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WWE wrestlers don’t become superstars with just good matches. They have to work out everything nicely. From giving great matches to cutting promos, a wrestler has to become perfect in almost everything. And this also includes playing his/her character precisely in WWE. There have been many stars who are interpreting their roles correctly, but some of them require a character modification.
We had seen many instances when a new gimmick changed someone’s career in WWE. From Steve Austin to The Rock, a handful of wrestlers had different gimmicks before becoming worldwide famous.
However, sometimes the opposite of it had also taken place. Some wrestlers had better gimmicks, but then the WWE introduced a character change to them that didn’t fit well.
Many top WWE superstars have been a victim of lousy gimmick changes that eventually made them irrelevant. In this article, we will look at such five wrestlers.
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#5 The Undertaker became The American Badass
The Undertaker is one of the most legendary figures in the history of WWE. He is working for the company for over 30 years now and has done so much for the business that has plastered his legacy.
If you are a serious wrestling fan, then you must have known that The Undertaker also had a gimmick change, many years ago. WWE tried to experiment with this gimmick and made him the American Badass.
However, it took away a lot of mystique from his character, and therefore I included him on this list. Undertaker’s Deadman gimmick is one of the most mysterious characters in the WWE, but this change in his gimmick made him irrelevant for a short period.
#4 Chavo Guerrero became Kerwin White
Chavo Guerrero Jr. is the nephew of the legendary wrestler Eddie Guerrero. His father, Chavo Guerrero Sr. was a wrestler and a 1-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion.
Chavo Guerrero, in 2005, got attacked by a Mexican faction, The Mexicools. It was just a typical attack that happens all the time in pro wrestling, but it resulted in a complete change in Guerrero’s character.
He then became Kerwin White, a gimmick that left racist remarks on almost everyone. He even dyed his black hairs to blonde, but this whole ‘gimmick thing’ destroyed all of his momenta. He was not a main event superstar, but at least he was having some success become becoming Kevin White.
Racism is illegal in this world but still, the creative team thought to proceed with this idea. Fortunately (or unfortunately), it all ended shortly after the death of Eddie Guerrero.
#3 Cody Rhodes became Stardust
Cody Rhodes, the vice president of All Elite Wrestling, gained attention from independent wrestling circuit and the NJPW. Though he was also a part of the WWE, it seemed like he didn’t really achieve a lot of things here.
The former Intercontinental Champion received a ton of early push in the WWE, but he became irrelevant when the company made him the Stardust.
He worked with perfection in the ring but wanted to achieve more in WWE. However, the creative team didn’t listen to him and made him Stardust which proved to be a wrong decision. He lost multiple matches against superstars and even feuded with actor Stephen Amell, who unsurprisingly defeated him.
Cody knew Stardust gimmick would never work, and he even pitched an idea to the creative to let him play Stardust and Cody Rhodes’ gimmick simultaneously, but the WWE ignored his pitch which led to his release from McMahon’s Billion Dollar company.
It is sad to see that the WWE never used him correctly while he was in the company, but now, Rhodes has become a notable superstar.
#2 Kane became Corporate Kane
Kane was once Isaac Yankem (a dentist), and then he has portrayed the role of Fake Diesel for some time. But in Survivor Series, he debuted as “The Big Red Machine” Kane, and it skyrocketed his career.
He feuded against many top superstars and even defeated many of them. At once, he was the most dominating superstar in the WWE, but things changed for him after a few years, but it wasn’t the end of The Big Red Machine as the tragedy is yet to come.
In 2014, Kane became Corporate Kane, a wrestler who was only there to support The Authority and lose matches against almost everyone. The Kane who once dominated in the WWE was now losing against jobbers and mid-carders. This gimmick lasted for some time and did a lot of damage to Kane.
He then entered the political world and now is a mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. Though he isn’t the same Kane we saw many years ago, the WWE Universe still consider him as a one of the greatest.
#1 Natalya became a notable gas passer
Most of you already know Natalya is the daughter of Jim Neidhart. If you are following her for a long time, then you should also know that she once managed The Hart Dynasty. This was a tag team that comprised two wrestlers, Tyson Kidd, and David Hart Smith. This tag team debuted in 2007 and lasted till 2010.
After that, Natalya worked as a singles superstar, and in early 2012, she got a gimmick change. She became popular in the WWE for passing gas. As strange as it may sound, it’s true.
WWE gave her this gimmick change which didn’t work well for her. This new gimmick lasted for some months and to make things normal; the company kept her off from television for some time. But, we all know these type of things never get forgotten. WWE wasn’t focusing on Divas that time, but now, the women’s are dominating the world.
