5 WWE Legends Who Had Terrible Gimmicks Before They Made It Big

#2 Isaac Yankem, DDS/Fake Diesel – Kane

The Undertaker character was so great that it helped introduce another WWE legend, Kane, back in 1997. But before becoming the Big Red Machine, Glen Jacobs had a tough time finding the perfect gimmick. Jacobs debuted in the WWE as Mike Unabomb in 1995. He then became the evil dentist Isaac Yankem, DDS.

It was a terrible character that Vince McMahon loved since he made Jacob’s teeth dirty despite being a dentist. When the Isaac Yankem character failed unsurprisingly, Jacobs then became Fake Diesel after Diesel and Razor Ramon jumped ship to WCW in 1996.

As expected, the Fake Diesel persona was unsuccessful and Jacobs underwent another gimmick change. He became Kane, the younger brother of The Undertaker, in 1997. As Kane, Jacobs finally found the perfect character and became one of the greatest and most accomplished big man in WWE history. One of his biggest accolades is become a two-time World Champion. Who would have thought a demon is cooler than a dentist with bad teeth?

About the author

Juan Paolo David has been covering all things WWE for Sportskeeda since 2020 and has eight years of experience in content writing. He holds a degree in Agriculture but has been a fan of pro wrestling since a kid. This love for the entertainment sport led him to write about it.

Juan writes well-researched articles, not only to ensure that he presents readers with correct facts and figures but also because he wants to learn as much as possible about the topics he writes about.

Edge is Juan’s all-time favorite wrestler. He grew up watching Edge and Christian and was a huge fan of their tag team. So much so, that if he could go back in time he would manage the duo. And let them know that he can play their entrance themes with a kazoo!

Besides wrestling, Juan loves to watch NBA or a Dortmund game. He also enjoys watching TV and movies during his free time. He works as a writer in SK’s basketball division.

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Edited by Kevin Christopher Sullivan