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One gimmick that has survived every era of WWE is that of the 'rich man'. It is essentially a character that has a vast amount of wealth and let the WWE Universe know exactly of the elite position they are in. It is a gimmick that will never get old, and has evolved over the years through different wrestlers.
The character doesn't necessarily mean the person behind the guise is rich, but WWE usually assigns this particular role to a heel character. It gets under the skin of the WWE Universe every single time and the persona has proven to work in many aspects.
That being said, let's take a look at five of the best rich man gimmicks in WWE history.
#5 Happy Corbin became rich in WWE during the summer of 2021
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Yes, his Twitter handle does read "The Mayor of Jackpot City" after Baron Corbin hit the jackpot in August 2021 in Las Vegas. It was quite the turnaround for Corbin's character, who became destitute earlier this year on SmackDown.
The former Constable wasted no time letting the WWE Universe he was now rich, appearing in a brand new car, flashy clothes and flauting his wealth with his new friend Madcap Moss.
It is the next phase of Baron Corbin's evolution in the company, which has seen him become one of the most despised superstars of the modern era. There's nobody on the roster quite like him now who gets such a reaction wherever he performs.
Speaking with Give Me Sport during a recent press junket in the U.K., Happy Corbin spoke about his gimmick:
"You know, like, when I got released from the NFL, that was that process. What do I do? What's next? Where am I going? So I was like, trying to tap into that a little bit. You know, that bit in Vegas and winning all my money back, that was a lot of fun. I like to gamble, so it worked. But it's just been exciting to me because it is it's different, you know? From that kind of biker badass when I started in NXT, and that was part of my life. I enjoying motorcycles, tattoos, obviously, all that stuff. And then, you know, rolling into that Constable role, which was a new role then into The King. It's all of these kinds of things, it's an evolution. I think, the more you can do the better the longer you last in this business," Happy Corbin said. (h/t Give Me Sport)
If anyone is going to make such a character work, then it is him. It'll certainly be interesting to see how far he can go with the "Happy Corbin" persona.
#4 MVP became the most coveted free agent in WWE history in 2006
Montel Vontavious Porter was introduced to the WWE Universe on SmackDown in 2006. MVP signed "the largest contract in SmackDown history." He appeared on the front-row wearing gold chains, and looked like he was worth a million bucks. Even when people were talking to him, he was distracted by his bling.
He also had an agent and a bodyguard alongside him, initially, which reaffirmed his status as a wealthy character. Although the focus on this particular part of MVP's character eased off over time, the WWE Universe will never forget the former United States Champion's early appearances for the company.
#3 I.R.S WWE's resident tax man paraded his power in the 90's
The I.R.S. was a man WWE superstars did not want to get in trouble with. He collected taxes and caught people out at every opportunity. This not only made him a certified heel, but also a very wealthy man for making sure everyone paid their fair share.
So much so, he eventually formed an alliance with Ted Dibiase, who was the "Million Dollar Man" and established Money Inc. and the Million Dollar Corporation. I.R.S and Dibiase became WWE tag team champions 3-times and became one of the most recognized tag teams of the 90's.
#2 JBL showcased his wealth on SmackDown in the 2000's
When the A.P.A. days were over in WWE, and Faarooq left the company in 2004, Bradshaw needed a new direction. At the same time, SmackDown needed a heel and the John "Bradshaw" Layfield character was born. Inspired by J.R. Ewing from the classic Dallas series, JBL used his real-life association with Wall Street to develop a rich man gimmick.
The character was immediately disliked and became one of the most depised heels of this particular era. The persona grew and grew each week as JBL came to the ring in a limo at every show. He eventually won the WWE Championship and had a near year-long reign. JBL was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021 crediting the gimmick for one of the best runs of his career.
#1 "The Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase was one of WWE's greatest villains
Everyone's got a price for the million dollar man! Those words were uttered by Ted Dibiase during the greatest periods of his career. In 1987, "The Million Dollar Man" was born, carrying his golden Million Dollar Championship. He was dubbed a millionaire and flaunted his status in every move. He was one of Vince McMahon's key players in the late 80's and early 90's.
He had plenty of money to throw around, and he even managed to get his own personal butler in the form of Virgil, and bribed his way out of a lot of scenarios. Ted's gimmick has so far stood the test of time and is still fondly remembered to this day. The only blemish on his Hall of Fame career is that he never officially became a WWE Champion because that run, no pun intended, would have been money.
