5 best WWE gimmicks of the past 10 years

#2. Tribal Chief Roman Reigns is one of WWE's best creations in recent years

After years of unsuccessfully trying to get Roman Reigns over as a top babyface, WWE relented to fan pressure and turned the Georgia Tech product heel following his return at SummerSlam 2020. They even aligned him with Paul Heyman, arguably the greatest manager in the modern era.

While the first iteration of Reigns was bland and generic, the current version of the character is essentially a mafia boss at the head of a family. His words are measured, and his actions are calculated.

Whether Reigns is stacking up Edge and Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania or asking the audience to acknowledge him, The Tribal Chief is must-see TV.

Reports suggest that Reigns is being protected for a feud with The Rock. If The Great One does make a return to the ring, he'll go up against one of the best characters WWE's produced since the Attitude Era.

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#1. CM Punk was born to be an anti-establishment rebel

When CM Punk earned an opportunity to face John Cena at Money in the Bank 2011, the expectation was that he was just another heel being fed to the Cena machine.

However, Punk took to the microphone and aired his grievances with WWE, lambasting Vince McMahon and the poor job he'd done with creative. He promised to leave the company with the WWE Championship when his contract expired after Money in the Bank.

This promo instantly earned Punk the adulation of WWE's disgruntled fanbase, establishing him as "The Voice of the Voiceless." When he walked out for the title match in his hometown of Chicago, the partisan crowd welcomed him as a conquering hero.

The Straight Edge Superstar eventually outlasted Cena in a modern-day classic which earned five stars from Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. As the anti-establishment rebel, Punk became one of the biggest stars in professional wrestling and took his career to another level.