5 WWE/WCW gimmicks that Superstars rejected or countered

A basic yet incredibly crucial premise of WWE and pro-wrestling as a whole is the character that a particular wrestler portrays on TV. Gimmicks are an important element of wrestling and the right gimmick can turn a nobody into one of the all-time greats of this industry.

Here are a few examples of what the right gimmick can do for a Superstar: Rocky Maivia, a generic babyface in WWE, soon became The Rock and turned into one of the greatest entertainers in WWE history.

The same goes for the likes of Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin. In some cases though, wrestlers don't find themselves connecting with a gimmick that's been pitched to them and they end up rejecting it.

In the following slideshow, we will take a look at five gimmicks that were rejected by Superstars.

#5 AJ Lee rejected a character as it joked about mental health

AJ Lee is one of the most influential women in WWE history and many regard her as someone who was instrumental in kicking off the Women's Revolution. A few years ago, Lee had a chat with NYPost to promote her new book, "Crazy Is My Superpower", and revealed that she once rejected a storyline that would portray her as

The character that the storyline demanded was that of a mentally unstable woman who would hallucinate and imagine things in her head, like dancing with dinosaurs from outer space. Lee wasn't thrilled with the gimmick one bit and decided not to portray the character.

It felt like it disrespected both me and my mother. It was a joke, but, to me, it wasn’t something to laugh at. It’s hard to not think you’re alone in the world so it’s good to connect with other people who’ve faced similar issues.

Lee and her mom both suffered from bipolar disorder, and this was a big reason why she didn't agree to the pitch. Lee still did the "crazy girl" gimmick to a certain extent, and was involved in a love triangle with Daniel Bryan and CM Punk. She would leave WWE following WrestleMania 31. She married Punk in real life, around a year before her WWE departure.

#4 Daivari rejects Vince McMahon's idea for a character

Daivari made waves back in 2005, when he managed Muhammad Hassan on WWE RAW. A short while after Hassan's character was canceled following a controversial angle with The Undertaker, Daivari aligned with Kurt Angle.

Around two years ago, Daivari talked about his WWE run on the Wrestling INC podcast, and revealed that he once rejected a gimmick that Vince and Stephanie McMahon pitched to him. The idea was to turn Daivari into a character similar to George Bush, with his gimmick being that of an American patriot.

“No, it was Vince’s idea. Stephanie’s the one who pitched it to me and I said it was a f***ing horrible idea.”

“It’s kind of like one of things where the machine is moving so fast it’s like you just throw sh*t at the wall. You don’t have time to look at what sticks.”

Daivari did quite well for himself in a managerial role, and went on to manage The Great Khali in 2006. During his final few months with WWE, Daivari was featured in the Cruiserweight division, but he failed to make much of an impact.

#3 Scott Hall counters a GI Joe pitch with that of Razor Ramon

Back when Scott Hall hadn't made a name for himself as Razor Ramon, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon pitched an interesting gimmick to him. The gimmick would have seen Hall portray a G.I. Joe like character, if he hadn't countered it with an idea of his own. Hall was the son of an army personnel, and this knowledge led to Vince suggesting the gimmick.

The gimmick that Hall then suggested to Vince was similar to his WCW character of The Diamond Studd, with a hint of Tony Montana/Scarface thrown in for good measure. The idea was accepted and thus Razor Ramon was born. Ramon became one of the most popular acts in WWE in the early to mid 90s. He was involved in a string of memorable matches, most notable one being his outing with Shawn Michaels at WWE WrestleMania 10. Hall later moved to WCW, where he and Kevin Nash formed the nWo alongside Hulk Hogan, in what many consider one of the most important moments in pro-wrestling history.

#2 Rob Van Dam refuses to portray the character of Glacier

Back in 2013, WWE veteran Rob Van Dam opened up on various topics in regards to his career during an interview with Wrestle Talk TV. RVD revealed that WCW once pitched him the idea to portray the character of Glacier. He ended up rejecting the idea. This offer came to RVD while he was making waves as the TV Champion in Extreme Championship Wrestling.

I've had some offers that didn't sound too appealing. When I was in ECW defending the television title, I had an offer from WCW. But they wanted to turn me into a Mortal Kombat character. Which they did – Glacier – the hardcore fans might remember. That could have been me if I hadn't said 'no'. Even after they made Glacier they said 'it's O.K. we're gonna make a whole bunch of them. We're gonna make a big group of Mortal Kombat guys, and you'll have mask.'

RVD went on to become one of the most popular babyfaces in WWE years later, after Vince McMahon bought off ECW. His stint saw him win various titles, with the most memorable one being his WWE Championship victory over John Cena at One Night Stand 2006.

#1 Edge rejected a "deaf-mute" gimmick

Edge is hands down one of the biggest Superstars in the history of this business. A mega heel at his peak in 2006-08, Edge was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012 for his contributions to the industry.

A few years ago, on an episode of Talk Is Jericho, Edge recalled that WWE once pitched him the character of a "deaf mute". Edge revealed that the idea was pitched by Vince Russo.

"Russo wanted to write me as a deaf mute because he didn't think I could talk. It was his idea, so obviously he didn't think I liked his [tag team] idea and thought ‘I'd s**ew with this kid’. [The idea would have made me] dead in the water."

Edge soon became a strong mid-card act and enjoyed several Tag Team title reigns with Christian. He won his first WWE title by cashing in his Money In The Bank briefcase on John Cena , and the rest is history. Edge made a miraculous return to WWE at the 2020 Royal Rumble PPV, after being away from action for almost a decade.

Edited by Alan John