There are only so many gimmicks that you can portray that you are bound to recycle some characters over the years. We have seen many characters being exhausted to the point where you never even see them on television since fans no longer react to what has become overplayed. As important as it is to be unique, there is no shame in borrowing elements from past Superstars as long as you also your own touch to it.
These gimmicks have been proven to work as they previously belonged to wrestlers who were draws - or at the very least had a memorable run - which is a company might want to replicate that success as much as possible, while building it to develop a new character. There are times where it is obvious when someone has stolen a gimmick, as they tend to look or behave way too similar to the original character - making it a tribute character in some ways.
But some Superstars are crafty enough to borrow certain characteristics and implementing them within their persona, which is why you may not realize that they stole their character. There is always a risk attached to stealing a gimmick, but if it works out well then all is forgotten as fans adjust to the modernized version of a past gimmick. But when such characters flop, that's when criticism begins to increase. With today's list, we look at 20 wrestlers you didn't know stole their characters.
20 Samoa Joe (Taz)
It is always surprising to hear that Samoa Joe belonged to the same training class as John Cena and Randy Orton in OVW. While the latter went on to become arguably the top two Superstars of their generation, it took Joe until recent years to make it to the WWE. That's not to discredit his career which has certainly been admirable to this point although some believe he could have been even more successful - perhaps if WWE had a similar mindset regarding independent wrestlers years ago.
One thing that has gotten Joe over with the fans is his character, which was clearly inspired from Taz.
From demeanor to wrestling moves, Joe took many elements previously used by Taz and modernized it - even down to the towel that he carried to the ring. But of course so many of the younger generations only know Taz as a commentator rather than a wrestler.
19 Carlito (Razor Ramon)
Much like Razor Ramon did a decade earlier, Carlito quickly rose to fame in the WWE following an impressive debut. Both Superstars had vignettes airing for weeks to introduce the fans to their character. Razor Ramon was influenced by Scarface, and went on to be copied by several wrestlers including Carlito who portrayed a dumbed down, modern version. Of course he added some personal elements which made him unique, but Carlito certainly copied the manners of Razor Ramon in many ways.
As it turned out, his fate would be the same as neither Superstar was able to capture a World Title although they did have an impressive run in the mid-card. Most fans may not have noticed this gimmick ripoff since Carlito didn't resemble Razor Ramon physically, and they looked completely different. But the closer you look, the more you realize how similar these characters were to each other.
18 Ric Flair (Buddy Rogers)
You would be surprised at how many fans being unaware that Ric Flair got his "Nature Boy" persona from Buddy Rogers. One of the most influential wrestlers of his era gave his style to Flair, who would carry the torch for decades to become an all-time great. And while many others have copied Rogers since then, Flair is the only who not only matched him but arguably surpassed him as well.
Flair took what was already a great gimmick and turned it into one of the biggest characters in wrestling history.
His iconic status has transcended the industry now with Flair being a pop culture legend who is easily recognized even by people who aren't wrestling fans. And while Rogers' greatness will go underappreciated as time goes by, Flair dedicating his finisher in his honor should tell you everything that you need to know about the original Nature Boy.
17 Alberto Del Rio (JBL)
Alberto Del Rio was brought to be a big star in the WWE in hopes of appealing to the Latin audience. He didn't exactly follow the footsteps of Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio who were two of the most popular Superstars in the WWE, opting to go in a different direction. And while Ted DiBiase is the original millionaire businessman, Del Rio's character resembled more of JBL.
There were some glaring differences with JBL being more serious overall, but there were certainly flashes that brought us back to 2005 upon seeing Del Rio.
Despite not having the most original character, Del Rio was still pushed plenty by the company to become a multiple time World Champion. And while most would agree that JBL at his best was far superior to Del Rio, the latter did end up having a truly impressive wrestling resume.
16 The Mexicools (The Filthy Animals)
In 2005, The Mexicools joined the SmackDown roster in hopes of rebuilding the tag team division. Once Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio split up and embarked on a long feud, the tag team division was in much need of new faces. And anybody who previously followed WCW or ECW most likely recognized the members of The Mexicools. And while all three members were extremely talented in the ring and entertaining to an extent, they simply couldn't bypass the ridiculousness of their gimmick.
It had previously worked for the WWE with the character of Eddie Guerrero, but that is an exception to the rule. And speaking of whom, Guerrero was apart of a group known as The Filthy Animals back in WCW, alongside Konnan, Rey Mysterio, Billy Kidman and Juventud Guerrera. It seems like the latter tried to recreate that stable although they ended up in a slightly different direction.
15 Hulk Hogan (Billy Graham)
Superstar Billy Graham was once one of the most popular wrestlers in the world. But his prime years were so long ago that most fans only know by name, and hardly recognize his moves or character. He hasn't had the best relationship with the WWE over the years, which meant that newer fans weren't seeing him as often as see legends today. But despite his own accomplishments, one of Graham's most impressive feats is highly influencing Hulk Hogan.
A quick Google search might have you confused as they had a very similar appearance from their body type to the flashy colors, and especially the facial hair.
Hogan also adapted some of his moves and manners, which may be mind blowing for some fans to hear. Not only did Graham influence Hogan, but he also was essential of the career of many popular Superstars who copied him in some ways.
14 Abyss (Mankind And Kane)
Throughout the years, Mick Foley has defied all odds by managing to pull off multiple characters at a high level. And while all faces of Foley are beloved among fans, the favorite and most influential remains Mankind to this day. Abyss was among those who were inspired by Mankind, taking several elements including the mask and weapons of choice. He mixed it up with some traits from Kane to create a hybrid between the two Superstars.
These days, most people tend to associate Abyss with Kane since they are both masked, have similar moves and physical appearance - but the origin gimmick of the character is still highly borrowed off Mankind.
Abyss has done a fine job in putting it all together, and is among the best wrestlers in recent years who didn't work for the WWE. Although he was nearly signed for a storyline against The Undertaker until negotiations fell through.
13 Val Venis (Rick Rude)
Val Venis was one of the most popular mid-carders during the Attitude Era, managing to have many top angles involving him during that time span. And although he debuted as an adult star transitioning into a wrestler, he would drop that act soon afterwards. Venis' character was mostly based on Rick Rude, who was one of the biggest sex symbols in wrestling.
And despite his popularity, as well as longevity with the company, Venis never came close to matching Rude - who just engaged the crowd in a way only a few could. Since then, several have tried to imitate him - including Val Venis - but it is hard to be taken as seriously as time goes by since the character has become outplayed. The character of Val Venis was in discussion for many wrestlers and among them was Edge - so the Rated R Superstar was nearly the one in this entry.
12 Booker T (The Rock)
For most Superstars, it took them years to perfect their craft and find their wrestling personality. Booker T was an example as he went through different phases before reaching his best form.
When WCW elevated him to main event status, they tried to give him more character as Booker T started using elements from The Rock to attempt to get over.
Booker T flopped with his imitation of The Rock, but thankfully he found his place on the roster soon afterwards.
For the next few years, Booker T would become one of the top wrestlers in the world as he continued to add accolades to his Hall of Fame resume. But if he had continued following The Rock's route of entertainment, then he may not have been nearly as big of a star. And since fans have gotten used to the Booker T of the 2000s, they often forget his previous gimmick that was copied from The Rock.
11 Bobby Lashley (Brock Lesnar)
Vince McMahon was very frustrated when Brock Lesnar opted to leave the WWE in 2004, as they would engage in a bitter feud for many years to come. And to erase what Lesnar had accomplished, he booked Randy Orton to break his record by becoming the youngest WWE World Champion. And he also introduced a new face with similar build and move set in Bobby Lashley.
It was one of those things where it was obvious that Lashley was brought in to replace Lesnar and yet nobody thought of it at the time.
He did end up copying Lesnar beyond his on-screen character, as Lashley also fell through with the company and left. And just like Lesnar did, he embarked on an impressive MMA journey although he never made it to the UFC. Lashley's accomplishments are definitely impressive but don't measure up to what Lesnar has accomplished in both industries.
10 JBL And Orlando Jordan (Ted DiBiase And Virgil)
We have seen so many variations of this gimmick in the past few decades within the WWE as well as in other promotions. Everyone gave it their own identity and yet none has been able to measure up to the original character of Ted DiBiase. And what made him successful as a character has been adapted by several wrestlers, unlike JBL when he turned heel after dropping his Bradshaw persona.
But since JBL was a much more serious heel and less charming than DiBiase, most fans didn't necessarily associate them together. But if you happen to be familiar with the career of both men, especially DiBiase in his prime years, then you would immediately notice that the character was modernized and recycled with JBL. To his credit, he didn't copy DiBiase's attitude and developed his own - which is another reason that made the two similar characters appear to be so different.
9 Stone Cold Steve Austin (The Sandman)
The character of Stone Cold wasn't a ripoff of one character, but it did borrow many elements from various wrestlers at the time. And while you can certainly see flashes of Bad News Brown, it is mostly influenced by The Sandman. A much superior version of the character that takes it to the next level to say the least.
While The Sandman's potential always had a ceiling, that is what separated Stone Cold as a character.
But to Sandman's credit, he was doing many of Austin's antics back in ECW and while he was one of the company's most popular stars - he wasn't working for a large audience unlike Austin. It's not often where someone takes a character that is already over and manages to make it even more popular, but that's exactly what Stone Cold accomplished as he became arguably the biggest draw in professional wrestling history.
8 American Alpha (The World's Greatest Tag Team)
Before Jason Jordan found out that he was the son of Kurt Angle, he was apart of American Alpha along with Chad Gable. They were an impressive team but certainly not one of the best that the division had to offer. And it seems like the company didn't see Gable as being more than a low to mid-card wrestler, while deeming Jordan to have much higher potential in the long run - which is why they split them up.
And while we can't help but think of Jordan as Angle's son now, he was once trying to recreate a team that associated with his kayfabe father, known as The World's Greatest Tag Team. And ironically, Gable would go on to team up with one of the members in Shelton Benjamin. So it's now Charlie Haas' turn to come back to the WWE and continue the trend in some capacity.
7 Damien Sandow (The Genius)
In his many years with the WWE, Damien Sandow went through multiple characters as the company always seemed to be confused with his booking. And despite getting over, they never tried to give him the push that he needs to move forward. But instead, the creative team would find ways to ruin his momentum before jumping on to the next gimmick.
During one of his stints, he basically recreated a modern version of The Genius, adapting similar characteristics.
At the time, he even wore attire that resembled that of The Genius. With both Superstars failing to truly get that gimmick really over, it's safe to say that we probably won't be seeing it again anytime soon. But then again, Vince McMahon can be unpredictable especially when he truly believes in one of his ideas that previously flopped. It's just one of the many recycled gimmicks that was brought back recently and yet nobody really noticed.
6 Mr. McMahon (Eric Bischoff)
It seems crazy to believe that the character of Vince McMahon was copied from the man who nearly took down the WWE. But that is the truth as the gimmick Mr. McMahon, the evil boss with a major ego, was taken from Eric Bischoff who was doing it on WCW although WWE certainly took it to the bigger heights.
As great as Bischoff was on the mic, McMahon was simply more hateable and believable than the former.
In addition to that, his feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin was simply booked to perfection, which really made it the gold standard for the evil boss gimmick. McMahon's gimmick may have been inspired - if not copied - by Bischoff's persona on WCW television, but the fact he was apart of the biggest storyline in wrestling history should tell you how much of a draw McMahon was during the Attitude Era.
5 The Un-Americans (The Hart Foundation)
On paper, The Un-Americans consisted of impressive talents - all of whom underachieved in a sense despite their talent. Although they aren't so much to blame as they were held back by the creative team at different times. And while The Un-Americans had a decent recent, it was forgettable for the most part which is why you never hear anybody bring up the group. The group was based off The Hart Foundation, which had tremendous success a decade before The Un-Americans appeared on Raw.
But despite their collective talent, they lacked the charisma and the incredible chemistry that made The Hart Foundation unique. It was more believable as a concept, and less in your face as opposed to The Un-Americans which was more similar to the typical foreign heel gimmick. Some fans used to fail to recognize the similarities between the two groups until it was pointed out by someone, and yet it is clear that they had many things in common.
4 LayCool (The Beautiful People)
WWE is currently taking credit for pushing the women's division to the forefront and making it a respectable product unlike previous years. But what they may not want fans to know is that TNA had already taken initiative to do so years ago, as the company had an outstanding Knockouts division for several years. And it is impossible to mention Knockouts and not think of The Beautiful People - a famous TNA stable that was originally consisted of Angelina Love and Velvet Sky.
WWE certainly took notice of the work they were doing and decided to have Michelle McCool and Layla El join forces to create LayCool.
They were a ripoff of The Beautiful People, and copied the stable in many ways from their interactions with each other to the way they called out their opponents. But if you weren't watching TNA at the time, then you probably didn't know that LayCool copied them.
3 The Miz (Chris Jericho)
Chris Jericho has reinvented his character multiple times over the course of his career, why is why he self proclaims himself as the GOAT - Greatest of all time. He certainly does have a strong case with his remarkable career, and his impact on the business has been showing as of the past few years. Many of the newer Superstars have listed him as an influence with some even going as far as copying his characters.
Among them is The Miz, who was previously a goofy reality TV star and turned into the heel that we know today. The Miz was clearly influenced by Chris Jericho's persona from 2008 to 2010 - from his suits down to the way he speaks on the mic. Jericho is probably not too upset since The Miz has become one of the most respected Superstars of today, thanks to his much improved character.
2 Chris Masters (Lex Luger)
We all know by now that Vince McMahon has a preference for the way his Superstars look. Ideally, they are all in top shape with sex appeal while also being tall and powerful. Every now and then, we see the introduction of a new Superstar with those basic qualities. In 2005, Chris Masters quickly rose through the ranks thanks to his Masterlock Challenge. But his demeanor and appearance gave fans a major flashback since they were reminded of Lex Luger, who had a very similar build.
Masters used to pose like Luger although he never reached that same level.
Another major difference between them is that Masters was pushed as a heel who could make anyone submit, while Luger was initially brought on to substitute for the departing Hulk Hogan. Not to mention Luger was much more patriotic than Masters - but then again it was a different era.
1 Jack Swagger (Kurt Angle)
Kurt Angle's departure from the WWE left a huge gap in 2006. His presence was immediately missed since he had been one of the top Superstars for the past couple years. And as his relationship with the company turned sour since he joined TNA, a return wasn't very likely at the time. And that's why WWE decided to substitute Angle with a new comer in Jack Swagger, who had a similar American hero wrestler persona, and even adapted many of Angle's signature moves.
Despite being pushed to the top, Swagger never came close to matching Angle's greatness in the ring or on the mic. Fans didn't even notice that he was a ripoff since Swagger was an extremely poor man's version of Angle. He would go on to switch gimmicks once he failed to come even close to replacing Angle's place in the WWE.