4 WWE gimmicks from 2005 that you had forgotten about (but were very good)

The year 2005 was a strange year for WWE. It was as if it was going through what, in footballing terms, would be called a transitional season. Older wrestlers, such as Hulk Hogan and an already retired Stone Cold Steve Austin were coming to the end of their time in the company, while mainstays such as Chris Jericho were leaving for pastures new. But to combat this, several of the mid-card wrestlers, who were just starting to be known as Superstars, were repackaged into gimmicks that most readers would probably have forgotten about.

And while these repackaged wrestlers were helping to strengthen the roster, new, younger and fresher talents were coming through from Ohio Valley Wrestling and taking over - this was the breakout year for a certain Chain Gang leader, Mr John Cena... I wonder whatever happened to him?

The transition became even more obvious when, in June, ECW had its first reboot with the inaugural One Night Stand Pay Per View. This further strengthened the roster with the likes of RVD returning, and the Dudley Boys reuniting.

And then there was the draft.

It was an odd draft, which lasted a full month, and was announced a month in advance. This was to be repeated only one other time - this year, and it did not do well. But in 2005, it really worked, especially for RAW, with Kurt Angle and Cena making waves on the flagship show.

Now, thanks to the fantastic WWE Network, we have been binge-watching the years 2000-2005, and have decided to shine a light on four wrestlers from the year 2005 that you might have forgotten had either debuted, repackaged or shone brighter than ever before.

What are your memories of wrestling in 2005? Let me know in the comments section!

#1 Super Stacy

Anyone who watched WWE from 2001 to 2005 will know about Stacey Kiebler. Her name is synonymous with beauty, long legs, a cracking theme tune and the most pivotal RKO in Randy Orton's young career.

But while Stacy didn't pull up many trees in the ring - let's be honest, she wasn't the greatest female wrestler of all time - she was an excellent manager. Her career saw her supporting Test, The Dudley Boys and Randy Orton.

But it was supporting Hurricane and Rosey as Super Stacy where she really made her mark.

She cheered her boys on to many Tag Team Titles and looked absolutely incredible at the same time. All eyes were on Super Stacy while she was ringside, and rightly so.

But, if you watch her, you'll also notice that she was fantastic at gearing the crowd up for a match, even if the in-ring action was not always the best.

A very underrated gimmick, and one that should be remembered far more than it has been.

#2 The World's Largest Love Machine - Viscera

Viscera went through many gimmicks over the years, with Mabel and the black PVC jacket-wearing version probably the most famous.

But 2005 saw a randomly abrupt gimmick change, starting with Big Visc spending a little too much time with the-then WWE Women's Champion Trish Stratus. It was this storyline, where he was used as her lackey to fight her battles with Kane and Lita, that Viscera realised how much he loved women.

And Lilian Garcia was his first and greatest desire. It was the most random storyline I can remember taking place at that time, and it almost ended with (another) wedding, when Lilian proposed to the big man. But thanks to an intervention by a returning Godfather, Viscera decided to get onto the Hoe Train.

He would make the crowd cheer, and laugh awkwardly when he would...erm...mount his opponent and proceed to do something inappropriate in a non-PG manner to them.

While the gimmick didn't have much of a payoff, it served a purpose and should be looked at with fondness.

#3 Kerwin White

I don't really know where to start with this random gimmick.

Chavo Guerrero randomly appeared on the second RAW of the 2005 draft to announce that he was renouncing his Hispanic heritage and becoming Kerwin White. There was no rhyme nor reason for this, other than, according to Kerwin, Hispanics having no chance of being successful.

It was the classic WWE minority vs the world storyline with a HUGE twist.

And, you know something, it worked. It really did work.

Kerwin had a huge amount of heat, and it was real heel heat - not "get off my screen" heat. Chavo was always going to make the gimmick a success and excelled when he started coming to the ring with a golf cart, and the cheesiest American swing music to boot.

The gimmick, of course, ended on a sad note with the death of his uncle Eddie, but it was a notable time in Chavo's career and should be remembered for creating a conversation about racial hatred in America at the time.

#4 Hurricane and Rosey

The year 2004 was a real breakthrough year for The Hurricane. His interactions with The Rock were legendary, as was his time in the ring with Triple H.

But it was when he teamed with Rosey - who hadn't done much since he left Three Minute Warning - that his career took off and his title trophy-case started to fill up.

The crowd reactions were always great, whether the pair were together or alone - or with the aforementioned Super Stacy.

They picked up their only tag team titles together at Backlash 2005 when they beat (among five times) Tajiri and William Regal - who are another underrated tag team - in a Tag Team Turmoil match.

They feuded with, and beat some of the biggest names in the business, from Chris Jericho and Christian to Evolution. They also had a very long feud with La Resistance.

The pair held the titles for more than six months, before losing to Cade and Murdoch (remember them?) at Unforgiven 2005, but the crowds still cheered for the plucky superhero underdogs.

And the gimmick was so good, that The Hurricane only retired it in early 2019.

They were my favourite tag team at that time, and their matches are always a fun watch. Who are your favourite Superstars from this time? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Edited by Anirban