Every professional wrestler who steps into the ring aspires to have a gimmick or character that audiences across the world will cheer for, as they would legends like John Cena, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock. While the last few years have produced a plethora of great matches, fans tend to remember the characters more than the actual bouts themselves.
However, it is not common for a wrestler to enter the business in their first year and find a gimmick they will have for a lifetime. Great wrestlers like Cena, Austin and The Rock had gimmicks in the beginning of their career and later changed it for one reason for another. Some wrestlers underwent gimmicks vastly different from when they started in the business.
Even longstanding characters like The Undertaker, Kane, the Rock N’ Roll Express and Bret Hart experienced some change in their gimmick during their run because of a heel or face turn. These four characters returned to what got them over with audiences in the first place.
Some wrestlers enter the business with a gimmick in mind. While they may make changes throughout their career, a wrestler who has a solid gimmick can make it last a lifetime. In some circumstances, a wrestler will enter a company and have their gimmick tweaked by the promoter, or be given a new character.
Fans tend to see this happen in WWE when an athlete comes through the Performance Center and they are given a new look and persona. Sometimes it works and sometimes the wrestler goes into a new direction.
20 Mickie James - Alexis Laree
Mickie James made her wrestling debut in 1999 under the name Alexis Laree, which was a combination of her stage name as a dancer and middle name. After managing several wrestlers, she made her debut in March 1999 and would continue to work on her craft.
James would keep the Alexis Laree name for a few years, mostly notably in Total Nonstop Action when she was in Raven’s Gathering stable, along with CM Punk. She also kept the name when she signed with WWE and was assigned to Ohio Valley Wrestling.
James began using her real name when she made her main roster debut.
19 Andrade Cien Almas - Brillante Jr.
Andrade Cien Almas is one of the many charismatic superstars on Smackdown Live. However, fans may find it interesting to learn the former NXT champion had spent most of his career under a mask. Almas is a part of lucha libre royalty, with his grandfather wrestling as El Moro and his father was Brillante.
Almas made his pro wrestling debut in 2003 and wrestled as Brillante Jr., as a tribute to his father. He would keep the name until 2007 when he assumed the Brillante mantle.
He earned fame as La Sombra in Mexico and Japan. He lost his mask to Atlantis in September 2015, two months before he went to WWE.
18 Bray Wyatt - Husky Harris
Bray Wyatt’s long hair, beard and attire has become his trademark look, but this was not always the case. Before he became the Eater of Worlds, Wyatt wrestled in Florida Championship Wrestling, the former WWE developmental territory, as Duke Rotondo and later Husky Harris when he joined the second season of NXT, back when it was a reality show.
Harris’s time on the main roster consisted of him being a member of the new Nexus, under the leadership of C.M. Punk. Like the other Nexus members, Harris served as a heater for Punk.
Harris underwent a gimmick change in 2012 and would debut the Wyatt character in NXT.
17 Shinsuke Nakamura - Super Rookie
Before he was the King of Strong Style, Shinsuke Nakamura earned the nickname “Super Rookie,” by New Japan Pro Wrestling after impressing fans and the company with his strength, speed and technical skill. He was a part of an elite rookie class alongside Hiroshi Tanahashi and Katsuyori Shibata.
Nakamura would change his style and persona after his heel turn. The Chaos founder adopted a new, rougher style with knees and strikes. He also added more character into his in-ring persona.
He is currently in the next stage of his career, being a sinister heel, who is not afraid to use low blows and cheating to win matches.
16 Kelly Kelly - Exhibitionist
Kelly Kelly had a short time in OVW, working as a referee and ring announcer, with a few matches. She debuted in WWE’s version in ECW as an exhibitionist and would perform for the crowd.
During her second performance, Kelly’s on-screen boyfriend Mike Knox prevented her from going 'extreme'. The act evolved into the Kelly’s Extreme Expose segment with Knox interrupting each time. After a brief hiatus, the segment was brought back and Kelly formed Extreme Expose with Layla and Brooke.
She would go on to manage wrestlers throughout her time in ECW before being moved to the RAW brand in 2011.
15 Vader - Baby Bull
The man they call Vader had a storied professional wrestling career and is regarded as one of the best big men in the sport whose matches were brutal. He debuted in 1985 in the AWA as Baby Bull and later changed it to Bull Power. He continued to use the name when he went to Europe to compete in the Catch Wrestling Association.
He would adopt the name Big Van Vader when he went to Japan in 1987 and defeated Antonio Inoki in his first match.
Vader would utilize the gimmick throughout the Land of the Rising Sun and the United States.
14 Dolph Ziggler - The Caddy
Before he became a show stealer, Dolph Ziggler entered WWE’s main roster like many talent in the past - as a secondary character to an established star. In this case, he was a caddie for Chavo Guerrero.
After wrestling in Ohio Valley Wrestling, Ziggler debuted on Monday Night RAW as a nameless caddie for Guerrero, who was repackaged as Kerwin White following the 2005 draft. The caddy would interfere in White’s matches, and the two tagged together on an episode of Sunday Night Heat.
The caddy character was dropped after Kerwin White was dropped following Eddie Guerrero’s passing. Ziggler went back to OVW where he became a member of the Spirit Squad.
13 Goldust - The Natural
It is not easy for second or third generation stars to break out of the shadow of their parents, and it is more difficult when your father is the American Dream Dusty Rhodes. Dustin Runnels managed to do accomplish this feat with Goldust, but it was not alway easy.
Runnels began his wrestling career as The Natural Dustin Rhodes. He was your clean cut babyface blue chipper who enjoyed much success in WCW. While Rhodes was regarded as a technician, he never seemed to come out of the shadow of his father until he came to WWE and donned the gold robe and facepaint.
Runnels has donned other gimmicks over the years, but he always came back to Goldust.
12 Marc Mero - Johnny B. Badd
Marc Mero carved himself a niche in WCW in the early ‘90s when Dusty Rhodes created the Johnny B. Badd gimmick. The name was based on a Chuck Berry song and Mero managed to give a great Little Richard impression.
Badd was firmly entrenched in the midcard scene though some critics believe he portrayed a gay stereotype. No matter what critics believe, Badd had good matches with Brian Pillman and Diamond Dallas Page and was an accomplished WCW Television Champion.
Marc Mero later came to the WWE and became the “Wildman.” He transitioned to “Marvelous” Marc Mero, which seemed to fit him more than the Wildman character.
11 Jacques Rougeau - Fabulous Rougeau
Jacques Rougeau carved a niche with The Mountie character, but he got his start tagging with his real-life brother Raymond Rougeau as The Fabulous Rougeaus. The duo made their WWE debut in 1986 and became a stable in the promotion’s tag team division.
As heels, the brothers adopted a gimmick where they were billed from Canada and would relocate to the United States. They came to the ring to an annoying theme song where they sang about being patriotic about the USA, with lyrics in French actually insulting the U.S.
After the Rougeaus split, Jacques was repacked as The Mountie and enjoyed a nice singles run before he teamed with Pierre Ouellette to form The Quebecers.
10 Barry Darsow - Crusher Darsow
Barry Darsow is most known as Smash, one member of the iconic tag team, Demolition. While the team went back and forth as babyfaces and heels, Darsow already had heel experience when he donned the facepaint.
When he began his career, Darsow wrestled as a turncoat heel Crusher Darsow - a Soviet sympathizer. As Crusher Darsow - and later Krusher Kruschev - he enjoyed tag team success with the gimmick and teamed with the likes of Nikita Koloff, Ivan Koloff and Nikolai Volkoff.
Darsow joined WWE in 1987 and became a member of Demolition, one of the many gimmicks he would wrestle under over the years.
9 Billy Gunn - Smoking Gunn
Billy Gunn has served under a number of roles over the years, but he is regarded as one of the best tag team wrestlers of all time. In WWE, he captured tag team gold with three different partners in three different eras of the WWE.
His first major role came as one of the Smoking Gunns with kayfabe brother Bart Gunn. The duo was seen as a cowboy with trademark hats and moustaches.
The team dropped the moustaches after they turned heel and Gunn would later walk out on his brother Bart. After a cup of coffee as Rockabilly, he was convinced by Road Dogg Jesse James to turn heel and transition into his most well known character, Bad Ass Billy Gunn.
8 Victoria - Godfather’s Lady
During WWE’s Attitude Era the Godfather character would bring his “train” down to the ring. Many of these ladies were recruited from local establishments. However there were a few cases where women wrestlers would make their main roster debut as one of the ladies, including Victoria.
Victoria was involved in the angle where the Godfather turned heel, joined Right to Censor and became The Goodfather. He powerbombed her through a table, which led to her forming a campaign to save The Godfather's former entourage. She would be given the Victoria name afterwards.
Victoria went back to developmental until 2002 when she returned to feud with Trish Stratus and became a great heel.
7 Sami Zayn - El Generico
Sami Zayn made his wrestling debut as the masked El Generico. As The Generic Luchador, El Generico found success on the Canadian independents and wrestled his best friend Kevin Steen. One fun aspect of Generico’s gimmick was the crowd chanted “O’le” while he wrestled.
El Generico would transition to the United States and wrestle in CZW, Pro Wrestling Guerilla and Ring of Honor. His ROH run is filled with highlights, including ROH TV and Tag Team title reigns, as well as his brutal rivalry with Steen.
When Zayn signed with WWE, fans knew he would lose the mask and change his name. Now more fans know Zayn under his current ring name than his previous one.
6 Dusty Rhodes - Texas Outlaw
Dusty Rhodes is regarded as one of the greatest babyfaces of all time. One of the things that makes a great good guy in wrestling is how relatable they are to the audience and Rhodes was a guy fans could imagine having popcorn with in the front row. Yet before he was the American Dream, he was a nightmare to his opponents.
Rhodes began his career as a heel and later joined Dick Murdoch as the Texas Outlaws, one of the most ruthless heel tag teams in wrestling.
After he split with Murdoch, Rhodes continued to wrestle as a heel until a tag team match in Florida when he saved Mike Graham after an attack from his tag team partner Pak Song and Hart.
5 Kevin Nash - Master Blaster Steel
Kevin Nash one of a handful of wrestlers whose best character was a reflection of himself. Before he could become Big Daddy Cool, he had to endure his share of bland gimmicks, the first being the role of Master Blaster Steel.
Steel teamed with Master Blaster Iron for a short period. The latter ended up leaving and was replaced by Master Blaster Blade.
The team did not last long and separated, leaving Nash to rebranded as simply the Master Blaster. After he dropped the Master Blaster, Nash would go on to become Oz and Vinnie Vegas before leaving for the WWE in 1993.
4 Sting - Blade Runner Flash
Not every great professional wrestler needs to have an accomplished amateur background. Before he became a legend, Sting was a professional bodybuilder. He made his wrestling debut in 1985 as Flash, a member of Power Team USA along with Jim Hellwig Mark Miller and Garland Donohue.
Flash, who changed his name to Sting, and Hellwig, now going by Rock, became the team known as the Blade Runners in Bill Watts’ Universal Wrestling Federation and joined Hotstuff and Hyatt International.
Hellwig would leave the UWF while Sting went on to enjoy success in the promotion, and later onto WCW where he became an icon.
3 Batista - Leviathan
Batista got his start in pro wrestling in OVW as the monster Leviathan. Upon his arrival, Batista joined the Disciples of Synn, one of OVW’s top heel stables that had a who’s who of talent. As the Leviathan, Batista, sporting fangs and cool contacts, intimidate his opponents and earned the nickname “Demon of the Deep” and the “Guardian of the Gates of Hell.”
Leviathan was undefeated before he lost to Kane at Christmas Chaos in 2001. He captured the OVW Heavyweight title before he dropped it to The Prototype.
Batista would be called to the main roster where he debuted as Deacon Batista, a henchman to Reverend D-Von.
2 “Stone Cold” Steve Austin - “Stunning”
Before he was “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, the Texas Rattlesnake was simply “Stunning.” After he trained under “Gentleman” Chris Adams, Austin was given his name by Memphis booker Dutch Mantell. Although Austin wanted to wrestle under his real name Steve Williams, Mantell said there was already a Steve Williams. He said Austin could be a good-looking cocky heel as Stunning Steve Austin.
Austin’s charisma, blond hair and body lent itself well to the 'Stunning' nickname. He would use the moniker in the USWA and for his entire run in WCW as a member of the Dangerous Alliance and the Hollywood Blonds.
Austin would lose the Stunning gimmick when he signed with ECW and became The Superstar.
1 John Cena - The Prototype
John Cena began his wrestling career in 1999 at Rick Bassman’s UPW promotion. Before he became the Doctor of Thuganomics, Cena wrestled as The Prototype - a robotic character who claimed he was half man, half machine, 100 percent all mayhem.
Cena continued to wrestle as The Prototype when he signed with WWE and reported to OVW. One element of The Prototype character that stood out was Cena’s ability to do a “reverse promo” where he would say his line, ask “you didn’t hear that,” rewind himself and repeat it.
Cena debuted on WWE’s main roster as a generic babyface before transitioning into a rapper gimmick.