4 WWE Superstars who portrayed multiple gimmicks at once
A WWE superstar's gimmick is their number one defining trait. This is how they are presented to the audience and it is up to them to make the most of whatever character they are tasked to portray.
Sometimes a wrestler will retain the same gimmick for the bulk of their career across multiple promotions. However, there have been times where a particular gimmick just isn't working out. In such cases, a superstar may receive a few tweaks to their character or even a complete gimmick change.
Rarer still, there has been an exceptionally talented set of superstars who have been able to portray multiple gimmicks at the same time. In this list, we will look at four such examples.
#4. Windham Rotunda: Bray Wyatt and The Fiend
Bray Wyatt was, at one time, one of WWE's biggest stars. A two-time Tag Team Champion, two-time Universal Champion and former WWE Champion, the Eater of Worlds was a main event talent who had the eyes of the wrestling world on him.
Having already proven his skills in the ring and on the mic in his earlier run as the leader of the Wyatt Family, the former Husky Harris underwent yet another significant character change in 2019. Despite still going by the Bray Wyatt ring-name, Windham Rotunda's character became very different.
No longer a shady cult leader, Wyatt turned into an unsettlingly upbeat children's TV show host. Dropping his Bayou accent for his normal voice, Wyatt would also swap his Hawaiian shirts for sweaters and his cryptic monologues with cheeky inside jokes about WWE. It was a complete transformation from the Bray Wyatt of old.
At the same time, however, Wyatt introduced us to another side of him: The Fiend. As The Fiend, Wyatt was a demonic, unstoppable beast who barely even resembled anything human. In essence, he was the manifestation of the repressed darkness inside the seemingly jolly man who had reemerged after a long hiatus.
It took someone with the talent of Rotunda to pull off both characters simultaneously. The fact that he had to regularly alternate between two very distinct personalities and wrestle in extremely uncomfortable attire is a feat few could achieve.
Although creative differences have forced Rotunda and the WWE to part ways, he will always be remembered for giving us not one, but two amazing characters.
#3. Mike Bucci: Simon Dean and "Hollywood" Nova
In ECW, Mike Bucci was well known as "Hollywood" Nova. A member of the bWo, Bucci's gimmick was essentially a parody of Hulk Hogan and the nWo. Upon his arrival in WWE in 2004, ECW was long gone and Bucci was given a new character.
Now going by Simon Dean, Bucci's character was that of an arrogant fitness instructor. Dean shamelessly marketed his own fitness products and mocked the audience for being out of shape. No reference was ever made to his past as an ECW star.
However, in 2005, WWE produced ECW One Night Stand. On this tribute show to Extreme Championship Wrestling, many ECW originals appeared, with some WWE Superstars reprising their ECW gimmicks for one night only. One such example was Mike Bucci once again playing "Hollywood" Nova with the rest of the bWo.
Initially, this was meant to be a one-night only occurrence. However, at the event, a legitimate fight between JBL and The Blue Meanie would renew interest in the bWo and thus, the group was given a slightly longer run. This meant that Bucci had to play two completely unrelated characters at the same time.
The two gimmicks would briefly overlap at One Night Stand, where Joey Styles subtly alluded to Simon Dean and Nova being the same person. A second such occasion would be on the July 21, 2005 Smackdown where the bWo was advertised for a match at the Great American Bash on the same show that Bucci wrestled as Simon Dean.
#2. RAW's Jeffery Sciullo: Elias and Ezekiel
Ezekiel and Elias!
#WWERaw https://t.co/LByHXDtX2D
The only example of this list that is currently happening as of this writing, the storyline of Ezekiel and his brother Elias has unexpectedly taken the WWE by storm. Fans have enjoyed the absurd and irreverant humor that the two "brothers" have brought every Monday on Raw.
It is a testament to Jeffery Sciullo's ability to constantly take the most unpromising and ridiculous angles and turn them into must-see TV. As Elias, Sciullo was initially a flop on NXT but grew into one of the most popular superstars on the main roster.
When Elias was removed from WWE TV, Sciullo was made to return as The Drifter's younger brother, Ezekiel. Once again, fans questioned this decision and expressed doubt at the charismatic Sciullo's ability to portray a good-natured rookie superstar who has to constantly affirm that he isn't his brother. In just a few short months, Ezekiel has won over the support of his "Zeke-Freaks."
With the two "brothers" now appearing side by side and with the possibility of yet another relative appearing, fans should wait and see what other humorous antics lie in wait. Whether you're walking with Elias or are part of the Zeke-Freaks, you are definitely in for a good time when these brothers appear on your screen.
#1. WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley: Mankind, Cactus Jack and Dude Love
Idk about y’all, but that Ezekiel/Elias segment was giving major Three Faces of Foley vibes…
#WWERAW https://t.co/e5ucfwZ5e4
No other WWE Superstar will ever come close to the legendary Mick Foley's ability to portray three different characters at the same time. The Three Faces of Foley are each acknowledged as being the same man but are such distinct characters that one cannot help but see them as being different beings inhabiting a single body.
Whether it be the deranged but lovable Mankind, the fearless and sadistic Cactus Jack or the fun-loving hippie Dude Love, Mick Foley has done it all with his gimmicks. While some wrestlers are able to play two separate characters at once or occasionally transition between them on-screen, Foley takes it a step further.
From appearing as all three gimmicks at the same time on-screen in 1997 to wrestling in the 1998 Royal Rumble under each of his personas, Foley's ability to channel his gimmicks and constantly switch between them is second to none.
In many ways, Mick Foley set the template for what a wrestler should do if they are faced with the arduous task of portraying multiple gimmicks at once. Never leaning too much in a comedic direction or portraying his gimmicks with no relation to one another, Foley has woven his multiple characters into his backstory.
Leave it to the Hardcore Legend to always give it his all.
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