5 gimmicks that were obvious rip-offs of other characters

In the world of wrestling, there are no shortage of incredible characters for fans to get behind.

Perhaps it's the cool and cocky demeanor of The Rock that you admire? Or the bada**, take no prisoners attitude of 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin? Or maybe John Cena's unshakable sense of right and wrong.

And whilst these WWE Superstars have been a huge deal for the company, this hasn't stopped other promotions (and in some cases, WWE themselves) from trying to cash in on their success.

Whether it be to get new fans in, appeal to older fans or just to make headlines, it seems there is no shortage of knock-off characters, who have ended with various degrees of success.

Here are five characters that were very clearly rip-offs of more successful stars.

#5 Eric Young (2014) - Daniel Bryan

Young was very quickly given a World Title pushed around the same time as Daniel Bryan.

In 2014, there was no-one in wrestling more popular than Daniel Bryan.

Revolting against the Authority, Bryan's in-ring ability and natural charisma made him a hero of the WWE Universe, with his YES! Chant being a huge deal at other sporting events.

Seeing dollar signs, TNA Wrestling quickly tried to make their own Bryan, though with Eric Young.

A solid hand in the ring, Young was rapidly pushed to the main event around the same time as Bryan, and was similarly given a 'those in control want to hold you down' storyline.

Perhaps the most insulting part of all this, is that Young was requested to grow out of his beard to make him more like Bryan, with then TNA President Dixie Carter (admittedly in character) telling fans that the Beard in wrestling was her idea.

#4 Asya - Chyna

Chyna was a trailblazer in the

WWF,

and found herself being ripped off by Asya in WCW

Joan 'Chyna' Laurer was a true pioneer in the WWF, as the first woman to win a predominantly men's championship, as well as the first woman to enter the men's Royal Rumble.

A huge draw in the company at the time, WCW were quick to capitalize on the Ninth Wonder of the World, with Asya, a bodybuilder turned wrestler, much like Chyna herself.

Unfortunately for the Georgia-based promotion, Asya lacked Chyna's charisma and athleticism, and WWE struggled to find meaningful feuds for her, a stark contrast to Chyna's battles as part of D-Generation X and later with Chris Jericho.

A pet project quickly forgotten about by WCW, Asya never amounted to much in wrestling, whilst Chyna will soon be taking her rightful spot (albeit posthumously) in the WWE Hall of Fame.

#3 Damien Sandow - The Genius

Sandow was compared to the Genius by many fans who saw similarities between the two.

Damien Sandow's career in WWE was very bizarre.

After several years in OVW, Sandow finally got his big break on the main roster in 2012, when he was introduced as the intellectual savior of the masses.

Dressed in a blue robe and spouting words of wisdom, Sandow impressed fans with his vernacular, though many saw him as this generation's iteration of the Genius, Lanny Poffo.

The real-life brother of 'Macho Man' Randy Savage, Poffo would, much like Sandow, dress in an ornate robe, hold himself in an effeminate manner, and snootily compare his vast intellect to both his opponent and the fans.

Whilst there was one main difference between the two, that Sandow was a full-time wrestler whilst The Genius was predominantly a manager, the similarities are still very strong.

#2 Alberto Del Rio - John 'Bradshaw' Layfield

Del Rio would arrive in a car each week, much like the Texan.

Alberto Del Rio's career in WWE was very impressive. Within his first year, he would win the 40-man Royal Rumble, the 2011 RAW Money in the Bank contract and the WWE Championship.

But despite his various accolades, there is one thing that many fans thought when they saw Del Rio: that his character was astonishingly similar to John 'Bradshaw' Layfield.

Arriving in a car every week, flaunting his wealth and using every crooked method in the book to win, it's easy to see why fans would compare the Mexican Aristocrat to the Texan.

These comparisons were made even worse when Layfield returned to the WWE as a commentator in 2012, following the real heart attack of Jerry Lawler, as he often spoke about how much Del Rio reminded him, of himself.

#1 The Renegade - Ultimate Warrior

Fans quickly saw that the Renegade wasn't the real Warrior.

When Hulk Hogan found himself over-powered in WCW in 1995, the Hulkster promised something special.

As some covered the silhouette of a man snarling, Hogan promised the 'ultimate surprise' for the upcoming Uncensored pay per view, leading many to believe this would be his former nemesis/partner The Ultimate Warrior.

What they got instead, was the Renegade Warrior, the most blatant knock-off of the former World Champion.

Snarling to the ring and using the real Warrior's moveset, the idea that this was the real thing was downright insulting, especially to WWE.

Instantly sicking their lawyers on WCW, The term 'warrior' was dropped, though fans still refused to latch on to the Renegade.

With his limited move-set and terrible character, it wasn't long until the Renegade ended up a jobber in WCW, until his inevitable release.