5 Best Money Related Gimmicks in WWE

Some say money can’t buy you happiness. Others even say it is the root of all evil. For WWE, money has often been a central theme of the company and helped to shape the direction it has been going in since 1984. WWE has also used money as a theme for some of the greatest character gimmicks in WWE history.

Vince McMahon had a business plan to leave the territories and take WWE national and was willing to spend money to get talent. McMahon and WWE experienced money issues in the 1990s which led to a downturn in the product. In late 1990s and into 2000s, WWE was able to invest back in the brand making it a multi-billion dollar corporation. Finally, today as hard times spread, a lack of money has led to a series of releases of some of WWE's top superstars.

In each of the eras described above, WWE created character gimmicks that best fit the time and will be represented in this top five. Others, like Billionaire Ted and Vince McMahon himself, did not make our list because neither was actual full-time talent. Billionaire Ted was a caricature of Ted Turner, the billionaire owner of WWE’s competition at the time. Vince McMahon took over the gimmick during the Attitude Era as the billionaire owner of WWE who ruled using his money.

WWE has played off the emotions people have towards money to create some of their most iconic character gimmicks of all-time. Here are the five best examples of WWE Superstars who used money as part of their gimmick.

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#5. WWE’s taxman IRS

In the mid 1980s, Mike Rotunda was a baby face tag team champion in the WWE. Rotunda and Barry Windham, were young underdogs going up against evil tag teams. They faced the likes of the Wild Samoans, Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik. They would have a successful run as a tag team before Rotunda went to WCW and became part of Kevin Sullivan’s heel faction, the Varsity Club.

When Rotunda returned to the WWE, he was transformed into a character called Irwin R. Schyster, or simply I.R.S. No longer was he a U.S.A. chanting babyface but slicked back hair, suspenders wearing accountant with glasses, a pocket protector and a briefcase. Rotunda was an instant heel using this gimmick. No one wants to see the IRS coming to your house. WWE played off of people’s fear of tax issues with the I.R.S. character.

Rotunda would go on to have singles success as a heel and would eventually tag with Ted Dibiase to win tag team gold. Rotunda’s rise to prominence coincided with McMahon’s own problems with the federal government, so it was interesting to see life imitating art with the I.R.S. gimmick wreaking havoc in the WWE.

#4. WWE’s Mexican aristocrat, Alberto Del Rio

Before he came to WWE, Alberto Del Rio was a masked lucha libre superstar for many years. Money became his gimmick upon entering WWE. Del Rio's arrogant, rich attitude made him an instant villain. Del Rio’s trunks were often gold and his cars were always expensive. His strut to the ring dripped with arrogance and he portrayed the money gimmick perfectly.

Del Rio’s character drew instant heat from crowds. He was cocky, arrogant and dismissed everyone beneath him. He also had the right look to make him an instant WWE superstar. Del Rio’s initial feud in the WWE was against all-time fan favorite Rey Mysterio. He quickly became one of the most hated villains in WWE when he injured Mysterio. Each time his valet and personal ring announcer Ricardo Rodriguez announced his name, the crowd booed their displeasure.

Del Rio’s scarf wearing, arrogant character would continue to attack numerous opponents from behind as his career grew. When he was drafted to Raw in 2010, Del Rio’s career really took off. He would eventually win the WWE Money in the Bank briefcase, which fit his character perfectly. The entitled, rich character then won the WWE title when CM Punk was powerbombed by Kevin Nash after a match. Del Rio cashed in and WWE had a new champion.

Del Rio’s title reign didn’t last long. He was injured early in the run and missed some time. He would go on to win the title again and was later booked as a babyface. But the best run, by far, in Del Rio’s WWE career was as the rich, cocky millionaire superstar.

#3. WWE’s rags to riches superstar, Happy Corbin

Baron Corbin has had an interesting run in WWE. He started as a silent, loner character known as Baron Corbin, the Lone Wolf. He paired the greasy long haired look with heavy metallic attire. The character never quite took off with fans. He then became a corporate suckup character dressed in a suit and shaved off his greasy hair. His work on the mic improved but the character ran out of steam. Finally, he won the King of the Ring tournament and King Corbin brought him closer to the money gimmick.

As the king, Corbin was able to show off his arrogance and entitled behavior to the fans. He became the perfect heel to put up against any babyface that needed to get over. Corbin wore his crown proudly and strutted to the ring in his king’s robe. The seeds were being planted for his latest, money-driven character. When Corbin lost his crown in a match with Shinsuke Nakamura, he lost all the trappings of being king. He was portrayed as a whiny, down and out character.

After several weeks of portraying a down and out character, Corbin’s arrogance appeared to be a thing of the past. Then, after a brief absence, he returned as a character that won millions in Vegas and proclaimed himself as “filthy rich” His arrogance returned and he insisted on being called Happy Corbin. He is again one of the most hated characters in the company. He now has a lackey in Madcap Moss and the transformation into an arrogant, rich heel is complete.

Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss have been one of the most entertaining acts on Smackdown this year.

#2. WWE’s stock expert J.B.L.

WWE may have gotten the blueprint for Baron Corbin’s character development from the career arc of WWE Hall of Famer JBL. John Bradshaw Layfield was a long-haired, beer-drinking tough Texan who had a solid midcard career. He won tag team gold with partner Ron Simmons and then settled into a career as a part-time wrestler and full-time backstage joker. When Simmons retired from active performing, Bradshaw would have a resurgence.

Bradshaw would return to WWE television after Simmons left, with a completely new gimmick. Gone was the long black hair and beard. He now came to the ring in a brand new expensive suit, freshly shaved, short brown hair and a cowboy hat. He appeared to be a 2000s version of former TV villain J.R. Ewing from Dallas. In fact, he changed his in-ring name to J.B.L. He sported a huge smile and flashed his millions of dollars around for all to see. He was no longer a rough and tough Texas redneck but a stock market playing tycoon.

JBL’s run as a singles wrestler was highly successful. He would soon win the title after a series of matches with Eddie Guerrero and would hold the title for several months. The JBL matches have nearly always ended in controversial fashion, with the heel champion retaining in some slimy way. JBL was the perfect transitional champion until WWE finally put the strap on John Cena at Wrestlemania 21.

JBL and Cena would go on to have a series of excellent matches following Cena’s win at Wrestlemania. Eventually JBL would retire to the broadcast booth where he continued his excellent career. However, his greatest moments were the ones in which he was the rich, arrogant heel: JBL.

#1. WWE’s perfect villain, The Million Dollar Man

WWE's most successful use of money as part of their gimmick was The Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase. Ted Dibiase had a long, successful career as both a face and villain all over the country. Dibiase's return to the WWE in 1988 was preceded by a series of videos, buying whatever he wanted or paying people to do what he wanted. They perfectly set him up as WWE’s #1 villain by the time he arrived in the company.

From his signature arrogant laugh to his catch phrase “Everybody’s got a price for the Million Dollar Man”, Dibiase was the perfect villain for his time. He quickly climbed up the rankings and became obsessed with capturing then WWE Champion Hulk Hogan’s belt. He even offered to buy the title, but Hogan refused. Eventually Hogan would lose the title in controversial fashion to Andre the Giant, who won it solely to give to Dibiase. While the title change didn’t last, it ended Hogan’s 3 and a ½ year run as champion and set up Dibiase’s next feud with Randy Macho Man Savage.

The Million Dollar Man would go on to have a great rivalry with both Hogan and Savage but never did win the WWE title. He would go on to win tag team titles with I.R.S. as the appropriately named Money Inc. True, Dibiase was the Vince McMahon character before Vince ever created his evil boss persona. With his bodyguard Virgil and loads of cash, Dibiase would even create a "Million Dollar belt" to wear to the ring. He was, and remains, the best money gimmick character ever created in WWE.