Is the Art of the Gimmick Being Forgotten?

[yourcrapsweak]

I was looking around on the internets, and I came across a young wrestler Ryan Eagles. I've heard of him and seen a few of his matches before, but seeing his Facebook now made me think of this and post this.

Ryan Eagles wears facepaint and reminds me a lot of Muta. A lot of his mannerisms are that of Muta, if he were a dick heel. His facepaint is very eerie.

Hidden text.

And it got me thinking, most wrestlers today are all the same. They have no gimmicks, and they're not marketable. Is the art of the gimmick being forgotten? Even in WWE, the gimmicks are becoming less and less distinguishable. Are gimmicks slowly fading out?

[Big Red Machine]

It all depends on how you define "gimmick." Do you consider "Rednecks who just love fighting" a gimmick? That's the Briscoes' gimmick. Or how about the Colony? It is all a matter of perspective. I don't think that gimmicks are being forgotten. I think that the uniqueness of things is being lost. Everyone coming off of the indies wants to have the gimmick of "AWESOME TECHNICAL WRESTLER!" and therein lies the problem. Gimmicks (in most places... in CHIKARA and Wrestlicious they are alive and well) are not being looked at as being important, which, I think, is a very bad thing.

[ECWFlairfan]

The problem with having a gimmick &/or a particular name is that the bigger companies in the US (WWE & TNA) want to own it & then when you leave you can't take it with you. (see Low-Ki/Senshi/WWE name-i can't remember)

CM Punk is the VERY last of a dead breed... & if he sells his name its over... I pray he doesn't. (unless its your real name which WWE is getting away from...for example Joe Hennig is Michael McGillicutty)

[Big Red Machine]

The problem with having a gimmick &/or a particular name is that the bigger companies in the US (WWE & TNA) want to own it & then when you leave you can't take it with you. (see Low-Ki/Senshi/WWE name-i can't remember)

CM Punk is the VERY last of a dead breed... & if he sells his name its over... I pray he doesn't. (unless its your real name which WWE is getting away from...for example Joe Hennig is Michael McGillicutty)

That's not what he means by gimmick. He means gimmick as in "Jeff Jarrett's country singer gimmick."

[NWK]

The problem is that people are melding their gimmicks directly after their favorite wrestlers. In a sense, what you get when you do that is a bunch of B-Rate Rocks or Bryan Danielsons. Honestly, people have forgotten how to be creative with their gimmicks, that's why promotions like Chikara are excelling, because the wrestlers are inventing imaginative, compelling characters to make us watch.

[kirbs2002]

The problem is that people are melding their gimmicks directly after their favorite wrestlers. In a sense, what you get when you do that is a bunch of B-Rate Rocks or Bryan Danielsons.

Exactly this!

"Shaping your gimmick after your favorite wrestler is a recipe for failure."
-Harley Race

[KILLdozer]

yea,,i would say ,"be yourself"

alot of big stars and well known stars were basically just an extension of themselves in reality(cant think of any examples at the time,) heck,my WWR character is pretty much me all over

[Big Red Machine]

The problem is that people are melding their gimmicks directly after their favorite wrestlers. In a sense, what you get when you do that is a bunch of B-Rate Rocks or Bryan Danielsons.

Exactly this!

"Shaping your gimmick after your favorite wrestler is a recipe for failure."
-Harley Race

What they said

[cero2k]

I think the problems lies in both places. Wrestlers wanna be taken "seriously" and wanna play the ultimate technitian guy AND people dont buy goofy gimmicks in mainstream wrestling anymore.

Tna and roh think too much as themselves as real wrestling to wanna create goofy characters. They barely pulled suicide and nana off.

On the other hand, wwe, which is for kids and more mainstream, wont risk having a long term goofy gimmick like they used to because people wont relate to it. They wanna sell superstars and lets face it, a viking, a police officer, or a shaman may not be that easy to sell.ously" and wanna play the ultimate technitian guy AND people dont buy goofy gimmicks in mainstream wrestling anymore.

Tna and roh think too much as themselves as real wrestling to wanna create goofy characters. They barely pulled suicide and nana off.

On the other hand, wwe, which is for kids and more mainstream, wont risk having a long term goofy gimmick like they used to because people wont relate to it. They wanna sell superstars and lets face it, a viking, a police officer, or a shaman may not be that easy to sell.

[Big Red Machine]

I think the problems lies in both places. Wrestlers wanna be taken "seriously" and wanna play the ultimate technitian guy AND people dont buy goofy gimmicks in mainstream wrestling anymore.

Tna and roh think too much as themselves as real wrestling to wanna create goofy characters. They barely pulled suicide and nana off.

On the other hand, wwe, which is for kids and more mainstream, wont risk having a long term goofy gimmick like they used to because people wont relate to it. They wanna sell superstars and lets face it, a viking, a police officer, or a shaman may not be that easy to sell.ously" and wanna play the ultimate technitian guy AND people dont buy goofy gimmicks in mainstream wrestling anymore.

Tna and roh think too much as themselves as real wrestling to wanna create goofy characters. They barely pulled suicide and nana off.

On the other hand, wwe, which is for kids and more mainstream, wont risk having a long term goofy gimmick like they used to because people wont relate to it. They wanna sell superstars and lets face it, a viking, a police officer, or a shaman may not be that easy to sell.

No goofy characters? The Bravados, Grizzly Redwood, Shore... all of these are goofy characters. What they are, though, is also, theoretically realistic. Such a person could actually exist. They are still gimmicks, yet are a long way away from something unrealistic, like, say, The Colony.

[kiel297]

Hi, I'm Santino Marella and I believe it's perfectly easy to get a goofy gimmick over.

[cero2k]

No goofy characters? The Bravados, Grizzly Redwood, Shore... all of these are goofy characters. What they are, though, is also, theoretically realistic. Such a person could actually exist. They are still gimmicks, yet are a long way away from something unrealistic, like, say, The Colony.

that is what i mean about goofy, non-realistic (at some point). Bravados Redwood, or Santino don't stop being real people, what i'm seeing here as goofy gimmicks are guys like The Berzerker, Papa Shango, The Headshrinkers, Boogeyman, etc. That is the point where i think the art of gimmick has died for the most part.

I think gimmicks have gone from the imaginary character to the "there's people like that somewhere". With the exception of Taker, all gimmicks, goofy or not, are likeable to exist, even goldust.

[Big Red Machine]

No goofy characters? The Bravados, Grizzly Redwood, Shore... all of these are goofy characters. What they are, though, is also, theoretically realistic. Such a person could actually exist. They are still gimmicks, yet are a long way away from something unrealistic, like, say, The Colony.

that is what i mean about goofy, non-realistic (at some point). Bravados Redwood, or Santino don't stop being real people, what i'm seeing here as goofy gimmicks are guys like The Berzerker, Papa Shango, The Headshrinkers, Boogeyman, etc. That is the point where i think the art of gimmick has died for the most part.

I think gimmicks have gone from the imaginary character to the "there's people like that somewhere". With the exception of Taker, all gimmicks, goofy or not, are likeable to exist, even goldust.

It reflects a major change in the business. Blame ECW.

[Shogun Rua]

Hi, I'm Santino Marella and I believe it's perfectly easy to get a goofy gimmick over.

Where has his gimmick gotten him though?

[cero2k]

It reflects a major change in the business. Blame ECW.

indeed, blame it on the indys to change the face of wrestling

[yourcrapsweak]

Hi, I'm Santino Marella and I believe it's perfectly easy to get a goofy gimmick over.

Where has his gimmick gotten him though?

Blame the bookers, not the gimmick. And it doesn't matter if he hasn't won the world title or whatever, because he's insanely over.

[kiel297]

Hi, I'm Santino Marella and I believe it's perfectly easy to get a goofy gimmick over.

Where has his gimmick gotten him though?

Blame the bookers, not the gimmick. And it doesn't matter if he hasn't won the world title or whatever, because he's insanely over.

This. Being over doesn't necessarily equate to being in a top spot. The WWE Internet Champion Zack Ryder can tell you that.