The Stupidest Re-Branding OF Wrestlers Ever.
By Edtrader Oct. 1st, 2021
When a wrestler's persona either has cooled off, or never took off, promotors would often rebrand them. Successful examples include Hulk Hogan becoming Hollywood Hogan. Other wrestlers have been re-branded by wrestling companies, but they failed.
When a wrestler's persona either has cooled off, or never took off, promotors would often rebrand them. Successful examples include Hulk Hogan becoming Hollywood Hogan. Other wrestlers have been re-branded by wrestling companies, but they failed.
#8. White Africans and Latino Crackers.
There have been attempts to recruit wrestlers of one nationality. Then have them portray characters from an entirely different one. Like no one would notice, right!
There have been attempts to recruit wrestlers of one nationality. Then have them portray characters from an entirely different one. Like no one would notice, right!
A. Akeem
One Man Gang is a wrestler who is thought of as 'a single person that's as tough as a whole street gang'. No one owns the name or character, as he was successful in the independent circuit, Mid-South, and World Class Championship Wrestling. So when he came to the WWF in 1991, it made sense that he would be what fans knew.
But the WWF saw this big white guy and said, Let's make him African. He was whiter than Swiss cheese, on Wonder Bread. But he became a soul brother who danced like an Egyptian mummy. Renamed Akkeem the African Dream, and the WWF wonders why this never took off.
One Man Gang is a wrestler who is thought of as 'a single person that's as tough as a whole street gang'. No one owns the name or character, as he was successful in the independent circuit, Mid-South, and World Class Championship Wrestling. So when he came to the WWF in 1991, it made sense that he would be what fans knew.
But the WWF saw this big white guy and said, Let's make him African. He was whiter than Swiss cheese, on Wonder Bread. But he became a soul brother who danced like an Egyptian mummy. Renamed Akkeem the African Dream, and the WWF wonders why this never took off.
B. Chavo Guerrero Jr, Kerwin White.
Chavo Guerrero Jr. comes from a family where most of the men have been wrestlers. He's climbed from an opening match into a mid-carder. One of the few Latino wrestlers to fully embrace his heritage. That was until the WWE changed it. It was decided that he would denounce his Latino life and become a Harvard-going Zack Morris type. Even more preppy than the Spirit Squid gimmick a few years later.
Chavo Guerrero Jr. comes from a family where most of the men have been wrestlers. He's climbed from an opening match into a mid-carder. One of the few Latino wrestlers to fully embrace his heritage. That was until the WWE changed it. It was decided that he would denounce his Latino life and become a Harvard-going Zack Morris type. Even more preppy than the Spirit Squid gimmick a few years later.
C. Mosh goes Beaver.
The Headbangers, Thrash and Mosh, had been a tag team in several promotions before going to the WWE. Thrasher was unfortunately injured, so Mosh was left on his own. It could have been Mosh as a low card draw, but the WWE brains had a different idea. Beaver Cleavage was taking this Latino tattooed and pierced guy and dressing him up like Leave It to Beaver. Playing with an incest angle involving his mom, Mrs. Cleavage.
The Headbangers, Thrash and Mosh, had been a tag team in several promotions before going to the WWE. Thrasher was unfortunately injured, so Mosh was left on his own. It could have been Mosh as a low card draw, but the WWE brains had a different idea. Beaver Cleavage was taking this Latino tattooed and pierced guy and dressing him up like Leave It to Beaver. Playing with an incest angle involving his mom, Mrs. Cleavage.
#7. Others got the boost.
There have been some wrestlers whose rebranding has failed them. However, it gave someone else the boost they needed.
A. Johnny Be Badd-Sable.
Looking at WCW in the early 90s, there was a fan favorite on the rise. That being a tan-skinned and brightly colored dressed, Johnny B Badd. With the facial looks and energy of Little Richard. A babyface the kids could enjoy as he ran to the ring and shot a confetti gun. He wasn't in the main event category yet, but he was just a finger away.
However, he signed a deal with the WWF in 1996. Instead of the energetic, kid-friendly character... the WWF had a different idea. Let's make him into a very serious and deadly kind of guy. Instead of the long hair and colors, he was dressed down into basic black MMA or UFC shorts and gloves. So, the confetti children's character was now the world-class bad-ass Marc Mero. The fans didn't buy it, and he never grew beyond the third or fourth match.
But more importantly, he never needed a valet when he was a fan favorite in WCW. But the WWF saw that he needed one. So, they brought in the famous Sable to stand by him. Marc actually saved Sable from the future son-in-law. She grew even more important than he did. Being the first WWF lady to have the cover of Playboy magazine. The final kick was Sable beating Marc in a match.
There have been some wrestlers whose rebranding has failed them. However, it gave someone else the boost they needed.
A. Johnny Be Badd-Sable.
Looking at WCW in the early 90s, there was a fan favorite on the rise. That being a tan-skinned and brightly colored dressed, Johnny B Badd. With the facial looks and energy of Little Richard. A babyface the kids could enjoy as he ran to the ring and shot a confetti gun. He wasn't in the main event category yet, but he was just a finger away.
However, he signed a deal with the WWF in 1996. Instead of the energetic, kid-friendly character... the WWF had a different idea. Let's make him into a very serious and deadly kind of guy. Instead of the long hair and colors, he was dressed down into basic black MMA or UFC shorts and gloves. So, the confetti children's character was now the world-class bad-ass Marc Mero. The fans didn't buy it, and he never grew beyond the third or fourth match.
But more importantly, he never needed a valet when he was a fan favorite in WCW. But the WWF saw that he needed one. So, they brought in the famous Sable to stand by him. Marc actually saved Sable from the future son-in-law. She grew even more important than he did. Being the first WWF lady to have the cover of Playboy magazine. The final kick was Sable beating Marc in a match.
B. Ed Leslie-Kimberly. In the 1980s, wrestling fans grew up with the WWF's own barber. Brutus 'The Barber' Beefcake was a character that every wrestling fan knew. And he was part of the overall WWF package. Being the only character that Ed Leslie had some traction with. Winning the tag-team and intercontinental titles. When he moved to WCW in 1994, they tried some of the dumbest attempts at rebranding Ed. First, he was Hulk Hogan's unnamed cheerleader. Then, taking a cue from the Tanya Harding incident, Ed wore a black mask and attacked various wrestlers. After that, he became part of the Dungeon Of Doom as the Zodiac. Having a mohawk and painted up like a zebra. Once the D.O.D. faded, he became The Booty Man. A disco and pop dancing fool. But this character gave heat to his new valet, naturally named The Booty Girl. Later known simply as Kimberly. Who went on to various on-screen roles. Being Diamond Dallas Page's wife, she got more TV time than Ed after a few weeks. The last attempt was as Hollywood Hogan's disciple. The Warrior used him in an angle against Hogan, but that's all he was good for. The WCW hardly used him thereafter. |
C. Berlyn-The Wall.
Alex Wright was a wrestler in WCW who wasn't a big star. His matches were incredible, but he didn't have any kind of spark. He was this skinny German guy who barely spoke English in real life. Alex even won a match against Ric Flair, but there was nothing. Alex disappeared from TV for a few months, and he wasn't missed.
When all of a sudden promos began to show of Berlyn. A German character that was dressed like Blade but had the head of a splatter punk. It was billed as someone who looked like he would be a tough cookie. Using taglines like vicious and determinate. And for the most part, it worked when I and all of my friends saw it. But the time came, and it was Berlin's debut. This new guy came out with a bodyguard called The Wall (as in the Berlin Wall).
However, the gig was up as Berlin took his sunglasses and coat off. It was just Alex, the same skinny low-card wrestler. And the whole thing fell flat. So, all of the effort and TV time for promos was a waste. But there was a diamond in the rough. The Wall would break away and become successful. Even main eventing a WCW Nitro against Hulk Hogan.
Alex Wright was a wrestler in WCW who wasn't a big star. His matches were incredible, but he didn't have any kind of spark. He was this skinny German guy who barely spoke English in real life. Alex even won a match against Ric Flair, but there was nothing. Alex disappeared from TV for a few months, and he wasn't missed.
When all of a sudden promos began to show of Berlyn. A German character that was dressed like Blade but had the head of a splatter punk. It was billed as someone who looked like he would be a tough cookie. Using taglines like vicious and determinate. And for the most part, it worked when I and all of my friends saw it. But the time came, and it was Berlin's debut. This new guy came out with a bodyguard called The Wall (as in the Berlin Wall).
However, the gig was up as Berlin took his sunglasses and coat off. It was just Alex, the same skinny low-card wrestler. And the whole thing fell flat. So, all of the effort and TV time for promos was a waste. But there was a diamond in the rough. The Wall would break away and become successful. Even main eventing a WCW Nitro against Hulk Hogan.
D. Test-Trish.
Andrew Martin, as Test, had the looks of your typical wrestling hero. A muscular body and a model's face. Thrown in with some of that rugged but safe Brad Pitt demeanor. The on-camera role of Stephanie Mcmahon's fiancé being his first taste at the top. Leading to a 'love her or leave her' featured match against Shane McMahon at Summerslam 1999. Also teamed with Kane, he was part of Vince's corporation against the DX faction.
Instead of growing, he was dropped into a tag team with Prince Albert. Taking the T and A from their names, they became T&A. This stopped Test from growing into a top guy. He was later fired but moved over to the WWE's third-string show, ECW.
However, for T&A to work, they needed a girl who had a nice set of T&A. Trish Stratus grew from this valet into one of the top WWE female stars of all time. Going from valet to woman's champion to posters on teen boys' walls.
Andrew Martin, as Test, had the looks of your typical wrestling hero. A muscular body and a model's face. Thrown in with some of that rugged but safe Brad Pitt demeanor. The on-camera role of Stephanie Mcmahon's fiancé being his first taste at the top. Leading to a 'love her or leave her' featured match against Shane McMahon at Summerslam 1999. Also teamed with Kane, he was part of Vince's corporation against the DX faction.
Instead of growing, he was dropped into a tag team with Prince Albert. Taking the T and A from their names, they became T&A. This stopped Test from growing into a top guy. He was later fired but moved over to the WWE's third-string show, ECW.
However, for T&A to work, they needed a girl who had a nice set of T&A. Trish Stratus grew from this valet into one of the top WWE female stars of all time. Going from valet to woman's champion to posters on teen boys' walls.
#6. Adorable Adrian Adonis.
Triple A was an AWA tag-team champion as the East-West Connection with Jesse The Body Ventura. Being a Pittsburgh/New Work biker to counter Jessie's flamboyant Hollywood movie star character. His first go around in 1980 in the WWF saw him challenging the world champion Bob Backlund a number of times.
As he was getting older and not training as hard, he began to gain weight. Which is fine as Dusty Rhodes was fat but an NWA champion as well. His leather biker character morphed into an oddity. Becoming a southern woman! He began to wear a big woman's sun dress, a big Minnie Pearl hat, blond hair and make-up.
This led to the infamous The Flower Shop interview segment. This was put together while Roddy Piper was making movies and the Piper's Pit was gone for 5 months. Watching the old tapes, The Flower Shop was laughed at and booed for the wrong reasons. It was 5 minutes of TV you could live without.
Once Piper returned the fans knew that they wanted. Piper finally gave it to them as he destroyed The Flower Shop's set. Then drew the cameras over to the Piper's Pit. This led to a match at Wrestlemania 3 which Piper easily defeated Adrian. It was the last major go around for Triple A.
Triple A was an AWA tag-team champion as the East-West Connection with Jesse The Body Ventura. Being a Pittsburgh/New Work biker to counter Jessie's flamboyant Hollywood movie star character. His first go around in 1980 in the WWF saw him challenging the world champion Bob Backlund a number of times.
As he was getting older and not training as hard, he began to gain weight. Which is fine as Dusty Rhodes was fat but an NWA champion as well. His leather biker character morphed into an oddity. Becoming a southern woman! He began to wear a big woman's sun dress, a big Minnie Pearl hat, blond hair and make-up.
This led to the infamous The Flower Shop interview segment. This was put together while Roddy Piper was making movies and the Piper's Pit was gone for 5 months. Watching the old tapes, The Flower Shop was laughed at and booed for the wrong reasons. It was 5 minutes of TV you could live without.
Once Piper returned the fans knew that they wanted. Piper finally gave it to them as he destroyed The Flower Shop's set. Then drew the cameras over to the Piper's Pit. This led to a match at Wrestlemania 3 which Piper easily defeated Adrian. It was the last major go around for Triple A.
#5. William Regal, real man's man.
William Regal has wrestled under his real name all over the world. And as a proper English gentleman in real life, that has been his character. That was until the WWF grabbed him. Instead of being himself, he was rebranded as the real man's man. A hard-hat and flannel-wearing guy. Shown as an expert lumberjack and all-around bar-going tough guy. Lumbering him from a mid-carder to a low card and off-camera comical spot. This didn't last long, and he disappeared.
Years after he left, he came back to the WWE as himself. And became a real good talent. Having main event RAW matches against Stone Cold Steve Austin and Chris Benoit. But grew even more important as an on-camera manager of RAW.
William Regal has wrestled under his real name all over the world. And as a proper English gentleman in real life, that has been his character. That was until the WWF grabbed him. Instead of being himself, he was rebranded as the real man's man. A hard-hat and flannel-wearing guy. Shown as an expert lumberjack and all-around bar-going tough guy. Lumbering him from a mid-carder to a low card and off-camera comical spot. This didn't last long, and he disappeared.
Years after he left, he came back to the WWE as himself. And became a real good talent. Having main event RAW matches against Stone Cold Steve Austin and Chris Benoit. But grew even more important as an on-camera manager of RAW.
#4. GI. Bro.
Granted, if you go back into Booker T's history, he was GI Bro earlier. Booker had started in WCW as part of the tag-team Harlem Heat. Winning the world tag-team titles, defeating the likes of The Road Warriors and The Steiners. After the team split, he went on to win the TV and U.S. Heavyweight titles. Then he reached the top, winning the World Heavyweight Title. Being only the second black man to be a wrestling world title holder. But that didn't satisfy WCW officials.
There was a group known as the Misfits In Action that adopted a military theme. With had names like Captain Erection. So Booker T. was next in line to join the gang. And his brilliant name was G.I. Bro. Given the exact uniform and look Carl Weathers had in Predator. This serious wrestler who was winning titles was now part of a group that, frankly, was below his skill and stature. The fans laughed at this in the wrong way. Towards the end of WCW, he thankfully turned back into himself. And was one of the few wrestlers that the WWF kept.
Granted, if you go back into Booker T's history, he was GI Bro earlier. Booker had started in WCW as part of the tag-team Harlem Heat. Winning the world tag-team titles, defeating the likes of The Road Warriors and The Steiners. After the team split, he went on to win the TV and U.S. Heavyweight titles. Then he reached the top, winning the World Heavyweight Title. Being only the second black man to be a wrestling world title holder. But that didn't satisfy WCW officials.
There was a group known as the Misfits In Action that adopted a military theme. With had names like Captain Erection. So Booker T. was next in line to join the gang. And his brilliant name was G.I. Bro. Given the exact uniform and look Carl Weathers had in Predator. This serious wrestler who was winning titles was now part of a group that, frankly, was below his skill and stature. The fans laughed at this in the wrong way. Towards the end of WCW, he thankfully turned back into himself. And was one of the few wrestlers that the WWF kept.
#3. NWO 2000.
The beating a dead horse saying fits here. The NWO was what took WCW to the top of the wrestling world for 2 years. But it grew old, and popularity fell. Most of that was because WCW killed it. Adding too many members, it was too common that someone would turn on their partner and go NWO, and so on. However, there were two failures at re-branding it.
The original NWO had Ric Flair, Sting. Goldberg, DDP, and so on to feud with. Also, the original NWO launched new stars and successfully re-branded older stars. The 1999 attempt was the remaining NWO and the Wolfpac joining forces. This flavor of the NWO last a few months but fizzed out. The problem was they had beat everybody. And no new heroes came along. There was no protagonist for them to work with. So, there was nowhere for the angle to go. And no wrestler in the new NWO benefited at all.
Not even a year later, WCW again tried for the NWO 2000. Changing the group's colors to silver and black. And claiming they were there to win titles and not to take over like previous incarnations. This fell prey to what the 1999 NWO saw. No new fan favorite heroes to work with. Plus, the NWO logo on a guitar was the stupidest, most Memphis 1970s, anti-NWO thing ever.
The original NWO had Ric Flair, Sting. Goldberg, DDP, and so on to feud with. Also, the original NWO launched new stars and successfully re-branded older stars. The 1999 attempt was the remaining NWO and the Wolfpac joining forces. This flavor of the NWO last a few months but fizzed out. The problem was they had beat everybody. And no new heroes came along. There was no protagonist for them to work with. So, there was nowhere for the angle to go. And no wrestler in the new NWO benefited at all.
Not even a year later, WCW again tried for the NWO 2000. Changing the group's colors to silver and black. And claiming they were there to win titles and not to take over like previous incarnations. This fell prey to what the 1999 NWO saw. No new fan favorite heroes to work with. Plus, the NWO logo on a guitar was the stupidest, most Memphis 1970s, anti-NWO thing ever.
#2. Generations.
Randy Orton, Ted Dibiase, The Rock, The Usos—all of these are 2nd and 3rd generation wrestlers. Wrestlers that ultimately are just themselves, and it's successful. Other generational wrestlers have come out as themselves, and it gets over pretty well. However, company officials have looked at these wrestlers and decided to rebrand them.
Randy Orton, Ted Dibiase, The Rock, The Usos—all of these are 2nd and 3rd generation wrestlers. Wrestlers that ultimately are just themselves, and it's successful. Other generational wrestlers have come out as themselves, and it gets over pretty well. However, company officials have looked at these wrestlers and decided to rebrand them.
A. Se7en.
Let's take Uncle Fester and cross him with The Undertaker. That's what the bright mind of Vince Russo had to do to rebrand Dustin Rhodes. Anyone who watched wrestling could see that it was Dustin. He's got a look that's been in wrestling since the late 1980s. Having come in as the partner for his real dad, Dusty Rhodes It was funny to hear the commentators try to sell this gimmick. He was hoisted to the ring like a cadaver on an assembly line.
The WWF did the same thing for Dustin earlier when they gave him the Golddust character. As ridiculous as that was, it was at least unique. And with the long hair and everything, it was hard to tell it was Dustin. Soon after Dustin began to be himself, he gained some popularity. And his matches weren't main events, but they were one of the featured matches. particularly the Texas bull-rope matches.
Let's take Uncle Fester and cross him with The Undertaker. That's what the bright mind of Vince Russo had to do to rebrand Dustin Rhodes. Anyone who watched wrestling could see that it was Dustin. He's got a look that's been in wrestling since the late 1980s. Having come in as the partner for his real dad, Dusty Rhodes It was funny to hear the commentators try to sell this gimmick. He was hoisted to the ring like a cadaver on an assembly line.
The WWF did the same thing for Dustin earlier when they gave him the Golddust character. As ridiculous as that was, it was at least unique. And with the long hair and everything, it was hard to tell it was Dustin. Soon after Dustin began to be himself, he gained some popularity. And his matches weren't main events, but they were one of the featured matches. particularly the Texas bull-rope matches.
B. Stardust.
Dustin's younger brother, Cody, came on the scene as himself. Everyone in the wrestling world knew who Cody Rhodes was. He was climbing the latter to the top. The WWE had the thought, "Hey, let's paint him like Davie Bowie and call him Stardust'. And Cody's stock went from a serious midcarder to low-card comic relief. The final joke is how fans chant 'Cody' often when Stardust comes out.
#1. Hacksaw turns Canadian.
Some wrestling characters just work with very little effort. Hacksaw Jim Duggan with the 2x4s and "Hoooooooooooosssssss" the fans always eat it up. When Jim makes guest appearances on WWE, even recently, they don't fight the stream. He comes out and does his thing, and the magic is hot.
Vince Russo, once in charge of WCW, thought Jim needed a change. He needs to be a bad guy now. How better than to have him diss the American flag at the Great American Bash 2000? And go all-out Canadian. It was a part of Lance Storm's group of proud Canadian wrestlers. The whole group was a failure. Lance Storm, first off, is as boring as watching bricks mold.
They took The Wall, who started as a hardcore, non-English-speaking German. All of a sudden, he spoke English like a Canadian. So now we had Duggan, with short hair and clean shavin' waving the Canadian flag. It's one of those moments that makes the fact that wrestling is fake all too clear. But more importantly, it was just idiotic, pure and simple.
Dustin's younger brother, Cody, came on the scene as himself. Everyone in the wrestling world knew who Cody Rhodes was. He was climbing the latter to the top. The WWE had the thought, "Hey, let's paint him like Davie Bowie and call him Stardust'. And Cody's stock went from a serious midcarder to low-card comic relief. The final joke is how fans chant 'Cody' often when Stardust comes out.
#1. Hacksaw turns Canadian.
Some wrestling characters just work with very little effort. Hacksaw Jim Duggan with the 2x4s and "Hoooooooooooosssssss" the fans always eat it up. When Jim makes guest appearances on WWE, even recently, they don't fight the stream. He comes out and does his thing, and the magic is hot.
Vince Russo, once in charge of WCW, thought Jim needed a change. He needs to be a bad guy now. How better than to have him diss the American flag at the Great American Bash 2000? And go all-out Canadian. It was a part of Lance Storm's group of proud Canadian wrestlers. The whole group was a failure. Lance Storm, first off, is as boring as watching bricks mold.
They took The Wall, who started as a hardcore, non-English-speaking German. All of a sudden, he spoke English like a Canadian. So now we had Duggan, with short hair and clean shavin' waving the Canadian flag. It's one of those moments that makes the fact that wrestling is fake all too clear. But more importantly, it was just idiotic, pure and simple.