Professional wrestling is famous for its outrageous gimmicks. From the Iron Sheiks to the Sgt. Slaughters, wrestling promoters have been successful in raising quite a few eyebrows, but no other promoter has been able to do it as consistently as Vince McMahon. With Vince Russo by his side in the 90s, WWE and Vince McMahon came up with a few outlandish ideas, which were both hilarious, and on a few occasions downright offensive.
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Vince McMahon has been so successful mostly because he was never afraid to push the envelope. As a promoter, Vince has had to come up with ideas that were both original, as well as intriguing. While it is never easy for someone to ideate characters that always resonate with the audience, Vince has been successful in creating stars, and at the same time provided the entertainment quotient.
Today, we take a look at the top 10 hilarious gimmicks in WWE history.
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#10. Al Snow and Head
“What does everybody want? What does everybody need?”
While it is difficult to pen down the most outrageous gimmicks in professional wrestling, Al Snow and “Head” would certainly make the list. While Al Snow was given various gimmicks, the one that captured the imagination of the fans was his use of a mannequin head, and talking to it as if it were human. There were also instances when the crowd chanted “We want head” – a double entendre which also proved the success of his gimmick.
Back in 1999, Al Snow won the Hardcore title by using Head, and believed that Head was the rightful champion. This led to a hilarious match between Al Snow and Head for the Hardcore title, with Bob Holly as the special guest referee. Al Snow won the match in the end, but not before putting on what can only be described as an unusual performance.
#9. Perry Saturn and Moppy
When Saturn made his debut along with the other members of The Radicalz, he was seen as a major player in the company. Saturn was known to be a good performer, and was one of the legitimate tough guys in the business. However, he shot himself in his own foot when he attacked a fellow superstar by the name of Mike Bell during a dark match, which did not sit well with the WWE management.
Saturn was then involved in a relationship with “Moppy” – a mop which he believed was alive. The WWE fans however cheered Saturn on, and his gimmick got him over with the fans. Saturn even chose “Moppy” over Terri Runnels, resulting in Raven throwing the mop into a wood chipper. Saturn faced Raven at Unforgiven and defeated him, after which he was let out of the WWE doghouse, and he quietly dropped the gimmick.
#8. Beaver Cleavage
Few gimmicks borderline on absurdity, and WWE managed to cross that line when they came up with the Beaver Cleavage gimmick. This was also the period when Vince Russo was the head writer, which explains the origins of the gimmick. Originally one half of The Headbangers, Mosh was made to undergo a transformation when his partner, Thrasher was injured, and someone in the company thought an incestuous angle would be a good idea.
This led to the birth of one of the most infamous and hilarious gimmicks in WWE history, as Beaver Cleavage, with his mother “Mrs. Beaver” made quite a few fans uncomfortable. Those who saw the funny side of it thought it fit well with WWE’s car crash TV, but his gimmick was quickly dropped once Thrasher made his return.
#7. Vito in a dress
Big Vito was of the prototypical WWE mold – tall and muscular. Vito was an impressive physical specimen, and had a good run as part of the Full Blooded Italians along with Nunzio. However, Vito might’ve ticked off the wrong people in the WWE management, as he was soon given the gimmick of a cross dresser in the company!
To his credit, Vito took it in his stride and began having fun with the gimmick. While numerous superstars managed to get out of their scheduled match with Vito, the WWE fans took a liking to the big man. Vito started interacting with the fans more, including exposing his backside, which WWE started censoring. Vito performed as a cross dresser till he was eventually released by the organization.
#6. Goldust
Goldust is known as “The bizarre one” for a reason, and the golden superstar was at his bizarre best during the mid 90s in the company. Goldust, who used mind games to get the better of his opponents, used tactics such as groping or insinuating affection towards his opponents. Goldust was later joined by his real life wife, Terri Runnels who went by the name of Marlena.
However, Goldust split with Marlena, and brought Luna Vachon as his valet and in the process, underwent yet another transformation. Now known as “The Artist Formerly Known as Goldust”, he began impersonating various superstars and celebrities, including impersonating his own father Dusty Rhodes. Goldust was also involved in various memorable moments during his association with Booker T, making him one of the funniest superstars in the company.
#5. ‘Sexual Chocolate’ and Hand
Before Mark Henry started adding superstars to his “Hall of Pain”, he was known to the WWE fans as “Sexual Chocolate”. Henry initially joined The Nation of Domination, and after the faction disbanded, he started teaming up with D’ Lo Brown. However, Henry turned on D’ Lo to help Jeff Jarrett during their match for the European and IC titles, and later announced to the world that he was a sex addict.
The vignettes that followed saw Henry trying to woo various female competitors, and also attend sex therapy sessions. One of the most infamous storylines in the company’s history saw Henry and Mae Young start a “relationship”, with Mae Young allegedly carrying Henry’s baby. As it turned out, Mae gave birth to a hand, which to this day remains as one of the most ridiculous angles in the company’s history. Hand also made a cameo during the 1000th episode of Monday Night RAW!
#4. R – Truth and Little Jimmy
When Truth signed up with WWE, he was introduced as a legitimate contender for the company’s top title. Truth could hold his own in the ring, and was entertaining on the microphone, and competed on the first ever Elimination Chamber PPV card, where he challenged for the World Heavyweight title. Truth also won the United States Championship, along with the WWE Tag Team Championship, but it is likely that the superstar will be fondly remembered for his association with Little Jimmy.
Truth’s eventual heel turn led to Truth going after the young fans in attendance, along with their fathers. Truth then began talking about Little Jimmy (initially implying the kids), but then started talking to an invisible “Little Jimmy”. Truth was also involved in a memorable segment with Christian and The Miz, and showed the fans once again that he was just as entertaining as anyone else on the roster.
#3. Gillberg
During the Monday Night Wars, WCW’s trump card was Goldberg – their biggest draw. WCW started defeating WWE in the ratings war, which was when Vince McMahon decided to take matters into his own hands, and mock WCW wrestlers. He targeted Goldberg in particular, due to his popularity and appeal, and introduced a character named Gillberg, mocking the WCW wrestler.
Gillberg’s elaborate entrance also poked fun at Goldberg, with him coming out with security and entering the arena through sparklers. Dubbed “The man they call Gillberg”, his hilarious mannerisms knocked Goldberg, while WWE piped “Gillberg” chants. Gillberg lost most of his matches, but the highlight of his career was facing Triple H for the WWE Championship!
#2. Billionaire Ted, Nacho Man and The Huckster
When Ted Turner decided to create his own wrestling empire, it is said that he called Vince McMahon up and told him he was going to build a “wrestling company”. While Vince did not take Ted Turner seriously in the beginning, the chairman of WWE was soon made to sweat, with WCW acquiring major stars from WWE, including the likes of Hogan and Savage.
This was when Vince McMahon decided to take the fight to Ted, albeit in a different manner. Vince McMahon created the personas of Billionaire Ted, The Nacho Man and The Huckster, mocking Ted, Hogan and Savage. Hogan and Savage were portrayed as old men who were barely able to walk, while Ted Turner was mocked during the vignettes.
#1. Damien Sandow
Whether he was the “Intellectual savior of masses”, or a stunt double to Miz, or an impersonator taking shots at his opponents, Damien Sandow was pure gold on the microphone or in the ring. You can know a lot about Sandow just from the fact that he became the most entertaining star in the company while not appearing on TV every week. Sandow’s gimmick was hilarious, and he soon won over the fans.
When Sandow was released earlier this month, the fans had mixed feelings. While they wanted to see more of him in WWE, this also gives him the opportunity to travel around the world, and entertain more fans. Sandow’s impersonation of Vince McMahon and his version of Orton’s entrance theme are just two highlights from Sandow’s WWE career, and he still remains one of the funniest superstars in WWE history.
