’m sitting there with a blank face trying not to react. He says, ‘I think you’ll be great for it’ and then he walks out! I’m sitting there and I went from on top of the world to feeling the world has fallen on top of me. Because I’m like, a wrestling dentist?! How am I gonna pull this off?!”

#3 Created by Triple H: Nikki Cross

The chaotic Nikki Cross gimmick has evolved a lot from the character that Nikki Glencross/Nikki Storm originally debuted as in NXT in 2016.

One of the most popular female Superstars in NXT history, the Scot first made an impression as part of the SAnitY faction, while she also earned the respect and adulation of the fans during her 2017 feud with Asuka and her 2018 ‘secret’ storyline with Aleister Black.

As Cross explained to the Gorilla Position podcast before WrestleMania 35, the idea for her crazy character came from Triple H.

“What I’ve enjoyed the most about this character is that we’ve been able to develop for the last two-and-a-half, three years. Triple H had this brainchild and this idea and it was his baby and then he brought the idea to me and I loved it and then I was able to bring that to life and then put my salt and pepper [on it].”

#2 Created by Vince McMahon: The Undertaker

With 26 WrestleMania appearances to his name and a total of 29 years spent in WWE, The Undertaker has cemented his legacy as one of the company’s most iconic Superstars of all time.

Back in 1990, however, the man behind the ‘Taker character, Mark Calaway, had only just started to make his name in the wrestling business following a short stint in WCW as “Mean Mark” Callous. He agreed to sign for WWE but was given no assurances about what gimmick he would portray.

Speaking on The Steve Austin Show in 2017, Shane McMahon revealed that Vince McMahon came up with the idea for the “Deadman” persona following a conversation with Percy Pringle, aka Paul Bearer.

“Percy mentioned he was a mortician and all of a sudden my dad just locked in on that. He said, ‘You were a mortician? That’s it! He’s The Undertaker. You are Paul Bearer.’ And it was born. That was it."

#1 Created by Triple H: The Undisputed Era

Adam Cole, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly had already made a name for themselves on the independent scene before they were signed by WWE in 2017.

Given that all three men joined the NXT system around the same time, it was only natural that their Ring of Honor connection would result in an immediate storyline between the trio, but little did they know that they were going to be put together in a faction, The Undisputed Era, at their first TakeOver event.

Fish told Edge & Christian’s Pod of Awesomeness (quotes via Wrestling Inc.):

"The day Triple H proposed that idea, to Kyle and [me], because it was the first time… Cole hadn't even come in yet, he said that was his idea for us. And Kyle and I were looking at each other, like, 'my mind is blown enough standing here talking to Triple H and he's complementary about the job that he makes a living doing, but then add on top of that he wants to bring us in and put us together…'"

With Roderick Strong now also part of the group, The Undisputed Era has become one of the most successful factions in NXT history, winning two NXT Tag Team titles, while Cole has also won the North American Championship.