All Muscles, No Brains: 10 Wresting Gimmicks That Were Meant To Be Dumb

Aug 11, 2023

These dumb wrestling gimmicks were meant to be everything but smart.

On the famed podcast Something To Wrestle with Bruce Prichard the topic of a "box of gimmicks" comes up often. During this topic, Bruce Prichard jokes that WWE had a box of gimmicks and new talent would reach into the box and pull out their WWE character. While the concept is a gag, the truth is some gimmicks seems to have absolutely no thought to them.

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Yet, the idea of a lame gimmick isn't exclusive to WWE! Every wrestling promotion has stumbled with their gimmicks. Sometimes it seems like the gimmick was never even meant to be successful, almost as if the promotion wants to see the talent perform with a poor gimmick. While in most cases the performer will eventually move on from the gimmick, occasionally a talent will get over the dumb gimmick and make it something fans enjoy. Many gimmicks just seem to be dumb, no matter the performer.

Barry Darsow would become a three time WWE World Tag Team Champion as Smash in Demolition. The near 300 pounder brought a bruising style to the WWE tag team division. Yet, when the Demolition run came to the end, WWE would turn the Smasher into the Repo Man. As a singles star, the Repo Man was a dumb gimmick.

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Darsow, a talented performer, did everything he could to get over the repo idea. That idea being of a man that repossessed items. Darsow would carry a tow-rope to the ring and wear a Zoro mask. Just dumb.

Kris Statlander is an amazingly athletic professional wrestler. Yet, her original All Elite Wrestling gimmick was of the Galaxy's Greatest Alien. As an alien character, Statlander was billed from the Andromeda Galaxy. Her gimmick was straight out of the mid 1990s WWE, think Max Moon. Yet, as a modern day woman, the Galaxy's Greatest Alien would not be taken seriously. As the alien, Statlander's 450 Splash was called Area 51. Kris Statlander is still only 27 years old and has moved passed the alien gimmick. Her AEW career is bright, and Statlander still may prove to be out of this world.

William Regal would wrestle in WCW as the Blue Blood Steven Regal. When Regal left WCW in 1998, WWE would repackage the Englishman as Real Man Steve Regal. During this gimmick, Regal would wear a hardhat to ringside with his flannel shirt. Vince Russo would present Regal as a lumberjack. Vignettes played of Regal chopping down wood and shaving with a straight razor. In January 1999, Regal would check into rehab in real life thus ending his Real Man gimmick. Regal wouldn't return to WWE until September 2000, and at that time he would be an evil Englishman.

Shark Boy was a character created to be a cartoon. Yet, Shark Boy would develop a cult following that led him to WCW during the promotions dying days and then into a memorable career in TNA wrestling. Yet the gimmick was dumb. Billed from the deep blue sea, Shark Boy would be featured on the MTV show True Life: I Am a Professional Wrestler. Yet, Shark Boy would make his gimmick even more silly, when he turned into Stone Cold Shark Boy in 2008. His intro to the ring started with a "Give me a shell yeah" and Shark Boy would drink clam juice. His copycat gimmick of Stone Cold Steve Austin was dumb.

While the Shockmaster wasn't initially meant to be dumb, his infamous debut that included him falling through a wall did him no favors. That debut quickly turned Shockmaster into a comedic gimmick. Shockmaster went from the main event of Clash of the Champions to a klutz in the ring. Shockmaster would go on to wrestle at Halloween Havoc, Battlebowl and Starrcade all on pay per view. Yet, The Shockmaster would be finished with WCW and back in WWE as Typhoon in less than a year. His run as the Shockmaster still remains one of the most unintended comical moments in professional wrestling history.

Billy Gunn would win 3 WWE Tag Team Championships with kayfabe brother Bart during the New Generation Era of the promotion. Yet, when the Smoking Gunns broke up, Billy's cowboy gimmick would change. The Honky Tonk Man would take Billy under his wing as his protégé and change his name to RockaBilly. As RockaBilly, Gunn would wear a bedazzled jacket to ring side. Gunn believes WWE was trying to get him to quit with the dumb gimmick. Luckily, Gunn would rock Honky Tonk with a guitar shot and join the Real Double J Jesse James to become the New Age Outlaws.

Kazuchika Okada is a five time IWGP Heavyweight champion, which includes the single longest reign in history. He is one of the most popular professional wrestlers in the world, and he is still only 35 years old. Yet, Okada would not find success during his run in TNA wrestling. In his early 20s, Okada would join TNA due to a talent exchange with New Japan. The TNA promotion had no clue the superstar they had on their roster. One gimmick they gave, would be changing Okada's name to Okato. As Okato, Okada would dress like Kato the sidekick to the Green Hornet superhero. The gimmick was so dumb, New Japan Pro Wrestling quit their relationship with TNA over Kazuchika Okada's treatment.

Mike Awesome would debut in World Championship Wrestling while still being the ECW World Champion in April 2000. The 6'6 near 300 pound behemoth would be labeled the Fat Chick Thriller by July 2000. This gimmick would be that Awesome had an infatuation with heavier set women.

RELATED: 10 Worst WCW Gimmicks In The Monday Night Wars

Not only was the gimmick offensive, it made no sense to the former Career Killer gimmick that Awesome had displayed. Awesome should have been an impact player for WCW, instead he was saddled with dumb gimmick after dumb gimmick. He would leave the Fat Chick Thriller behind to become That 70s Guy (a man obsessed with the 1970s).

Terry Taylor debut in 1979 and for almost the entire first decade of his career he looked like a future main event star. Yet, in 1988, Taylor joined the WWE and become the Red Rooster. Taylor would wear red tights, and a red jacket, with a red Mohawk on top of his blonde mullet. Taylor would strut around the ring acting like a rooster and never advance out of the mid-card in WWE. His greatest feud was with enhancement talent the Brooklyn Brawler. The gimmick was so dumb that even after leaving WWE, Taylor could not capture the promise he once showed in the squared circle.

Unlike Terry Taylor, Orange Cassidy would get his "dumb" gimmick over. Over so much that Orange Cassidy is one of the most popular stars on the All Elite Wrestling roster. The King of Sloth Style gimmick is of an unmotivated employee who will wrestle if he has to wrestle. Cassidy's style differentiates himself from all other professional wrestlers. The gimmick includes Cassidy using slow motion kicks and wrestling with his hands in his pockets for portions of the match. While in theory the gimmick is so dumb, ESPN would name Cassidy the Breakout Wrestling Star of 2020.

Chris is a pastor in Central, Kentucky. His ministry has an emphasis on athletics, youth, and young adults. He is creator of the pardon_the_wrestling Instagram account.