In the history of wrestling, bad gimmicks have abounded. Many are clearly horrible from the get go and sometimes even meant for punishments. Other times, they can seem good on paper but fall apart when put on the screen. Many are infamous for their horrors and stupidity although some are able to bounce back and become huge stars despite them. Once, a wrestler kept their mouth shut but today, guys are totally up front on how much they hated a gimmick and will do what it takes to forget it. Even the biggest stars aren’t immune as they can fall prey to some truly horrible stuff that they deeply regret.

However, oddly, sometimes they don’t regret it at all. As amazing as it sounds, more than a few workers are totally fine with some of the horrible gimmicks they’ve received. Some insist they could have been hits and worked if given the right time. Others brush it off as how they became famous in the first place and “paying our dues.” And some are just able to laugh about it and enjoy seeing it again. As amazing as it sounds, some of the worst gimmicks have their fans and that includes the wrestlers themselves. Here are 10 gimmicks wrestlers seriously regret being saddled with but also 10 that they should regret yet don’t and show how weird wrestling can be.

20 Regret: Kevin Nash as Oz

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Kevin Nash is a tough guy to get behind thanks to his selfishness and runs that helped ruin WCW. But you have to feel for him given the long road he had to reaching the top. Hired by WCW in early 1991, Nash was coming off some indie stuff and his huge size gave him promise. At the time, WCW was under a mandate from Turner to try and do some angles based on classic movies. This led to Nash as Oz with white hair, dressed in robes and a huge beard and led to the ring by a little guy. It’s as stupid as it sounds, even more so when he dropped that to wrestle.

Nash never gets tired of talking of how much he hated it and just did it for the money and getting some exposure in the business. He was then giving the persona of Vinnie Vegas which also wasn’t good. However, Shawn Michaels caught him in that and that led to Nash’s push in WWE but he would have loved to have left this persona back in the Emerald City.

19 Should: GI Bro

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When Harlem Heat took off in 1993, most saw a couple of beefy guys with nothing special to them. However, the two soon began to click and before long, dominated WCW as multiple tag team champions. It was clear Booker T was the real star and in 1998, he got his chance to prove it, winning the TV title several times. This led to more pushes and even with a Heat reunion, Booker was primed to take off in the main event. But after some bad bouts in 2000, Booker lost a match for his “T” name. Thus, he had to take on a new character of “GI Bro.” Out came Booker in fatigues, makeup and a military bent which totally unsuited him.

He dropped it fast to finally win that World title and one would think he despised it. But instead, Booker defends the act (which he used long before fame) and seemed to think it could have done better. He’s pretty much alone there as this gimmick should have been graded 4-F from the get go.

18 Regret: Dean Douglas

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Even WWE doesn’t hold back calling Shane Douglas’ run with the company in 1995 a total flop. After turns as a babyface in WWE and WCW, Douglas took off in ECW as “the Franchise,” a fantastic heel who helped put ECW on the map. This led to major success but Douglas (never the most humble of men) got a bit too much for Paul Heyman to handle, especially the pocketbook. He thus jumped to WWE, expecting a big push. Instead, he was given the gimmick of Dean Douglas, using his past as a teacher with promos of lessons and scratching a chalkboard. Not helping was that Douglas ran afoul of the Kliq who helped ruin his standing. He won the IC belt but then lost it in just 15 minutes to Razor Ramon.

A humbled Douglas returned to ECW and later WCW for more runs. He has derided the entire thing and ripped into letting himself be put in this position. Of course, Douglas is considered a loudmouth who puts himself on a bigger level of fame than he is, but he's got a point about the Dean Douglas gimmick.

17 Should: Country Star Jeff Jarrett

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Jeff Jarrett has long been a complex guy for wrestling fans. He is quite talented and has proven himself doing well as an upper mid-card heel. The issue is Jarrett not only doesn’t seem to work on a main event level but clearly believes he’s on the same level of fame as Flair or Hogan. That led to him dominating in TNA as he thought he was the guy fans wanted to see on top, despite all evidence to the contrary. After a good career in Continental and the USWA, Jarrett was hired to WWE in 1994. Fitting with the times, he was given a “job gimmick” which in his case was trying to be a country music star, complete with a music video and a “Roadie” who would become the Road Dogg.

Jarrett did get good stuff in WWE as IC champion and did well but held by the act. When he returned in 1998, he was a more serious guy and closer to himself for further pushes as IC and tag team champion before a main event run in WCW. But Jarrett seems upbeat as it did lead to fame and even indulged in his old act for his Hall of Fame induction to show he doesn’t regret this “career” like others of the time.

16 Regret: Aldo Montoya

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The mid 1990s were not a very good time for WWE. They had slews of talented performers but obsessed with cartoonish angles and way too many guys saddled with “occupational” gimmicks. Among them was Peter Polaco, a good high-flying guy who had a lot of potential. WWE’s idea was to give him the mantle of Aldo Montoya, the “Portuguese Man O War.” The name was dumb, the outfit dumber but the worst had to be the mask which looked for all the world like a jock strap pulled over his face. Even in a period of horrible gimmicks, this was one of the dumbest.

Montoya didn’t like it either, and was soon turned into a jobber and his status lowering. Finally leaving, Polaco moved onto ECW where Paul Heyman wanted him to be more himself. Fueled by his hate of the cartoonish Aldo, Polaco shaved his head and took on the name of Justin Credible. Before long, he was one of ECW’s biggest stars as tag team and later ECW champion and a huge hit with crowds. Credible has admitted that he was pushed by how much he regretted the Aldo act and made him a hit later on.

15 Should: Reverend D-Von

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The Dudley Boyz are justly recognized as one of the greatest tag teams of all time. Bubba Ray and D-Von hold the record for the most titles across the most promotions, holding gold in just about every promotion they’ve been in several times. In 2002, WWE tried something new by splitting them up during the first brand extension. Now on SmackDown, D-Von was given a gimmick based on his past as a preacher. He came out in full priestly outfit and did sermons with an aide in “Deacon Dave,” better known today as Batista.

It didn’t take with fans and by the end of the year, the Dudleys were back together again. But D-Von has defended the angle, saying he enjoyed it and thought there was still potential in it He liked it, coming up with all these sermons and thus instead of hating split from the Boys, D-Von defends this character nicely.

14 Regret: AJ Styles as Ric Flair

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Ric Flair set the tone for so many heels to follow with his flashy and arrogant persona. Which is ironic given Flair borrowed almost everything from the original “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers. Many a person has copied Flair in a lot of ways and some are better suited for it than others. Sadly, AJ Styles is not one of them. In 2011, TNA tried to push the idea of Flair as a mentor to Styles and even teaching him to act like him. Styles came out in the classic robes and such, doing Flair style promos and even used the figure four as a finisher. But as good as Styles is, trying to capture Flair’s arrogance and unmatched charisma doesn’t suit him.

There was also how he was nothing but a pawn as TNA thought the real feud was between Flair and Hogan despite how both were long past their primes. It was dropped fast and Styles agrees it was a bad idea from the get-go as there’s only one Ric Flair and even the Phenomenal One couldn’t pull off this impression.

13 Should: Joker Sting

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Sting took off majorly in the early 1990s thanks to his great style, the face makeup and his terrific promos. He then brilliantly transformed himself into a “Crow”-inspired look, far more foreboding and got himself over bigger than ever. He played with that in TNA, even turning heel without any paint but still capable of going well. Yet in 2012, Sting decided to remake himself again but in a very different way. He basically started to act like a total loon, dressing in mostly red and black suits with white face makeup and huge red lips. In other words, he was doing a blatant take-off of the Joker to the point you’re surprised DC didn’t sue.

Sting is a very capable worker and promo guy but trying to sell himself as this nutty type didn’t take nearly as well with fans. It came off annoying and dragging in so many segments. Sting himself says it was just a way to shift up his act and enjoyed acting up like this but he’s one of the few as this was an impression better suited for a Halloween party than a long-running angle.

12 Regret: Terry Taylor as the Red Rooster

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A popular urban legend in wrestling is that when Terry Taylor and Curt Hennig were both hired by WWE in 1988, it was literally a coin flip to decide who would get the Mr. Perfect gimmick. Taylor lost that in every way as Hennig became a two-time IC champ and one of wrestling’s biggest stars. Meanwhile, Taylor, a very talented worker who could be a top-notch heel or face was given the name of…the Red Rooster. With a red streak in his hair, Taylor was given Bobby Heenan as a manager before turning face. His promos had him crowing and a ring entrance set to a take on “Turkey in the Straw.”

Taylor has not held back tearing into WWE for this to the point of declaring they “killed Terry Taylor” and stuck him with this. He does still work for the company as a coach in NXT and is regarded well for his experience but Taylor is the first to rip into how bad this gimmick was.

11 Should: Anti-Extreme Foley

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Mick Foley has showcased a great ability to handle himself in different ways over the years. He handled the horrible antics of WCW like the “Lost in Cleveland” skits and such. In ECW, he got over as Cactus Jack before a run as putting down the extreme issues of the company. In WWE, he rose under various personas to win the title a few times and be a beloved icon. In 2006, after a wild feud with Edge, Foley decided to alter his persona. He joined with Edge and soon campaigned against the newly reborn ECW. Foley put it down and how horrible it all was, including he and Edge facing off against Tommy Dreamer and Terry Funk. The problem was, a heel Foley didn’t quite work as fans loved him so much and the anti-extreme storyline wasn’t working either.

Foley, however, claims it could have been huge. He even talked in his book of using it as a program setting himself and Funk against the McMahons and Foley thinking the fans should have accepted it. It’s a rare low point for Foley and shows he has little real regrets in the business.

10 Regret: Unmasked Rey Mysterio

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Rey Mysterio is regarded as one of the best luchadores ever and the most famous masked wrestler WWE has ever known. Despite his small size, he’s held numerous titles, even the World belt, as he took off huge as a fan favorite. He’d already showed that in WCW with his classic battles with Eddie Guerrero and others and taking off nicely. But then Erich Bischoff demanded that Mysterio lose his mask, arguing he wasn’t “marketable” enough with it. The fact that such things are considered sacred in Mexico didn’t matter at all to Bischoff and Rey, bound by his contract, agreed.

The problem was, without his mask, Rey looked like a teenager and transforming him into a “street type” never took off. His time afterward in WCW was a total mess and Rey hated giving up what made him work so well. When he came to WWE in 2002, they had him take his old persona back and would soon make a mint off the sale of Mysterio masks to prove he was indeed marketable and thus masked Rey regrets ever taking it off.

9 Should: Hulk Hogan as Mr. America

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No one is sure how this gimmick got started but Dusty Rhodes was the one who made it famous. After leaving a “loser leaves town” match in Florida, Dusty soon came out as the masked Midnight Rider, making no attempt to hide his voice but the announcers acted like he wasn’t Dusty. It’s been copied numerous times in wrestling in various promotions and eventually WWE got into it. In 2003, Hulk Hogan had a feud with Vince McMahon leading to him being fired. Out came Mr. America, a masked man promoting American patriotism. In a “Best of SmackDown” DVD, Santino Marella spoke for everyone with “some guys you can hide in a mask but…come on, not Hulk Hogan!”

That he kept denying it to the point of a lie detector test was wild as you not only recognized the voice but clearly saw his famed mustache sticking out of the mask. It was a dumb bit yet Hogan himself seemed to enjoy it, talking in some interviews of just having some fun and even thinking it could have lasted longer. He’s alone in that as most everyone else agrees it was wretched and many were relieved when it was dropped.

8 Regret: Farting Nattie

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As one of the final graduates of Stu Hart’s infamous Dungeon, Natalya had the goods to be a major female star. Sadly, she was in a time when WWE emphasized looks over talent far more. Thus, she was stuck as valet for the Hart Dynasty and the usual Diva antics. She was still in there sticking out as much as she could when she accidentally cut one during a promo. Rather than just let it die, the writers decided to turn this into Nattie’s gimmick. She was soon ripping out farts constantly with others reacting, including one that knocked Hornswoggle out. It was as stupid an idea as it sounded and ludicrous to stick Nattie with it.

Thankfully, it ended and Nattie was allowed to rebuild as a serious worker again. She’s now seen as a coach and had a run as champion in 2017 but this is one gimmick choice Nattie wishes had never been allowed to air.

7 Should: Brodus Clay Funkasaraus

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There’s been talk of how some folks who did great in NXT are marred on the bigger stage as the main brand writers don’t know how to make their gimmicks work. But few were transformed for the worse like Brodus Clay. In FCW and then early NXT, he was built as a monster heel, imposing for his size but could work pretty well too. WWE seemed ready to do the same with him as vignettes aired showcasing Clay as a new monster type and seemingly ready to cut loose. But instead, he was turned into the “Funkasaurus,” coming out with a troupe of dancers (including Naomi) and doing nutty stuff.

It was amazing how WWE would change him like this and it ruined his drive majorly. He never became as huge a star as he could've, eventually leaving WWE for a run in TNA as Tyrus. Yet, Clay seems to have enjoyed his time, liking this fun dancing and getting famous for it, but one would think he would regret a gimmick that turned him from monster to joke.

6 Regret: Stardust

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Cody Rhodes has been totally open on how he should have fought against this majorly. For years, he’d been a dependable guy in WWE as tag team and IC champion. A fantastic heel with a great ring style, Cody seemed primed for the main event. But instead, WWE pushed him to shave his head bald and then copy brother Dustin in every way. Out came Stardust, this totally bizarre figure who acted like a loon and looked stupid as hell.

Cody agreed as he walked out on WWE and wasted no time slamming the act to anyone who’d listen. After a brief stint in TNA, Cody went to ROH and became a massive star as the “American Nightmare” and held the ROH title. He remains a top star there and showing WWE what they missed on as pushing that gimmick was enough for Cody to think the indies were far better a chance for him to be his own star.

5 Should: Any incarnation of Ed Leslie

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Ed Leslie wasn’t a bad worker but he owed much of his fame to his friendship with Hulk Hogan. At first, Brutus Beefcake was an arrogant heel, he and Greg Valentine holding the tag team titles and a good run there. Turning face, he took on the identity of “The Barber” which was a bit dumb but he made it work. The plan was for him to win the IC title in 1990 before a massive parasailing accident put him on the shelf. Leslie followed Hogan to WCW where they did an angle of him turning on Hogan to become “the Butcher.” The result was one of the worst Starrcade main events ever as no one could buy him in this spot.

Then came more bad gimmicks like the half-painted nutcase Zodiac Man. Then the Booty Man, with his buttocks barely covered in fishnet tights. Leslie relies on that fame to push him a bit yet his history is filled with one bad gimmick after another that he should regret pushing on fans.

4 Regret: Thurman “Sparky” Plug

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Some have noted Hardcore Bob Holly can be a tad full of himself, but no one can deny his real-life toughness. This is a man who came back from a broken neck at the hands of Brock Lesnar and suffered a horrific gash across his back but kept on fighting. However, Holly can be a bit full of himself as he seems to act like in 1995, WWE would have been better pushing him as an upper-card guy. That seems off given how low-key Holly was and not a great worker. However, it was hard given that this was a period when WWE thought all you had to do was slap an occupational gimmick on a guy to get him over.

In his case, he was Thurman “Sparky” Plugg, a race car driver turned wrestler. It was dumb even in a time of dumb gimmicks and while he had a one-day reign as tag team champ, not much else was happening for him. It took redoing himself into “Hardcore” to find success so no wonder Holly regrets this gimmick badly.

3 Should: Regal “Man’s Man”

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William Regal had been a great worker for WCW for some time, pushing the idea of the arrogant British lord in a variety of feuds. In 1998, after a falling out with WCW, Regal came to WWE but was put with the gimmick of a “Man’s Man.” This involved him doing vignettes in a forest as a lumberjack and coming to the ring in denim and a construction worker hat. It was dumb and didn’t fit but Regal seemed ready to go through with it. However, his personal demons led to his exit. When he returned in 2000, WWE played up his regular persona as a British aristocrat type for big success as European champion and on-screen commissioner.

Yet Regal doesn’t seem to mind this bad period. In fact, when facing Daniel Bryan in 2011, the production crew played his “He’s a man” theme song and Regal laughed with everyone else. So while this was a poor period for Regal, he doesn’t hate it as much as one thinks.

2 Regret: Dancing Becky

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Rebecca Quinn had been a rising star in the indies in the 2000s. Born in Ireland, she trained hard and was well regarded as a good worker but a brutal neck injury seemed to ruin all that. But Quinn couldn’t resist wrestling, retraining herself and in 2013, joined NXT. Sadly, at the time, the company was still finding its way and prone to some rather stupid gimmicks for early workers. In her case, Quinn was pushed to be as cliché “Irish” as possible with all-green tights, a few phrases and her accent thickened to sound as Irish as possible. The topper was her even dancing a jig on her way to the ring and on the apron.

Thankfully, that was toned down although the Irish traits were emphasized far more than her action. Lynch agreed it was too much and at Takeover: Respect, she debuted her new look of orange hair and a steampunk influenced outfit. It led to a new push for her that’s paid off in WWE and that she was better being more herself than representing her culture.

1 Should: Dusty’s Polka Dots

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In his 2006 DVD, many note Dusty Rhodes finally coming to WWE after a long run in Jim Crockett/WCW. For some time, Dusty had been both talent and booker, a huge star and his jumping ship in 1989 was a big deal. However, he was first put through various skits of him as a pizza delivery guy and plumber to emphasize Dusty as a “regular American.” That led to his debut in an outfit covered with polka dots and headbands to match. It was a goofy bit and on that DVD, many maintain that the entire thing was Vince putting a huge rib on Dusty to pay him back for being a huge star for Crockett.

But Dusty said that he didn’t care if it was a rib or not, he would get it over. And he did, fans actually liking it by the end of his run and it became part of the Dream’s persona for years afterward. So as much as this may have looked bad at the time, Dusty managed to roll with it as only he could.