Gimmick recycling is something that has a long history in wrestling. Ric Flair wasn’t the first “Nature Boy” and Ronda Rousey wasn’t the first “Hot Rod,” but if done right, fans might not even miss the original. As long as the first star to don the name is OK with it, then we as fans should be able to embrace the new face embracing an old legacy.

One of the best and worst decades for gimmicks in WWE was the 1990s. It was an era full of colorful, edgy, and downright strange personas, and two decades later, we’re still talking about them! One half of the decade was covered with weird cartoon characters like The Goon and IRS, while the second was grounded in over-the-top, dark, “Jerry Springer” inspired names like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Nation of Domination, and The Brood. Yet, whatever your flavor is, there was probably something for you to like at some point in the 1990s, and we think there are some gimmicks that could even make a comeback, with the right Superstar, of course.

With that in mind, here are 10 Gimmicks From The '90s WWE Should Bring Back (And With Who).

20 Gimmick: The Lethal Weapon Steve Blackman

Steve Blackman was the original Lethal Weapon, and honestly, we don’t know how he didn’t get over more. As a legitimate fighter, Blackman was given a martial arts gimmick that complimented the real-life training he went through. On top of all of that, he had a great look, and his simple attire was perfect for the persona he portrayed on our TVs every Monday Night in the late '90s.

While he never reached top-tier status, The Lethal Weapon Steve Blackman was a great mid-card talent, and by 2000, he was always in the mix for the Hardcore Championship, holding the WWE’s record for most combined days with the title across his six reigns.

19 Who Should Bring The Gimmick Back: Shayna Baszler

Shayna Baszler is the real deal, and with training in Muay Thai and Kickboxing, there’s no doubt that everyone could buy into her as the Lethal Weapon. Obviously, a few things would have to be toned down from the original gimmick, but as a strong, imposing threat, it’s not hard to see her settling into that gimmick.

With all that in mind, she does have a good thing going as the “Queen of Spades,” and in reality, her gimmick as an MMA fighter turned pro wrestler is pretty good. Still, with the likes of Brock Lesnar and even Ronda Rousey on the WWE roster, giving Baszler something a little different could pay off when she’s called up.

18 Gimmick: The Dudley Boyz

WWE had a thing for brothers who are tag team wrestlers in the 1990s. We don’t really blame them though, because it seemed to have worked. The Dudley Boyz just squeak into this list debuting in 1999 after coming over from ECW, but their presence was felt the second they walked through the curtain.

Bubba Ray and Devon put the world on notice. Their affinity for hardcore matches and tables got the juices flowing, and it their charisma made them must-watch TV. Every great Tag Team Division needs a hoss team, and you’d be hard pressed to find one better than this.

17 Who Should Bring The Gimmick Back: The Bludgeon Brothers

OK, we’ll admit it, we like Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, but their gimmick is pretty, out there. Instead of carrying on in their direction, they should ditch the hammers for some tables and start calling each other brother (come on WWE, you only have one sibling team right now?). So, we're not advocating for the two to become official Dudleys, instead, we'd love to see the former Wyatt followers carry on the spirit of Team 3D.

The truth is, Harper and Rowan are already the big bad team of the SmackDown Tag Team Division, so giving them a more grounded gimmick could make their feuds more worthwhile. Plus, we’d love to see Rowan get the tables for a bludgeon bomb!

16 Gimmick: "The World’s Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock

Sometimes, when we look back and realize Ken Shamrock never won a WWE Championship, it really bothers us. When you think about it, he was really the precursor to the modern-day Brock Lesnar with his MMA background. Most importantly, his gimmick showcased a legitimately tough man who had no issue fighting in a ring or an octagon.

This came at a time when WWE was snagging up quite a few names from MMA, with Dan Severn being the other, and while no one will argue Severn’s toughness or ability, we think Shamrock had this particular gimmick down a little better.

15 Who Should Bring The Gimmick Back: Ronda Rousey

OK, hear (or, we guess, read) us out. We know earlier in this list we said there are a lot of UFC gimmicks in WWE, but let’s be honest here, Ronda Rousey is much more of a crossover star than Baszler at this point in her career.

With all that being said, Rousey isn’t being treated like the absolute monster she was during her undefeated streak in the world of MMA. We think that going back to the drawing board and giving her a more intense and serious demeanor without the smiles and high fives to the fans, Rousey could be even more entertaining than she already has been. Treat her like the fighter she is and truly make her the World’s Most Dangerous Woman.

14 Gimmick: Doink The Clown

He’s a wrestling clown. The early '90s produced some really weird things. Still, love him or hate him, Doink is iconic. In a lot of ways, he was almost like WWE’s own mascot, and while we never got the evil gimmick that initial concepts depicted, this character really had more longevity than it had any right to.

Much like Sin Cara, multiple wrestlers have donned the paint for WWE over the years, so really, it’s a character that can be revived whenever WWE feels like it. Someone has to lose matches, right?

13 Who Should Bring The Gimmick Back: Bo Dallas

When searching for the perfect Doink, a lot of factors went into finding a replacement. To start, the Superstar donning the paint needs to have comedic timing, and being a good worker could probably go a long way.

Enter Bo Dallas.

Sometimes, we forget the former Raw Tag Team Champion held the NXT Championship too, and while his run wasn’t as memorable as some that came after, he proved he can make people laugh, and for a clown, that’s really all you need!

Now, this would mean WWE would have to break up The B-Team, but their abysmal handling of tag team wrestling on Raw will make the split a little easier. Plus, who knows, maybe Vince will finally let his clown go dark.

12 Gimmick: Cactus Jack

Mick Foley is one dedicated Superstar. Whether it's Dude Love, Mankind, or Cactus Jack, fans knew they could buy into whatever the legend was doing. Still, while Mankind is his most famous gimmick (inside WWE, at least) Cactus Jack was the name that put Foley on the map.

A hardcore specialist, Cactus Jack had no problem laying his body on the line, and he didn't care if he hurt himself, as long as his opponent felt pain. He's an endearing character, and anyone who tries to take that moniker would have a lot to live up to, but we think there's one person on the roster who could.

11 Who Should Bring The Gimmick Back: Dean Ambrose

You can draw a lot of comparisons to Dean Ambrose and Mick Foley. They’re both accomplished hardcore legends, they both have the gift of gab, and they are both creative in the ring.

Now, we’re not suggesting Dean Ambrose shows up on Raw one night calling himself the New Cactus Jack, but letting Ambrose take a darker route than "he's crazy" could be really interesting. If we look back at Ambrose's pre-WWE career, we know he has it in him. It's just a shame we'll never get a true passing the torch moment between these two stars.

10 Gimmick: Leader of The Nation of Domination

The Nation of Domination is easily one of the greatest factions of all time. Featuring some of the best performers to ever step foot in a WWE ring, they garnered a lot of heat talking about social issues while being good old-timey heels. In a lot of ways, this is a gimmick that could be left in the 1990s, but it could be something that’s brought back if it's handled more delicately. 

In today's climate, it might be a little too on the nose, but it could be a great way for WWE to make some edgier programming.

9 Who Should Bring The Gimmick Back: Shelton Benjamin

So, when looking at who could fill the role of Farooq, we looked at the active roster and who had a similar career path to the wrestling legend. Obviously, no one touches the legendary status of Ron Simmons, but  Shelton Benjamin fits the bill — he’s accomplished a lot both in WWE and Japan, but for whatever reason, he’s not being used.

Again, this is a gimmick that would need to be handled with a little more care than the first time around, but this could be a great vehicle for WWE to make a social statement, while also utilizing someone who is criminally underrated.

8 Gimmick: Gangrel

Wrestling needs more vampires, said no one ever. Yet, Gangrel has managed to remain one of the most memorable characters in WWE history. His attire, his entrance, his music, the bloodbaths, everything came together to create this memorable gimmick. So why not bring it back?

OK, we know they tried this once before with Kevin Throne, but we think it’s pretty easy to see why debuting a vampire on ECW wouldn’t really work. Plus, no offense to Thorne, but Gangrel had that "it" factor.

7 Who Should Bring The Gimmick Back: Ember Moon

Ember Moon already has a bit of a "creature of the night" element to her, but in a division that features Ronda Rousey, Sasha Banks, and Bayley, she may need to do a little bit more to stand out — and maybe getting some fangs and drinking some blood could do just that.

She doesn’t need to go as over the top as Gangrel did in the 1990s, but someone who lives that “lifestyle,” could be really cool in the modern Women’s Division. Hey, if we can have a reborn Viking and a pirate on other shows, we should be able to get a vampire!

6 Gimmick: The 1-2-3 Kid

The 1-2-3 Kid was an amazing gimmick, and really, it caught a lot of fans off-guard. Sean Waltman, or better known as X-Pac now, got a big push in WWE by defeating Razor Ramon in an unexpected manner. This made him one of the most popular Superstars of the early 1990s — and it’s a gimmick that can be recreated over and over again.

Everyone loves a giant slayer, and rooting for the little guy is what makes wrestling great! Obviously, X-Pac is a talented performer, so whoever takes the role will need a few things going for them, but if done right, another star could be made.

5 Who Should Bring The Gimmick Back: Mustafa Ali

Mustafa Ali and X-Pac actually share a lot of similarities. Both are on the smaller side for their respective eras, but both have no problem hanging with the giants. Ali is a recent transfer from 205 Live, and his highflying antics will surely impress on the main roster.

It actually looks like WWE has some big plans for Ali and it kind of includes elements of The 1-2-3 Kid. He did manage to pin the WWE Champion in the main event of a recent SmackDown Live, but we think they can go bigger. Ali can be WWE’s underdog in a way Daniel Bryan was, he just needs a win over someone big and imposing, like a Samoa Joe.

4 Gimmick: Leader of The Ministry Of Darkness

This is probably our favorite Undertaker. He ditched his old western gimmick, and slowly morphed into a satanic priest (with one of the coolest entrance themes ever). He would speak Latin, he tried to embalm Steve Austin while he was still alive, and he had a mean posy of beefy edge-lord friends!

The leader of the ministry of darkness was unlike anything we ever saw in the WWE before, and we probably won’t ever see it again, but it’s such a timeless gimmick that, if done right, could be perfect for a modern revival. WWE just needs to make sure to lay off the cheese in this one and stick to what works without going too overboard.

3 Who Should Bring The Gimmick Back: Bray Wyatt

They were so close. They almost did it. It was almost perfect. 

While they messed it up the last time they tried this, The Ministry of Darkness can live on with Bray Wyatt (and a possibly Wyatt family reunion). We saw a glimpse of what can be during his feud with The Dead Man at WrestleMania 31, and there was so much promise! Wyatt began to embrace a slightly darker persona, and his entrance with the scarecrows was on par with The Undertaker’s traditional walk down the ramp with his druids.

It would be a lot of work to rehab Wyatt here, but we’ve seen how amazing the Family can be with direction and a push. Just don’t mess it up this time!

2 Gimmick: The Rock

When the Rock finally turned heel, it was perfect. The crowd wasn’t buying him as a babyface and when he joined The Nation of Domination, it was great. His promo where he acknowledged the initial fan backlash to him are now legendary, and the rest, they say, is history.

He became arrogant, he slowly became edgier, and his promos improved greatly. The shackles were off, and there was no holding him back. Eventually, the character evolved, creating one of the most memorable names in wrestling history, launching Dwayne Johnson into superstardom.

1 Who Should Bring The Gimmick Back: Roman Reigns

Oh look, TheSportster is comparing The Rock to Roman Reigns, real original. But the fact of the matter is, Roman Reigns and Rocky Maivia have a lot in common — and not just their lineage. The Roman Reigns social experiment failed hard, yet the company tried to carry on despite negative crowd reactions. We’re not going to sit here and say Reigns deserved it, because he’s actually a talented wrestler. Yet, something hasn’t clicked, and WWE has refused to change him.

We're not saying that The Big Dog should come out and start calling everyone "Jabroni," instead, we think a little more arrogance and a little less pandering to the fans could turn Reigns into a megastar.

At the moment, Reigns is out of action, as he is battling Leukemia. We wish him all the best, and when he returns, we hope he doesn’t miss a beat. But when that return happens, hopefully, it can leave the door open for a heel turn.